Photographer and Community Artist, Kev Ryan, contrasts the power of centralised planning and the local state in determining future urban development against the emergent hub of arts development occuring in the Huang Jue Ping area of Chongqing.
Publicly sanctioned but seemingly contradictory forces are at work here. Do the brightly painted murals symbolise the growth of the arts and cultural industries in this area or the transitory nature of this community as it faces re-development on a massive scale?
About the Author
Kev Ryan
kaparu2
Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK
I have worked in the field of community arts in the UK for most of my working life and have been involved in and inspired by the movement since 1976. My own photographic work began in the early 1980s but for a good 20 years my main focus became that of encouraging others to develop their photographic skills and imagination through setting up community darkrooms and running photography projects. In between I managed to be an exhibiting photographic artist from time to time and have had work published in a wide range of ways. I co-run the Pixel and Grain Gallery with a colleague and have organised a number of international photography competitions.
My work includes a fair amount of performance photography from large scale outdoor events and festivals to stage work in music, theatre, live literature and dance. My passion is for street photography and one day I promise myself time for imaginative studio based work.........
I have another book on Blurb published under Charnwood Arts.
Publish Date July 17, 2011
Dimensions Large Format Landscape 80 pgs
Premium Paper, matte finish
Category Travel
Tags China, Chongqing, Arts, Murals, Community, Graffiti, Urban Re-development, Arts Projects, Cultural Industries, Visual Arts
Comments (7)
GinasBook says
wow! congrats to a PRO! I read it 1-end. I was in Chongqing in the late 90ies, all greygrey then. Feel the ambiguity ... nothing ever stands still in Ch. so nice and colorful now ... so clean and chromo blanc in the future plans. But the public artists soon will take over and we see their new visions of another world to come. They can't stop them any more.
Thanks for your work and may I invite you to look at mine too.
Greetings from Germany
Gina
posted at 02:47pm May 12 PST
slsawyer58 says
Your book is really beautiful. My wife and I enjoyed it very much. Have been to many places in China but never saw anything like this.
Thanks for sharing.
posted at 09:14am Aug 17 PST
kaparu2 says
I should have said "The last one we did for Charnwood Arts" - sorry Nat!.........and Flying Panda!! Ooops sorry Flying Pandas!!
http://www.blurb.com/books/1781171
posted at 08:05am Jul 19 PST
kaparu2 says
I agree it is costly to buy one of the Blurb books but from the last one I did for Charnwood Arts the quality was just superb! That's why I haven't added any profit margin to it either - it's the same cost for me. Thanks for the feedback - after a rather intensive period of putting it together it's great to know that people are reading/seeing it for the things we intended! We've had some great (and insightful) e-mails about it and Facebook responses! bw Kev
posted at 04:44am Jul 19 PST
jtowers123 says
beautiful book.so interesting. i have some harajuku books as my main focus of work is costuming and it reminded me of these in an odd way.my daughter's doing 'halls,walls and coridoors' as a photography project at college and this would be a great book to have,but ditto last comment, a bit too out of my price range at the minute. good luck with it. a great idea to Blurb it!
posted at 02:51am Jul 19 PST
localart says
Dear Kevin,
This is a fascinating insight into the development of this area. I particularly enjoyed looking at the surrounding area of the creative district. It is not often you get to see all the information laid out in this way and it is quite inspiring to know what efforts are being made to enhance creativity in this developing country. It opens up lots of possibilities and ideas for us, in the UK... I would just love to buy the book, but I am a struggling creative myself!
posted at 04:07am Jul 18 PST
fantosh2 says
Amazing book Kev - I particularly like the juxtaposition of images & the interesting comments - well done to you & Natalie!
BTW I can't see any discrepancies...
Frances
posted at 02:56am Jul 18 PST