REALITY |Youthful Tradition

Di+Jinjun

I choose to focus on the 14 to 34 demographic because not only does it reflect modern China， but also foreshadows its future. I believe this group of people is the most authentic carrier of modern Chinese thought， psychology and spiritual demands. They paved the way for my research of China. With expectations of sparking memories by using a century-old photographic process which hearkens to history， I introduced the technique of wet-plate collodion to my work. Society is changing， as are lifestyles， and no one is sure what the world will be like in 100 years. However， I hope my work – a collection of varying human portraits captured under different settings， will hint at an answer. Contrasting the handful of social elites， the largest proportion of youth in todays fast-developing China are migrant workers， waiters， security guards， farmers， gaming-addicted students and wayward transients. Due to my own curiosity， I started examining their inner world and recording their lives as a reflection of changing society.

Technique Meets Thought

Two pillars serve as the foundation for Di Jinjuns attempt to introduce wet-plate collodion to creatively capture his peers faces： First， he was impressed and inspired by century-old family pictures. Secondly， as a way to show his utmost respect to the art of photography， Di is attempting to incorporate his profound understanding of traditional photographic techniques into his works. Un- like other photographers who choose traditional techniques for the sake of novelty and trendiness in recent years， Di is more rational in his usage. Like many of his predecessors， Di believes that as part of the natural order， photography should be conducted with an attitude of respect rather than conquer.