6 AS IAN ART I'H()TOCI RAPl fY

WHEN THE STORM COMES {196()) Ccu1"'Vo4 Ch•H ChonQm.JniJlonQ

ost

IT IS A CO:.~ ION il5hUinption th.Jr 1hen: Wt.'t'C

few local an ph01ngraphe" tn Suuthea. .. t A~o,la durinJ4 me !""•·Wv\'11 cr.~. If"'" t.tkc the notionof'm'to be "b.rt we undt-Nanu t<Xby u 'contemporary a.n•, thc:11 dlt 1de.&. li not uuccurare, <'""though the concq>l uf contcmporat) ut (n.pa:Wl} \\llh rtft'Tt'TKt t,., the mediUm "'l't""'Worh>), lw JU>I bc:gw1 to be~ Y.tll1111

ct'fU.Ul countna Ill Soc-•nho.it A lla. 71:. I dr l.rgar; lht I~ (AI/mion of llmil .* film 7ho. the ~.,..,.. olulxtn> clunng !he !>han-ln~ Kl. ln~<m~uoml l'horoplfhl· llienn:ok on 21)l5,p!1Aidc.an u~l ">rtlng ?lUll tor • ttgion.d pcrspo.-m~ lt ,. 'w""''"""'l' ~ dm '-'..U not dlf! aun Cl me ttlrooJ>CW\t'.. lrxlcal. wh<r1 I .ola: \\'.an Tho mwacd on !he 1~50. a rolhtion ol 53'1 pho<m ~ 173 photognrhcn from 2S CX>UnO'l<l, f•JWhly the l.ug<u Mllntn1 oll' .. wrul ~fly on •he ,.,.u, he wU n.'~ IJ)lflg I<> .okc • =e for ohc WnoiC\ ' (oUt pho><·cw.aphy on Soinloco. t A\U..I Iew.L U)1ugr~J o&t 'Wiut he l•kc.l.ulu,la wu l'k torula: m, !I ac tf\ le uflw ru.ln thr: \lfnl r$s, 1,..~,&..,· houRht ~•• n~-.:1\.'l·,l - dlt'OUgh tL•I uUntiJ ll\ phor•w'l~"'" '".la llf iU'lt I'J Ill Cl mu ;and Snuti~C;t t

J IJ l\' r, 200'.1

J\.,u. A• • re.ult, ob.crv;1110ns can then be m.Wc from the U>ihtion. Woth I'Cj..'.Ud; to Soothco1.,t A .. M, il i' J pity that c;ll·-'orJto" Alcx M oh Jnd l.o· I:;n Chong on I)' proVldc:d hru.:fbit~ro~phir.~l nmC\ of ~1 h.mdtUl Clf plu*tJ..rruphm lnnn l\I..J.L)'''·• ·uu.l i IK fe.uun·d in the n..11'U'>Jx:etivc.

On tlu.· o11x:r IMnd, the wurk Ht Siu}{.ll'-1ft.l.O cur.1tor 1\rodgtt Tr.~<) 1:m on loc.tl

\tl .. ,rc.grJ)'Itcl Yip Chc:ong ·"un puMtk:s :.l \':lh.1.d_1lc

ad&.IJ11un In our un,.knt.mding ol I'"' WWll phN•>w•rl•Y I'll the a"-u ... t M.alt: In the turJ.Ior"•account, llnng 1\ung·l• "'' \ '1' nnl""""" and I• Wlk uwnrNup ut hn ..L1•tallnnd.tn.l otSu~wrlhoough plKJ{j~'f .lf'l?, ,J.,.. umn 111~ tl~e rutr'••nr1:11~1hl..;~> on the 20th a:nhtt). l••np.unl to lw work, tlu• lltl .. tc n nu:h b ambtllouL In 1hc pron"¥ ot rtX".trdung 1.tM1tanpnry ~nhet-.t

\wnJ"""':W •Jih>. I < h.u•:nl UJ•JO IC "urb ol d~e l.&l('

( lutt l """JII'Wlkl~ 111 ·nwUn.l,ll<l :'\1Qo11:10 \ 111

flu·~ mJI,, { 'lul\lml~ <. lt) till'~ l l 1, \'Jtoo .. m llor oumt,llhc (a;l~ ilr~•prn\ l ,lt· htogr.1phM.. 11 U11tr; un dr;c 1\vu photogr-.. phc:n omd I•) m.akt.·.11t Wl,.IH"t,d llllJIIJM.'III'II

•lull tl..:u lttl h~,; c.U't'l'l1 ~h tf lllf\T c •t llll>lflll lilt Ill I 'I hJt('ti ouche •nrrn'h:w'l d1.11 I h..1\l" Unnc Will! l•Jth liiiiK'm In

•

J W.\)', I am more f.tscinated about the socio-political and cultural oonclitiOfiS rhat had sh-.tpcd their phOtograJ>hic practices in the post-W'M era. llopefully, furure researchCI'l can buiJd on thio., tem~•cive ,,Mernpt

In 1hul<tnd, the r<>)'d family hru. .tlw-Jy> been ,, p.ttron of photography. Not 'urpri.,jngl), 0\"0' a pcrood of37 )"""'• Clu11 Chongmankhong (h Bangkok: 1922-2009) lud dc\U.J>Cd neguh•'t> and pruned photogr:.ph' for KL11g llhunul'ool Adulvodcj, "' IUnu IX. h "' a m:ll· lo"'"'' r.._, tlut R.tnu LX " .lll .md J>ho>l"!V'lpher. In Ius c.ttl1 '"""-he 111U'>I "'"' ukcn ~}photO& fi>rlus .bt:L'I>mc:nt J>IUJ<'"t\, \.1}' ,\tk h~mur,cur.uor ot the: llmgl<.ok lJIIM'f'>ll)" G.illcn llmo,a~r. C'\m '"hen thr king" • ,IJ and oo L"'b"" iU .... ll'\'1: iL' bet~~. he i~ Still lttll "1th Ius CUl1CI".l cm fiUII\' Ou. :.t~JHf11, Jt \US \\Jul..:: m..d.u1J.; :.lithe <M..ttluk.1m Stol't" ...L_,ng Ch.m~Cn 1\runJ.t llo "'' Jltcr the mJ ol \V\\" 11 \"o he 11 l'ht JflJ.,'TIUflkJill-rtg htt.,t i l':\~ l<)(tnl tht" ueg.&ti\Q n l· .\iluly.kkj,"hciW.l thc."n thr ~ r•JWn pnn1 ~ lie c.:nnnnunl 11• \lnsu 1111111 ht• WJ."i h(}

1-.:Jun he l'r,:l.1.l(fled hum 1ll hc.ahh

• llll hmt; M.'l'nl~ l u krmw t'\t.'f)dlln~ hhlllltlll i1 tn phl•lntcr·'Ph\·.· rt'C'.tlls 1hr

KITE STRINGS MAKER (19611 Courtf:'SYCJC Chill Cllongm!n>l-olq

or ar n out east~~

photOJ,•mpher. 'I '""''once invited inro rhc palnt"C alongside" few olhcr

IJhotogmphcr. ti)t a fi)m'­lour disctl"'-.;ion with the King .tbout <VCl)~hing from im.,bre compc.Ntion to ..:.utlc.'ra equipment! lie tn:.Ut'tln'll' c:qually,c-..'Cn thl~US(h J .m'l Th.U Chin~. H )OU .. ray u1

' lh.lil.md lor fimr or liw ~""·"'· you \Vlll ba;()ll'le 1l1.U. lll'l\l' 1haillnd ulthc '-ul'lt w.w th.u I !m~ my p.tn:nl'> '

Chunwnao •kho"!t \ parrot \ V.u oUlc:l I hJn~ 'wn:­Cl.llront."'< mi-..'T.tnl' tmm IJIOOj,"lun, Chon.a C:""""t: up Ll\ ~~~>t1r .c\ ·J, hh 1~.nuh nude.- a I\10t! y_·lhng t,• "-t lll<l ,.,.I fee 11 '' fuhcr \ \'.U ~I or\\ <1\ \\hen he \Ui

.lltlUno.l r;,., ''".11\ ,>IJ 111 lt>, he \\.1: r;:m:nl en uop ~~ ....... hccJu<e hJS cl.b1 l>rt•dl<'o

"'"'""' .,,~""'"''u' C'llla:.Ulllf\ .u the. \-Nunpuun l'nl~ at ll>nw•k h ... t.L,., pt Sit'\) l\\J.\ llut \\.ti \\hen he aunc."ll ,~,,..LJ,'Jt &\ ot r'*'l.u f't'J"unn:m m .1 ~'uphr.wal.~,, dut lk"llah)c.:J R.'> .1 phuftt J.th~ cr.mtln~ .1l'!tMII 12 ht ,?t) hthl .a .mouch ~o1111rpn 111~1\. t hnnguunL.huu~c~Ut{kh !-,'f'.t\1l.lh·,l hl\\ .ani,-. .11 kn••rH

wurl. I I h 111HI hu , lad nul

ohl("\llu hli thu1u· bt"\..IUK I he..• tanuh \\i4t pour m11 alw w.tl ~l.acl cl1.11 tu· , , 141J,J lu .. t \\nrlt_ · \Jrt ... .,~h l·hur t 'l'c•nw ~~.uaklu '''~ l'h l:r-.l ttl' hp·., llunnH tu ,,, ,1 ~ .u tfl<'SC' :r.Ht~la.,... hi\ lo~l\\lc..·J.Ig,·· ut

phOIOj..'T.lph)' \1'.1' b) .md l.uge o,elf:ttu~:ht: 'On Suml•• >,we didn't h.IVC 10 1\<lrk.J \\ooJO :.-pend the cntll'\! (1,\· .u the rhe.un. ..... m>tmcl '~tow.mn in Chu'l.lhWVn w.udun~ mc)vit~ .uu) lc.lmin~ .lbout (lllnllt'llsltion. Son'lclime-. 1 \\'\ lU d w.u"h fl\.'(' mm ll' at one~- 1-..lrll!o.t tlf the mm"k"' then wt.· re (nun cht.· ll~ '' nh v~· ti.·w t'rum Eun•tlt: Jf I w .1.-. nnt .u the.· mn' 1l ..... I wuuld be out ,.h,lOhllg. 1 ,t).,..) n:JJ ~m 'le pl!ohl ~" •k-l•om \ nw:n, ~,

.\Jrcrk.a:,,n~ rht· O ... utulun Sturo:. t'l~t•~~:m•nlJlt•lj; .ukllm l>rothn -.·t Uf> •J""->t"!.'l''l'lu' w'"l' 1JI ~'1\(\rJ\Ol h&'lll;: l..: c-; ,hJ •IK't }u .. u\\lt hu"u~ -l'lun \nkla;l- tn the-Wilt Ll"t lmtulh.lui ""l.ln'

bu\ult \\ . m pn111.~u-g nrg••">=• •••I mlugmg Jd•~ngr.oph'l.ll..-..,,.... he Ju.l '~I) httL.·' 'pn.al. tu1 \\lh." \l.u. cuu (. 'hongm.mL.hong,. a lh.ulm,l bt..-n t'.uth~tiC'SC", hdpnl hun out .ac rh< lhh l1n .111,1 iJu IUU\"\ I uwr tl~ \!.:,trs :.1 u 'it'lullnn\~ ln.li,"t· ut ~1 uknlum \\111l.\1unc pouu, ltun.t I\ rm·d h• t'll'lplo\ hun ,l$ .a,-.huh~t.tpht·, · Ulth<" I'·' .• , .... hutl hut l' h1 'll_giiMII"-hutl~ t !t_., hnrd, '"nu~ th u ht· ""uld P•t:ln In .C.'I'\'\• rlu· auul l.tnuh .u lu , •tud1o l 1,,., lht \\' u ... ht· .~1 u lt\t'l\nl.~tlwrtl'lllg_ \PIIUHI 11>11•, .tlld \\l1Uid ,.,,·nru.alh ~(1~1 Chchuw,,1k

to Ius OO..<iness portfOlio. He retm:d "llne 20 ) '=" b..::k.

'Srudio photogr•ph) """ not good bu.sines.">: SJ.)''!: ~l.lcuou Chongmlllkhong. 'Even rhough >he might be 60, Jlll<li cbent "ould "''11<'<., her <mdio ponr.u1 t<l ioX>k ,J> thou!(h .J,., """" .10. Uo,u.tllv, "" lud to d<> J

lot of n:rOOdung \\ark. On the othr:r h.111U. fo~

l'rd<rro:.l • more n.arural h>L t w.1..-. c-.t-.Jet m dut '<tt-<: l~>lte h., hccu.: -...hcUulc,

Chon tho"!,~ ''"ltmuc:d to ttkr piau"" 00 th< -mer.. of B.t.1J.:h>k JJ.d lh.ul.u..d. I k dJJ 1)0( Jrinl... ,n101.J.· or \'i"lt the ru~t~ m tu .. t"rtt nmc~ ""' ·hb "ue_ l'ho.·~~ ""'hi, unh ~'Jon. h \\.L\ oor ~~a Uloll.....-ll'JU. .. artanpt to L.ccp 2

""-" '"ncn ~>lion of'Th..a.u>.l I lt tuul i"1Ures .u ~ ho!t-1. t~"-'Nng c.1n tile "-'ftK't'\

.lll<hl.uh ltt~ ol" Ju, l>ck>~nl \."tltUltn ,\n.;f du, '' \\h.U

tll.llc.-.. h ... '"'~~'k mn . .ul.Wk "l'ootd thr 1'17\),

l>hntt>gr.tpht \\._, 111 !he '-lnth tlf the: .m. .. to ... T.k:\ ·~ \\]u~h m.kk m.tm f.l11Uh pnrtr.ut'-. h "n~~.,t t:'"·"' ttl hll~.l un.IJ.,'\' uf d~· fl.tn\l:·· ·lh.u IX"uplc.·. t.\~o:cpt tn 1 he \\\lrk. ~~t t "lun, \\ hu '""·h quite [X'Il.)r

-~11.'n.' c.\pl.luh Funh"mut I· t 'nh"lllut \. otr.t'f\ -.uic.m """c1n'

tn 11nd ,u .. tifil.ltiun m,, .. h~•rt t" .n th.u ChonJ..rmilnklnm~ IMd "1tncn ,,bt~n Ph.hmJ.1 l'ht•t'l~'l'.lph\ \ pht•U~'Tolph

PH()T()GRAPH-~ AS IAN ART

YOI PHUC TDIPLE 119521. H.1nal, Vtetrom eo..tesv o1 ~van ThonQ

IMMOI.ATION OF' THICH OUANG DUC U963), SiliQOn, Voetnam Courtesy ol Nquyen van Thooq

V.m'lhun~-: 0> 192~; ll.1110i, \rictn.un) ..:lmtmueJ to take pt..:turn our'ilk of hi .. n>lninc.­.L'\ J t'hotl~ounulht from 1 'ISS tu 1975 tl>r the South \~tctn.unc.'1oe J,r.'U\'t'mment.

GM' ill!( "I' in 11.11101 bcti><C W\ \11, then: m:n: .altekh· !<C\-.:r.u ,~ICITUrne'< photo studioo, incluJmg llllOIIg 1\d .ikc !Tk-..1 ,.oc:tn.lllle!<: obot·w.lf'hen of hi, era, ~gu)'CIIIc:.unt rOOt~ t...· n:-..di"!: French book.' ,\Iter wooofl!( >< • dcnti:.t Ill ll.lllllt !Or"".....!'"""' :-;~Mm bouJ.,oht hi' ~ cUnCra- . 6.\~ Rolleillcx -in 1950. 'JIUr.alJ\;most of the people " ha ownod 1."211lCr.L' ,.~. r tfut time wen: f•irh "~11 oiT A• an amatrur

. tiom 1950 10

iomom,monv photn~onpl>c:r; lllO\'td to s .. I,.,'OO. indudmg :\'gu)~. "here he: entia! up "orking for the: ~nnmcnt becau.e ol the "'llr>11 •w;mb liut he h.d rc<tn'td. \t that hmc, then: v..'Crc around five photojoumaJ.,r. Y.orking fOr the S<JUth v •• numo.e ~-crnrro:nt .nd .U of them were .ll.<O ...!<m photographcn.

In the I<JUth,l\'s-:u>m "• .rkcd in rel.otn-.: fn:cdom: I "as 0(\t."f 5ent to chc fnwuLne •. \lv jr.b "'.IS to do .. UT~Ct>l the p~ux-.11 C\mts

in S.ugun xrorJi~ 10 the clcm:uxli oi Prime :\lmbter Tran 'lluc:n KIUc:rn. The ~"':J'olPhs and ""t?ti\'D

"""' then ocnt '" the P.\1. I didn' dunk I """l:ccpong ·~.uonl ..rv·.roUm. h ""' a1so qwu: ~·to ...,& lor •he

~YA ROAD (19551

~ TholoR1 Ccutmol Q'jU Cl>ot'qnrOhlnQ

gtm:mment bcwtt"' they had no ideo• of/>mj>aganw.lhC) did not tel me what to \hoot or wtur not to shoot. I \\<<l!t

"'"n '<!m to photogr.iph the tmmobtion of the Buddhbt monk Thich Quang Due on 1ljttne1963

,\PI""""d); the g<l\'tmlliCnl

"""'' in .J<h'3l1Ce of the immobrion and ~Ctll :-.:gu}m (0 ~like the pictur<s, fully aware that the~ would dbcn:cLt Pn:sidcnt :-:go Omh Diem's administration. ~-,:-lgu}m brought two c.maa:s., which is wh}" he <till ha. a 1000<d of the lr.lgic C\'tnL The~ that the rest of die worid ,:.... wa; aaually ~liken b)· AP jownalist :l lalcobn Browne.

\ Vhile wodcing for

bv poHications in South \'lCUUtl1. Before the rettnification tn 197 5, there wen: .ome 10 new<paperS in Saigon, recalls Ngu)m Van Thong. l'b'trthc:Je.., he found photojounulhm rnthcr boring, which was why, away from go.-emmcnt "-''ignmcnt> and dttring his 15-d..)~ oflcn--e, Ngu}'tll continued to take photos of "'enefl' and ponrai"'-

1 w JlC""'>'U' """" does pro.t:nt a romantic \'\...,Jon of \'ic:mam, • 'harp contra>~ 10 his prof<:ssional pr.arocc. lr os also poo>il>le that our ocn<e of no>algia IS simply a b)•pnx!ua of the~ of an era, accm=<cd b.· our~ of the ripid changt:s that h.r.'t cngulli:d \"JCtnam Ill the lao.t 20 )"""­In his nme. :-.:;:u>m mad..­lderu:d and pi>Otograrl>al "hat "-u ~~in iront ofhim. I &r />be Tempk ( 1951).one of :-;,;uyai• tin: irm;;~uboc ull lanoo,JS fJoV1I<Ubrl) il!usttatn't of this pomt

11uthertnott, the f.o:t that Ngu>m and his gow:mmcnt Cllllcrgu<o """'td dfonbh hetwttn oalon ~· and ph<Jtojounulirm ~ that dJac catq(Orio arc, ITk>n: often than not, t..hd.. In f.o.1, nunyofthe 'CO<t!mtf<lt:ln' phot"ll"'f'hm r .. Ly continue (U adoJ• f<'lhzf'> C\'m UOOJNdOU>h -the vi<WJ ruin of ..Jooi p!.otograpln. 'I he mtcnJ for a good (O(Ilpou!IOn .,. prcnr WU\..,..t

In 197S,the \'1<1 Mtnh

took over the ~Jtnh and n:unificJ~on w., completed. A_, Jn cmpi<I)<C of the gm-.:mmc:m, 's-:u>cn w ... \Cflt to n:-cduc.uion c.unp, where he dccl.in:J .U hi• pbt

actiVInn o<< • phot~•phcr. In t983,.ftcr >pendlfl!( cij(ht )"""in the c.unp. :-;!M"" r<:gaincd freedom. Unlike mmy of the photogr•phcn in the >Ollth, :"gtn-.:n didri't lcn--.: for the US. \Vith the bdp ofhr. old (fiend.. "'thin the photographic cizdt. :-.:gu}m Van Thong ""rtcd teaching phot~ at the g<l\'tmlliCnt-a>ntrollcd llo Chi :llinh Cil) Photograph) As>oci.uion (HOP A - something which he ,uiJ does tcxby '!be bic)dc in front of his how.c i> what

to IIOF'A

remain> un=t<lin. lhankfulh, in the: ct.\C of Clun ChOngmmkhong, hi< children h.t'" the c:ronomic mean;, rommirmcnt .nd freedom IO en"llrt th.\1 hi; work i• not forgotten.

ZHUAH<l WUBIN

NOTES

'-""' L•En Chooq and Alex Moll. Tl'<' l~ lfQa<Y The Pllotograc>OY Conecl100 o1 Dalo' Lol<• W¥1 Tho. t•h>C;tiOO

Cillak>Quo. Kuata L<Mnpur· ~loonal Art GaDtrv M~ 2005. paqos 85-86. that tOUCh briefly, for lnSI.wn, on IIlo carttr

o1 ~ K r. WonQ rrom Sarawal<. E'.asl M.ll.mla.

BtlciQot Tracy T.!n, An .....,.....,...

Roooenos: TtlP l'l>oloor«hi cl Yop C'->QFIAt•r.t>CJon~. SlnQ.oc>cn: NatiOnal Utlr..-y 8o.ln1 :11106. paqos 10-14. Al• r~ rctn~ow t>v4Uiu. ~ T-.s,DocenUt; i/:O(J1

CN:t-"..aotrll Chcrvnar;lllc>nQ.in!miow tJv

- B.>nQI.o> TNiland. I.Urd117. 2'009

Son!e.A CllcnQmar."-.ono. OC1. A ~or r~wllKados or 1.1onoc1womt Pl1cl(cq;J~>~>v Sftn TIYOUQIIIht c.-• Ltn$ .., n • D.Y>-room.llanQ>.ol< ...._Pit"~ 1998, I>"QQ lT2.. Nip-"" VlJfl Tllc>nQ. lnt<1Ww by- H{J.I(;,

Vottoam. Aj>ll 12'009

t~-~lnl.,.._ !Jv-H(.l.!· V.otnotn. Octot>o< 20fJ7

'><llliiR ,, \1 K 11()'1 '

ASIAN ART SALE. 1811> .ll.ne 2009

VIEWiNG 6111· 9th June 2009

ENOVIRIES Ayun>~ Fre~-Kagllanl

'"" nyumi@$chulefatAtllonen d1

CATALOGUE lrom 30th MIJy on et

www SChuteraukbOnen d1

1:

'.'IIIJ.ji1AUJITLr~l-jf10 ~,ff<,l~A';.c,f -'' SHJ;;c;ill• .. ,'P.(.,..; ";../OT/[F'U·'I",

T"' •-41-4} '.iL"J':f 7010 Fa, •.-41 -4) 1997011

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