mMK

在寫文時,發現了Norman Ford除了那篇“What Have We Done To Deserve This?” (18.08.2005)講我們圈的"島"仔心態,也寫過如下一段文於網上:

Has anyone else noticed the plethora of photo shows recently? I'm referring to the many Almond Chu, Lau Ching Ping and related artists' work. Plus the shows by Jeffrey Aranita and Caroline Chiu at Sin Sin, Michael Wolf, documentary shows at the Fringe, 3 photo-based shows at 1apsace, etc.. I see 2 trends here: First is a strong modernist, 'formal' aesthetic being played out by Aranita, Chiu, Chu, Wolf and so on. Second is the activist, social reform side explored in Batten's recent exhbiition with Leong Ka Tai/ Simon Go and 1apsace's Walk Don't Run (with Almond Chu and others taking part in both). So - two sets of questions:

1. Is the kind of formal, modernist photography found all over town able to move beyond its beauty and traditional aethetics? Does it even need to? Is it adding anything to the current art scene? If we dig deeper, beyond the technical/formal skill, do we find ideas and issues worth our efforts? Should we be asking for more from photography here? This is relevant as the work is getting lots of local and overseas attention.

2. What are the problems and power discourses involved with activist driven art? Can these shows impact the social issues they are concerned with? Do these shows add power to the issue or perhaps distract from the point by staging there efforts as art? Are they truly concerned with the issues (like I feel Batten's is) or are they facile 'uses' of social issues to make more work? I'd appreciate any responses, comments, questions, disagreements.

Norm

我在文中思考的是第二堆問題,若果如黎健強等有份搞這些展覽的人會出來說說就好了,也可當是事後檢討.

至於第一堆問題
1. Is the kind of formal, modernist photography found all over town able to move beyond its beauty and traditional aethetics? Does it even need to?
若果我第二條問題答no(yes, it doesn`t),好似就唔需要答1.(btw,我感覺其modernism用法也不一定妥)
Is it adding anything to the current art scene?
什麼嘢都加緊嫁啦,除非你說展他們就排斥了其他.
If we dig deeper, beyond the technical/formal skill, do we find ideas and issues worth our efforts?
總有咯,否則就唔係deeper啦.不過我不是已答了第二條no嗎?
Should we be asking for more from photography here? This is relevant as the work is getting lots of local and overseas attention.
要求高d總好咯,多d嘛,但唔又係問題2?因為多人留意,這倒是個唔太relevant,唔係要deeper嗎?

我沒有想過我本想認真來想,結果卻會得出這種好似嬉笑怒罵的答覆,但這就是我覺得你可不可以要求人做嘢,仲要係做你想佢做嘅嘢.上陣子黎健強問過我點睇程展緯d攝影,我都幾奇怪,講到攝影,佢當然才是專家,依我看,好多攝影嘢,都係開了個框框頭,做開就做埋落去,又可以成為一種series.好難講是沒發展,又不易說是有新意.記得薛力愷係一次難得碰頭同我講,近期佢地搞的camera obscura發展愈來愈少人知做多咗d乜,佢舉咗個例子就係Luke現在這輪相,都攝入了窗框,技術上如何做,沒什麼,不過就是在室內再加多面牆,把孔口向入退.下次再談我做camera obscura的一些落手落腳的感受.