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South 2007/08 various sizes and editions |
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| About the work: There, on the Road These photographs were taken as Luo Dan crisscrossed half the nation over the course of the last few months. Taking „on the road“ photos is always a difficult task, and the result is often full of cheap romanticism, quaint folk customs and a „sense of nature.“ There has been no lack of such „works“ over the past few years. But instead of choosing the easy way out, Luo Dan is on a quest to find out whether or not Chinese values and lifestyles still have a means of surviving the wave of globalization sweeping over the nation. The question appears to be a pressing one for Luo Dan, who seems to find little positive proof in the current state of affairs. Shooting „on the road“ has become a framework from within which he explores and searches not onyl for the other, but also for his self-identity. It is a road filled with danger and hardship, a sometimes a distance separates the lens from reality. In that sense, Luo Dan´s work is rare and commendable indeed. Although what we see here is an extremely personal and concrete Luc Dan, we must remember he is always on the move in highly changing circumstances, and he deals with these by constantly filtering, picking and choosing. „On the road“ is not only a state of mind, it is about an individul in his environment who takes the initiative to reflect upon himself and express himself, and precisely because it is selt-initiated, it is enriching. Luo Dan obviously does not see his photography as the result of some preconceived action. He maintains a sharp dialogue with reality, life and himself, keeping in mind that the chaos and challenge of the Chinese experience and current reality is an imminent cause for making choices and taking action. For him, photography opens up a new prospect, a new gaze, a new road of contemplation within action and choice. |
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