devoted several columns to reportage photogra-
phy. This was the first newspaper in Taiwan to
strongly advocate photojournalists and present
their various documentations on Taiwanese culture
and Taiwanese minorities.
In 1985, the novelist CHENG Yin-jen published a
magazine calledRenjian—literally, ‘‘the world that
human beings live’’— which specialized in text and
images for an intellectual Taiwanese audience. This
magazine sought to characterize reportage photogra-
phy as humanistic and truthful, dedicated to provid-
ing critical insight into what had become an
overwhelmingly materialistic culture and consumer
society. The magazine did not focus exclusively on
Taiwan, but also covered, among other issues, Ethio-
pia’s critical problem of hunger. Although the maga-
zine ran for just four issues, ending in 1989, it
nonetheless served, along with other publications,
to foster the emergence and development of repor-
tage photography in the 1980s.
The cover photo of the launch issue ofRenjian
was GUAN Shiao-rung’s ‘‘Bachrmen,’’ from his
series on Orchid Island aboriginals. Guan Shiao-
rung exclusively photographed on this island for
almost 10 years, moving there to live, his work
veering more towards an ethnographic documen-
tary. Later, he helped found an aboriginal founda-
tion and was even personally involved in aboriginal
protests in the 1990s. In ‘‘Bachrmen,’’ he documen-
ted a community of aboriginals who, drawn by its
low cost of living, had illegally inhabited this place.
JUNG I-jong, another active photojournalist,
was trained as a printmaker in wood cut technique;
an active editor and writer, he had no professional
training in photography.Man and Land (1974–
1986) was his first work of reportage, inspired by
his memories of youth and its implications on his
adult life.Taipei Tumorfocuses on the city of Tai-
pei, depicting its rapid and chaotic development.
Szu Chin(1980–1985) records the rural Taipei pre-
served community for aboriginals. Motivated by
his experiences growing up near this area and his
encounter with a mysterious saying about this
community. and influenced by Henri Cartier-Bres-
son’s concept of ‘‘the decisive moment,’’ Jung uti-
lizes a snapshot style in this series. In 1992, he
foundedPhotographers, which introduced interna-
tional photography to Taiwan and vice versa. The
magazine has been an essential source for aspiring
photographers to understand the works of the
masters. He has also published numerous books
on photography, which benefit those both in Tai-
wan and Mainland China.
Female photographers are less common in Tai-
wan than Mainland China, WANG Shin being the
first woman photographer dedicated primarily to
reportage. She studied photography in Japan and
worked on a series of photographs about a violent
incident in an aboriginal community during the
Japanese occupation of Taiwan.
Taiwan has also seen an exodus as some photo-
grapherslefttheislandtostudyandworkinAmerica.Contemporary Photography in Connection with
Digital Technology in the 1990s
Daniel Lee (1945–) relocated to Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania to study photography and film in
1970, after his college training in oil painting. He
then worked for a decade at a commercial studio in
New York. In the early 1990s, he entered into the
field of digital photography. Today, he is hailed as
one of the pioneering photographers in the world,
and his early works have inspired many Taiwanese
to experiment with digital photography.
Motivated by the emergence of new technolo-
gies in everyday life, Lee views the use of digital
imaging tools as a way to have more freedom in
selecting subjects, expressing his concept, and con-
trolling the outcome.
He created his first series with digital means in- EntitledManimals—a word combining the
words man and animal—in this series of 12 riveting
yet disturbing images Lee accentuates various
human features to evoke an animal’s to create the
12 animal signs of the ancient Chinese Zodiac
associated with birth years, such as ‘‘1949—Year
of the Ox.’’ The concepts of Lee’s works are asso-
ciated with Buddhism and Taoism, and the cycles
of life and reincarnation of the religious beliefs
which he encountered during his life in Taiwan.
He is also interested in Darwin’s theory of evolu-
tion. Other of his works include 108 Windows
(1996–2003), Origin (1999–2001) and Judgement
(2002).Originrefers to the origin of the human
being as proposed by Charles Darwin. The concept
ofJudgementwas taken from Taoist folklore about
the underworld. In this myth, each individual is
presented to the judge of the court in the under-
world after death. This work is associated with the
cycle of life and reincarnation.
Contemporary Photography in Taiwan
As in the People’s Republic, digital photography
and video are popular contemporary art formsCHINA AND TAIWAN, PHOTOGRAPHY IN