Lot 83: RUSSEL WONG (b. Singapore 1961)

Bamboo forest
signed 'Russel Wong' (lower right); numbered "1/20" (lower left)
photographic lambda print
48 x 144 in. (122 x 366 cm.)

RUSSEL WONG - PHOTOGRAPHS 1980-2005, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore 8 January - 20 February.

See comparative work Russel Wong Photographs 1980-2005, Epigram Books, Singapore, 2005, p. 144-145, published in conjunction with the exhibition RUSSEL WONG - PHOTOGRAPHS 1980-2005, Singapore Art Museum, 8 January - 20 February 2005.

Russel Wong's photography career began when he photographed the world record miler, Sebastian Coe for the cover of Track and Field News, an international publication at a young age of 19. This was to be a promising beginning for a photographer that would eventually bag an enviable list of prestigious publications such as the Time, Fortune, Newsweek, Elle, New York Times, Los Angeles Times amongst his clienteles. More notably for Russel, would be his workings with celebrities such as Joan Chen, Isabella Rossillini, Oliver Stone, Paloma Picasso, Yo Yo Ma, Luciano Pavorotti,Richard Gere, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Glenn Close, David Lynch, Bruce Willis and Jackie Chan to name just a few, that would led him to be "christened the Richard Avedon of Asia by the popular media". (Lindy Poh, "On both sides of the camera" in Russel Wong:Photographs 1980-2005, Epigram Books, Singapore, 2005, p. 10).

It is observed that "Wong's practice ruptures the slender line between celebrity photography and fine art" (Ibid.). Russel consciously builds up a portfolio of diversity, which apart from his much celebrated portraits, also includes still-life compositions, nudes, landscapes, and conceptual pieces which is lesser known but not least potent.

"In a series of milestone projects, Wong became the first and only photographer to have shot the publicity portraits for a succession of the most critically and commercially successful Asian films in cinematic history. Wong's exquisite and staggeringly visual publicity images of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Zhang Yimou's Hero and House of Flying Daggers became the visual focus and heart for the publicity blitz that supported the phenomenal success of these award-winning films" (Ibid., p. 13).

The present lot photographed the same bamboo forest where the spectacular scene of conflicts occurred in the film House of Flying Daggers, 2003. The director Zhang Yimou who is renowned for his allegorical and dramatic use of colours in his movie has made the scene almost monotonously in variations of greens. Russel has a colour version of the same forest which he succinctly captures the shimmering colour as the light filters through the thick foliage, casting shadow thus adding depth.

With the present lot, however, Russel has opted for the black and white image of the same bamboo scene that would only allow him to play with the most classics - light and shadow. One see the finest moment of a photographer, clearly enamored with the lush forest scene, Russel arranged a composition that is dramatic and yet subtle, profound in depth but light in presentation, one almost sense the gentle caress of light, outlining the sleek silhouette of the bamboo.

A slender line indeed between celebrity photography and fine art. The present work is done when Russel was photographing the portraits of the film for its eventual publicity and marketing, though it was not an image linked directly to the film, it nevertheless remains a close relations. Therein lies the significance of Russel Wong as a contemporary photographer, who uses photography to convey contemporary aesthetics which are affiliated with popular images made iconic by film and movie stars which, in a great age of film and media, is potently relevant to its audience.

Russel Wong did 2 versions of the present lot. One of which is in colour and another in black and white.

The location is Yong Chuan which is about an hour drive from Chongqing in the Sze Chuan province. The shot of the present work is done about 6:30 am in the morning.

This photograph was shot with a large format 8 x 10 camera, and thus the detail is extraordinary.