Zooming In: Histories of Photography in China

About this book

From the first sets of photographic records made by Western travelers to doctored portraits of Chairman Mao and the avant-garde photographic performances of the postCultural Revolution era photography in China has followed divergent paths. In this book Wu Hung explores the multiple histories of photographic production in China using them to tell a larger story about Chinas shifting sociopolitical contexts and the different agendas technologies and aesthetics that have helped define its arts. At the center of the book is a large question: how has photography represented China and its people its collective history and memory as well as the diversity of Chinese artists who have striven for creative expression? To address this question the author offers an in-depth study of selected photographers themes and movements in Chinese photography from 1860 to the present covering a wide range of genres including portraiture photojournalism architectural and landscape photography and conceptual photography. Beautifully illustrated this book offers a multifaceted and in-depth analysis of an important photographic history.