East-West Question丨Wu Jialin: How to use photography as a bridge to show the image of China to the West?

　　(Essential questions) Wu Jialin: How to use photography as a bridge to show the image of China to the West?

　　China news agency, Zhaotong, November 18 -

　　China News Agency reporter Miao Chao

　　Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

　　In the 1980s, a photographer walked into the mountains in his hometown of Yunnan, focusing on the beautiful human nature of ordinary Chinese people in the natural state, insisting on capturing dramatic and real moments with mental perception.

His work has a strong personal style, strong regional characteristics, and a strong sense of Chinese history and culture. Eventually, he held film exhibitions all over the world, which caused great repercussions in the western photography community and showed the image of China to the world.

　　He is Wu Jialin, the only Chinese photographer to be selected in "Bresson's Choice" and the "Black Book" series of world photographers.

　　How to use photography as a bridge to show the world a true, three-dimensional and comprehensive China?

Wu Jialin recently received an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Dongxi Wen" in his hometown of Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province.

Eastern photography, which is different from the West, can enrich the diversity of photography in the world and will certainly attract more attention from the world.

Wu Jialin's photographic work "Lacquaintances"

The summary of the interview record is as follows:

China News Agency reporter: How did you embark on the road of photography, and why did the West recognize your photographic works?

Wu Jialin:

I was born in 1942, and I am almost old.

As a young man, he worked as a primary school teacher, county cultural librarian, and news correspondent.

In 1969, he started to learn about the camera, and since then embarked on the road of self-taught photography.

In the beginning, I was as used to posing for photography as many Chinese photographers.

But later I gradually realized that reality is the most essential feature of photography.

Be sure to be true and slowly form your own photography style: no organization, no posing, no performance, no intervention.

　　Realizing the truth is one of the reasons why I am recognized by the western photography community.

But the most important reason for being appreciated by the mainstream of Western photography is that I didn't follow the trend of the West at that time.

Some people say that I was learning the capture technique of the famous French photographer Bresson, but I didn't know who Bresson was at the time.

From the perspective of an Oriental, I record the hordes of life on this ancient land and show the unique charm of Chinese photography.

It is precisely this that makes the western photography industry uncontrollably excited, and is the first and most universally recognized by the international industry.

Wu Jialin's photographic work "Bird Seller".

China News Agency reporter: Is "positioning" the main reason why the West has not recognized Chinese photography for a long time?

Wu Jialin:

First of all, we must clarify that “positioning” is not a “special product” of Chinese photography, it is part of the history of Western photography.

In the past, many classic photographs in the West showed signs of posing, including the famous Robert Capa’s "Soldier Before Death", Rosenthal’s "Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima", and the photo "Victory of Victory" which reflects the victory of World War II. "The Kiss" and "Conquer Berlin" etc.

Objectively speaking, the reason is that the historical conditions and technology at that time did not have the conditions for capturing photos.

　　Photography originated from the West, and Chinese photography will naturally be influenced by the history of Western posing.

The West has always been full of infinite curiosity about China, hoping to see the real China.

Obviously, posing for a photo does not satisfy this desire.

At present, there is still a certain degree of posed attitude in the Chinese photography industry.

The camera is the eye of history. Performing in front of the camera or deliberately selecting the China to be viewed through the camera, the value of its photos will fall apart.

I think that Chinese photography currently has to abide by two principles: one is to respect history, and the other is to respect reality.

It is located inside the "Wujialin Image Gallery" of the Zhaotong City Museum in Yunnan Province.

China News Agency reporter: There were once Chinese photographers who thought that only by responding sharply to history can they be recognized by the West.

What do you think?

Wu Jialin:

For a long period of time, Chinese documentary photography did have a "historical subject matter determinism", which believed that sharp subjects have attracted more attention from the West.

My example just proves that it is a wrong understanding.

　　Since the 1980s, I took my camera to go to my hometown of Zhaotong Wumeng Mountain to shoot "People in the Mountains of Yunnan", focusing on the beautiful human nature of ordinary people in the natural state, and using my own mind to capture the dramatic and real moments .

At that time, the mountainous area of ​​Zhaotong, my hometown, was extremely poor, but I didn't want to show poverty, but wanted to show the dignity of the people in the mountains.

　　It is this group of peaceful and simple photographs that attracted the attention of the famous French photographer Marc Lubou.

After reading it, he thought that the cities in the Western world were extravagant and absurd. The image of the Chinese farmer recorded in "The People in the Mountains of Yunnan" was simple, diligent, kind and lacking in materials, but it was full of simple happiness.

At that time, he said, “This is a good medicine for the treatment of licentious urban diseases.” The West sees China through photography, and at the same time maps and connects with Western social issues. This shocked and reflected on the Chinese photography community.

China News Agency reporter: Throughout your photography career, the main works are records showing ordinary people in your hometown of Yunnan.

Why do you do this?

Wu Jialin:

I was born in Si and grew up in Si, love this land and understand this land.

For more than 50 years, I have honestly represented my elders and villagers, and my knowledge of the land and life.

Since 1993, I have successively published "Wu Jialin·The People in the Mountains of Yunnan", "Wu Jialin·Time", "Wu Jialin·Instant Borderland", "Wu Jialin·Baoshan", "Wu Jialin·The Borderland of China", "Wu Jialin·Walking on the Border", "Wu Jialin·Hometown Zhaotong" Collections of works such as "Wu Jialin·Yuxi", "Wu Jialin·Secret Land of Lincang".

In 2005, Wu Jialin filmed "Hometown Zhaotong" in his hometown of Zhaotong, Yunnan.

　　It is because of my love for my hometown and my concern for people in my hometown that I have been able to shoot a large number of excellent works.

These works have been exhibited many times in Paris International Photography Festival, Houston International Photography Festival in USA, Herten International Photography Festival in Germany, Stockholm Art Museum in Sweden, Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

In 2006, my work was included in the World Photography Masters Collection, and the black pocket photography book "Wu Jialin·The Border of China" was published in France.

Some people describe my style as natural, simple, and original photography. In fact, this is the characteristic of Yunnan.

　　In the past and present, people always emphasized leaving their hometown and going out.

In fact, everyone did not really go out, nor did they need to go out.

My story tells everyone that even if you stand in your hometown, you can go to the world.

Therefore, I advise young Chinese photographers: love their hometown and show them confidently.

Reporter from China News Service: As the Chinese become richer, cameras have long been quite popular. It can be said that we have entered an era where "everyone is a photographer".

In this situation, how to use photography as a bridge to show the image of China to the West?

Wu Jialin: The

first is to return to the essence of photography.

I have noticed that many Chinese photographers are now comparing photographic equipment, and even think that the level of work is directly proportional to the advanced level of the equipment.

In fact, the camera is just a tool, like a pen in the hands of a painter.

Photography is not a matter of equipment. It is the vision and accomplishment of the photographer that determine the quality and communication effect of the photo.

　　The second is to learn, exchange and learn from each other.

There is now a concept that excludes the West.

It is unavoidable that photography is passed from the West to the East.

We must uphold an open attitude. We should absorb the good things in the West, just as our good things will be absorbed by the West. For example, Picasso’s creations have absorbed the essence of many Chinese paintings.

Photography is a category of modern culture and art. It has its own international characteristics. It can become a bridge for communication, learning and mutual learning between the East and the West.

　　The third is to create an oriental style.

China has a long history and profound culture, which bred a self-contained oriental aesthetic.

Oriental photography should integrate the Chinese people's image art personality, create oneself, and avoid similarity with the West.

Eastern photography, which is different from the West, can enrich the diversity of photography in the world and will certainly attract more attention from the world.

(over)

About the interviewee:

　　Wu Jialin, born in Zhaotong, Yunnan in 1942, is an internationally renowned photographer.

In 1995, he was selected into the "World Contemporary Photographers Dictionary" of the United States.

In 1997, he won the International Documentary Photography Award from the Mother Jones Foundation of the United States (the first Chinese photographer to receive this award).

Since March 1996, he has successively participated in international photography festivals such as Paris, Houston, and Herten, Germany, as well as the International Center of Photography ICP in New York, the Stockholm Art Museum in Sweden, the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow, the Fabuye Art Museum in France, and Brazil. The Museum of Modern Art and China Taiwan, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and other places hold personal film exhibitions.

In 2003, his masterpiece "Lajiachang 1999 Chengdu" was included in the "Bresson's Choice" film exhibition and album by the world-famous photographer Kadir Bresson; in 2006, the collection of "Chinese Mountain People" was included in the world master photographer series "Black The Paper was published in Paris, and the film festival of the same name was also exhibited at the Paris Film Festival that year. This is the only Chinese photographer who has won these two awards.