Kung Fu lighting
Global Times | 2012-7-9 18:35:02
By Sun Shuangjie
The Shaolin Temple in Songshan, Henan Province has long been one of the hottest tourist destinations in China, especially because many of the Hong Kong fight movies of the 1980s featured the temple so heavily. As the birthplace of Shaolin martial arts, the temple attracts some 2 million tourists annually from all over the world, eager to explore the little-known religious culture that is kept alive by monks inside its ancient buildings.
Isabel Muņoz is one such admirer of Shaolin culture. On her two trips to Shaolin Temple between 1998 and 1999, the Spanish photographer captured fascinating images of the monks, pictures which won her second prize at the World Press Photo Awards in 2000.
The Shaolin Dancing Warriors photography exhibition, ongoing at the Beaugeste Gallery Shanghai in Tianzifang, is showing 28 pieces of this series, all of which are in black and white. This is also the first time these pictures have featured in a dedicated, solo exhibition.
Black-and-white photographs by Isabel Mu?oz on show at the exhibition Photos: Courtesy of Beaugeste Photo Gallery
Shadow boxing
In these photos, visitors can see the symbolic movements of Shaolin kung fu, such as "frog boxing," in which the monks get on all fours like a frog, and "mantis boxing," in which the monks bend their arms and fingers like a mantis.
"She captured all the images as the monks were in motion, rather than asking them to pose specifically for certain shots," said Jean Loh, the show's French-born Chinese curator.
In several photographs, visitors can see monks performing high kicks, with their bodies seemingly suspended in mid air, while others appear to be walking vertically up a wall during other dynamic moves. In one photo the leg of a child monk is raised so high in front of him that it obscures his face.
Another distinctive characteristic of Muņoz's work is the integration of subject and setting.
Visitors can see broken walls, flagstoned walkways, and pieces of land with withered grass in many of the photographs, backgrounds that reinforce the quaint and serene atmosphere of the shots.
Black-and-white photographs by Isabel Mu?oz on show at the exhibition Photos: Courtesy of Beaugeste Photo Gallery
Written on the body
A signature feature of Muņoz's work is her close-ups of the human body. Previously she has photographed tango and flamenco dancers, African tribesmen with stunning decorative scars, and prisoners covered in tattoos.
For the Shaolin series, she has continued her quest for the beauty of the human form. For example, one photo features the outstretched arm of a monk clearly showing his defined musculature. Other close-ups feature clapping palms, clenched fists and pointing fingers.
"Some viewers will appreciate these body parts purely for their aesthetic qualities, while others will focus on the purpose behind these gestures," said Jean.
In an introduction to the exhibition. Jean adds: "Isabel Muņoz's practice is not a photography of movement, but a photography of landscape. She lets us see in these monks: trees, mountains, sculptures and a still life that invites meditation. In contemplative stillness we are touched by an energy that is directed towards one single goal: deliverance."
Date: Until September 16, 10 am to 6 pm (Saturdays and Sundays. Weekdays by appointment)
Venue: Beaugeste Photo Gallery 比极影像
Address: Room 519, Bldg 5, Lane 210 Taikang Road
泰康路210弄5号楼519室
Admission: Free
Call 6466-9012 for details
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