Where does your photography come from ?
Quentin Shih : When I first visited the city of Wuhan in South China along the Yangzi River, I saw lots of abandoned small restaurants and small dance clubs on the bend of the river, just like some spaces being cut out, you can see the outside and some details of the inside, that gave me the inspiration of this series of work, also Edward Hopper is always my inspiration for the lighting and composition.
When is the decisive moment for you?
Q.S : I think for me the decisive moment is when I thought about the ideas and tried to draw some sketches – that’s the moment really important to me, once I have figured out exactly what I wanted then the next process is only the execution of it, I just work with a crew to execute my ideas from my sketches to the final photos.
What inspired your work or your series?
Q.S : There are a lot, like the history of the city, the people living in the city, the color, the lighting and every detail in the city that I thought interesting.
What link is there between your commercial work and your artistic work?
Q.S : I do commercial work to support my personal work, at the same time the experience of techniques and the ways of working together with a creative crew can help the production of my personal work. If there’s any difference, I think shooting commercial is to please others first and work is the main purpose, I have much more freedom shooting my personal projects.
Which is a bigger priority: a large ad campaign or a gallery show?
Q.S : It’s very hard to choose because they are both good platforms to show my talent, maybe I will choose an exhibition, because the work is more about “me”.
Do you perceive certain of today’s trends in your own work ?
Q.S : I personally love using cinematic style to show the loneliness of people in a surrealistic way, and I really care about the lighting, color and all the elements that can help to tell a story. I love to see some photos from amateur photographers shown on internet, I can feel the energy and freedom in this kind of work, maybe that’s the future of photography.
Something to add ? The answer to a question I haven’t asked ?
Q.S : THE WUHAN series :
« For thousands of years the great Yangtze River continued to nourish the city . Everything is flowing, everything is changing – this is my impression of Wuhan. In this series of photographic works entitled ‘Wuhan-Christian Dior’, I tried to create some ordinary spaces that can easily be found in the city. In such virtual reality I have the people (models) dressed in Christian Dior haute couture entering the ordinary lives of Wuhan locals in modern times in a surreal and quiet way. In such ceremonial setting they exchange gifts with each other, seemingly familiar yet foreign. Behind these open spaces there is an even wider city, resembling much of the city’s culture, mysterious and far-reaching. Such symbiosis is exactly what the city presents – it has openly attracted a variety of culture. With its own long-standing French fashion culture, Christian Dior will offer a brand new miracle to the city. At the same time, the city of Wuhan has been undergoing a rapid evolution, and the prestigious French fashion house of Dior has also gone through a radical change.
The emergence of Christian Dior in the city of Wuhan is a wonderful gift After the series, The Stranger in the Glass Box, Shanghai Dreamers, Hong Kong Moment, this is Quentin Shih‘s fourth cooperation with Christian Dior featuring Dior Haute Couture dresses. In this series, Quentin features some Chinese ordinary people in a semi open space, a Christian Dior model in the every daily lives of Wuhan. Quentin Shih is a Chinese self taught photographer who started by shooting local underground artists. As one of the leading young Chinese photographers, Quentin Shih is well recognized for his individual artistic style which utilizes vast sets and dramatic lighting to engage in emotional narratives. Now, he is returning to his roots in fine art photography and challenging its techniques and concepts for his commercial and fashion photography in order to achieve a unique symbiosis. Advertising clients include: Adidas, Nokia, MSN/Microsoft, IBM, Yahoo, Mizuno, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, ABB, ATP, Red Bull, M&M’s, Lenovo, Samsung, Snickers, Sun Microsystem, Cisco, LG, Nestle, DHL… Editorial clients include: Vogue, L’Officiel, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Forbes, Madame Figaro, Stern, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar…
REPRESENTATION Florence Moll – http://www.florencemoll.com/quentin-shih
Interviewed by Séverine Morel
