Back in the 1940s and 50s, French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson came to China on behalf of Life magazine to illustrate with his lens the “old” Beijing and “new” Shanghai. On November 28, NYU Shanghai welcomed Dr. Catherine Clark, Assistant Professor of French Studies and Class of 1947 Career Development Professor at MIT. An expert in history both of France and of Photography, she talked about the historical context of Bresson’s work.
Beginning with French photographers in early post-war Shanghai, Clark explored the ideological underpinnings of photography and how visual representations of China to a French audience offered a narrative of France’s exceptional relationship with China.
“Photography is about technical skill, a combination of geography and movement to capture the right moment, but also cultural interpretation - and mediation” said Clark. Looking back on Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photographs of China in 1958, she pointed out both positive and negative interpretations of the country.
When asked about the impact of Bresson’s pictures, Clark answered that when sent circulated in the west, the photographs were received with surprise as they unveiled truth beyond the myths cultivated at the time about a mysterious China.
Assistant Professor Heather Ruth Lee moderated the talk and concluded that the global photo story fits NYU Shanghai as it looks at nationalism and national histories through global circulations of ideas and people.
