China Dutch Eyes in China The Chinese Photobook Vincent Mentzel Photography

China door Vincent Mentzel Rotterdamse Kunststichting 1978 Sinds de jaren dertig van de vorige eeuw zijn er regelmatig Nederlandse fotografen in China geweest om te getuigen van de grote sociale omwentelingen in het voormalige keizerrijk. Bijna zonder uitzondering richtten zij hun camera op de bewoners. Zo portretteerde Ellen Thorbecke in haar boek People in China (1935) traditionele en moderne typen Chinezen – van ‘the concubine’ en ‘the camel-driver’ tot ‘the ultramodern girl’ en ‘the industrialist’. Haar foto’s uit begin jaren dertig reflecteren de oriëntatie op het westen onder Chiang Kai-shek. In 1959 documenteerde de communist Hans Sibbelee Mao’s ‘Grote Sprong Voorwaarts’, terwijl Vincent Mentzel in 1973 afreisde om te getuigen van de Culturele Revolutie (1966-1976). Since the early 1970s, Vincent Mentzel has been a staff photographer for the major Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad and is now one of the best-known Dutch photojournalists. As staff photographer he has played a crucial role in shaping the paper’s image. He first distinguished himself as a photographer of important Dutch political personalities and then took on important foreign assignments. He also served as photo editor of M Magazine, NRC's monthly glossy Sunday magazine. The Chinese Photobook PARR, MARTIN / WASSINK, LUNDGREN ISBN 10: 1597112283 / ISBN 13: 9781597112284 Publisher/Verlag: Thames & Hudson | From the 1900s to the Present | In the last decade there has been a major reappraisal of the role and status of the photobook within the history of photography. Newly revised histories of photography as recorded via the photobook have added enormously to our understanding of the mediums culture, particularly in places that are often marginalized, such as Latin America and Africa. However, until now, only a handful of Chinese books have made it onto historians short lists. Yet China has a fascinating history of photobook publishing, and The Chinese Photobook will reveal for the first time the richness and diversity of this heritage. This deluxe, lavishly produced volume is based on a collection compiled by Martin Parr and Beijing- and London-based Dutch photographer team WassinkLundgren. And while the collection was inspired initially by Parrs interest in propaganda books and in finding key works of socialist realist photography from the early days of the Communist Party and the Cultural Revolution era, the selection of books includes key volumes published as early as 1900, as well as contemporary volumes by emerging Chinese photographers. | Format: Hardback | Language/Sprache: english | 448 pp.