‘I hope this exhibition will lead you to know Hong Kong’s past, walk into the world of my memories together, and feel the emotions of the past together.’ —— Lau Koon-Tan.
Following the success of his first photo book, Old Hong Kong – The Way We Were, in 2023, photographer Lau Koon-Tan recently published his sequel. It will accompany an exhibition titled Old Hong Kong – The Way We Were 2, which displays nearly 20 hand-made silver Gelatin prints.
Lau Koon-Tan has been photographed in our city for over 60 years. In the 1960s, amid economic hardship and political instability in Hong Kong, a young man emerged as a photographer dedicated to capturing the essence of his city.
From Street dentist and tricycle driver to newspaper hawker and coolie, Lau’s photographs vividly depicted the various aspects of life, reflecting the circumstances of that era, documenting the diverse facets of society through his camera lens, and offering future generations a glimpse into the lives of those who came before them.
These pictures showcase his exceptional skills and serve as a precious testament to Hong Kong’s history. Now, in his advanced years, Lau remains actively engaged in promoting photography. He serves as a judge for competitions and offers free photography lectures and talks, encouraging more people to embrace this artistic form.
Lau Koon-Tan won numerous competitions of the Chinese Photographic Association of Hong Kong and the Photographic Society of Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also an honorary member and judge of many photographic societies.
Notably, the Hong Kong Museum of History has permanently collected many of Lau’s works, acknowledging his contributions and the significance of his role in the photography community. In this small yet vibrant city, Lau’s story and artistry have undoubtedly left an everlasting mark on the history of photography.
《William Klein: Painted Contacts》，29 x 20cm，HKD320，可inbox @photogshop 購買，
While reviewing his contact sheets for a film he made in the 1980s, William Klein conceived this original series by working at the nexus of painting and photography.
Referencing the age of film photography, when photographers selected images by circling individual negatives on a contact sheet with brightly colored grease pencils, Klein’s works invent a unique art object that organically combines painting and photography.
The resulting pieces are bold, kinetic color frames and reframes of enlarged black-and-white images throughout his career. Klein‘s iconic fashion and street photography always look gritty and bold, and are given a new vanguard and extraordinary perspective.
In his foreword to this edition, Klein describes these works as ”all brush strokes and jubilation. The jubilation of painting recalls the celebration of taking the photo.“
何藩出版過數本攝影集，65歲退下導演崗位後，他離開香港，前往聖荷西與家人團聚。在家人鼓勵下，他開始整理年輕時拍攝的相片，出版《香港追憶》(Hong Kong Yesterday, 2006)、《人生舞台》(The Living Theatre, 2009) 、《香港‧往日情懷》(A Hong Kong Memoir, 2014)及逝世後的《念香港人的舊》(Portrait of Hong Kong, 2016，2021年出版第四版)、《感情・感悟・感覺》(Photography. My Passion. My Life. 2021)等攝影集。他曾說過，在演員、導演及攝影師三重身份中，他最喜歡的仍是攝影。
Robert Doisneau一生以他所居住的巴黎為主要拍攝對象，在日常生活中捕捉風趣幽默的瞬間。布列松在1947年成立Magnum Photos後，曾邀請他加入通訊社，Doisneau明白自己的根在巴黎，並不嚮往國際性的拍攝任務，因此婉拒布列松的邀請，繼續留在Rapho Agency，終其一生絕大部份時間在花都拍攝，至今遺下45萬張菲林底片。
1950年代是Doisneau的巔峰時期，很多著名照片都是在這段時間拍攝，包括那幅最廣為人知的《市政廳前之吻》(Le Baiser de l’Hôtel de Ville, 1950)，這幅作品現在幾乎已成為浪漫巴黎的代名詞。他的鏡頭拍攝巴黎人的生活百態，即使在平凡的日常裏，也總能發掘出耐人尋味的瞬間，彷彿正在觀看一齣齣靜態的法國電影。
美國攝影師Saul Leiter (1923-2013)曾說「A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person.」他鏡頭下的紐約街頭，朦朧、優雅、淡然，若你喜歡雨，相信對他的照片愛不釋手，玻璃窗上的水滴，有種浪漫的遐想。
Traveling from Hong Kong to the mountainous region of North India, photographer Lamb said everyone needs some wilderness to maintain a stable state of mind while walking on the frozen Zanskar River.
During the five-day trek, Lamb leaves the hustle and bustle of city life behind in front of the appealing mountain view. Time flowed quietly, and his heart was at peace.
Snow-covered mountains, cracks on the frozen lake, light and shadow at sunset, colorful prayer flags, and encounters along the way are all captured in Lamb’s NIKON FM2 camera.
As a commercial photographer, Lamb’s daily creations are color images. Yet, he likes to shoot in black and white negatives when traveling. For this exhibition, he went to the black room again after 20 years and developed the photographic film into silver gelatin images. While making prints, he forgets the passage of time, and the inner peace echoes the journey.
A photobook that documents Kazuo Kitai’s journey to China in 1973 on invitation by Ihei Kimura. This publication captures a journey that saw Kitai travel back to his place of birth to recreate a “lost childhood experience,” searching for an image within the landscape that would contain a memory of his past.
Kazuo Kitai, born in China in 1944, is best known for his protest photography of the 1960s and 1970s. He earned the prestigious Ihei Kimura Memorial Award for Photography for his work “Mura-e,” a year-long documentation of Japan’s rural life. In the 1980s, he concerned himself with the citizens of Osaka and Tokyo (”Shinsekai Monogatari,” “Funabashi Monogatari”). Recent years have seen him publish a regular column in Nippon Camera magazine (”Walking with Leica”) and a rise in public interest in his work both in Japan and overseas.
北井一夫《1973中國》，捕捉文革後期中國人樸素生活，25 cm × 18 cm，「顯影·書櫃」有售。
Boogie Woogie Photography & PhotogStory are pleased to present “Reminiscence,” a solo exhibition by Elsa Jeandedieu, a Hong Kong-based muralist and visual artist, at the Loft in Wong Chuk Hang from 29 June to 22 July 2023. The exhibition is presented together with 18th-century French museum-quality furniture and decorative art displayed by the prestigious Kraemer Gallery from Paris.
Born and raised in southern France, Elsa’s artistic journey began at a young age, experimenting with various mediums and techniques. Her passion for painting was ignited by French art history and family background, drawing inspiration from great artists – notably by the textures of French painter and sculptor Pierre Soulages or the use of colors by Mark Rothko and Piet Mondrian. Her signature style emerged as she honed her craft, a harmonious blend of vibrant hues, bold compositions, and expressive brushstrokes.
Elsa Jeandedieu, Waterfront, 2023, Courtesy of Boogie Woogie Photography
Elsa has been expanding her creative talents and bringing her unique texture artworks and murals to Hong Kong, Paris, Italy, and many other places. In the past twenty years, her inspiring energy and creativity have resulted in hundreds of commissioned paintings and luxury art pieces for high-profile clients, including CHANEL and other high fashion brands.
As she turns forty years old this year, Elsa moves on to a new chapter and dedicates herself to artworks that reveal her inner voice. Her inaugural solo exhibition Reminiscence invites us to embark on a journey through her universe. As the exhibition title demonstrates, Elsa’s painting brings the viewers to her childhood in a poetic way.
Elsa Jeandedieu, Denim from Nîmes, 2023, Courtesy of Boogie Woogie Photography
Elsa的繪畫植根於個人經歷，探索情感、家庭和記憶的主題。畫作中的顏色，還有石膏、銅箔和油漆等不同材料，均象徵著她童年時的不同回憶片段。在《Denim from Nîmes》這幅作品中，Nîmes正是她成長的南部城市尼姆，傳統上用來製做牛仔褲的丹寧布Denim，就是來自尼姆 (De Nîmes)，在作品則以一塊塊的藍色色塊呈現。
Elsa Jeandedieu, The Garden of the Fountain, 2023, Courtesy of Boogie Woogie Photography
Elsa’s work is deeply rooted in personal experience, exploring love, family, and memory themes. Her extensive application of materials like plaster, copper leaf, and marine varnish reminds her of something about childhood. As Elsa recalls, each piece brings her back to a specific place she had been in her teenage years. For her, childhood is blurry yet happy. Whenever she looks back, it is always shiny and colorful. She spent a lot of time on her grandparents’ boats – the use of gold and rusty material in her paintings may be reminiscent of these memories. Elsa’s work also delves into the realm of abstraction, as she skillfully manipulates color, light, and texture to create a palpable sense of depth and tension.
Elsa’s paintings are a testament to her excellent command of plastic art techniques at the service of a profound understanding of human emotion. With great pleasure and pride, we invite you to explore and appreciate the evocative memories captured by this remarkable French painter with what constitutes her first solo exhibition.
Reminiscence
Date: 29 June – 22 July 2023
Time: 2-7pm (Wednesday – Saturday)
By Appointment, Info@bewephoto.com
Address: The Loft, 8/F, E. Wah Factory Building,
56-60 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang.
Elsa Jeandedieu by Felix Wong, Courtesy of Boogie Woogie Photography
Elsa Jeandedieu (b. France,1983)
Elsa spent five formative years developing her craft at the prestigious Atelier Lucien Tourtoulou in Paris, where she specialised in the creation of unique textures and interior decorating for high-end clients. Looking for a new challenge, Elsa moved to Hong Kong in 2008 after being hired as Artistic Director for a local art company, where she brought her unique vision to clients in Asia. In 2015, Elsa launched her eponymous atelier, Elsa Jeandedieu Studio, where she now heads up a team of dedicated artists.
Boogie Woogie Photography is a company founded in Hong Kong in 2016 to promote photography in Asia. The mission is to act as a platform for galleries, collectors, companies, and photographers aiming to develop photography projects in Hong Kong and Asia.
About PhotogStory
PhotogStory is an online Photography platform and Guest Curator based in Hong Kong. We focus on stories of local and international photographers, and stories behind classic photos.
Inge Morath的作品多元，曾為《亂點鴛鴦譜》 (The Misfits)及《The Unforgiven》拍攝劇照，分別拍攝過Marilyn Monroe和Audrey Hepburn。她在威尼斯、中國及蘇聯拍攝的作品，不僅是出色的街頭照片，還見證一個特殊的時代。2002年1月30日，Inge Morath在紐約逝世，終年79歲。
Inge Morath was born today (May 27th) 100 years ago.
“To take pictures had become a necessity and I did not want to forgo it for anything.”
Originally a translator and a writer, she wrote articles to accompany Ernst Haas’s photographs. Robert Capa invited her to Paris to join the newly founded Magnum agency as an editor and researcher. She started photographing in 1951 and joined Magnum Photos as a photographer two years later. While working on her first assignments, she assisted Henri Bresson during 1953-54 and became a full member in 1955.
Morath traveled extensively in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East in the following years. Some of Morath’s most significant work includes cityscapes and portraits of passers-by and celebrities. After her marriage to playwright Arthur Miller in 1962, Morath settled in New York and Connecticut. She first visited the USSR in 1965. In 1972 she studied Mandarin and obtained a visa to China, making the first of many trips to the country in 1978. Inge Morath died in New York City on 30 January 2002.
