Photography In The Republican Period And Chinese Visual Modernity

Photography has brought the scientific modern vision and promoted the great transformation of ways of seeing. I intend to explore the issue of Chinese visual modernity in the Republican period from three perspectives. Firstly, the system of visual production and communication has experienced the transformation, which implied the modern ways of visual production has replaced the traditional ways. The development of reproductive technology promoted the popularity of pictorials. At the same time, the introduction of portable camera allowed people to concern more daily life. These changes indicated the age of mechanical reproduction has already begun. Corresponding with the transformation of visual production, the system of communication also has changed. The different ways of communication like photographic pictorials, photography exhibition and communities were closely connected together, and commercial operation promoted the importance of public. Secondly, modern Chinese visual subject has being developed and become independent. Modern Chinese visual subject has being developed in the gaze of technical, power and commercial. The exploration of intellectuals could be regarded as the resistance of gaze and the pursuit of the certain identity. Lastly, modern Chinese visual subject has been trying to develop the local visual discourse system. The popularity of pictorial photography in the Republican period indicated the traditional schema has great impact on early photographers, due to that, the intellectuals tried to keep the traditional aesthetic style in their photography. Besides that, metropolitan photography tried to represent the great changes in Chinese urban cities and express the desire of modernism. Zhuang Xueben, Chinese ethnographic photographer, has changed the stereotype in colonial photography and represented the spirit of humanity.Besides the issue of Chinese visual modernity, I analyze the ethics of seeing by exploring the photography in the Republican period. Modern visual media promote the changes of ethics of seeing. Perceiving the nature has been replaced by taking pictures. However, traditional schema still has great impact on the ways of seeing.