There is no doubt, that technically they have the equipment and are very
capable of using it. Strangely though, what is lacking is the creative
ability. I found this odd, given the history of such beautiful art as found
in their operas, clothes, pictures and language of the past.
Dear Norman
I had a conversation with an optician in HK in the 1980s. She said that nearly all HK chinese wear either glasses or contact lenses. On visiting the "mainland" we noticed that none of the people wore glasses. My observation was that small, close up details like flower arrangements or food on a serving plate would be beautifully arranged but distant things like skyscraper buildings were universally ugly. I am sure this short sight problem has a big cultural influence on the way in which the Chinese perceive creative art. A huge premium is put on intensely detailed workmanship but not on the broad sweep of space relationships.
I have a theory that in the west we have been subject to a media barrage of images which gives us an expectation of the visual content of our environment. It might take a generation or two in China to "see" as other mass media countries do.
Although it is dangerous to make nationality comparisons just look at the way in which Italian, British, French and American photographic styles vary.
Yours
Bob Croxford
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