Photography "Rising Dragon" Photography Exhibit Essay

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In a short time, China has firmly grown into a superpower. Therefore, the title of the exhibit in relation to the content is possibly ironic. On the one hand, China is growing in power and influence globally, but on the other hand, the people of the country are still suffering and living harsh or brutal realities, as illustrated in many of the photographs that compose the exhibit "Rising Dragon."

There are several photos in the exhibit of young people -- adolescents and children. The children are often poor looking and dirty. There is a consistent presence of humility and necessity in the photographs. There are children that are unkempt and yet still beautiful. The photographs are moving and very harsh.

There are also photos of places where homeless or impoverished looking children might live. There domiciles are flimsy and there is a sense of protection, but also vulnerability to the shabby homes. These photographs, again, are very interesting with respect to the title of the exhibit. There is implied that behind the reputation that China is rising as a superpower lies a hidden reality for many of the Chinese people.

There are a few photographs that take place in a modern urban setting. These photos consistently have a surreal quality to them. There are objects that move in ways that are contrary to the laws of physics. The attractive young adults within these modern photos seem like dolls or robots, but there is something definitely artificial about them, perhaps implying something about the lifestyle of urban Chinese that is not as glamorous and exciting as Chinese tourism might imply.

These photographs speak toward the title as well, in that they are supposed to be more directly aligned with China as a "Rising Dragon" -- beautiful modern homes situated within a twinkling metropolis, full of attractive young adults who live a comfortable lifestyle.

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Yet, there is something unnatural and constructed about the people and objects of those photos that is no doubt intentional and serving as criticism.

Personal Response

I found this exhibit to be captivating. I find Asian art in general extremely intriguing. The use and range of aesthetics is very different from those in the west. I appreciate the brutality of some of the images in the exhibit. I think that it is critical for art to expose what is intentionally hidden and underrepresented in normative media.

I have more than a cursory knowledge of Chinese history, and it is a pattern in their culture that with great expansion and growth comes great sacrifice to the common man and woman. I believe in the strength and growth of China as a superpower in the modern day, yet I suspected that the cost of the rise to power was too high. Some of these photographs show people living in areas constructed of industrial waste and excess industrial products. I appreciated the display of this side of Chinese culture.

I also found the futuristic montages/images interesting as well. The attention to detail was phenomenal and there seemed to be a pervasive sense of sarcasm throughout these surreal works. "Rising Dragon" was executed and curated quite well. The portraits and the surreal digital images resonated the most for me. They represented the spectrum of Chinese life -- a surreal blend of East & West, modernity & the ancient; as well as the bleak, stark severity of the lives of many others. The "Rising Dragon" exhibit is ironic and raw. It is an exhibit with photographs that creative a spectrum of meaning and interpretation between the exhibit title and the exhibit contents......

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