Chang Chao-Tang

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Chang Chao-Tang
張照堂
Chang, 1970
Born(1943-11-17)November 17, 1943
DiedApril 2, 2024(2024-04-02) (aged 80)
EducationNational Taiwan University (BS)
Known forPhotography, filmmaking
Awards

Chang Chao-Tang (Chinese: 張照堂; 17 November 1943 – 2 April 2024)[1] was a Taiwanese photographer, filmmaker, and educator.[2][3] For his film work he received a Golden Bell Award, a National Cultural Award, an individual Golden Horse Award as well as the Golden Horse Lifetime Achievement Award. Chang's work is held in the collection of M+ in Hong Kong.

Early life and education

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Chang was born in Banqiao District, New Taipei City. He studied civil engineering at the National Taiwan University in Taipei.[4]

Life and work

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Chang was an avant-garde photographer, a photojournalist, a cinematographer, and a filmmaker.[4][5]

He made black and white photographs that, according to Jenny Zhang, "blend ideas of western surrealism and existentialism within Chinese ideology."[6] For example, between 1962 and 1965, he photographed himself and friends with distorted bodies and faces, at derelict sites on the edge of the industrializing city.[4] According to Tang Hsiang-yi writing in the Taipei Times, "images are intentionally out-of-focus, blurred or, in the case of the portraits, headless. Later, he will make a person's face or head blurry, covered or hooded in a plastic bag, yielding a sense of suffocation."[7] In 1965, Chang had his first exhibition, Modern Photography, a two-person show with his teacher Cheng Shang-Hsi.[8]

From 1968, he worked as a photojournalist for the state-owned China Television Company, making programs "that focused on subjects who were often overlooked by the official narrative of positivity, such as street vendors, traditional opera performers behind the scenes, and idle children at the park."[4][5]

After an exhibition titled Farewell to Photography in 1974, Chang "departed from the avant-garde surrealist aesthetics seen in his early [photographic] work and started to produce a series of TV documentaries that mixed photojournalism, ethnography, experimental cinematography, and folk rock music."[8]

From 2005, he began to experiment with colour photography.[7]

From 1997 to 2009, he was a lecturer at Tainan National College of the Arts (now Tainan National University of the Arts) and was made an honorary professor upon his retirement.[9]

Chang died on 2 April 2024, aged 80.[10][11]

Publications

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Photography books by Chang

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  • In Search of Photos Past. Guang-hua Art Magazines Society, 1988. A survey of 20th century photography in Taiwan.[5]
  • Chang Chao-Tang. Youlhwadang, 2008.
  • Moments in Time 1959–2005. Taoyuan, Taiwan: National Central University Art Center, 2010. In English and Chinese.
  • The Invisible Contact 1959–1961. Self-published, 2010. In English and Chinese.
  • Time: The Images of Chang Chao-Tang, 1959–2013. Taipei: Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 2013. ISBN 9789860381320. With essays by Chang Chao-Tang, Kuo Li-Hsin, Gu Zheng, Chang Shih-Lun, Sing Song-Yong, Ho Tung- Hung, and Shen Chao-Liang. In Chinese, and in English in some parts. Exhibition catalogue.

Solo photography exhibitions

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"新竹 五指山 1962" = Sinchu, Taiwan 1962

Films

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  • China Behind (1974), cinematographer – directed by Tang Shu Shuen[11]
  • Homage to Hung-Tung (1978)[8]
  • The Boat Burning Festival = 王船祭典 (1979), director and cinematographer – cinematography also by Christopher Doyle; short; for China Television Company[15][16]
  • The Old House = Gu Cuo (1980)[5]
  • Woman of Wrath = Sha fu = 殺夫 (1984), cinematographer (as Chang Jaw Tarng) – directed by Chuang-Hsiang Tseng (as Tsenrg Juang-Shyang)[11]
  • Tang Dynasty Beautiful Male = Tang Chao qi li nan = 唐朝綺麗男 (1984), cinematographer and art director – directed by Chiu Kang-Chien[11]
  • The Glamorous Boys of Tang = 唐朝綺麗男 (1985) – directed by Chiu Kang-Chien[17]
  • Wo'men de Tiankong = Dan shui zui hou de lie che = 我們的天空 (1986), cinematographer – directed by I-Chen Ko; also known as Last Train to Tanshui[11]
  • Homage to Chen Da (2000)[8][18][19]
  • The Boat Burning Festival+ (2019)

Awards

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Collections

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Chang's work is held in the following permanent collection:

References

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  1. ^ "Photographer | Chang Chao-tang". Ministry of Culture. 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  2. ^ Silverman, Rena (2014-04-15). "From Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Images". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  3. ^ Ma, Lesley. "Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival at M+". Asian Avant-Garde Film Festival at M+. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  4. ^ a b c d Ma, Lesley (2024-04-25). "Chang Chao-Tang (1943–2024)". Artforum. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Chang Chao-tang, Taiwanese photographer and filmmaker, 1943–2024". ArtReview. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  6. ^ Zhang, Jenny (2015-11-28). "Surrealist Street Photos by Chang Chao-Tang Reveal Glimpses of Taiwan in Decades Past". My Modern Met. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  7. ^ a b "Voices from the past". Taipei Times. 2013-12-15. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  8. ^ a b c d "Two Films by Chang Chao Tang". Asia Art Archive in America. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  9. ^ "Esteemed Taiwanese photographer Chang Chao-tang passes away". Ministry of Culture. 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  10. ^ "Taiwan's experimental photography pioneer Chang Chao-tang dies at 81 - Focus Taiwan". Focus Taiwan. 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Taiwan's experimental photography pioneer Chang Chao-tang dies at 81". Taipei Times. 2024-04-04. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  12. ^ Bal, Mieke (2014-04-24). "Chang Chao-Tang". ARTnews. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  13. ^ "Time: The Images of Chang Chao-Tang, 1959-2013". www.tfam.museum. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  14. ^ "Photographer Chang Chao-tang holds solo Tokyo show". Global Outreach. 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  15. ^ "The Boat Burning Festival+ (1979/2019) - Chang Chao-Tang, Lim Giong | Objects". M+. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  16. ^ "Taiwan Int'l Doc Festival 2024: Reuse, Reorient, and Remember". International Documentary Association. 2024-07-11. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  17. ^ "Chang Chao-tang, Taiwan's photography and film pioneer, 1943-2024 攝影大師張照堂辭世 影響遍及戒嚴、鄉土、數位世代". Taipei Times. 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  18. ^ "Film festival to feature Chang Chao-tang's works". Taipei Times. 2024-05-12. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  19. ^ "Homage to Chen Da". Taiwan International Documentary Festival. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  20. ^ "Like an Electric Shock". Taiwan Today. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  21. ^ "Photographer wins Taiwan National Cultural Award". Taiwan Today. 2011-01-13. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  22. ^ "Filmmakers to get lifetime awards". Taipei Times. 2022-09-08. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  23. ^ "Golden Horse Awards: Cinematographer, director receive lifetime achievement awards". Focus Taiwan. 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
  24. ^ "Outstanding Contribution Award: CHANG Chao-tang". 20 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Chang Chao-Tang | Makers". M+. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
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