| Having
the opportunity to interview Li Shao Bai was like a dream
come true for me personally. Having been a big fan of his
works, we talked and laughed during our brief encounter
about his passion and experiences with photography. Li’
s photography works and presence could be described as a
Lighting because it would strike the photography industry
off its guard and then quickly disappear into thin air again.
However, as they say how lighting strikes twice, every time
he reappears, he would bring and inject something new and
refreshing into the industry like no one else.
His area of focus includes “the poetic Great Wall” and
“the alternate Forbidden City” to name a few. It is tempting
however, to think that he didn’t let any topic slip through
his eye sight. One would no doubt wonder wherever he has
shown signs that he‘s following the so called order of
the art world: If I could understand this, then its art,
it I can’t, its not.
According to Li, The Great Wall and The Forbidden City
are mainly his subjects for photography. He wants to use
photography to reflect a different or “alternate” side
of these two well known places to reflect Chinese culture
on a deeper level. Even though it’s the works of The Forbidden
City that he is known, he still prefers The Great Wall.
He has spent more time, effort and energy on The Great
Wall then anything else, but he still couldn’t reach what
he wanted to achieve, Li thinks it’s the “charisma” and
the history of The Great Wall that makes it so hard and
it’s also a fountain for his creativity.
Li joked that even though he might not be the one that
has walked The Great Wall the most times, but he certainly
is the one that has photographed The Great Wall the most.
As the old Chinese saying would say “a Man is not a man
until he journeys to The Great Wall”. He strives not to
let The Great Wall becomes his primary subject as he doesn’t
see the Great Wall that way, rather it is the “The Journey
of The Great Wall” that matters most. He wants his photographs
to show a sense of respect and honor to The Great Wall,
and he refuses to let The Great Wall itself becomes the
subject of his photographic works.
Li also admits he is a big fan of Russian Culture. He
describes it as tragic at the same time poetic. Therefore,
he hopes that his works not only reflects knowledge but
also as gateway between reality and fantasy. To him, its
the emotion that counts rather than the knowledge.
Li is also an admirer of French Impressionism as he says
it’s not only beautiful but reflects a sense of personality
as well. Li explains its difficult to separate one’s own
creative personality with the general social perspective
as it would defeat the meaning of Art as Art is supposed
to be the medium for communicating. However, in the end,
he still chose this road because art is ever changing
ever evolving, to him; Art is a true lie that’s even more
real than reality.
He also confesses he likes to adapt to the Ernst Haas
style for his works as well.
When people ask him that despite being in imprisoned
for 8 years during the cultural revolution, he still doesn’t
use his camera to criticize society, instead, he used
his camera to embrace it with passion and beauty. Li answers
that practical photography is about reflecting and spreading
splendor and passion, even though one person might not
have much, but he or she still has the right to pursue
things that reflects splendor. If there’s no room for
beauty or splendor, then there’s no room for anything
else.
Finally, Li thinks that the success that comes the latest
are the sweetest, currently, what is satisfying for him
that he has achieved success and yet, his passion for
photography is just the same as it was when he was young.
|
