The Interview of Two Female Photographer

Yes, I know I should have done something more experimental this week. But please consider my artist book as a whole. I think it’s experimental enugh.

Wenjie Dong is a grad student majors in philosophy and politics, also a freelance fine art photographer. Her work mostly focus on feminism and people’s living environment in modern time. The work she’s just done is about how, and why young Chinese woman want to show the perfect side in front of the public, seducing the male or pleasing themselves.

Nan Zhong: Thanks for accepting the invitation of my artist book project “Personal Narrative”. It’s really fantastic working with you!

Wenjie Dong: You are welcome.

NZ: So what’s the story of you to shoot this serial of work?

WD: You probably know, there are many young girls in China, want to ask some professional photographer shoot photo for them. The requirement is easy, just make them look beautiful. The difficult part is define “beautiful”. Some of them like large aperture, strong light, vague image, which can make them look innocent. Others may more concentrate on makeup and dress. I also did some of those kind of work. It’s easy to know what photo style they want, but I in my perspective, I would rather say they want their photo to be appealing than wanting them “beautiful”. There are two reason that people need an appealing photo, seducing others, or pleasing themselves.

NZ: So which reason do you think your client want to do.

WD: Maybe half half. It’s hard to say the exact reason. But for me, I kind of don’t like the idea that being appealing just for others.

NZ: So you shot these work to satire?

WD: It’s pretty much like that. There is another girl ask me for helping her shooting “beautiful photos”. I don’t know exactly the reason she want to shoot the pictures, but I did a sarcastic experiment this time.

NZ: Was the girl ask you to shoot the photos for her mad at you, when she saw these pictures?

WD: Not so much actually. I think these are still beautiful photos, but just not the kind of “beautiful” we meant in everyday life. I assumed the girl wanted to use these photos to seduce males, so I just made the recessive requirement overt.

And I also give these to some of my male friends, ask them if they like it. A little bit to my surprised, they did. And I think my experiment is a kind of successes.

NZ: Yes, I like this serial of works too. Besides portrait, you have also shot some landscape and still life, the images are beautiful. And I like the one which the girl camouflaged by the red flowers’ image, I love this metaphor and the implicit way it present.

WD: Thank you.

Yizhu Yang is a professional fiction writer and pad-book designing artist based on Kunming, Yunnan Province, Where Chinese people call it “the garden of China”. She was the college mate and good friend of mine. She have a relatively harsh but insistently time when she applied for the grad school after the college. Her perspective of the university campus might also be slightly different than anyone else.

Nan Zhong: What’s your photos basically talking about? What’s your strory?

Yizhu Yang: I would rather call it “A day of a Chinese college student.” (Laugh)

NZ: Fair enough! But since I know you have a relatively rough time when you applied for a grad school in China, I think you must have a different perspective than anyone else to the topic of “school life.”

YY: Ennnn, yes you can say that. But my work is still based on a general sight of the school life, I think. You mentioned that my applying journey may different from anyone else, which I cannot agree with. I think applying from a grad school is hard for every student. They probably have different difficulties, but still difficult generally speaking.

NZ: Ok, so let’s talk about your work. There are two photos I’m really interested in. One is the banner which hanging with a lot of flyers about Government Choosing Examination training, why you shot this one as a part of your “school life”?

YY: That’s because I was a little angry (laughed), I was confused why Chinese students are so enthusiastic about being a government officer. Is it because of the job more stable and has a higher social class. At least I don’t think so. I believe people have to have a job which they like, interest should always be the only reason of choosing a career. Do you remember we have a classmate who committed suicide just because of he failed in that stupid government choosing examination?

NZ: Yes, I did. He took such heavy pressure of his parents expecting him being a government officer…

YY: Right, I think such expectation is morbid. And in China, grand of young students are willing to be a government officer just because of their parents want them to. They don’t even like it. And it’s not only their parents’ fault, the students should know their life expectation of themselves sooner.

NZ: Ok, let’s talk something more breezily. I noticed that you took a pic of your school mess hall. I was surprised that you didn’t take the photo of the food. You always post food pictures on social media!

YY: Hahah, that’s because I didn’t get into it that day! I was passing by the mess hall, and think about “why our mess hall is so ratty lake this!” then I took this photo.

NZ: I know we had the best school mess hall in our college once.

YY: Yes, so there always be shitty thing in our lives that we have to deal with.

NZ: Indeed. So how’s your school life now? Generally speaking.

YY: Pretty good I have to say. Now I went to school only when I have class or thesis have to write. Other time I would like to stay at home, with my boyfriend. That’s the reason I can see school in a more objective perspective now. And I think I also learned a lot in grad school, now I was a little bit shamed of I didn’t work hard when the undergraduate time.

NZ: Sure we all did.