PublicVersion
ThePhotographerWhoShapedModernChina:ShaFeiandHisWorld
摄影师沙飞：现代中国形象的塑造者
DAY1(SessionsinEnglish)第⼀⽇（英⽂）
Friday22April2016
Venue:CGISSouthBelferCaseStudyRoomS020,HarvardUniversity
(1730CambridgeSt,Cambridge,MA02138)
9:30amWelcomingandOpeningRemarks致开幕词
EugeneWANG,DepartmentofHistoryofArtandArchitecture,HarvardUniversity汪悦进，哈佛
⼤学艺术史系
JamesCHENG,HarvardYenchingLibrary郑炯⽂，哈佛燕京图书馆
YanWANG,DaughterofShaFei王雁，沙飞之⼥
10:00am
Chair:JamesCHENG主持⼈：郑炯⽂
EugeneWANG,DepartmentofHistoryofArtandArchitecture,HarvardUniversity汪悦进，哈佛
⼤学艺术史系
Title:ThePhotographicSublimeandModernSubjectivity:ShaFeiasaChineseCase摄影崇⾼与现
代主体性：作为中国个案的沙飞
JamesGAO,HistoryDepartment,UniversityofMaryland⾼峥，马⾥兰⼤学历史系
Title:VisualizingtheParadigmoftheChineseNationalWar:ShaFei’sPhotographyandLife中国
战争范式的影像化：沙飞的摄影与⼈⽣
ChristopherPHILLIPS,InternationalCenterofPhotography克⾥斯托弗·菲利普斯，纽约国际摄
影中⼼
Title:RobertCapainChina,19381938年卡帕在中国
11:30am
Chair:RudolphWAGNER主持⼈：鲁道夫·⽡格纳
SarahE.FRASER,InstituteofEastAsianArtHistory,HeidelbergUniversity胡素馨，海德堡⼤学
艺术史系
Title:ImagesofaSufferingNation:ShaFeiduringtheSino-JapaneseWar苦难国⼟的影像：中⽇
战争时期的沙飞
LinDU,RegionalStudiesEastAsiaProgram,HarvardUniversity杜琳，哈佛⼤学东亚研究项⽬
Title:IntricateInteractionsbetweenWoodcutsandPhotographs:AStudyofShaFei’sPostmortem
PhotographsofLuXun⽊刻与摄影的艺术形式互涉：沙飞的鲁迅遗照研究
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2:00pmShaFeiCollectionTour沙飞馆藏与展览参观
1)HarvardYenchingLibrary,ShaFeiArchive,3rdFloor哈佛燕京图书馆，沙飞档案
2)FairbankCenter:CGISSouthBuilding,1stFloor哈佛费正清中⼼
3:30pmRoundTableDiscussion圆桌讨论
(Moderator–EugeneWANG)主持⼈：汪悦进
ElizabethPERRY,DepartmentofGovernment,HarvardUniversity裴宜理，哈佛⼤学政治系
ArunabhGHOSH,HistoryDepartment,HarvardUniversity⾼龙，哈佛⼤学历史系
JieLI,DepartmentofEastAsianLanguagesandCivilizations,HarvardUniversity李洁，哈佛⼤学
东亚系
CatherineYEH,DepartmentofModernLanguagesandComparativeLiterature,BostonUniversity
叶凯蒂，波⼠顿⼤学现代语⾔与⽐较⽂学系
RudolphWAGNER,InstituteofChineseStudies,HeidelbergUniversity鲁道夫·⽡格纳，海德堡⼤
学汉学系
CarlaHINTON,DepartmentofHistoryandArtHistory,GeorgeMasonUniversity卡玛，乔治梅森
⼤学历史与美术史系
DAY2(SessionsinChinese)第⼆⽇（中⽂）
Saturday23April2016
Venue:SacklerBuilding,Room515,HarvardUniversity
(485Broadway,Cambridge,MA02138)
9:30am
Chair:EugeneWang主持⼈：汪悦进
ZhengGU,FudanUniversity顾铮，复旦⼤学
Title:NotesonShaFei’sBattlinginAncientGreatWall关于沙飞《战⽃在古长城上》的思考
TaoCAI,GuangzhouAcademyofFineArts蔡涛，⼴州美术学院
Title:CompetitionbetweenMediumsinModernChineseArt:ShaFeiandSituQiaoatLuXun’s
Funeral鲁迅葬礼中的沙飞和司徒乔——兼论战前中国现代艺术的媒介竞争现象
ChuGAO,ChinaAcademyofArt⾼初，中国美术学院
Title:“Display”and“Evoke”:WartimePhotographyinChina“观看”与“唤起”：战争时期的中国摄
影
SushiSI,CenterofShaFeistudies司苏实，沙飞研究中⼼
Title:DistinctiveFeaturesofAestheticinShaFei’sWork:ImpactofChineseTraditionalSchoolof
ThoughtonPhotography沙飞作品的美学实践及中国传统哲学思想对摄影术的重要贡献
Contact:
LinDu:[email protected]
BingHuang:[email protected]
3/14
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ThePhotographerWhoShapedModernChina:ShaFeiandHisWorld
AShortIntroductionofShaFei:
HistoricalmemoryofmodernChinaisinextricablylinkedtotheworksofShaFei
(1912-1950).Sha’sphotographsencapsulatethecollectivevisualmemoryofthehirsthalf
ofthetwentieth-centuryChineseleftistandrevolutionaryhistory.Theseincludetheiconic
photosofthewriterLuXun(1881-1936),theChinesearmywagingabattleontheGreat
Wall,andHenryNormanBethune(1890-1939),theCanadiananti-fascistphysicianwho
providedservicefortheEighthRouteArmyinWorldWarIIinChina.Shastartedhiscareer
inShanghaiasanaspiringcosmopolitanartist.Withaleftistleaningandprogressively
motivated,hewenttothefrontiertobeaphoto-journalist,therebyundergoingaprofound
transformationfromapurelyaestheticallymindedelitisturbanitetoarural-basedsociallyengagedhieldphotographer.Inadditiontoprovidingwartimephotographicdocumentation
forlargercauses,Shapersonallyembodiedapoignanthistoryoftrauma.Wartime
experiencehinallytookatollonhim.Attheageof38,Shawasexecutedforhavingkilled,in
amomentofdementia,theJapanesedoctorwhocaredforhim.
Shaleftbehindanextensivetroveofphotographs.Manyofthesehavebeenusedasvisual
aidtoillustratemodernChinesehistory.Whiletheofhicialstorylinesmaysubsumethese
photographs,animmersioninSha’sphotographicworldstrainsmanyofthefacile
assumptionsonemayholdwithregardtotheunexaminedstorylinesperpetuatedinthe
mediabothinChinaandtheWest.Sha’sphotographsareantidotestohasty
overgeneralizationsandideologicalsimplihication.Theyofferinsightsandexperienceofa
complextimeandworldunmediatedbyhardenednarrativeclosures,schematicformulae,
andclichés.
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ConferencePaperAbstracts:
ThePhotographicSublimeandModernSubjectivity:ShaFeiasaChineseCase
EugeneWang
Abstract:
WhatdowemeanwhenwespeakofthemodernChineseartist?Whobetterexemplihies
theidea?WetendtounthinkinglytakeapagefromtheEuro-Americancanonical
playbooks.Whilemodernityeverywherecanmoreorlessbekeyedtoaglobaltimeline,
localspecihicityandhistoricalcircumstancesinevitablyresultinarthistoricalnarrativesof
differentkinds.Toreckonwiththesedifferencesistoproducedistinctprohilesofthe
modernChineseartist.ThecelebratedcareerofShaFei(1912-1950)asaneminent
modernChinesephotographerpresentsacompellingcase.ShaFeiembodiestheChinese
modernityinawayfewothersdo:progressiveforward-lookingstance,cultural
cosmopolitanismadaptedtoandtestedinawartimeruralbase,mediasensitivityand
technologicalfacilitypoweredbyastrivingforthesublime,andtheprobingexplorationof
interiorityandsubjectivity.Withthesefeaturesinmind,webegintograspthesignihicance
ofShaFeiasamodernChineseartist.
Bio:
EugeneWang(Ph.DHarvard,1997)beganteachingattheUniversityofChicagoin1996
beforejoiningthefacultyatHarvardUniversityin1997.HewasappointedtheAbby
AldrichRockefellerProfessorofAsianArtatHarvardin2005.AGuggenheimFellow
(2005)andrecipientofACLSandGettygrants,heservedasthearthistoryassociateeditor
oftheEncyclopediaofBuddhism(Macmillan,2004).Hisbook,ShapingtheLotusSutra:
BuddhistVisualCultureofMedievalChina(2005)receivedtheAcademicExcellenceAward
fromJapanin2006.HisextensivepublicationscovertheentirerangeofChinesearthistory
fromancientfuneraryarttomodernandcontemporaryChineseartandcinema.Heserves
ontheadvisoryboardoftheCenterforAdvancedStudies,NationalGalleryofArtin
WashingtonD.C.andtheeditorialboardofTheArtBulletin.
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VisualizingtheParadigmoftheChineseNationalWar:ShaFei’sPhotographyandLife
JamesGao
Abstract:
ExaminingShaFei’sphotographicworksinthewartime1938-45,thispaperexploresthe
originanddevelopmentoftheChineserevolutionaryphotography.Itbeginswith
inhluencesoftheWesternphotojournalismandShanghai’sLeft-wingCulturalMovementon
ShaFeiandmovestoShaFei’sphotographicpracticeandthegrowthofCommunist
photographycommunity.ThepaperarguesthatShaFei’sworksrepresentedan
institutionalperspectiveandinstitutionalstyleinvisualizingtheparadigmoftheChinese
nationalistwar.Thisperspectiveandstylewereshapedincomplexcommunicationand
negotiationbetweentheParty’sideologicalguidanceandShaFei’sdocumentary
romanticism,betweenpropagandistrequirementsandShaFei’sphotographicrealism,and
betweentheCCP’sdiscourseofthewarandtheGMD’sdiscourseofthewar.Thepaper
discussespsychologicalimpactsofshootingwaratrocitiesonwarphotographersand
treatsShaFei’stragicdeathasatypicalcaseofvictimizationbyboththewarand
bureaucraticpolitics.
Bio:
JamesGaohaspreviouslybeenanAssistantProfessoratPekingUniversityandNewport
NewsUniversity,andaResearchAssociateattheInstituteofEastAsianStudiesatthe
UniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.Hehaswrittenthreebooks:MeetingTechnology's
Advance:SocialChangesinChinaandZimbabweintheRailwayAge(1997)andThe
CommunistTakeoverofHangzhou:TheTransformationofCityandCadre,1949-1954
(2004).HistoricalDictionaryofModernChina,1800-1949(2009).Hehasalsopublished
severalarticlesincluding"TheCalloftheOases:The'PeacefulLiberation'ofXingjiang,
1949-1953",“ShootingSocialSuffering:PhotographyandChina’sHumanDisasters”,"War
Culture,Nationalism,andPoliticalCampaigns,1950-53","RediscoveryofWesternScience
andTechnologyandDehinitionofChineseForeignPolicy","FromRuralRevolutiontoUrban
Revolutionization:ACaseStudyofLuzhongnan,"and“Eating,CookingandShanghai‘LessmanlyMen’:SocialConsequenceoftheFoodRationingandEconomicReforms”Professor
GaohasreceivedtheRobertD.GriesPrizefromYaleUniversityin1994,anNEHSummer
Grantin1995,andtheSummerResearchAwardfromtheUniversityofMarylandin1999,
andHopkinsfellowshipin2006.
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RobertCapainChina,1938
ChristopherPhillips
Abstract:
In1938,RobertCapawasa25-year-oldphotojournalistwhohadrecentlywon
internationalacclaimforhisdramaticphotographsofthecivilwarinSpain.Hespent
FebruarytoSeptemberofthatyearinChina,coveringthedesperateChineseefforttohalt
theadvanceofinvadingJapanesemilitaryforcestowardWuhan.Around30ofCapa’sphoto
storiesabouttheSino-JapaneseconhlictappearedinsuchWesternillustratedmagazinesas
Life,PicturePost,Regards,andtheSchweizerIllustrierteZeitung.Thephotographsthat
Capamade,alongwiththelettersthathewrotewhileinChina,aretodaypreservedinthe
collectionoftheInternationalCenterofPhotographyinNewYorkCity.Capa’simages
depicttheleadersoftheCCPandKMT,thenalliedinanunstablepopularfront;the
JapaneseaerialbombingofHankouandGuangzhou;thekeyChinesevictoryat
Tai’erzhuang;andthehloodingoftheYellowRivertoslowtheadvanceofJapaneseforces.
ThephotographsmadebyCapa,apoliticallyunafhiliatedmanoftheleftwhostruggledwith
theconstraintsoftheinternationalpressofhisday,offerausefulpointofcomparisonwith
thoseofShaFei,acommittedmemberoftheCCPwhowasconsciouslyengagedinwhathe
called“politicalpublicitywork.”
Bio:
ChristopherPhillipshasbeenacuratoratICPsince2000.Hehasorganizedsuch
exhibitionsasDelmaetandDurandelle:TheConstructionoftheParisOpera(2001),The
RiseofthePicturePress(2002),BetweenPastandFuture:NewPhotographyandVideo
fromChina(2004),AttaKim:On-Air(2006),HeavyLight:RecentPhotographyandVideo
fromJapan(2008),EugèneAtget:ArchivistofParis(2010),andWangQingsong:When
WorldsCollide(2011).Hewasalsoamemberofthecuratorialteam,whichorganizingthe
2013ICPTriennial,ADifferentKindofOrder.BeforecomingtoICP,Phillipsworkedforten
yearsasasenioreditoratArtinAmericamagazineandwasamemberofthecuratorial
teamsresponsibleforTheMetropolisandtheArtoftheTwenties(MuséedesBeaux-Arts
deMontréal,1991),MontageandtheImageofModernLife(BostonInstituteof
ContemporaryArt,1992),andCosmos:FromRomanticismtotheAvant-Garde(Muséedes
Beaux-ArtsdeMontréal,1999).In1998,heorganizedthesoundartexhibitionVoicesat
theWittedeWithCenterforContemporaryArtinRotterdam.Hisbooksinclude
PhotographyintheModernEra:EuropeanDocumentsandCriticalWritings,1913-1940
(1989),TheNewVision:PhotographsfromtheFordMotorCompanyCollection(with
MariaMorrisHambourg,1989),andShanghaiKaleidoscope(2008).Heisanadjunct
facultymemberatNewYorkUniversityandBarnardCollege,whereheteachescoursesin
thehistoryandcriticismofphotography.
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ImagesofaSufferingNation:ShaFeiduringtheSino-JapaneseWar
SarahE.Fraser
Abstract:
ShaFeidevelopedarecognizablestyleofdocumentingwartimeChinaandestablisheda
newphotographicgenrethatemphasizedpain,death,andsuffering–allessentiallynew
topicsofvisualrepresentationinthe20thcentury.Inhisearlycareerduringthe1920sand
early1930s,though,heidentihiedwithmainstreampictorialism–practicedby
photographerssuchasJinShisheng–informedbyEuropeanmodernphotography.Evenin
thismodefeaturingformalismandthebeautyofrepetitiveshapes,hepointedlydepicted
thepoorlivinginurbanspaces.Thesephotosconveyedhumanitariansentiment;some
rehlectedcritiqueofthegovernment.However,hismodernistexplorationwasinterrupted
bySino-Japanesewar.
ShaFeiframedtheatrocityofthewarintermsdistinctfromthelifelessexoticismof
foreignphotographerssuchasFeliceBeatoduringthesecondOpiumWar––whenthehirst
imagesofwartimesufferinganddeathofChinesesubjectshirstappeared(ca.1860).Sha
Fei’sphotographsofwarvictims(someseventyyearslater)includednakedbodiesravaged
byconhlictasdramatic,extremestatementsaboutChina’spoliticalstate.Thesenewthemes
oftraumaticexperiencechallengedtraditionalethicsofseeinganddisplaywithshocking
effect,enlargingthevocabularyofChineseartandphotography.Inattemptingtosituate
hisworkintheintersectionsbetweenartandpropaganda,humanitariancommentaryand
nationalism,hejettisonedhispersonalstyleinfavorofanationalmessage.Comparedto
other“redphotographers”suchasShiShaohua,ShaFeidevelopedaniconicformulafor
capturingdecisiveordramaticmomentsinthewarthatwouldarousepatriotism.High
artisticstandardsco-existedwithpropagandisticelementsinhiswork.Ultimately,hisgoal
wastousevisualtoolstoconstructacollectivetraumaticmemoryofthewar,andunite
publicsentimentbehindonepoliticalparty––somethingthathadnotbeendoneyetin
modernChina.
Bio:
Prof.SarahE.FraserholdsthechairforChineseArtHistoryattheInstituteforEastAsian
ArtHistoryatHeidelbergUniversity,Germany;shealsoservesastheInstituteHead.Her
researchfocusesonthehistoryofChinesepainting,Buddhistwallpainting(Performingthe
Visual,StanfordUniversityPress,2004-AmericanLibraryAssociationOutstanding
AcademicBook2004award;ARTStor,MIDA),andethnographicparadigmsinChinese
photographyintheearly20thcentury(“ChineseasSubject,”BrushandShutter,Getty,
2011).Hercurrentbookproject,HowChineseArtbecameChinese,concernsnational
identityformationthrougharchaeologicalandethnographicprojectsduringthe
Republicanperiod(1912-1949),thedevelopmentofnewmethodsforartresearch,andthe
collaborationbetweenZhangDaqianandQinghaiartistsinthe1940s.
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IntricateInteractionsbetweenWoodcutsandPhotographs:
AStudyofShaFei’sPostmortemPhotographsofLuXun
LinDu
Abstract:
ShaFei(1912-1950)waspartofthehirstgenerationofphotojournalistscommissionedby
theChineseCommunistParty(CCP).Heestablishedanewvisualrhetorictopromotethe
ChineserevolutionandbuiltuptheCCPphotographypropagandasystem.Despitearich
scholarshipontheabilityofastateapparatustoimposeitsideologyonpeople,therehas
beenlittleconsiderationofhowastate-propagandamechanismwillendowimageswith
meaningsandpublicizesymbolsinsociety.Inordertohindouthownewsymbolsare
createdandcirculatedinmedia,Iexploretheintricateinteractionsbetweenwoodcutsand
photographythroughacasestudyofShaFei'slastknown,postmortemphotographsofthe
leftistwriterLuXun(1881-1936).Iarguethatwoodcutsoftenusephotographyasa
prototypetodrawtheportraitsofpoliticalicons,withLuXunhereasanexample.Ishow
howtheimagesoftheportraitsmigratedfromthemediumofphotographytothemedium
ofwoodcuts.Withmorewoodcutsusingtheprototypeofonephotograph,theimageofthe
politicaliconbecamehixatedoncertainanglesandbecamepoliticalsymbols.Iargue,
borrowingfromHansBelting’stheoryofimagemigration,thatderivativewoodcutsofthis
periodalsograduallyattachedotherknownandacceptedsymbolstotheprototypical
imageofthepoliticalicon.Thus,thenewsymbolscollectedinthederivativewoodcutscan
beseenasarepresentationofcollectiveimagination.Andwhensocietycametoacceptthe
newlycreatedsymbols,thephotographsofthepoliticaliconsbecamesubjectto
propagandisticmanipulation.
Bio:
LinDuisasecond-yearmasterstudentstudyingmodernAsianartinRegionalStudies-East
AsiaprogramatHarvard.SheobtainedherB.A.inDept.ofChineseLiteraturefromPeking
UniversityandthereafterconductedresearchonhistoryofChineseandJapanese
photographyinChina,JapanandtheU.S.Shehaspublishedessaysandacademicpaperson
photographyandwaseditorforexhibitionsandsymposiumsonChineseart.
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ShaFei,TheFounderofChineseRevolutionPhotography
GuZheng
Abstract:
AsthefounderofphotographicsystemofChineseCommunistPartyinthewarofagainst
JapaneseAggressioninJin-Cha-Jiareas,photographerShafeiplaytheimportantrole.This
papertrytooffersthreeperspectivesfromwhichtoviewShafei’slife,photographicview
andhispracticescomparetoShafei’scontemporaryRobertCape’sones.
InPart1,Iprohilehislifefromtwosections,oneisabouthisphotographicactivein
Shanghaiasaleftwingyouth,andotherisabouthiscareerforestablishingthe
photographicinstitutioninJin-Cha-Jiareas.InPart2,Idiscussthechangeofhis
photographicviewfrom“reformsociety”to“allmustservetheantiJapanesewarand
establishingthenation”byfocusinghisdifferenttimesphotographicview.Ialsodiscuss
Shafeis’sviewofphotographic“truth”.InPart3,ItrytogivedeeperinsighttoShafei’s
practicebycomparinghisworktoRobertCape’swarphotographicpractice.Andinthelast
partasPart4,Iwillgivesomemyconsiderationsabouttherelationshipandinteraction
betweenthephotographicpracticeofChineseCommunistPartyanditspoliticaltarget
fromexaminingShafei’swork.
Bio:
Bornin1959,GuZhengisaphotographer,critic,historian,curator,andeducator.Associate
ProfessorintheSchoolofJournalismatFudanUniversityinShanghai,heservesasVicedirectorofthatuniversity’sResearchCenterforVisualCulture.Hehasbeenincontactwith
Americanphotographysincethemiddleofthe1970s,whenheresidedintheU.S.AlongtimefriendofthehistorianofphotographyBeaumontNewhall,hestudiedunderhimat
theUniversityofAlbuquerquein1979.Guhaspublishednumerousbooksofhisown
writingsonphotography,andin2001receivedtheChinesePhotographyGoldenFigure
PrizeinTheoryandCriticism.In2001and2003hewashonoredwithArtCriticAwards
fromtheAssociationofChineseLiteratureandArt.Additionally,Guhastranslatedinto
Chinesemanytextsonphotography,fromclassictopostmodern.Hehascuratedseveral
groupexhibitionsofChinesephotographyforvenuesininChina,SouthKorea,andthe
UnitedStates.
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CompetitionbetweenMediumsinModernChineseArt:ShaFeiandSituQiaoatLu
Xun’sFuneral
CaiTao
Abstract:
ThisarticleoffersanarthistoricalinterpretationofLuXun’sfuneralbyanalyzingtherole
SituQiaoandShaFei—twoartistsbothfromtheSituFamilyofKaiping,Guangdong—
playedinthishistoricalevent.WithinfourdaysofLuXun’sdeathonOctober19th,1936,
manyartistsinShanghaiexpressedtheirgriefbysketchingLuXun’sposthumousportraits
anddocumentingtheeventwithphotography.Theseartisticendeavorsconstituteda
specialformofmourning,whichincorporatedthepowerofmodernmediatostagean
unprecedented“theatre”ofvisualculture.Twosetsofworksquicklystoodoutand
garneredmostpublicattention:photographyofLuXunbyShaFeishortlybeforeandafter
Lu’sdeathandagiantportraitofLuXuninthemarchofthefuneralparade,whichwas
improvisedbySituQiao.Thesespontaneousartproductionsandtheirsubsequentrapid
disseminationcouldbeunderstoodasapowerfulartisticinterventiontothecrisisofthe
nationstateandsociety.ThispaperapproachestheartproductionsforLuXun’sfuneralas
themostformativeandinhluentialpracticeofstreetartinpre-warChina.SituQiao’s
drawinginbamboosticksandShaFei’sphotographyindocumentarystylerehlectthe
intensecompetitionbetweenvisualmediumsinChinaduringthe1930sthateventually
shapedthewartimemodernartsceneanditsinstitutionaltransformation.
Bio:
CaiTaoisAssociateResearchFellowattheGuangzhouAcademyofFineArt.Hiscurrent
researchinterestfocusesonthetransitionofmodernChineseartduringtheSino-Jananese
war.From1997to2011,heworkedasacuratorattheGuangdongMuseumofArt
(GDMoA).From2011to2012,hewasavisitingscholarattheHarvard-YenchingInstitute.
Hismonograph"BetweentheNationandtheArtist:TheAnti-JapanesePropagandaMural
inHuanghelou(1938)andtheTurningPointofModernChineseArt"isforthcoming.
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“Display”and“Evoke”:WartimePhotographyinChina
GaoChu
Abstract:
Chinesephotographyundergoeschangesintimeofwarbreakoutsandnationalcrisis.The
interpretationsystemofphotographyshiftsfromthephotographerstotheviewers,and
theevaluationsystemofphotographyreliestheemotionaloutbreakandinspirationof
actionfromtheviewers.Thissubject-objecttransformationbetweenthephotographers
andtheviewersimpliesthereformsandrestructuresofphotographyinsubjectand
concept,themeandlanguage,mediumandpresence.WhenwediscussaboutChinese
photographyfromwartimetoNewChina,eventothepresent,thetwokeyconceptsare
“PhotographyasRitual”and“OnsiteObservationandMobilization”.
AgroupofphotographersinwartimeChinabecomejournalistphotographersuponthe
establishmentofNewChina.Theircareers(1930sto1970s)sharetwocommon
characteristics.First,photographsare“toevokethepublic”:theyabandonthesubjectivity
ofartistsandputawayindividualaesthetictendencyfortheemotionaltendencyof“the
presupposedaudience”.Thesuccessevaluationofphotographsisbasedonthepublic
mobilizationaftertheexhibitionandpublication.Second,thephotographers“abandon
makingartworks”:Ifanartist’sartworksinWesternarthistoryaretheobjectsofwriting,
thentheyarethecoordinatesintheartist’scontinuousart-exploringcareer,art
circulationsonthemarketandalsoobjectofwritingbyartcriticsandhistorians.However
inrevolutionChinathesephotographers’artworksareoftenmissing,sotheyusuallyexist
onlyatthesiteof“displayandobserve”.Theirrealartworksarenottheexhibitedphotoprints,buttheevokedheatandenergyamongtheviewersonsite.Suchintangibleenergyin
themakingofrevolutionis,inthehistoricalcontext,thetrueevaluationoftheircareers.
Bio:
GAOChuisascholarandcuratorofChinesephotography.Hehasspentmorethanten
yearstobuildanalternativearchiveofChinesephotographers,collectingoralhistoryand
negatives,photos,anddiariesofphotographersactivebetweenthe1930stothe1980s.He
haspublishedwidelyonChinesephotography,includingForefront:WartimePhotography
inChina1936-1945(2015)andDavidCrook:SelectedphotographsinChina(2015).He
nowservesastheDirectorofSocialArchiveofChinesePhotography(SACP)attheSchool
ofIntermediaArt,ChinaAcademyofArt.
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DistinctiveFeaturesofAestheticinShaFei’sWork:ImpactofChineseTraditional
SchoolofThoughtonPhotography
SiSushi
Abstract:
Dependingifyou’reaWesterneroranAsian,yourperceptionofapicturecanbevery
different.Thishasadirectlinktoourveryspecihicwayofthinking.Infrontofaproblem,
Westernerwillhirsttrytoreachthesourceofit,andstudyitinthemostexhaustiveway
possible.Theygrantalotofimportancetotherationalityofananalysisandmostofall,its
objectivity.Chineseratherrelyonsmalldetailstohigureoutthe“wholepicture”.Theygrant
moreimportanceintheirsubjectivefeelingsandhaveapredilectionforgeneralization.
Theapproachandcomprehensionofart,betweenWesternersandAsianareradically
different.
Atthebirthofphotography,in1839,westernpaintersyelled“Arewecondemnedtostarve
becauseofthisnewtechnology?”.Thereasonwas,atthisperiod,thesummitofartwasto
perfectlyseizeandcopyrealityinitseverydetails.Chineseneverexperiencethiskindof
shock,fortheessenceofartwassomewhereinbetweenlikenessandinformal.Forus,the
meaningofartisclearandhirm:forexample,poetryisintheexpressionofthe志(Zhi),the
aspirationsofaman,andliteratureshouldbeartheveryspecihicnotionof道(Dao).If
thesetwoconditionsarenotfulhilled,thentheworkcan’tclaimthestatusofart.
Nonetheless,Chinesephotographershadtofaceupanotherproblem:whenphotography
capturestherealityinitseverydetail,eventhemoreinsignihicant,wherethenotionsofZhi
andDao,whichdehineChineseArt,couldemerge?Sincenowadays,atypicalphotographic
styleisstillpopular.Wecalledit“风花雪⽉»(FengHuaXueYue),whichmeans«Wind,
Flowers,SnowandMoon».Thegoalofthisspecihicstyleistoreachaestheticpurity,init’s
everyway,spiritualandmaterial.NotionsofZhiandDaoarepreserverd,but,in
compensation,artistifforcedtosacrihicetheobjectivityandtherealisticnatureofhis
picture.Thelessitlookslikeaphotography,thecloseritisfromartcharms.Worst,even
thenotionsofZhiandDao,whichappearinthepicture,tendtobeveryunclear.The
realisticwealthofapicture,withitsdetails,isirremediablyspoiled.
Actually,thecommonproblemthatWesternersandAsianhadtoconfrontwasthat
photographyturnedtheoldculturalaestheticcodes.Oncethehirstshockofphotography
birthhadbeenswallowed,westernartistdecidedtoalterrealitytobuildamoreabstract
andgeneralsubject.Modernandcontemporaryartwasfedbythisturnover.Evenif
Chineseartiststillhaveproblemtocomposewiththisfact,theirsresearchcanhavea
majorimpactinphotography:theyareexperimentingwaystomakeanobjectivepicture
deliverasubjectivemeaning.How,fromparcellarpicture,frominsignihicantdetails,could
weobtainarealmeaningwithageneralcontent,whorespecttheoriginalideaofChinese
traditionalart?Byusingtheancientasianphilosophy,sourceofabstraction,torealizea
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veryrealistic“westerner”picture,weshouldmanagetorealizeapicturewerethe
subjectivemeaningoftheimagewouldbeenhancedfarbeyondverycommonscene.All
thecharmandvaluescanbefoundinthefactthatwecouldsharethesamefeelingwithout
sayinganyword.
Chinesetraditionalpaintingcanactually,infewlines,driveasubjecttoaphilosophical
level.Butthere’sabigdifferencewithphotography:sincealways,Chinesetraditioninsist
onthemiddlepointbetweenlikenessandinformal.Thisso-called“Informallikeness”
allowtoguidethespectatoronthepathtospiritualillumination.Westernmodernand
contemporaryartusepreciselythesamewayofexpression,byusingthis“informal
likeness”.Nonetheless,wecouldlegitimatelyaskourselveshowphotography,whichis
basedonextremerealism,couldpreserveherobjectivepointofviewtobuilditsgenerality,
withoutspoilingitsfundamentalspecihicities:torecordandtobroadcast.Betweenthe30’s
andthe40’s,Shafeibeganhisexperimentations.
ShaFeimanagetouseisperfectlyrealisticphotographytobroadcastamoregeneraland
deeperidea.Themixbetweenrealityoffactsandcharactersdepictedinthepictureand
thesubjectivityofthephotographerallowedstrengtheningtheartisticimpactofhiswork
andfacilitatingitsbroadcasting.ThiswaspreciselytheultimategoalofChinesereporterin
thesestimes.Moreofit,ShaFeiguidedandteachedmanyofhisbrothersinarmthisnew
approachofphotography,developingthepowerfulimpactofthistechniqueintimesofwar.
Thepointthatshalldrawourattentionis,thatduringtheopeningofChina,inthe80’,alot
ofyoungresearchers,withoutShaFeiinhluence,foundexactlythesametechnique.Two
generations,withtensyearsgap,managetogettothesameconclusions.Thisproves,with
absolutecertainty,thatthisnewmodeofphotographywasnotrandomlyfound.It’sthe
resultofextensiveresearchesonphotographyinhluencedbythetraditionalChinese
schoolsofthought.It’stheproductoftherealismofWesternerphotographyandChinese
senseofsynthesis.It’stheproductofthedeepmixbetweenAsianandWesternwisdoms.
Bio:
BorninBeijingin1951,SIgraduatedfromShanxiProfessionalLiteraryCollege,majoring
inChineseLanguageandLiterature.From1986to2004,heworkedinPeople's
PhotographyPresscontinuouslyasjournalist,editorandchiefeditor.From1993to2004,
heorganizedaseriesofsymposia,photographycompetitions,andphotographyfestivals
includingorganizingthePingyaoInternationalPhotographyFesitivalsforthree
consequtiveyears.HewasalsoinvitedtobethechiefcuratorfortheSecondInternational
PhotographyBiennialattheGuangdongMuseumofArtin2007.Alsoin2007,hestartedto
studythehistoryofChinesewartimephotographyoftheCCP-controledarea.Hismajor
publicationsincludeAHistoricalRecordofChina'sRedPhotography,(EditedwithGUDi,
Taiyuan:Shanxirenminchubanshe,2009),ShaFeiandHisComrade-in-arms(Beijing:Xin
huachubanshe,2012),RedPhotography(HongKong:Shangwuyinshuguan,2012;
Beijing:Lianhechubangongsi,2015).
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