For many years, my understanding of the magnolia flower tended to be of cursory nature. It was based solely on my encounters with the white, scented flowers as an offering to the gods in temples, or with those, often just a couple of strands, sold by street vendors walking amidst the heavy traffic on busy streets. I am sure similar impressions of the magnolia flower are shared by many of us. However, my understanding has changed since March of 2001, when the National Geographic commissioned me to carry out a project documenting the magnolia flower industry for its Chinese edition. After completing the assignment for the National Geographic, I continued to be inspired, and even moved, by this flower and by the people I had encountered during my endeavors. Consequently, the body of images in my mind continued to evolve and expand.?

I ventured numerous times into the rural areas of Pintung County and Changhua County, as well as exploring the heart of Taipei City. In this process of investigating and documenting the various aspects of growing and selling magnolia flowers, I found myself sharing the joys and hardships faced by the people I photographed, whether they were farmers, wholesalers or street vendors.

I am oftentimes questioned about the motivation behind documenting such time consuming and demanding photographic projects, the magnolia flower project being just one of them. Some people wondered if I work out of a sense of personal achievement or accomplishment; wondering if the work is created for fame and notoriety or as a means to receive awards; others wondered if the photographs are made to meet some kind of “market demand”. There are also people who believe that I create these images out of a desire to preserve socially significant aspects of culture, leaving a kind of historic record to be contemplated by future generations. All of these various motivations have played some sort of a role in my creative process at different phases during my documentary work, albeit each motivation, when isolated, tends to be insufficient to explain my real desire. Recently, I began to search more deeply for reasons as to why these topics and projects appeal to me. The most fundamental reason I have found is that the “stories” have touched me in a personal manner and have thus moved me to respond by recording images.
My first photo essays collection Reflections of Nan-fang-ao was published six years ago. Following that publication, I took up numerous other projects. My choice of topics and my approach to photographing the subjects is usually based personal interests and has but little to do with the needs and/or demands of an art market.? Therefore, each of my projects takes a long time as I always attempt to ensure that the “stories” I want to tell to the viewers correctly and completely come across. As a documentary photographer, I am not as productive as I would like to be, because these projects are done alongside my full-time job as a photojournalist for a daily newspaper. My documentary projects are hence undertaken with limited off-the-job time and financial resources. While it is necessary to invest longer periods of time to achieve satisfactory results, this has a definite positive effect: the protracted process allows me to more carefully consider the content and context of each project finalization.

In the past decades, Taiwan has had a long-standing tradition that focused and invested immense resources and energy in documentary photography. However, I personally feel that photographic topics related to Taiwanese cultural issues should now be viewed with greater urgency. In addition, there is considerable room for improvement, be it in terms of how these cultural topics are structured or the context in which each topic is addressed and developed. Moreover, more work can be invested to ensure that a topic is executed according to its visual aesthetics; that the “logic” is clear when the story unfolds after the editing process is completed and that the subject matter is accordingly presented vis-a-vis its design and printed form.

Given such a belief, I truly found unexpected pleasure in my task of photographing YULAN Magnolia Flowers. Traveling numerous times into the rural areas of Taiwan and getting involved in the intricacies of the flower industry has allowed me to better understand Mother Nature. In order to get a “good shot”, countless hours were spent observing and analyzing the clouds and mist around or engulfing the peak of Da-Wu Mountain in Pintung County, or watching the heat and the steam rising from the hot asphalt pavement. The countless forays made, when shooting pictures for this project, did include some truly exciting moments. Such was the case when viewing a particularly bizarre landscape of fantastic mountains or wandering along pristine brooks running by and under bushes or through grassy meadows. Or the various olfactory moments experienced when transcending from sprawling urban areas to almost virgin rural landscapes, where the subtle, tranquil feelings of the pristine countryside engender distinctive and unique fragrances.?

When trying to shoot images for YULAN Magnolia Flowers, it was not always easy to overcome some of the technical obstacles in light of natural obstacles and other impediments encountered when shooting on location. Yet, throughout the six years of documenting the given topic, I was able to escape much of the negative energy encountered in other aspects of my daily life. When I focused on the essence of my task related to Yulan and searched for a perfect perspective to capture the image I was seeking, the challenge really became a quest to discover my inner self. As the creative direction of the story to be told evolved, it became all the more essential to consider the logical development of correctly telling the story. I needed to establish a visual, sequential progression of the flower industry and to carefully calculate the formal elements needed to be communicated through the composition and visual structures of the photographs. In addition, I deeply wanted to have a story evolving that was compelling in terms of its emotional impact, accurate presentation and poetic expression. It was my desire to produce a visual story that parallels the imagery of literature, reveals the heart of humanity, and philosophically expounds on the essentials. These considerations became important underpinnings for the decisions I made when shooting and editing the images from which this collection is drawn.

When working I repeatedly examined the angles and composition of each shot in order to reach the goal to formulate a visually comprehensive framework of the magnolia industry, and to address the social and cultural issues that pervade the Yulan. I have strived to select the most convincing images that, when combined with the actual physical structure of the book, will render a story that is complete both in terms of utilizing various visual elements of photographic composition as well as essential design aesthetics. In this endeavor I have also drawn upon what I have learned in the past as a photojournalist.?

As the photo editor of this book I have approached the monograph as if it were a whole and I have attempted to apply the montage theory to its presentation format. I have purposely left empty spaces opposite some of the images, while in some spreads images fill the entire page. Sometimes, an image communicates powerfully enough by itself in isolation, and yet at other times, I have consciously arranged images to follow one another in a specific order so as to suggest a sequence in which the viewers’ impression builds upon the impact based on the preceding image. My aim is to present a photographic essay that is filled with visual contrast and conflict. I want viewers to be confronted with ideas that are both similar and dissimilar by combining images from various sequential timelines and through the structural, rhythmic pace of the visual and textual information.

Through this monograph I hope I have successfully achieved these goals I have set for myself. I hope that this collection dynamically portrays how I feel the stories of the magnolia flower should be told.? Although the readers and viewers of this monograph might come from various cultural backgrounds; have different educational upbringings; and have different professional qualifications; what I want to reveal will, hopefully, not be ignored or misunderstood. I have been cautious in my editing and selecting of photographic images. This I have done to the point that when the book is read from back to front or vise versa, in both ways there is an obvious and logical progression in the story. A technical note, worth mentioning here, is that this photographic collection has been printed in such a way as to accurately reproduce the fine grain and tonal qualities of the original black-and-white prints. This has been achieved by utilizing some of the best offset printing techniques available, including line screen(S):600 tritone.

Based on my long years of work in the field of photography and a deep personal interest in related knowledge, I have come to strongly believe that photography - as an art form - can touch many of us, since a photograph provides viewers with a rendering of what today is and what tomorrow might be. Through an art form like photography, new debates and reflections can be presented to the public, given that the world is filled with diverse thoughts and ideas. Photography may help to further develop stronger cultural bonds, enhance human understandings, and foster beliefs among humanity.

It has always been my belief that it is photography’s piercing quality that allows an image to transcend the ordinary. Photography has the means of rendering an observation into a permanent image in such a way that the image grows stronger with each viewing. Photographers, in capturing and rendering these observations, confront the viewer with images, while at the same time providing opportunities for the viewer to try to discard biases; to gain an appreciation of and to learn about the lives and surroundings of others; and for a brief moment, disregard all of the given differences, whether cultural, educational, or political. Through the work of the photographic image and the photographer, the viewer is afforded an opportunity to learn that some people live fearlessly when facing obstacles in life. The viewer is therefore welcomed to witness the passion and elegance that radiates from their stories.

When I began documenting images for the magnolia flower industry, I tried to detach myself from the role of the viewer, and from my own personal values in order to suspend judgment. I also tried not to overtly describe or emphasize specific instances so that they stood out or became symbolic. I wanted to create images that provided a rich visual vocabulary and revealed, through their composition, information about the magnolia flower industry. Through these images I want to depict how the Taiwanese have developed the magnolia industry in their own unique manner. The magnolia flower culture has its own specific and distinctive forms both in terms of its social and cultural appearance and phenomenon. Hopefully, these photographs will provide enough incentive and enticement that the viewer will want to look carefully; to contemplate and discern; to use their imagination; and to extend the viewing experience further by reflecting upon the deeper thoughts represented in the images themselves. It is my wish that this monograph will foster and encourage multiple dialogues within one’s self and amongst each other.

YULAN Magnolia Flowers is the first photographic collection in Taiwan that fully investigates the magnolia flower industry. The collection presents a comprehensive body of work that is rich in both its depth and integrity. This photographic monograph puts into practice documentary photography’s role as it attempts to reveal a certain truth. Documentary photography is expected to render impressions of a specific cultural phenomenon in a particular society. Through this body of documentary images, I have tried to create opportunities for greater understanding of our own unique cultural underpinnings through the aesthetics and graphic presentation of the book; as well as through the selecting and editing process of the images.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and respect for those who plant, harvest, distribute and sell the magnolia flowers. Without their help, this collection would not have been possible.?

I am also extremely thankful to the following people who have provided professional advice and assistance: Mr. Chang Chao-Tang offered his valuable comments and advice regarding the photo-editing of this collection; Mr. David Badgley, Mr. Tou Chih-Kang, M. Fu Syou-Ling, Ms. Iwakiri Mio, Mr. Ohtsuki Katsumi, Ms. Chang Yen-Tzu, Mr. Chou Chih-Chang, Mr.Wang Chih-Yung, Mr.Guo Ting-Hwa, Hsieh Li-Chung and Mr. Shimano Zan for their assistance in helping to produce the work.? In addition, my gratitude goes to Mr. Hsiao Jia-Ching, Mr. Kuo Li-Hsin, and Mr. Lan Tsu-Wei for their willingness to write the essays that accompany this monograph.?

回上一層