Photography stament Qiu Zhijie

I firmly believe that photography is foremost an anthropological tool; a piece of equipment for fieldwork. Its morality and immorality are based on its ability to create a true record, because only a true record can help historians research an era, detectives crack cases, the paparazzi catch a glimpse of stars naked, the forgotten of the world get their share of attention. So I think that darkroom manipulation corrupts photography, as it opposes the nature of photography by trying to fill it with art.

As a victorious competitor, photography stole from painting its traditional function. Making this claim is like poking the anthill of art history with a stick. Modern art was forced along by photography, but by the realism of photography rather than its artistic nature. So when I use photography to create an artwork, I never think about how to shoot a photograph artistically, but rather how to use pictures artistically. That is to say, I am more mindful of what photographs can be used for, why one takes a photo, and not how a photograph is composed. These are perhaps very peripheral questions as far as photography itself is concerned.

Photographs are used to prove the existence of realities, but at the same time, their objectivity can be used to manufacture a reality. If one first arranges an absurd theatrical scene, photographs can be used as proof of such craziness. For example, in most situations, especially where ‘ common people ' are concerned, photographs are used not to record reality, but to beautify reality. In front of the lens, people change into their best clothing, assume their best posture, and leave a formal impression. At this point, photography becomes a filtration and manicuring of coarse reality, a revision of control over one ' s body. Beautiful images can be used to turn identities, fashions and ideologies into icons.

My Good series expands on the photograph ' s potential to present a falsely objective cartoon. The Tattoo series takes up the relationship between an image and the problems of its context. For the work The Night of 2002.9.16 I invited people to roll clay into balls. The clay balls still bear the clear imprints of fingers and hands. I shot these digitally and organised the images into ‘ solar systems ' using the computer. The images are displayed on light boxes, and arranged according to the size of the venue. The audience can view the details by using an indoor telescope.