Rural and Urban Photographs of China in 1980s, 1990s, 2000s

China Photographs in 1980s, 1990s, 2000s – Documentary Fine Art Photographer John Palmer

During the 1980s and 1990s, my photographic work was produced using a 4x5 view camera, a tool that allowed for meticulous composition and detail. In the 2000s, I transitioned to a 6x7 rangefinder camera, which offered more flexibility and spontaneity. Available light, slow shutter speeds, a tripod, and expansion film development (to increase contrast) are the methods I use to produce my negatives. Rather than peer through the viewfinder during exposure, I stand next to the camera and limit my shots to two to four frames when making a portrait. This disciplined approach allows me to have a more personal rapport with my subjects, who become partners in producing the image. This shift in equipment, along with my evolving artistic vision, has resulted in a comprehensive body of work that chronicles China at the intersection of tradition and modernity. My objective has been to employ the universal language of photography to foster cultural bridging—illuminating the faces, locales, and rhythms of a nation experiencing significant transformation.

Early 21st-century China exemplifies a nation in a state of continual transformation. Skylines are now embellished with glass towers where rice paddies once existed. Streets illuminated by neon signs are teeming with traffic, whereas rural villages steadfastly uphold the slower pace characteristic of agricultural life. Market reforms have instigated an economic surge, swiftly redefining urban landscapes and daily routines. It is often noted that a six-month absence from Shanghai may render one unfamiliar upon return. From serene rural pathways to the energetic vibrancy of megacities, my photography of China chronicles the nation's transition into a new epoch. This ongoing narrative garners persistent international attention, leaving the audience eager to learn more about this dynamic transformation.

Over many years of travel, I have maintained close proximity to everyday life to document rural and urban environments through the use of local buses, taxis, subways, and trains, dining at neighborhood establishments, and staying in local hotels, consistently avoiding tourist routes. One method I have employed to connect with the individuals I photograph is through 'environmental portraits,' a style that captures subjects within their natural surroundings, offering a more intimate and authentic depiction. Frequently, I was invited into local residences to create these environmental portraits.

The gallery exemplifies this intimacy and diversity: villagers drawing water from ancient wells, Tibetan monks within monastery walls—providing a glimpse into enduring ritual life amid a changing world, pioneering feminist scholars who established Women's Studies in Chinese universities by challenging traditional gender roles, and families inhabiting small apartments in Shanghai amidst years of urban transformation—serving as visual documentation of rapid urbanization and its influence on China's social fabric. These images also embody the voices of authors, composers, and dissidents whose ideas have profoundly shaped China's cultural landscape. Collectively, these photographs constitute a complex archive of a nation in transition. They not only preserve the memory of a diminishing China and record the emergence of a new China but also engage viewers in an ongoing narrative—interweaving past, present, and future through the medium of photography. Your involvement in this preservation process is crucial, positioning you as an active participant in this narrative.