Meng Minsheng’s romantic portraits
Print Edition
Most of the some 100,000 camera films photographer Meng Minsheng has taken record Hong Kong’s society and all its walks of life from the 1950s to the 1980s. He focused his lens on ordinary Hong Kong people such as fishermen, dockers, factory workers, private workshops and tramcars, and documented the life and social transition of the port city during that period of time.
Yet when senior Meng passed away in 2007 and his son, Meng Jialin, went through his stuff, he was surprised to find a dozen photographic works featuring the revolutionary images.
“He never showed anyone these photos nor have these works been published. It took six people more than half a month to sort out the films,” Meng Jialin told Shanghai Daily.
Born in Shanghai, Meng Minsheng went to work in Hong Kong in the 1950s. He worked in the filming studio of Great Wall Movie Enterprises Ltd, and other companies and food stores, and became obsessed with photography.
From 1964 to 1969, he shot a series of posing photos that show the revolution from his perspective. With the help of a close scenic artist, he set up a scene in Hong Kong’s Sun Beam Theatre and asked actors to deduce the revolutionary images.
“The photos are very post-modern, which can be labeled today as conceptual photography,” said Meng Jialin, who is also a photographer and photo editor. “Yet a few decades ago, my father has already found the approach to express his nostalgia, deep patriotism and personal commitment to the revolutionary spirit.”
The photo “Storm in Mountain Village” was inspired by a Cantonese drama that depicts how the Communist partisan soldiers fought their south China. To create a photo of “awakening Africans” fighting for independence, the photographer found a couple of Hong Kong sailors who had once been to the Africa and dressed them up as Africans.
Meng Minsheng was awarded the golden award on Lianzhou Foto Festival in 2006 for his “Imitated Revolution” series. In the same year, he suffered a severe stroke and passed away six months later.
“It is visual imagination of a Hong Kong photographer toward revolution… Maybe some of the viewers will find those images a bit amusing, but it was a series thing for the photographer at that time,” Yang Xiaoyan, an official with the photo festival said of Meng’s photos.
“He set up the photos with devoutness. There’s nothing ironic, because he truly was trying to showcase the revolution.”
Meng Minsheng was generally regarded as being at the helm of conceptual photography in China.
Along with his revolution series, the SCoP is also showcasing his portrait photos of women in Hong Kong. The portrait collection is more humane and soft, showing romance and elegance.
“Figure of Speech”
Date: Through February 29
Venue: Shanghai Center of Photography
Address: 2555-1 Longteng Ave
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