Asian Pictorialism

Image Long Chin-San

While I was doing a bit of research for "36 Views of The Beetham Tower After Hokusai" which is a project I started last spring and am just getting ready to carry on with, I came across what has been called "Asian Pictorialism". The above image is by Long Chin-San. the old master who lived to the ripe old age of 104!

Image Don Hong-oai

A student of his, Don Hong-Oai is much better represented on the web and by galleries such as Photo-Eye. He uses the composite techniques learnt from Chin-San to great affect. I love these images. I'm not sure about "meaning" I know that for me though they work on an aesthetic level. And so I'm pinching this aesthetic for my "36 Views". Yes I know that Hokusai was Japanese and the above two photographers are Chinese, but look at this picture below,
This is by Japanese photographer Suizan Kurokawa, whose work as you can see fits nicely into Asian Pictorialism. And I'm sure you can see how the above photographs relate to this wood block print by Hokusai.

Image Hokusai

And so for my series, it made sense to replicate, and continue in this style. Of course my series is a bit tongue in cheek, satirical I'm using The Beetham Tower as a motif instead of Mount Fuji, the new skyscraper has become Manchester's post prominent landmark and has started to appear on postcards and tourist paraphernalia.

Image Mark Page

I've still got a bit of a way to go until all 36 views are "in the bag" I shot the first set spring/early summer last year and am waiting until the same time this year to continue. I want the light and also spring foliage. These pictures are very different to anything I've done before, but I love having fun with photography and using different techniques. Well you got to have a laugh haven't you?