"Our Generation" is an artistic masterpiece completed by photographer Xiao Quan in the past ten years, comprehensively recording the brilliant actions of the cultural and artistic circles in the 80s and 90s.
The book includes Cui Jian, Chen Danqing, Dou Wei, Jiang Wen... More than 100 people of the times, nearly 500 photos, 90,000 words. Not just a collection of photographs, but also a work of art worth collecting in any era.
Pocket Image Museum "Our Generation" proofing effect
In 1995, two men stood on the Bund in Shanghai, and one of them said to the other: "I have a female photographer friend in France, and she takes a lot of good pictures in her spare time. Your country is changing dramatically, and you have to stick with it, maybe in 5 or 10 years, your photos will be very important.
One of them was the famous French photography master Marc Lü Bu, and the other was his apprentice, and Xiao Quan, who was later called "the best portrait photographer in China" and "the godfather of Chinese photography".
Left: Mark Lü Bu, right: Xiao Quan
In the autumn of 1995, Xiao Quan returned to his hometown of Chengdu and collected more than ten years of accumulated photographs into a book, publishing "Our Generation" for the first time. And in it, he filmed ten spring and autumn seasons.
This era filming journey continued from 1985 to 1995, comprehensively recording the brilliant actions of the cultural and artistic circles in the 80s and 90s, "tracking" Cui Jian, Chen Danqing, Tan Dun, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Gong Li, Dou Wei, Jiang Wen, Beidao, Gu Cheng, Yu Hua, Shi Tiesheng, Jia Pingwa, Wang Anyi, Su Tong, Han Shaogong, Tang Dynasty Band... And more than 100 people of the times, write the story behind the 90,000 written records.
Such an action, only This Xiao Quan is alone.
Xiao Quan
It can be said that Xiao Quan used the camera in his hand to record the golden age of Chinese literature and art.
These filmed people were the first children born after the founding of New China, grew up under the red flag, experienced the turmoil of the times, but in the next two or three decades, began to grow freely in poetry, film, literature, music, fine arts and other fields, and gradually converged into a magnificent river of literature and art. Breaking through obstacles in a less optimistic environment opened a door to changing history.
Every face is full of charm, this is a generation of materially barren but full of ideals.
When xiao quan is mentioned, many people will say: he is the best portrait photographer in China.
The poet Bai Hua said: "Whoever Xiao Quan takes is the best photo of whoever is in his life." ”
Bai Hua – 1993 – Chengdu
The writer Sanmao suddenly wanted to take some photos one day, so Xiao Quan followed her for three consecutive days, and when he gave the photos to Sanmao, she said: "This is not complete, but perfect." Do you know? I was in my teens and twenties with short hair and backpacks all over the world, and more than ten years later, I was still alone. You see, what a stubborn woman this is..."
Sanmao – 1990 – Chengdu
In 1991, Xiao Quan's "Bird of Paradise" for Sanmao was published, and after Yang Liping saw it, she asked her friends to find Xiao Quan, and now Xiao Quan has filmed her for twenty years, and he is the one who has watched the peacock grow old. Yang Liping said: "When I was seventy or eighty years old, I would be gone, but I only asked Xiao Quan to take pictures of me." ”
Yang Liping – 1992 – Beijing
Artist He Duoling inadvertently saw Xiao Quan's poet's index finger and said, "Boy, you can't shoot like this!" ”
Guo Lusheng (index finger) – 1993 – Beijing, with three keys in his hand, can open his cabinet in the insane asylum ward
The easy to know and difficult that is widely circulated on the Internet is also taken by Xiao Quan.
At that time, Yi Zhinan sat there for a long time, motionless, and Xiao Quan kept catching and pressing the shutter until Yi Zhinan's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
Easy to know - 1 9 9 0 years - Chengdu
There is also Dou Wei with his head tilted, a simple T-shirt and a blazer, allowing the sun to pass through the body.
Dou Wei – 1993 – Beijing
Jiang Wen slipped his hand into his pocket, his smile was light, and his expression seemed to say, today is a sunny day.
Jiang Wen – 1995 – Beijing
Zhang Yimou was shouting loudly.
Zhang Yimou – 1994 – Suzhou
Chen Kaige looked directly at the camera, and the corners of Wei Yang's mouth seemed to have a lot to say.
Chen Kaige – 1993 – Beijing
Yu Hua stood in front of tuanjieHu Station and craned his neck, and heavy snow flew in the air.
Yu Hua – 1993 – Beijing
Xiao Quan wrote in the book: I met a woman wearing shorts, floral clothes, combing her short hair, wearing a pair of glasses, and carrying a plastic bag in her hand. She calmly looked at me, an unknown person, at her door with a slight smile.
Residual Snow – 1991 – Changsha
At that time, Su Tong lived in an attic in nanjing, where he wrote every day.
Su Tong – 1991 – Nanjing
Nishikawa, who stood on the side of the road smoking a cigarette, with a pleasant face.
Nishikawa-— 1993-— Beijing
Li Baotian, who is still concerned and liked by many people.
Li Baotian – 1991 – Beijing
All with long hair, the Tang Dynasty band, their expressions looking at the camera are full of uninhibited,
Tang Dynasty Band – 1993 – Xinjiang
Wang Anyi, whose expression is full of confidence and femininity, has an indescribable charm.
Wang Anyi – 1993 – Shanghai
Tan Dun was still holding an iron bucket in his hand, and Xiao Quan pressed the shutter.
Tan Dun – 1994 – Shanghai
Elegant and beautiful Chen Chong, the actors of that era seemed to have their own filters.
Chen Chong – 1995 – Beijing
Looking at "Our Generation" now, these photos no longer represent a personal face, but an entire era. The eyes of each character are filled with the power of truth and transcendence that penetrates the human heart.
In addition to these precious freeze-frames, Xiao Quan also went deep into their lives and captured a more vivid side, full of vitality and vigor, unprecedented.
Shu Ting, Bei Dao, Xie Ye, Gu Cheng, Li Gang and Fu Tianlin pose in Wangjiang Park – 1986 – Chengdu
Ye Wenfu's performance won a lot of applause – 1986 – Chengdu
Li Xianting was very sad at the meeting, how contemporary art came to the market - 1992 - Guangzhou
Lü Peng searched for young artists in Chongqing and mobilized everyone to participate in the Guangzhou Biennale – 1992 – Chongqing
Cui Jian, who is rehearsing , 1992 — Beijing
Dou Wei stutters fritters in a hutong – 1993 – Beijing
Li Yapeng led his hometown people to experience rock and roll – 1993 – Xinjiang
Yang Liping rehearsed at the Central National Song and Dance Troupe – 1992 – Beijing
Zhang Yimou ate a box lunch with everyone on the set of "Shake, Shake, Shake to Grandma's Bridge" - 1994 - Suzhou
Xiao Quan said: "I once gave Jiang Wen an old hardcover edition of 'Our Generation' in Beijing, and when he walked out of the hotel, Jiang Wen carried the book weighing nearly 10 kilograms and smiled like a child. So I believe that this book will be a wonderful time travel for our generation, the post-80s and post-90s generations, and the younger generation. ”
In 2019, Xiao Quan has received a lot of news, all the previous versions of "Our Generation" have been sold out, and many readers have run through many bookstores and cannot buy them. Under such circumstances, Xiao Quan decided to republish the book.
Later, several reprints were reprinted, and Shaw paid great attention to them, and this time it was even more so.
In order to make the latest version reach the best, in the past two years, Xiao Quan, editors and designers have poured a lot of effort, after several meetings and discussions, layout design, sending documents back and forth, new materials, online communication and offline communication, to maximize the avoidance of the previous readers for other versions of the feedback problem, as far as possible to do better.
The most unexpected thing is that Xiao Quan has added nearly 100 precious photos that have never been published before to the new edition, and these materials have strung together the classic portraits into a vivid story.
In the upcoming latest release, the following additions are:
Early related review articles:
Early Handmade Samples:
Xiao Quan's shooting plan manuscript:
Correspondence between Xiao Quan and Gu Cheng, Zhang Zao, Bai Hua, Cui Jian, Ren Xue, Chen Danqing and others:
Some photos that were not selected for the feature:
Photographic cartons for the early days of film:
Tickets and other tickets during the shooting
……
In 2012, Xiao Quan was invited to shoot the public welfare film "2032: Our Desired Future" for the United Nations, and won the "Outstanding Person Contribution Award" awarded by the United Nations;
In the spring of 2019, rizzoli, a world-renowned publishing house, published an international edition of "Our Generation", called "In China When it all began" in English, which is the name of the publishing house, he said: "We would like to know what a strong China looked like 30 years ago. ”
Now Xiao Quan is 62 years old, but the years do not seem to have "cared" for him, and he still looks like a big boy full of youthful spirit, always active in the field of art. Xiao Quan also shot character posters for many film and television dramas such as "Win the Championship", "The World of Man", "Hello, Flame Blue" and so on. Always energetic and non-stop.
If Xiao Quan himself were to describe the book, it would be: "Everyone has an energy field, and when it comes together, it's a sphere, fuck, like a star!" ”