"Human Body Art" Once Again Becomes a Controversial Focus
From the artist Liu Haisu's use of live nude models to the first-ever national human body photography art exhibition organized at Sheshan, China's human body photography has transitioned hastily from semi-underground status to public visibility. Despite society becoming more tolerant towards human body art photography, this newly emerging form of expression still remains somewhat hesitant and partially concealed.
Recently, with the start of the Guizhou Nanjiang Grand Canyon National Photography Challenge, human body photography and even all forms of human body art have once again become a focal point of domestic attention. Numerous netizens in China have fiercely debated over whether human body photography is beautiful or vulgar. In just two days between July 6th and July 8th, a Tencent article about multiple nude models auditioning in the Nanjiang Grand Canyon garnered 6,427 comments. Many netizens criticized human body photography, but among them, some also strongly supported it.
Some netizens believe that human body photography is avant-garde and carries a mysterious artistic charm. The conflict between avant-garde and conservatism, art and economy, concepts and trends, marks a real imprint of our times. Let's listen to everyone's views and voices on human body photography.
Some netizens argue that there is no connection between natural landscapes and the human body; they view human body photography and so-called cultural art as mere excuses for pornography, describing it as an animalistic behavior. They believe it tarnishes art, damages the 5,000-year-old traditional cultural history of the Chinese nation, and negatively influences societal mores.
While debates on human body photography continue, a commentary titled "Free Naked Swimming in the Name of Humanity" published on Hexun.com caught everyone's attention. In the commentary, the author argues: "Whenever nudity is involved, some people bring up China's thousands of years of ancient civilization to 'suppress' it, using traditional morality to oppose it. They think wearing clothes represents civility, while taking off clothes means ignorance, backwardness, vulgarity, obscenity, and primitive behavior. However, this is not the case; such viewpoints are merely a sign of rigid thinking." The author further states: "Nakedness is the most beautiful garment."
Regarding human body photography, he believes that there are many reasons for not wearing clothes, such as personal freedom, allowing one's spirit to return to its purest form, promoting harmony between humans and nature, and fully embodying environmental protection. The human body undoubtedly represents a kind of beauty; it symbolizes healthy physique and a pure mind. In the West, the human body has a long aesthetic tradition; it not only has a glorious history of enlightenment but also holds value and significance in advancing modern civilization.
According to a human body photographer from our province, Western human body art, originating from ancient Greek culture, has a development history of over 2,000 years. Westerners see the human body as pure, sincere, and the embodiment of beauty. On the other hand, Chinese culture, with its 2,000-year history, involves aspects of the human body through erotica and sexual culture, portraying the human body as a representation of lust. At the beginning of the 20th century, renowned photography master Lang Jingshan began exploring human body art photography, but his first model was beaten by her father upon learning about her involvement in such "immoral" activities. It is said that human body photography has been in constant struggle against conventional norms in China. On January 11, 2001, the largest and first-ever national human body art photography exhibition in China was held in Guangzhou, marking the sudden onset of the human body photography craze.
A photographer participating in the Guizhou Nanjiang Grand Canyon National Photography Challenge told reporters that debates over human body photography reached a fever pitch a few years ago. He never expected that in what he thought was a quiet era for creative work, human body photography would still spark widespread controversy. The photographer stated that whether society ultimately accepts or opposes human body photography, chooses to experiment or remain conservative, will be the focus of future debates in the development of human body art. He believes that human body photography may continue to develop amidst controversy for a long time to come.
Article Source: http://www.chaonengli.com/人体艺术/人体艺术再次成为争论焦点.html
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