Framing Modern Times

In an era when the world produces tens of billions of photos a year， the photography “heroic age” was replaced by the “era of picture-reading.” Photographers are no longer tilting at windmills. They have become vigilant and introspective against diversified yet unbalanced social values， obscure and dismissive of artistic boundaries， while complicated contemporary realities often transcend human experience and imagination. “Is the rapid production of numerous complicated， quilted images too far removed from reality？” some have asked. “How can we illuminate reality when digital technology and social media are so tightly intertwined？”

Some answers were found in Beijing at TORA TORA TORA： Photography Pioneers and the Realities of Contemporary China from April 17 to June 30， where photographers exposed wounds， freezed fleeting life， magnified absurdities with which we are familiar with yet usually ignore， and exposed the drama and complication of daily life.

In China， a group of active and enthusiastic avant-garde photographers have emerged， striving to unearth new avenues and delve deeper into reality through inspiration from individuals and society that culminates in cutting-edge visions that starkly contrast the traditional. They have a new understanding of mankind， society， and nation after establishing a completely new relationship with reality.

We selected some of the most stirring works from the series to showcase what’s happening now in China， thoroughly investigate the authentic relationship between photography and the soul of the Chinese people， and pose crucial questions for the nation and the era.

Louder than Reality

Though further relaxation of “one child policy” is being mulled recently in China， regretful “what-ifs” resulting from the almost 40-year-old national policy are irreversible for people born in the “one-child era.”

“Me Me” series creates an all too common sense of reality， in which a fictional “me”communicates with the real “me” in a special way as if they hail from different worlds. With his clear knowledge of photographic methodology and sensibilities about the power of the medium， Fan Shisan managed to illustrate his subjects’ inner dialogue with strong visual effects.

Honesty， a popular feature of contemporary photography， is communicated quite well in Fan’s visuals， which are as inclusive as theater in terms of receiving and reflecting contrasting ideas and imagination. Fan clearly tried hard to nudge himself closer to reality despite his natural imaginative strength， which resulted in achieving a state louder than reality.