Photography in Taiwan in the 1940s and 50s was marked by a flowering realism movement in which three figures, Teng Nan-kuang, Chang Tsai, and Lee Ming-tiao, referred to as the "the three musketeers" of photography, rose to prominence. Of that triumvirate only Lee remains, and to commemorate this venerable master's 88th birthday, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) has opened a retrospective exhibition to last through early spring.
Lee was born in 1922 in Taoyuan County's Daxi into a family that ran a store selling sundries. At 14 he took up studying photography with his uncle. After the war, he poured his energy into various photography enterprises. Besides opening a camera supply store, he set up periodic competitions for photographers, established a photography society, penned a column, and organized exchanges and exhibition opportunities for Taiwanese and Japanese photographers. In doing so, he displayed a business acumen rare in artists. Moreover, his efforts contributed strongly to the vibrant postwar cultural scene.
Himself a product of a small town, one of Lee's favorite subjects was ordinary citizens. He would carry his camera around and, after choosing his subject, would adjust the lens while pretending to be focused on shooting something entirely different. He would thus capture the unsuspecting people's natural dignity and unassuming grace.
The exhibit is divided into five themed sections. In the section "Outdoor Scenes, Inner Landscapes," the photographs are shot from down low using wide angles to impart a lofty expansiveness to the landscapes. The compositions disclose a strong Western influence, the elements crisply balanced to form powerful geometric shapes that linger afterwards in the subconscious.
Equally timeless are the works contained in the series "The Human Character." Here Lee's tender lens ponders worn but contented adults and bright-eyed children. His famous work "Shepherd Children," in which three barefoot children in tattered clothing smile as they look to the horizon, has been described as the most emotive work in the history of Taiwanese photography.
Tavern girls figure prominently in "The Feminine Form," a series that nostalgically evokes the stylishness and elegance of yesteryear's bohemian haunts.
Lee Ming-tiao Retrospective Exhibition
January 10 through April 5, 2009
Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Section B3)
Tel: (02) 2595-7656
At the opening ceremony, Lee Ming-tiao shouts out hearty Taiwanese greetings to longtime photography friends.
"Danshui River Fishing Village"
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