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

WHEN THE STORM COMES {196()) Ccu1"'Vo4 ChH ChonQm.JniJlonQ

ost
IT IS A ION
il5hUinption th.Jr 1hen: Wt.'t'C
few local an ph01ngraphe"
tn Suuthea. .. t durinJ4
me !""Wv\'11 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 Y.tll1111
ct'fU.Ul countna Ill Soc-nho.it
A lla. 71:. I dr l.rgar; lht
(AI/mion of
llmil .* film 7ho. the
olulxtn> clunng !he
Kl.
l'horoplfhl llienn:ok on
21)l5,p!1Aidc.an
">rtlng ?lUll tor ttgion.d
lt ,. 'w""''"""'l'
dm '-'..U not dlf!
aun Cl me ttlrooJ>CW\t'..
lrxlcal. wh<r1 I .ola: \\'.an
Tho mwacd on !he
a rolhtion ol 53'1 pho<m
173 photognrhcn from
2S CX>UnO'l<l, fJWhly the
l.ug<u Mllntn1 oll' .. wrul
on he ,.,.u,
he wU IJ)lflg I<> .okc
=e for ohc WnoiC\ ' (oUt
pho><cw.aphy on Soinloco. t
A\U..I Iew.L
o&t 'Wiut he lkc.l.ulu,la
wu l'k torula: m, !I ac tf\ le
uflw ru.ln thr: \lfnl r$s,
houRht
- dlt'OUgh tLI uUntiJ ll\
'".la llf
iU'lt I'J Ill Cl mu ;and 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
nmC\ of
h.mdtUl Clf plu*tJ..rruphm
lnnn l\I..J.L)''' uu.l i IK
fe.uund in the n..11'U'>Jx:etivc.
On tlu. o11x:r IMnd, the
wurk Ht Siu}{.ll'-1ft.l.O cur.1tor
1\rodgtt 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>wrlY
I'll the a"-u ... t M.alt: In the
turJ.Ior"account, llnng
1\ungl "'' \ '1' nnl"""""
and I Wlk uwnrNup ut
hn ..L1tallnnd.tn.l

.lf'l?, ,J.,.. umn
on
the 20th a:nhtt). lnp.unl
to lw work, tlu lltl .. tc
n nu:h b ambtllouL In
1hc pron" ot rtX".trdung
1.tM1tanpnry
\wnJ"""':W Jih>. I < h.u:nl
UJJO IC "urb ol l.&l('
( lutt l 111
nwUn.l,ll<l :'\1Qo11:10 \ 111
mJI,, { <. lt)
l l 1, \'Jtoo .. m llor
oumt,llhc
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 c.U't'l'l1
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! lJth liiiiK'm In

J W.\)', I am more f.tsci nated
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.,
,,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 fi>rlus
.bt:L'I>mc:nt J>IUJ<'"t\, \.1}'
,\tk ot the:
llmgl<.ok lJIIM'f'>ll)" G.illcn
C'\m '"hen thr
king" ,IJ and oo L"'b""
iU .... ll'\'1: iL' he Still
lttll "1th Ius CUl1CI".l cm
fiUII\' Ou. Jt \US \\Jul..::
m..d.u1J.; :.lithe <M..ttluk.1m
Stol't" ...L_,ng 1\runJ.t
llo "'' Jltcr the mJ ol \V\\" 11
\"o he 11 l'ht JflJ.,'TIUflkJill-rtg htt.,t
tht" ueg.&ti\Q nl
.\iluly.kkj,"hciW.l thc."n thr
rJWn 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; l u krmw
hhlllltlll i1 tn
phllntcr'Ph\. rt'C'.tlls 1hr
KITE STRINGS MAKER (19611 Courtf:'SYCJC Chill Cllongm!n>l-olq
or
ar
n out
photOJ,mpher. 'I '""''once
invited inro rhc palnt"C
alongside" few olhcr
I
Jhotogmphcr. ti)t a fi)m'-
lour disctl"'-.;ion with the
King .tbout from
im.,bre compc.Ntion to ..:.utlc.'ra
equipment! lie tn:.Ut'tln'll'
c:qually,c-..'Cn J .m'l
Th.U 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 my p.tn:nl'> '
Chunwnao kho"!t \
parrot \ V.u oUlc:l I 'wn:-
Cl.llront."'< mi-..'T.tnl' tmm
IJIOOj,"lun, Chon.a C:""""t:
up Ll\ .c\ J, hh
nude.- a I\10t! y_lhng t, "-t
lll<l ,.,.I fee 11 '' fuhcr \ \'.U
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>rtdl<'o
"'"'""'
C'llla:.Ulllf\ .u the. \-Nunpuun
at ll>nwk h ... t.L,.,
pt Sit'\) l\\J.\ llut \\.ti \\hen
he aunc."ll &\ ot r'*'l.u
f't'J"unn:m m .1
dut lk"llah)c.:J R.'> .1 phuftt
.1l'!tMII 12 ht ,?t) hthl
.a .mouch
t
!-,'f'.t\1l.lh,l hl\\ .ani,-. .11 knrH
wurl. I I h 111HIhu , lad nul
ohl("\llu hli thu1u bt"\..IUK
I he.. tanuh \\i4t pour m
1
1
alw w.tl cl1.11 tu , ,
141
J,J
lu .. t \\nrlt_ \Jrt ... lhur
t 'l'cnw l'h l:r-.l ttl'
hp., llunnH tu ,,, ,
1
.u tfl<'SC'
hi\ ut
phOIOj..'T.lph)' \1'.1' b) .md l.uge
'On Suml >,we
didn't h.IVC 10 1\<lrk.J \\ooJO
:.-pend the cntll'\! (1,\ .u the
rhe.un. ..... m>tmcl
in Chu'l.lhWVn
.lbout
(lllnllt'llsltion. Son'lclime-. 1
\\'\ lU d w.u"h fl\.'(' mm ll' at
1-..lrll!o.t tlf the mm"k"'
then wt. re (nun cht. '' nh
ti.w t'rum Euntlt: Jf
I w .1.-. nnt .u the. mn' 1l ..... I
wuuld be out ,.h,lOhllg. 1 ,t).,..)
n:JJ 'le pl!ohl k-lom
\ nw:n,
rht
O ... utulun Sturo:.
.ukllm
l>rothn -.t Uf> J""->t"!.'l''l'lu'
w'"l' 1JI h&'lll;: l..:
c-; ,hJ IK't }u .. u\\lt
-l'lun \nkla;l- tn the-
Wilt Ll"t lmtulh.lui ""l.ln'
bu\ult \\ . m
nrg">= I mlugmg
he Ju.l
httL.' 'pn.al. tu1 \\lh."
\l.u. cuu (. 'hongm.mL.hong,.
a lh.ulm,l bt..-n
hdpnl hun out .ac rh<
lhh l1n .111,1 iJu IUU\"\ I uwr
\!.:,trs :.1 u ln.li,"t ut
uknlum \\111l.\1unc pouu,
ltun.t I\ rmd h t'll'lplo\
hun ,l$
Ulth<" I'' ., .... hutl hut
l' h1 t !t_., hnrd,
th u ht ""uld Pt:ln
In .C.'I'\'\ rlu auul l.tnuh .u
lu , tud1o l 1,,., lht \\' u ...
ht u
\PIIUHI 11>11, .tlld \\l1Uid
,.,,nru.alh Chchuw,,
1
k
to Ius OO..<iness portfOlio. He
retm:d "llne 20 ) '=" b..::k.
'Srudio photogrph) """
not good bu.sines.">: SJ.)''!:
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.
l
'rd<rro:.l more n.arural h>L
t w.1..-. c-.t-.Jet m dut '<tt-<:
h., hccu.: -...hcUulc,
Chon
''"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
m tu .. t"rtt ""' hb "ue_
""'hi, unh
h \\.L\ oor
Uloll.....-ll'JU. .. artanpt to L.ccp 2
""-" '"ncn of'Th..a.u>.l
I lt tuul i"1Ures .u ho!t-1.
c.1n tile "-'ftK't'\
.lll<hl.uh ol" Ju,
\."tltUltn ,\n.;f du, '' \\h.U
tll.llc.-.. h ... mn . .ul.Wk
"l'ootd thr 1'17\),
l
>hntt>gr.tpht \\._, 111 !he
'-lnth tlf the: .m. .. to ...
m.kk m.tm f.l11Uh
pnrtr.ut'-. h t:'""' ttl
un.IJ.,'\' uf fl.tn\l: lh.u
IX"uplc.. tn 1 he \\\lrk.
t "lun, \\ hu '""h quite [X'Il.)r
c.\pl.luh Funh"mut
I t 'nh"lllut \. otr.t'f\ -.uic.m """c1n'
tn 11nd ,u .. tifil.ltiun m,, ..
t" .n th.u
IMd "1tncn Ph.hmJ.1
\
ASIAN ART
YOI PHUC TDIPLE 119521. H.1nal, Vtetrom
eo..tesv o1 ThonQ
IMMOI.ATION OF' THICH OUANG DUC U963), SiliQOn, Voetnam
Courtesy ol Nquyen van Thooq
0> ll.1110i,
\rictn.un) ..:lmtmueJ to take
pt..:turn our'ilk of hi .. n>lninc.-
.L'\ J from
1 'ISS tu 1975 tl>r the South
J,r.'U\'t'mment.
GM' ill!( "I' in 11.11101 bcti><C
W\ \11, then: m:n: .altekh
!<C\-.:r.u photo
studioo, incluJmg llllOIIg
1\d .ikc !Tk-..1 ,.oc:tn.lllle!<:
obotw.lf'hen of hi, era,

t... n:-..di"!: French book.'
,\Iter wooofl!( >< dcnti:.t
Ill ll.lllllt !Or"".....!'"""'
bouJ.,oht hi'
cUnCra- . Rolleillcx
-in 1950. 'JIUr.alJ\;most
of the people " ha ownod
1."211lCr.L' tfut time wen:
firh oiT A an amatrur
. tiom 1950 10
iomom,monv
lllO\'td to
s .. I,.,'OO. indudmg
"here he: entia! up "orking
for the: 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
.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 .. the C\mts
in S.ugun 10 the
clcm:uxli oi Prime :\lmbter
Tran 'lluc:n KIUc:rn. The
and ""t?ti\'D
"""' then ocnt '" the P.\1.
I didn' dunk I """l:ccpong

..rv.roUm. h ""' a1so
qwu: ...,& lor he
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 :-.:gu}m
(0 the pictur<s, fully
aware that would
dbcn:cLt Pn:sidcnt :-:go
Omh Diem's administration.
brought
two c.maa:s., which is wh}"
he <till ha. a 1000<d of the
lr.lgic C\'tnL
that the rest of die worid ,:....
wa; aaually 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
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
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
of an era, accm=<cd b.
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 iront
ofhim. I &r />be Tempk
( 1951).one of :-;,;uyai tin:
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 and
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<<
In t983,.ftcr >pendlfl!( cij(ht
)"""in the c.unp. :-;!M""
r<:gaincd freedom. Unlike
mmy of the photogrphcn
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 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
' -""' LEn Chooq and
Alex Moll. Tl'<' lfQa<Y
The Pllotograc>OY Conecl100 o1
Dalo' Lol< W1 Tho. th>C;tiOO
Cillak>Quo. Kuata L<Mnpur
Art GaDtrv
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>oloorhi cl Yop

SlnQ.oc>cn: NatiOnal Utlr..-y
8o.ln1 :11106. paqos 10-14. Al
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 1.1onoc1womt
Sftn TIYOUQIIIht c.- Ltn$
.., n D.Y>-room.llanQ>.ol<
1998, I>"QQ
lT2.. Nip-"" VlJfl Tllc>nQ.
lnt<1Ww by-H{J.I(;,
Vottoam. Aj>ll 12'009

!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

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