FOREWORD
Wisdom enlightens art, in the same way it enlightens life.
Yang Shaoming has surely earned a rightful place as one of the Chinese photography's leading figures with his influential works. Focusing on the great changes in modern China, his unique artistic style as a photographer finds its motivation and inspiration from his heart and soul, from a lifetime of learning about politics, history, philosophy and literature and understanding their connections.
He was fondly referred to by his friends in the Japanese press as“the most famous political news photographer in China”.
Indeed, Yang Shaoming's photography is often intertwined with political vicissitudes and current affairs, and this comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with his life story.
Born in Yan’an of Northern Shaanxi in 1942, Yang Shaoming was raised in the cradle of the Chinese revolution during times of war. Given the great influence of his family, it was only natural for him to grow up with a unique curiosity towards the world of politics, as well as a lifelong passion for following political leaders and major events. Actually, one might argue that Yang Shaoming was born to become a master of news photography. He also enjoyed the rare privilege of having close access to the men and women who made history. What mattered the most, of course, was his own choice. He fell in love with photography as early as his school days, and dreamed about becoming a journalist ever since. It was his own choice in life to pick up the camera, using its lens as his“third eye”, to capture decisive moments in history and tell great stories. Through years of hard work and perfecting his skills, he has finally become an accomplished photographer.
It is no easy feat to become a great political news photographer, as it requires both a professional journalist's sensitivity and a general consideration of the larger social and political context. It also requires broad knowledge of history and politics, as well as an acute understanding of social changes. In this regard, Yang Shaoming attributed his achievement to the teaching of his parents.“I really have my parents to thank for this. They taught me the importance of obtaining a good education when I first dreamed about becoming a photojournalist,and they urged me to get one.” The good education that Yang Shaoming had acquired from Peking University has certainly contributed to his photographic masterpieces, which reflect both the zeitgeist of the day and a strong sense of the past. A thorough appreciation of history leads to a better comprehension of the present, which in turn leads to the insightful analysis of the latest political events. As a master photographer who specializes in taking pictures of celebrities and major news events, Yang Shaoming has received wide acclaim for his photojournalism, which achieves a balance between magnificence and meticulousness. His works are especially famous for the way he depicts his human subjects, as he manages to reveal their inner worlds through the careful juxtaposition of history and the present.
Yang Shaoming's career as a news photographer is largely associated with China's leaders. As early as the 1950s, he had already taken photos of Chairman Mao paying visit to the Soviet Union and working at the construction site of the Ming Tombs Reservoir Project. His portfolio also includes other prominent names among China's first generation of leaders, such as Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping. As China entered the new era of reform and opening-up, it was no surprise for Yang Shaoming to shift his attention to Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of China's reform and opening-up. While far from being the only photographer to zoom in on Deng, Yang Shaoming's photographs of Deng Xiaoping's life and leadership are unrivaled both in length and depth. From 1962 to 1992, Yang Shaoming took numerous photos of Deng Xiaoping. The themes of the photos range from the portrayal of Deng as a visionary and virtuous statesman to the depiction of him as an amiable and down-to-earth leader, as well as the story of him as an ordinary family man. Taken together, these photos have not only captured Deng's real-life image both as an extraordinary leader and as an ordinary man from an aesthetic sense, but also provided a first-hand and touching testimony for the dramatic history of contemporary China. Through the camera of Yang Shaoming, the viewers are able to observe Deng Xiaoping's life and career, as he confronted the challenges of governing China, and steered the course of the country's reform and opening-up until his retirement. Having decided to make Deng Xiaoping the primary focus of his photography, Yang Shaoming devoted his efforts to capturing Deng's historical footsteps with his outstanding photos.
The style in which Yang Shaoming took photos of Deng Xiaoping was strikingly different from that of photographers in foreign countries. Priding himself as a disciple of Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908—2004), the French master photographer, Yang Shaoming has skillfully applied Cartier-Bresson's concept of “decisive moment” to news photography. As a result, Yang Shaoming's photography is filled with decisive moments in history, as he often chooses the right story to tell at the right time and place, adding his unique discoveries and interpretations. He is also adept at speaking in the special language of photography, revealing unspoken truths with visible images while integrating artistic intuition with philosophical thinking, so as to create a strong impact from the outside to the inside. When Deng Xiaoping began his southern tour inspecting coastal cities for their opening-up in the spring of 1992, Yang Shaoming was quick to recognize the tour's historical significance and decided to tag along. The photos he took of Deng Xiaoping mingling with the masses and exuding great confidence on the tour received immediate, overwhelming responses after being published in China's major newspapers. Seeing these meaningful photos, the Chinese people felt a liberating sense of“early spring in the South”, and could envision the coming of a new“spring”in socialist China.
The ways in which Yang Shaoming took photos of Deng Xiaoping were also easily distinguishable from those of his Chinese counterparts. Breaking with tradition, he decided to approach Deng Xiaoping not as an out-of-reach and formidable leader, but simply as a kind old man who loves his country and people and wants to do good for them. By placing the great man among his people and his family, Yang Shaoming was able to show us what Deng Xiaoping was really like, both as a political leader and as an ordinary man, and such is the genius of his photography. For example, in a 1980 photo titled“In Love with His Hometown”, Yang Shaoming truthfully captured the image of Deng Xiaoping as “a man of the people” who had his own sincere feelings.
Yang Shaoming's efforts to tell true stories about Deng Xiaoping were recognized when he was awarded an important prize in the 31st World Press Photo Contest for his photo series“Deng Xiaoping in His Retirement”. Because no photographer from China had ever won a WPP award before, this was truly a record-breaking achievement for Chinese photography. The award was also an important milestone in Yang Shaoming's career of news photography, not only winning him acclaim at home and abroad, but also establishing him as a leading figure in taking photos of China's leaders.
As far as Yang Shaoming is concerned, photography is a product of technological development, and today's state-of-the-art technologies provide infinite possibilities for the revolution of photography. Therefore, the only way to realize a photographer's full potential is by truly learning the skills of the trade, and he certainly practices what he preaches. He has not only mastered the art of using light and taking snapshots in photography, but also acquired the ability to turn the impossible into possible under unfavorable circumstances. With confidence and superior skills, he has captured exciting moments even in dim light, put his life on the line for some good shots, snapped numerous pictures just to get a scoop, and achieved unexpected success in the most difficult situations. All in all, Yang Shaoming's talents and virtuosity have not only assured his success as a news photographer, but also added a unique layer of personality to his artistic pursuits.
Ke Ling, a well-known Chinese writer, once made the following comments about Yang Shaoming as one of contemporary China's best photographers: “With exceptional perception, accuracy, judgment and decisiveness, the photographer travels through boundless time and space seeking his subjects. He turns fleeting moments into eternity as he presses the shutter, just like a flashlight, on the right occasion, at the right moment and from the right angle.”
A true masterpiece of photography not only provides its audience with aesthetic pleasures, but also enlightens their mind and heart, if not awakens their soul. Just like one tree shaking another tree, one cloud touching another cloud, and one soul waking another soul. Just like that, Yang Shaoming took photo after photo to record our past and present, highlighting the value and magic of photography, while leaving photographic landmarks of decisive moments in China's history.