Mos6502
Well-known
This just popped up in my youtube suggestions, and I was surprised to see it! Every time I mention this series of photos, nobody knows what I'm talking about. Tseng Kwong Chi probably wouldn't make it into my list of top ten photographers, but conceptually his work is fascinating, and I often revisit it when thinking about the relationship between reality and pop culture, the relationship between authenticity and pretense. When cogitating on the idea of the photograph as a record or document, these photos invariably come to mind. The photos themselves are usually not particularly impressive from a technical standpoint, being essentially staged snapshots (although a choice few of them are really very good by any measure). But in terms of being art, being something that can give someone something to think about, they're intensely clever. The simple presence of the cable release in almost every shot simultaneously completes the illusion of a snapshot, all while putting the machinations of the photographer in plain sight.
Zuiko-logist
Well-known
Interesting. The work has the look of propaganda material from the 50s/60s.