Description
Book SynopsisPhotography in Southeast Asia: A Survey is a comprehensive attempt to map the emergence and trajectories of photographic practices in Southeast Asia. The narrative begins in the colonial era, at the point when the transfer of photographic technology occurred between visiting practitioners and local photographers. Illustrated with some 200 photographs, and with individual chapters dedicated to the countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam, the book ranges from the immediate postwar era to present day, focusing on photographers who demonstrate strong agency and autonomy in their practice. The relationship between art and photography, which has been defined very narrowly over the decades, is re-examined in the process. Photography also offers an entry point into the cultural and social practices of the region, and a prism into the personal desires and creative decisions of its practitioners.
Trade Review“An innovative approach to a medium that is often not considered an art form and is therefore overlooked in surveys of Southeast Asian art history. This original study also offers an insight into the role of images and visuality in shaping Southeast Asian society, culture, and politics.”
"Zhuang’s book leaves me wanting to see more of Southeast Asian photography, which I suppose is the best thing a book of this sort can accomplish." — Brent Luvaas, Journal of Burma Studies
