Taiwan Today

Chuang Ling has dedicated his life to photography, both as an artist and an advocate.

Few young people in Taipei know that 60 years ago, the site of today’s Taipei City Hall complex was covered with rice paddies and farmhouses. Conversely, few senior citizens in Taipei can fully understand the contemporary trends and social conditions that shape the lives of today’s younger generations. In an effort to close that gap, from January to April this year a photography exhibition titled City Life under the Lens—A Century of Taipei allowed viewers to observe the metropolis’ changes over the years. By including landscapes and scenes from local residents’ daily life, the show attempted to link the living experiences of the past with the present.

The exhibition, which featured 100 photos taken by nearly 60 photographers from different generations and was held at the Taipei Photography Center, was one of the many shows curated by revered photographer Chuang Ling (莊靈). “Keeping a record of our lives while expressing our artistry and perspective through the lens are the core values of a photographer,” Chuang says. “That is to say, photographic works possess historic and artistic significance because they document various aspects of life during different times and also reveal the creativity of the photographer.”

His strong belief in the significance of photography drives Chuang, now 74, to remain an active advocate for the preservation of old photos as well as the art and science of capturing images by curating exhibitions, editing publications, organizing seminars, publishing books on photography and teaching. His latest project is promoting the establishment of Taiwan’s first museum dedicated to photography.

Chuang worked as a cameraman and later an administrative executive at Taiwan Television Enterprise between 1965 and 2002. In 1971, he formed an avant-garde photography group, Visual-10, with like-minded photographers in order to explore forms other than salon photography, the dominant genre at the time.

Chuang’s lifelong dedication to photography has netted the recognition of fellow photographers as well as a number of prestigious awards. In 2011, for example, he was one of five veteran artists to receive the National Award for Arts—the highest such honor in Taiwan—from the National Culture and Arts Foundation. According to the foundation, the photographer was selected for the award for his “artistic achievements in capturing images that have diverse themes and expressions, and that combine humanism and realism with aesthetics and creativity.” The award also recognized his contributions to the local development of photography, including introducing modern Western ideas, founding a national organization to bring Taiwan’s various photography circles together and promoting a museum to preserve the country’s historic images.

Chuang’s photographic accomplishments are the result of both passion and persistence. He began displaying a keen interest in arts and culture in childhood. His father, Chuang Yen (莊嚴, 1899–1980), was a calligrapher and served as deputy director of the National Palace Museum. Noted photographer Lang Jing-shan (郎靜山, 1892–1995) was a friend of the elder Chuang and gave him photos as gifts during visits. Chuang Ling was captivated by the grandeur, serenity and poetic charm of Lang’s works, which were based on the aesthetics of Chinese painting. Motivated by Lang’s example, Chuang Ling began taking photos in 1953 at the age of 15.

Since then, the photographer has shot countless pictures of his family, friends and living environment, in addition to natural and cultural scenes while traveling at home and abroad. “I carry a camera with me all the time so that I can capture any scene that provokes an emotional response in me,” he says. “Photography is my favorite form of work as well as a hobby. I think I’ll still be doing it until the last day of my life.”

Likely as the result of his 30-odd years of experience and training in journalism, Chuang Ling says he enjoys taking documentary photos that produce an accurate and candid portrayal of a particular subject. He prefers to create images that are as natural as possible and avoids manipulation such as placing people or objects in certain positions.

Huang Tzyy-ming (黃子明) is director of the photo desk at the China Times Group, which publishes the China Times, one of Taiwan’s largest Chinese-language newspapers. Huang says Chuang Ling’s art is a genuine reflection of an agreeable, modest and unpretentious personality. In his work at the news agency, Huang says many of the images he handles are caustic or critical, so it is a relief for him when he comes across Chuang Ling’s creations, as they have a calming effect.

“Chuang’s photographic works combine aesthetic, humanistic and literary qualities. That might be closely related to his family background in that ever since he was little, the people he has come in contact with have been mostly literati,” Huang says. “Influenced by modernism and neorealism, Chuang Ling has adopted modern concepts and techniques in many of his creations, which focus on representations of actual events or everyday subjects.”

Literati Practice

Juan I-jong (阮義忠), a professor in the School of Fine Arts at Taipei National University of the Arts, opines that Chuang Ling neither pursues a fashionable style in his work nor attempts to adhere to a specific expressive form. For Chuang, taking pictures is just like the Chinese literati practice of calligraphy as a way to cultivate the mind and character, Juan says, adding that the photographer takes joy in faithfully capturing the color, shape and setting of the objects he sees and likes. The professor says he is particularly impressed by Chuang Ling’s portraits—mostly shots of his family members and acquaintances—because the photographer’s unassuming approach toward his subjects conveys his affection for them.

The landscape pictures that Chuang Ling has taken, Juan continues, are similar in aesthetics in that they reveal the photographer’s appreciation and gratitude for nature. “It’s not easy to take great landscape photos. Some photographers simply emphasize aesthetics and as a result, their pieces are just like beautiful landscape postcards, losing a sense of reverence for Mother Nature,” Juan says. “Plus, Chuang’s works feature the tranquility and harmony of the natural environment in an artistic way.”

Meanwhile, like Huang, Juan finds Chuang Ling’s personality accurately reflected in the style of his photographs. “People sometimes ask me, ‘Which photographers do you like the most?’ I answer that I respect those whose artistic style corresponds with their personality,” Juan says. “Chuang is exactly such a photographer!”

To promote the historical value of photography, Chuang Ling serves as the current chairman of the Society of Photographic Museum and Culture of Taiwan. “When we want to do research on Taiwan’s history and find out how local society has developed over time, old photos can be of great help,” Chuang Ling says. “They convey a lot of information about things like how people dressed, ate and lived in a certain era. They’re the most reliable indicators of the social and cultural changes that have occurred on the island over the years.”

Taiwan, however, lacks a dedicated institution for collecting, studying and preserving historic photographs, Chuang Ling says. To remedy that, his society is working to establish such a museum by soliciting input from influential individuals in the country’s photographic, cultural and educational circles. He hopes that the government will add its support to the effort by helping the group secure an appropriate venue for the facility, among other things.

As for the old photos themselves, one problem is that many works by some of Taiwan’s pioneering photographers remain in the hands of family members, who are unable to preserve them properly, Chuang Ling says. Allowing such priceless pictures to continue deteriorating or become lost would be a real pity as they have great value, not only for Taiwan’s photographic community, but also for historical and cultural research, he says.

“Among the arts, photography has long held a weak position in Taiwan. The traditional idea of the visual arts here is painting. People tend to think that photography is too easy, that anyone can just pick up a camera and easily get good results,” Chuang Ling says. “Another problem is that the government has not devoted the same kind of resources to it as the other fine arts. That’s why the local development of photography has largely been driven by commercial photographers and their trade associations, which have limited resources.”

While the preservation or digitalization of old photos is an important aim of the prospective museum, Chuang Ling explains it is no less important to solicit the engagement of the wider photographic community and a broader audience. His goal is for the museum to play multiple roles, including systematically conducting research and collecting historic images. He also sees it as taking on the work of popularizing photography through methods such as education, exhibitions and publications and fostering exchanges with galleries, schools and other museums.

“To give photography its due place among other artistic disciplines, the formation of a mechanism to establish a market value for photos is necessary,” Chuang Ling says. “One function of the planned museum will be to provide a platform to showcase excellent photographic works to increase their exposure and their circulation in the art market. Hopefully, that exposure will push local galleries to work to uncover talented young photographers and sign contracts with them to market their creations.”

Chien Yun-ping (簡永彬), a photographer and exhibition curator, also expresses his concern about the lack of research and archiving of representative photographic works from different eras in Taiwan. “Photographic images are the best witnesses of culture and they can trigger collective memories,” he says. “If Taiwan is serious about developing into a cultural powerhouse, some of its major tasks should be to collect old photos, sort them chronologically and safeguard them as cultural assets. That way they can be used to reconstruct facets of Taiwanese culture from different eras.”

Chien believes that Chuang Ling is one of the few figures in Taiwan capable of getting the diverse segments of the country’s photographic community to cooperate in order to promote the development of the art. “His seniority means that Chuang is experienced and knowledgeable about photography’s different stages of development in Taiwan. That goes for both the characteristics and challenges the art has faced at various times,” Chien says. “That’s why Chuang is able to embrace varied genres of the art, be they documentary, artistic, nature, salon, portrait or wedding photography, as well as promote the diversification of the practice.”

Huang of the China Times Group says he admires Chuang Ling for his consistent efforts to promote the development of photography in Taiwan. “Given his age and finances, Chuang could have settled into a carefree life. Instead, he chooses to devote much of his time and energy to seeking resources for the establishment of a photography museum,” Huang says. “Although there are many people working in the local photography sector, few are willing to promote the art to the public. We need enthusiasts like Chuang.”

Echoing Chien, Huang says that for the time being, there is no one more suitable than Chuang Ling to take on such promotional work, as the veteran photographer has worked in the field for decades and established good connections with both the public and private sectors. That makes Chuang Ling’s arguments for the museum more persuasive and likely to solicit widespread support, Huang says.

Apart from seeking to build a museum, Chuang Ling also promotes photography education. There are a number of art schools in Taiwan, but none of them has established a photography department, he notes, although some of them do offer elective photography courses in their advertising, journalism or mass communication departments. “Photography has never had a high profile in Taiwan,” he says. “Even within academic circles, it’s always a skill that you learn as part of something else, whether journalism or the visual arts. It’s never really had an independent existence. Only academic training can help photography build a strong foundation and become a popular art like dance, music and theater.”

Amazing Development

Photography began to develop earlier in Taiwan than in mainland China, Chuang Ling says, but has witnessed amazing development in mainland China in recent years. More than 100 schools there have established departments dedicated exclusively to photography and several large-scale, international exhibitions take place regularly.

Noting the popularity of New Taipei City’s annual Hohaiyan Rock Festival and the Taipei International Book Exhibition, Chuang Ling says he would like to see a similar photography festival organized in the near future. Organizers of a photography event could invite professional and amateur photographers, photographic societies, overseas and local schools and museums to attend, while activities like exhibitions, lectures, sales and seminars could be held, he says. Such a photography festival, he says, could enhance the public’s appreciation of the art along with Taiwan’s international visibility.

“My aspirations are to open a photography museum, help photography become an independent discipline in higher education and organize an annual photography festival,” Chuang Ling says. “Compared with my personal artistic creations, I believe that doing these things will have a greater impact on society.”

Write to Kelly Her at kelly@mail.gio.gov.tw