On The Impact Of FSA Documentary Photography Campaign On Documentary Photography At Beginning Of China's Reform And Opening-up

The FSA(Farm Security Administration)Documentary Photographic Campaign is an important event in the history of documentary photography.The FSA is consist of a number of photographers and they have taken numerous of documentary photographs reflecting the life of the workers during the Great Depression of the United States.This is the most famous photography project led by government in history,from which many photographers have made their names.The success of the FSA documentary photography campaign has impact on the development of the whole documentary photography.In China,especially in the early phase of reform and opening,political and economic conditions have been experiencing great changes.The mind has been to great extent emancipated and atmosphere of seeking truth from the fact has been shaping.The gradual openness of society also has great influence on documentary photography.During this time,lots of photographers in China had chance getting to know the work of many outstanding documentary photographers overseas,especially those from FSA documentary photography campaign.This has played an important role in inspiring and learning photographers.Taking China's national conditions at the time into consideration,they also created the extraordinary photographic works featuring the characteristics of the early phase of reform and opening.This article compares and analyzes the photographs taken by the Chinese documentary photographer during early period of reform and opening and American documentary photographers during the Great Depression of the United Stat.Besides,the impact of the FSA documentary photography campaign on the Chinese documentary photography of during early period of reform and opening.This thesis has four parts: The first chapter states the historical background of the FSA documentary photography campaign,style and characteristics of two of most important photographers in the FSA would be introduced and the historical particularity of the FSA campaign would then be described.The second chapter introducescomprehensively the development environment of China documentary photography in the early phase of reform and opening and it was gradually influenced by the FSA documentary photography campaign.China's documentary photography has begun to return back to “recording truth”.The third chapter compares and analyzes two most representative exhibitions.One is of FSA,the other in the early period of China's reform and opening.The attitude of Chinese photographer to “ documentary photography from public perspectives” would also be analyzed.The fourth chapter takes China “Project Hope" as example,and sums up the impact of the FSA documentary photography campaign on the documentary photography at beginning of China's reform and opening.