Reflecting on days gone by

This weekend saw the opening of a great new exhibition of Zhou Haiying’s personal collection of photograph’s under the title ‘Reflecting on Days Gone By’.

As the son of Lu Xun, one of the most significant writers in Chinese history, Zhou’s life was one obviously one of relative opportunity and prosperity.  Certainly on one level you could dismiss the collection as one of a privileged young man whose father’s success had offered him opportunity unbestowed on more talented individuals. Indeed the collection illustrates Zhou’s shortcomings as a photographer.  However, the reason why this collection stands out, and is well worth visiting, is exactly because of Zhou’s background and the way he was brought up. Like many other great photo-documentarians, he was simply in the right place at right time, and his curiosity, empathy and enthusiasm for life are what make this exhibition a fascinating and valuable insight into Shanghai life in the immediate years preceding and following 1949.

While there are pictures in the exhibition that show the trouble much of China’s people were facing, particularly the rural poor – what really sticks in the mind is the optimism and sense of freedom felt by an increasingly influential and confident Shanghai youth – there appears to be few signs of what this seismic shift in power meant for creative and cultural Chinese elite.

Pictures of life in the former French Concession, girls socialising, boxing competitions and picnics all exude an energy, style, and eccentricity that was soon to be lost.  The outfits show a creativity, confidence and seductiveness that was soon to be eradicated, and perhaps has still not been rediscovered decades later.

The exhibition is a bittersweet experience, while it is hard not to be caught up in the excitement and charm of the era, it is all too clear how this really was the end of an epoch. The sense of creativity and exuberence of these subjects, makes you think that despite how great Shanghai is today, what might have it become today had the protagonists in these pictures had a chance to stamp their mark on their city and its culture.

‘Reflecting On Days Gone By’ is exhibited at the charming Front Line Contemporary gallery, 588 Yongjia Lu, until 26th March.  Affectionately put together by French Art Director, Patricia Lambert, this exhibition is a must visit.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 10th, 2011 at 5:33 pm. It is filed under China, Image, Photography, The Review and tagged with Exhibition, featured, Shanghai. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.