Shaolin: Temple of Zen: Photographs by Justin Guariglia

[GeneChing]

It was great to see him. He gave Gigi and me autographed copies of Planet Shanghai. We discussed a lot of interesting possible projects - he's headed back to China so I've got my fingers crossed that we'll see some more out of him soon.

[GeneChing]

Just got this from Justin. If you're in Shanghai, check it out!

Opening reception this SATURDAY, JULY 18!!!

Mosai|C|ity 城市拼接
Group exhibition at FELLINI Gallery
on view July 18, 2009 through August 31, 2009.

FELLINI Gallery has the great pleasure to invite
you for our new exhibition “Mosai|C|ity”, opening
on Saturday July 18th, 2009 from 5PM to 10PM
accompanied by a French wine and ****tails reception.

Time is simultaneous, an intricately structured JEWEL
that humans insist on viewing one edge at a time,
when the whole design is visible in every facet.
City is synchronized, an intricately formed MOSAICITY,
“rocking angle”, that people continually gaze at the
whole manifesto and it grows dull in our perceptions,
when every visage glows with its full glory, an inner vitality.

Mosai|C|ity, a group exhibition of internationally renowned
photographers Justin Guariglia and J Andrew Scott,
promising American artist Vincent Harkiewicz, and the winners
of the Most talented Chinese Young Artists 2008: Zi Bai,
Chen Duxi, Hou Xi and Cao Xihui. Together they explore the
past, present, and future of the CITY of the world through
different time frames. They witness and discover every aspect
and façade of the city: culture, tradition, construction vs.
deconstruction, collectivism v/s individualism, people,
immigration, environment, development, degradation and
the world embraced in a city and a city reflecting the world
via installation, painting, photography, sculpture, and video.

For more information, please contact us
at: info@fellinigallery.com or call (021)5404.7787

Mosai|C|ity 城市拼接
Group Exhibition on view July 18, 2009 through August 31, 2009
Opening 开幕式：7.18.2009 Saturday 星期六 5PM-8PM
Venue 地点：Fellini Gallery | 339 Changle lu #15 near Xiangyang lu
长乐路339弄15号
Tel.: +8621 5404.7787
www.FelliniGallery.com
info@FelliniGallery.com

[GeneChing]

I talked to Justin earlier this week. He's doing well and soon to be off on another Asia trip.

Shaolin: Temple of Zen, Photographs by Justin Guariglia
Exhibition

Exhibition on view: Friday, August 14, 2009 –Friday, October 9, 2009

Woodbury Art Museum
575 East University Parkway #250
Orem, Utah
(801) 863-4200

Over an eight-year period, photographer Justin Guariglia won the trust of the legendary warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple, a Chinese Buddhist sect dedicated to preserving a form of kung fu known as the "vehicle of Zen." With the blessing of the main abbot, Shi Yong Xin, Guariglia went on to earn the full collaboration of the monks to create an astonishing, empathic photographic record of the Shaolin art forms and the individuals who consider themselves the keepers of these traditions.

[GeneChing]

I'm sure he's annoyed with the mention of the Afghan girl pic.

Saturday May 29, 2010
Giving their best shot
By Louisa Lim
louisa@thestar.com.my

They’ve lived in harsh, foreign lands and put their lives in danger. But for these guys, getting a good scoop makes it all worthwhile.
Justin Guariglia

How a young photographer by the name of Justin Guariglia gained access into the elusive world of the Shaolin monks is anyone’s guess. But then again, the people behind National Geographic have always been full of surprises.

You never know when they might make history or the headlines.

The story of National Geographic began 122 years ago on January 13, 1888, when 33 explorers and scientists gathered at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC to organize “a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.”

After preparing a constitution and a plan of organisation, they incorporated the National Geographic Society two weeks later.

The society’s first magazine, the National Geographic Magazine, later shortened to just National Geographic, was published nine months after the society was founded as the its official journal.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Nat Geo has remained as relevant and inspiring as it was when it was founded. Whether it is looking into the haunting eyes of the Afghan Girl or watching a lion outsmart its prey, people tend to remember the Nat Geo experience. Behind these great stories, however, are the passionate souls who willingly to put their lives on hold to scour the ****hest reaches of earth for that great story and picture.

But what exactly does it take to become one of them?

Here, two of Nat Geo’s finest photographers shed some light on their profession and accomplishments.

Justin Guariglia, 36
Photographer and contributing editor

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: My first assignment was a story on Bali for National Geographic Traveler magazine back in 2000. The story ended up becoming a cover, and was published and arrived on the newsstands two weeks before the horrific Bali bombing. The cover read “BALI: Still Paradise?” and went onto become one of the best-selling issues of the magazine of all time.

Q: What is it about Asia that attracts you? How long have you lived in this part of the world?

A: I first came to Asia in 1996 to study Chinese in Beijing before it was the cool thing to do. I stayed a decade until 2006 when I moved to New York City to publish my two books Shaolin: Temple of Zen by the Aperture Foundation, and Planet Shanghai by Chronicle books.

I just moved back to Asia a few months ago, and now live in Taiwan with my family. I’ve been entranced for years by the energy, cultures and people, the sights, sounds and smells of Asia and, of course, the food!

Q: Tell us about your most interesting assignment to date.

A: Working on my Planet Shanghai book on the dying culture of the LiLong of Shanghai was really interesting. I went out every day trying to find people wearing pyjamas in the streets of Shanghai. It was a difficult project, but very rewarding personally because it was such a challenge to make the photos and produce the book. Every day I’d awake at 6am, and head out onto the streets in the middle of summer in 30+°C weather with 20 pounds of camera, film and lenses.
Two women in pyjamas holding their small dogs in front of a shop in China.

Q: Much has been written about your talent in street photography. How long did it take for you to get to that level?

A: I was inspired early on by Cartier Bresson. I love street photography, and that’s what originally brought me to photography. But as time went on, my style evolved and changed. After 12 years of working professionally, I finally, only now, feel like I’m learning how to use my camera.

Everyone has a camera but the reality is photography is the easiest thing in the world to pick up and use, but it’s one of the most difficult things to master as an art form. That’s why people love photography — it’s so accessible, and yet so elusive to really establish yourself, your look, your vision. Only 1% of the top 1% of photographers reach mastery level, and I — like many others — have not yet achieved such a place. We’re all working on it.

Q: What’s your favourite subject and why?

A: I’ve primarily focused on people or people in their environment my entire career, but I’m beginning to move in the direction of the environment (without people) and quieter, more rural, less urban subjects. I enjoy the sanity of nature after living in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai and New York City.

Q: Do you think being a foreigner helps open doors which are otherwise inaccessible to locals? Why?

A: Being a foreigner gives me a fresh perspective on things. I think it hinders access in many instances, but sometimes it does open doors in Asia. I can sometimes put myself in a situation that a local might find awkward because a local might understand the culture whereas I might not, so I can act more freely and take more revealing photos. Of course, that means I could also unintentionally offend someone but because I’m a foreigner, I’m usually excused. This strangely allows me, and many foreigners, to work more freely.

Q: You are the first photographer to have been allowed access inside the Shaolin Temple. How did you do that?
Guariglia gained rare access to the Shaolin monks.

A: I’m the first foreign photographer allowed to photograph the real Shaolin monks. It was a pretty amazing experience. It took about eight years to win over the trust of the abbot. You see, they have a lot of media pounding at their door every day trying to take photos or video inside, and most people grab their material and leave. But I visited the place for many, many years until they all recognised and knew who I was before the abbot gave me permission to do my project.

While it’s sad to see the commercialisation of the temple, there were still a handful of real monks living and training in the temple when I did my project there, and that was pretty amazing.

Q: What is your biggest achievement to date?

A: So far, figuring out how little I know about photography and the world. It might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but it’s taken me 12 years of working professionally to figure out I know nothing, and that’s making me a better photographer and a better person. When I first started I thought I knew everything, but every day that goes by I realise I know less and less than what I thought I knew.

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: I’m currently working on a new book about Johor, to be published by National Geographic. It’s a very unique project, an oversized photography book featuring aerial views of the landscape and portraits of the people due to be published in the fall/winter of 2010.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Those were some high quality pics on that site.
You gonna carry this book gene?

[Xian]

Shaolin Monk in Los Angeles

Shi De Chao with his favorite weapon the Monk Spade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_NNHWN-0fw


Kind Regards,
Xian

[Shaolin]

Is he here for seminars/visiting or is he setting up shop?

[Xian]

Is he here for seminars/visiting or is he setting up shop?

The demonstration was made in 2007. He was in Los Angeles for promoting a picture books series about Shaolin Temple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqnS9...eature=related


Kind regards,
Xian

[GeneChing]

That demo was part of the Otis College demo, mentioned above.

To refresh, Dechao was on our 2009 January/February Shaolin Special cover: Iron Palm and Wolf's Hair Brush by me with Gigi Oh, Photos by Justin Guariglia.

[GeneChing]

Wednesday January 23, 2013
Justin Guariglia gets into the essence of photography
By ALLAN KOAY
star2@thestar.com.my


Justin Guariglia, seen here in Japan, believes in immersing himself in a culture so that his photographs would capture what is below the surface. Justin Guariglia, seen here in Japan, believes in immersing himself in a culture so that his photographs would capture what is below the surface.

It is an open classroom out there for photographer Justin Guariglia as he soaks in the diverse cultures of different nations.

I’M an artist using a camera” – that’s how renowned photographer Justin Guariglia describes himself.

Give an artist a pencil, and he’ll sketch a work of art. Similarly, give Guariglia any camera, and he’ll probably give you a great photo.

“You just gotta know where to point (the camera),” says Guariglia. “When I started out, I was using an old, crappy camera, but I had great pictures from that time.”

It may look as though Guariglia, 38, was catapulted into the glamorous world of professional photography, but in reality, like everything else, this world traveller’s career curve had its humble beginnings in the small suburban town of Maplewood in New Jersey, the United States, where he grew up.

Guaraglia is well known for his work for National Geographic Traveler and Smithsonian Magazine, and also for books such as Shaolin: Temple Of Zen and Planet Shanghai. He took a southward journey from his adopted home Taiwan to Kuala Lumpur last year on the invitation of Panasonic to give a talk at the “Building an Econation” forum at the International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition and Conference.

Guariglia has immersed himself in the natural world and in ancient architectures, soaking in diverse cultures from around the world. His experiences strengthen the aesthetics of his photographs.

“To truly capture a culture in pictures, one has to understand it,” says Guaraglia.

He showcased some of his photographs at the forum, moments frozen in time at the Taj Mahal and other ancient sites in India and also the beautiful natural structures of Halong Bay in Vietnam.
Justin Guariglia captures captivating cityscapes on camera, although he feels more at home in a natural setting. Justin Guariglia captures captivating cityscapes on camera, although he feels more at home in a natural setting.

Some years ago, Guariglia was in Johor to work on Johor: Asia Latitude One, a book commissioned by the Johor royal house. Apart from pictures of the traditional aspects of the state, there are also shots of the natural beauty of our southernmost state, in particular a stunning aerial shot of a mangrove swamp and its turquoise waters.

Guariglia feels more comfortable in natural settings than in urban landscapes, although he has captured his share of cityscapes and urban architecture in fascinating angles.

“The urban landscape is very interesting, but I don’t know if I want to live there,” said Guariglia. “I’d rather be in the jungle. I like to be in the natural world near water with plants and animals. For me, that feels very natural. I grew up in a very green, small suburban town. Our homes were very close to each other, but we were separated by trees. It still is very green. It hasn’t been developed.”

Guariglia, 38, grew up in a creative environment. His mother was an artist and was involved in theatre. Guariglia took up photography when he was 22.

“I started doing photography when I lived in Beijing,” he said. “Before that I had no interest in it. I wanted to be a businessman.”

He remembered arriving in Beijing “under the veil of darkness”. He was 21 then, and eager to learn Mandarin. Along the way he taught himself photography.

“At that time Beijing was an amazing place,” said Guariglia. “It was a big cultural shock for me. It was a very formative part of my life. I was too overwhelmed to have any first impressions. It was sensory overload. I was maxed out. What I encountered were just so far removed from anything I grew up around. And there are so many rich cultures that go back thousands of years. Remember, I come from America and my culture is a couple of hundred years old.”

Guariglia returned to the United States for an internship at Magnum Photos in New York, where he began to learn about documentary photography. He came back to Asia in 1988 and started freelance work for various magazines.
‘To truly capture a culture in pictures, one has to understand it,’ says Justin Guariglia. ‘To truly capture a culture in pictures, one has to understand it,’ says Justin Guariglia.

Since then, he has lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai, and has settled down in Taipei. In Shanghai, he worked on the book Planet Shanghai (2008), exploring the uniqueness of its pajama-clad denizens, and life in the back alleys of the city that is slowly being crowded out by modern architecture.

It is easy to draw comparisons between that and the fast-disappearing hutong (alleys) of Beijing, particularly during the construction frenzy leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. While Guariglia’s photographs of modern cities are captivating with a larger-than-life perspective, he clearly has a love for the old, too, and a yearning for its romance and nostalgia.

“I’m a romantic at heart so I love the old stuff,” he admitted. “I love things that have withstood the test of time. I love things that are hundreds and thousands of years old. I feel a connection with those things. It’s the same way I feel about some of my photographs 10 years later, I look back and say ‘Oh, I still love that picture.’ There are certain pictures that will stand the test of time.”

One of the photographs he showed at the Building an Econation forum was that of Halong Bay being swamped by tourists in kayaks. Such pristine beauty that is the work of nature, becomes fragile in the midst of an industry that can sometimes be intrusive or even destructive.

Guariglia lamented the negative impact of big group tours. The worst of these is when tourists cause traffic congestion, do not support local businesses and leave their rubbish behind.

“This is increasingly a problem all over the world,” he said. “The real big problem comes when the areas are not managed properly. A good tourist is somebody who understands where she or he is, and understands and respects the people and their culture.”

That is also part of the work that he does, learning and experiencing a culture before he is able to take photographs that go “below the surface”. For Shaolin: Temple Of Zen (2007), he visited the famous 1,500-year-old Shaolin Temple in China numerous times before he won the trust of the main abbot and was allowed to photograph there. Guariglia became the first person to document the highly secretive Shaolin sect, guardians of a renowned form of kung fu.

Asked which of the cultures that he has experienced is the most difficult to get to know, Guariglia gives a surprising reply.

“I still don’t know most of the cultures,” said Guariglia. “I’m still learning. I don’t understand American culture, although I’m a product of it. I think we live in societies that are so disconnected from our cultures ... So I don’t even attempt to understand what’s going on or where everything’s going. I do read a lot, I’m interested to know what’s going on in the world. But I don’t understand it, it’s so complex.”

Good to hear he's still doing well. It's a tough market for photographers nowadays.