A character with the same name

Curator Shi Jing, curator of Hello Tomorrow Project. Graduated from the prestigious Winchester School of Art in the UK with a long history of 140 years, and successively obtained (BA Hons) Graphic Design and (MA) Communication Design. Founded China's first visual art magazine "O'ZINE-Symbol" that advocates individual aesthetics. In 2007, he compiled and published "A Brief History of Western Graphic Design" and founded the HELLOWTOMORROW PROJECT in the same year, focusing on the diversity, communication and collision of art in different cultural states and social backgrounds. I have interviewed nearly a hundred art masters, architects, and designers from all over the world. Based on many years of research on art history and Eastern and Western art markets, he has spared no effort to fully introduce Western contemporary new art to China, helping to accumulate diverse artistic and cultural trends in the country, and to promote the resulting integration or integration. The cultural and social phenomena of confrontation are systematically sorted out and studied. On the occasion of the London Olympics in 2012, Shi Jing, as a curator, introduced the photography master Rankin and his works to China for the first time. They were held in Shanghai, Wuhan, Chongqing and other places, and worked with the Cultural and Educational Office of the British Embassy, ??China Foreign Culture The group company co-sponsored "The Nature of Food - Photography Master Rankin China Photography Tour".

If I ask you, where does your impression of the world come from? I'm afraid 70-80% of people will answer, from TV, movies, photos and books. Yes, most people do not have the opportunity to travel around the country or go to the holy land of Mecca in their hearts. For them, the world is just a projection of the spiritual world. The numerous images on the Internet and in books and periodicals reflect everyone’s fragmentary understanding of the world. The photographer, as if sifting through the real world, retouches and dresses up, or what we call the shooting process, also shows a kind of control-like power.

Rankin is known as the "Monarch of Portraits." As a traditional country, Britain still retains a well-behaved family-style portrait culture. The reason why it is called culture is that these portraits not only function as records, but also imply the embodiment of class characteristics such as honor, status, and inheritance. Regardless of whether Rankin is photographing a queen, a star, an artist, or a supermodel, he seems to have a mission-like personal heroism complex, peeling off another unknown side of the person in front of the camera. It can be said that what he expresses is not about being captured. The photographer, himself, uses a unique image perspective, a light and charming style, and a sensitive capture of the character's personality to express a playful attitude towards serious words such as "honor, status, and inheritance", showing the real people under the lens. It’s also a fake fantasy world. The scepter with shutter and lens in his hand governs his rich spiritual kingdom that longs to be understood. We are often amazed at Rankin's exploration of the unusual expressions of the subjects, but what we don't know is that here we lament the photographer's admiration for the carefree manipulation of these big figures.

Looking through Rankin's shooting list, and as a producer, he published "Dazed & Confused" spanning 20 years in the 90s' and 00s', and distributed it in more than 40 countries, we can't simply He is only defined as a photographer. He is a representative of British cultural symbols and a recorder and participant in the development of British culture. With the "Cool Britain" humanistic policy launched by the British government in 1997, Britain, which was increasingly industrialized, began to export Brit pop, YBA, and other underground and avant-garde cultures to the world through the creative industry. The group, as the age, status and personal finances of the participants grow, has gradually evolved into mainstream values ??and culture.

Rankin condenses the process of confusion, search, and self-awakening experienced by cultural groups in this period of development. This artist, who comes from an ordinary British family, uses his lens to make exquisite jokes about the British upper class. Through the self-royal camera in his hand, he expresses not only visual penetration, but also democracy, diversity, communication and understanding. .

With the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UK as the background, and on the occasion of the London Olympics, as the largest cultural exchange event between China and the UK to date, UK NOW Art Describes the UK’s flagship project, organized by China Foreign Culture Rankin Extraordinary Art (China), a video monarch co-sponsored by the group company, the British Council of the British Embassy’s Cultural and Educational Office, and the Hello Tomorrow Project in Beijing, kicked off in Shanghai, kicking off a world-class art event A journey to feast.

－－－－by Shi Jing, curator of "Food and Sex"

Photography star: Tang Wei is one of the most beautiful women in his eyes

Rankin (John Rankin) is one of the founders of today's cutting-edge fashion magazine "Dazed&Confused" (Chinese translation: "Confused"), and is also a well-known film director. His shooting style is diverse and ever-changing, and his artistic concepts are novel and unique.

The "Food, Sex, and Nature" exhibition features 122 works from 13 series, including fashion magazine covers, portraits and groundbreaking advertising visual works. The "Celebrity Portrait Series" is the highlight of this exhibition. The reporter found several Chinese faces among the many foreign faces in the exhibition hall, including stars such as Tang Wei and Zhang Ziyi.

“He thinks Tang Wei is one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen.” The photographer himself did not come to Wuhan, so Shi Jing, the curator of this exhibition, explained the background of the photo shoot for him.

Shi Jing said that when photographing celebrities, Rankin can capture the very private psychological states of these celebrities that cannot be discovered by the public or other photographers. "For example, when shooting George Clooney, he is the super prince charming in the hearts of many women, but the photo taken by Rankin shows him picking his nose, which is very humorous and shows his funny side."

< p>Photographing dignitaries: The Queen of England is very good at telling jokes

Compared with photographing celebrities, photographing prominent political figures is much more difficult. The photo of Queen Elizabeth II placed at the entrance of the exhibition hall has a noble temperament, a relaxed expression and a smile. However, Rankin was very nervous before the photo was taken.

Shi Jing said that this photo was taken more than 10 years ago. Before the photo was taken, Rankin was still debating whether to wear formal clothes or casual clothes, so he asked one of the Queen's attendants and the reply was that the Queen said she could wear anything. Okay, but she would be happier if she could wear traditional ethnic clothes for the photoshoot. "During the filming, he said that the Queen is a very kind person. She told a lot of jokes during the filming and was very humorous."

In contrast, the expression of former British Prime Minister Blair in the exhibition hall was It was very serious, Shi Jing explained, because Britain had just participated in the Iraq War at the time, and Rankin tried his best to make Blair smile and show the most charming side of the British gentleman. Unfortunately, he failed, and he looked haggard in the photo.