http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/ Photography, Multimedia, Politics Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:50:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/#comment-45489 The Back Catalogue (3): Images of atrocity, conflict and war | David Campbell Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:44:34 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=644#comment-45489 [...] Tiananmen’s other images [...] [...] Tiananmen’s other images [...]

]]> http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/#comment-360 Rob Godden Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:06:15 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=644#comment-360 Very interesting to look back at how the pro-democracy demonstrations in China were depicted at the time. For example, nearly all the published photos are of Beijing, despite the fact that large protests took place across China. This may partly be due to restrictions on the movement of foreign journalists at the time in China (restrictions that were famously relaxed during the recent Olympics - though imposed in Tibet in March after violent protests there). It may also say something about how widespread camera ownership was and the lack of digital technology at the time making such devices more common. Also, we rarely see photos of the violent clashes that took place between the protestors and the security forces / army. Despite the grossly disproportionate use of force by the Chinese authorities, there was violent resistance from protestors that saw many security personnel killed. However, I have rarely seen images of these. Whether this was because most of these violent events happened at night in dangerous circumstances, or that these were not the story the media wished to tell I am not sure? Another issue for me is the over use of the 'tank man' photo - iconic maybe, but what meaning has it acquired, and given that so little is known about the identity of the man (still the case I believe?), it is often given meaning that is at odds with what is known (i.e. when the photo was taken, what was happening at the time). I wonder how such events would be recorded today? I guess the protests by monks in Burma in late 2007 can give us some idea. Very interesting to look back at how the pro-democracy demonstrations in China were depicted at the time. For example, nearly all the published photos are of Beijing, despite the fact that large protests took place across China. This may partly be due to restrictions on the movement of foreign journalists at the time in China (restrictions that were famously relaxed during the recent Olympics – though imposed in Tibet in March after violent protests there). It may also say something about how widespread camera ownership was and the lack of digital technology at the time making such devices more common. Also, we rarely see photos of the violent clashes that took place between the protestors and the security forces / army. Despite the grossly disproportionate use of force by the Chinese authorities, there was violent resistance from protestors that saw many security personnel killed. However, I have rarely seen images of these. Whether this was because most of these violent events happened at night in dangerous circumstances, or that these were not the story the media wished to tell I am not sure?
Another issue for me is the over use of the ‘tank man’ photo – iconic maybe, but what meaning has it acquired, and given that so little is known about the identity of the man (still the case I believe?), it is often given meaning that is at odds with what is known (i.e. when the photo was taken, what was happening at the time).
I wonder how such events would be recorded today? I guess the protests by monks in Burma in late 2007 can give us some idea.

]]> http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/#comment-356 David Campbell Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:09:06 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=644#comment-356 The BBC has an excellent <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8078746.stm" rel="nofollow">audio slideshow on Tiananmen</a> that includes interviews with the protesters in 1989. The BBC has an excellent audio slideshow on Tiananmen that includes interviews with the protesters in 1989.

]]> http://www.david-campbell.org/2009/06/02/tiananmen-other-images/#comment-353 David Campbell Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:47:03 +0000 http://www.david-campbell.org/?p=644#comment-353 On Slate.com a <a href="http://todayspictures.slate.com/20090604/" rel="nofollow">Magnum gallery of Tiananmen photographs</a> contains 27 images from May and June 1989. The pictures of Koichi Imaeda (numbers 16-19, 21-23) are particularly significant. On Slate.com a Magnum gallery of Tiananmen photographs contains 27 images from May and June 1989. The pictures of Koichi Imaeda (numbers 16-19, 21-23) are particularly significant.

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