In this issue of VOP, through the relation between family history and private family relationships, we seek the connection and distance between “family” and life in photography. Japanese artist Yoshikatsu Fujii’s work shows us how he perceives his family’s falling apart in the face of his parents’ estrangement, a familial relationship that is disintegrating and yet binds like an umbilical cord. Chinese artist Lang Li, in the face of his father’s passing on, begins to mark the time of his father’s lifetime directly on portraits of his father as well as on items left behind, extending a trailing record of over 30,000 dates and establishing a relationship between the different times of his life. Hong Kong artist Wai Lau whose parents came from Northern China, participated in the Cultural Revolution and then made Hong Kong their home subsequently, deconstructs old family photos, records her parents’ current lives and makes a trip back north to revisit her parents’ historical homes of the past. These cross-generation family albums depict a deep reading of family memories and relationships between family members.
In our Artist’s Showcase, we have an interview with Magnum Photo photographer Chien-Chi Chang done in the midst of his busy schedule on the go between different time zones. We also feature some shots from his new work Jet Lag. Born in Taiwan and having spent years travelling all over the world as part of his documentary reporting work, “on the road” is a daily state in his personal life. When the plane, the hotel and a shimmering television screen become life’s only extension, marriage, family and time are in a perpetual state of disconnection. Following his work in China Town, I Do I Do I Do, The Chain and Double Happiness etc which deal with interpersonal relationships, Chang turns to the theme of “Home” in the project Jet Lag, a series that deals with the ultimate disconnection. “I do believe time will tell when to commence the return journey.” He said from an unknown time zone.
In addition Shih-Lun Chang’s column On Images is a reflection of artists creation based on the theme of “clan/family photographs”, discussing the imagery of “home” and its ways of presentation through the portrayal of family relations through photography. Zheng Gu presents us with an extensive introduction of family photography in contemporary Chinese and Japanese photography, from Jin-Song Wang’s Standard Family, Yi-Nong Shao and Chen Mu’s Family Register, Fu-Na Ye’s Family Album, Nobuyoshi Araki’s Sentimental Journey, Tsuneo Enari’s Japanese war brides in America to Masashi Asada’s The Asada Family, family relations cross each other in complex private, historical, re-presentational and imitation forms of photography, presenting the image of the family in many forms.
Moreover, we continue our interest in photography publishing, we have a special on the “Indie Photobook Library”, also featuring its founder Larissa Leclair in this issue, introducing four interesting books. In the Q section, we interview Chinese independent photobook publisher, You Yan. He began working with the new generation of Chinese photographers since 2011 and introduced many new themes and possibilities to Chinese photography through his Jiazazhi Press. At the same time, photography critic Chia-Chi Chen writes about Taiwanese artist Chuan-Xing Chen’s recent new work Won’t Somebody Bring the Light and its connection with Taiwanese literature. Also we added in a new section titled “Photobooks & Taiwan”, from the perspective of early publishing, sorting out Taiwan and its photography tracks.
本期目錄 Contents
Features
紅線 Red String
藤井良雄 Fujii Yoshikatsu
訪談｜錢怡安 Interview by Lili Chien
父親 1927.12.03-2010.08.27 Father 1927.12.03-2010.08.27
黎朗 Li Lang
訪談｜李威儀 Interview by Lee Wei-I
此＆相冊 Here & Album
劉衛 Lau Wai
訪談｜李威儀 Interview by Lee Wei-I
● 論影像 On Images
家的建構——試論家庭攝影的｛不｝可能
Constructing Home – A Discussion of the {im}possibilities in Family Photography
文｜張世倫 Text by Chang Shih-Lun
● 「家」作為一個視角——中國與日本攝影
The Family As a Perspective – Chinese and Japanese Photography
文｜顧錚 Text by Gu Zheng
● 獨立攝影書 Indie Photobooks
《摩西》《Moisés》
《印地安之夏》《Indian Summer / Babie Lato》
《原初的陌生人》《Incipient Strangers》
《截稿期限》《Deadline》
文｜Larissa Leclair Text by Larissa Leclair
Artist’s Showcase
時差 Jet Lag
張乾琦 Chang Chien-Chi
訪談｜李威儀 Interview by Lee Wei-I
● Photobooks and Taiwan
《張大千巴西荒廢之八德園攝影集》
A Photographical Record of Chang Dai-Chien’s Pa Teh Garden In Brazil
文｜李威儀 Text by Wei-I Lee
Review
光不至而景恆在——讀《未有燭而後至》
Where Light is Absent, the Scenery Perennially Remains – Reading Won’t Somebody Bring the Light
文｜陳佳琦 Text by Chen Chia-Chi
Q
中國攝影出版的新浪潮——言由與假雜誌
A New Wave in Chinese Photobook Publishing – Yan You and Jiazazhi Press
訪談｜李威儀 Interview by Lee Wei-I
Bookmark
文｜錢怡安 Text by Lili Chien