Page 79 - 第19屆大墩美展專輯電子書

Juror’s Statement, Photography Category
Jur or ’ s Statement, Photography Category CHUNG Ling
CHUNG Ling

As a juror for the Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition of Taichung City photography category, I visited Taichung three times this year. I was
thrilled and touched, not only because I grew up in Taichung, but also because of its exceptional art movement and creative artworks.
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For the photography category of the 19 Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition of Taichung City, there were a total of 373 entries, including
eight from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Macau. It was truly an international
photography event. The jurors were CHUNG Yung-Ho, CHIEN Jung-Tai, HUANG Chia-Sen, CHANG Kuo-Chih and me. There were 50
nominations after the preliminary review on May 18, 2014 and 42 works received awards after June 24, 2014 (First Prize, Second Prize,
Third Prize, four awards of merit, and 35 short-listed works).
Looking over this year's entries and award winners, most works were not creative but more mundane. The "me-too" phenomenon,
though unappreciated, is widely adapted in today's photography in Taiwan. Nevertheless, the awards this year went to those with creativity
in mind. The essence of art is creativity, and such is the case with photography. The path to artistic creation in photography is putting your
thoughts and creativity into art forms.
Let's take a closer look at the winners of the top three prizes:
The Third Prize winner, "Face Painting", shows two "Ba Jia Jiang" actors concentrating while painting each other's faces by the gate
of a temple. Soft side lighting dramatically creates a gradient halo; a starred eye in the deity painting draws out the focal length and inner
humor. Works about face painting are common; however, to be able to depict such a vivid image is incredible. The Third Prize was well-
deserved.

"Vision", the Second Prize winner, is a work filled with imagination and innovation. An add-on imaginary wall fills up the lower half

of the photo while three buildings under construction peek out from afar. As a result, the sci-fi image of a green leafy elephant carrying
three modern concrete buildings on its back is born. The basic concept is to raise awareness of green buildings and the eco-environment in
modern cities. The photo turned out to be quite surreal, which may have overshadowed its original idea. This may be why it failed to win
First Prize.

First Prize went to "Concrete Landscape". At initial glance, it may not be eye-catching; however, you will find yourself gaining more

appreciation for its beauty over time. The photographer noted, "It is the entrance of a commercial parking structure that is hidden in the city.
What you see here is the car lanes and walls paved with concrete and blocks. The lines, proportions and angles of the photo make you think

of a farming field, rocks and the horizon." In addition to nature references, the photographer has shown exceptional observation, application
and control over the lines, texture, space and shapes in this photo. In other words, it's all about composition and the ability to produce
simple abstract composition, rare in today's Taiwanese photography. Not until a final decision was made did we learn that the First Prize

winner was from New Zealand.
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I am very pleased by the results of the 19 Da Dun Fine Arts Exhibition of Taichung City. Take the First Prize winner for example. Not

only did it fulfill the mission of the exhibition by lifting the threshold for creativity in art and promoting international cultural activities, but
it will also lead to a new phase for the art of photography in Taiwan and inspire fellow photographers. Here I sincerely wish the very best to
New Zealander Lucas K. Doolan and the hope that he will win the grand prize of the year.

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