obey father before marriage
obey son after husband’s decease
9/16/2007
Desire, Politics, and Feminist Photography by Li-Hsin Kuo
There appeared briefly around mid 1900 within the photographic circle in Taiwan a group of female photographers whose topics touched upon the issues concerning the awareness of feminism and genders. This group, as a whole or as individual members, created some marginal works, which did not cause significant impacts at that time. Although these artists did not focus on feminist issues and their related political ideologies, their efforts and contributions were nevertheless worth noticing. The creative direction of this particular group, unfortunately, failed to continue. At that time, Lulu Shur-Tzy Hou was a main figure, who presented a clear voice and whose art works throughout the years continued to address gender related politics.
Ten years have passed since then. Although today’s female social status in Taiwan has improved, the overall progress is still far from what is anticipated. Yet, female photographers have stopped addressing this important issue, and photography is no longer a tool for documenting gender politics. This phenomenon is especially disappointing and perplexing. In this gap, the appearance of YiYi Wan’s feminist photography gives us a renewed encouragement.
YiYi adopted pin-hole camera as her creative tool. She used her own body as a model to express female desires and female status in current society. Her expression is clear and ambivalent at the same time. This ambivalence not only appeared in her esthetic manipulation of the images, but also reflected in her attitudes towards the issues of gender politics. As a result, the message appears particularly intriguing. If one follows her own description of her creative intention and many of the titles of her works, she seems to hold a very definite position regarding feminism. However, this message sometimes contradicts with her other images and titles. This phenomenon may coincide with the complexities intrinsic of female body and desire: identifying with certain correct position in gender politics does not necessarily prevent her from falling into traditional behavior pattern with her body and desire.
Most of YiYi’s works depict female’s status in a male dominated society. In the past, similar images concerning female desires and their social circumstances also existed. Her works basically restated the same message. Thus, the problem becomes: Why we need to repeat this message. Is it because the universal female status around the world still lacks improvement, or because these issues are still relevant in Taiwanese society today? Or, perhaps, as a female photographer, it is necessary for YiYi to apply a different artistic method to repeat the same message in order for her to achieve self liberation? Or, is there any other reason?
This issue regarding female status is a very general one. Its universality obviously might pose some potential problems of repetition for YiYi’s creative endeavors. This problem may, however, be resolved by her returning to her unique position in the society. Generally speaking, when one is addressing a universal topic, the political effectiveness is often compromised, primarily because the lack of specific context. In YiYi’s new works, which I am privileged to have the opportunity to preview, her connection to the society and her social dialogue become much more developed and articulated. I am therefore looking forward to her new group of works in feminist photography.
Ten years have passed since then. Although today’s female social status in Taiwan has improved, the overall progress is still far from what is anticipated. Yet, female photographers have stopped addressing this important issue, and photography is no longer a tool for documenting gender politics. This phenomenon is especially disappointing and perplexing. In this gap, the appearance of YiYi Wan’s feminist photography gives us a renewed encouragement.
YiYi adopted pin-hole camera as her creative tool. She used her own body as a model to express female desires and female status in current society. Her expression is clear and ambivalent at the same time. This ambivalence not only appeared in her esthetic manipulation of the images, but also reflected in her attitudes towards the issues of gender politics. As a result, the message appears particularly intriguing. If one follows her own description of her creative intention and many of the titles of her works, she seems to hold a very definite position regarding feminism. However, this message sometimes contradicts with her other images and titles. This phenomenon may coincide with the complexities intrinsic of female body and desire: identifying with certain correct position in gender politics does not necessarily prevent her from falling into traditional behavior pattern with her body and desire.
Most of YiYi’s works depict female’s status in a male dominated society. In the past, similar images concerning female desires and their social circumstances also existed. Her works basically restated the same message. Thus, the problem becomes: Why we need to repeat this message. Is it because the universal female status around the world still lacks improvement, or because these issues are still relevant in Taiwanese society today? Or, perhaps, as a female photographer, it is necessary for YiYi to apply a different artistic method to repeat the same message in order for her to achieve self liberation? Or, is there any other reason?
This issue regarding female status is a very general one. Its universality obviously might pose some potential problems of repetition for YiYi’s creative endeavors. This problem may, however, be resolved by her returning to her unique position in the society. Generally speaking, when one is addressing a universal topic, the political effectiveness is often compromised, primarily because the lack of specific context. In YiYi’s new works, which I am privileged to have the opportunity to preview, her connection to the society and her social dialogue become much more developed and articulated. I am therefore looking forward to her new group of works in feminist photography.
慾望、政治、與女性主義攝影 / 郭力昕
大約在1990年代中期，台灣的攝影界，曾短暫的出現了一群帶有女性意識或性別議題的女性攝影家，個別或集體的進行了質量不算特別豐富的影像創作。她們未必都有女性主義的問題意識或政治觀點，但當時的這些努力與成績，頗令人期待。可惜的是，以我有限的觀察，這個創作隊伍或路線，似乎未能集體地持續下去。當時在性別政治的議題上，比較持續提出創作、且觀點明確的，以侯淑姿為最主要的代表。
十多年過去了。台灣女性今日的社會位置或處境，雖有局部的提升或改善，但整體地看，仍欠缺應有的進步幅度。然而，我卻看不太到有足夠的女性影像創作者，對這個重要的議題，以靜態攝影發聲，進行性別政治的書寫。這是令人遺憾且不解的。於是，在這個匱乏的狀態下，看到萬一一女性主義觀點的攝影作品，讓人感到鼓舞。
萬一一利用針孔相機做為創作工具，將自己的身體、女性情慾、以及女性的社會處境，既清楚又曖昧地呈現出來；這種曖昧模糊，不僅顯現在她處理影像的手法與美學上，也再現了她對相關性別政治議題、似乎既清晰又模稜的態度。這是饒富趣味的。從她自述的創作理念、以及許多作品的標題來看，攝影家的女性主義政治立場十分明確；但從其他一些作品及其標題裡，似乎又並非如此。也許這恰好是身體與慾望的複雜本質：我們無法因為對性/別議題有了政治正確的思維，就能完全免於身體和慾望讓人無法規訓的另一些陷溺。
這些作品，大體上仍在敘述女性於男性霸權文化裡的狀態。許多影像傳遞的訊息，與女性的情慾、社會情境，都早已經存在；萬一一的作品，大約是在重複地論述已經出現過的相似的訊息。問題因此是：為何這些訊息需要重複訴說？是由於女性的所謂「普遍性」（universal）情境，至今沒有一點改變，還是這些問題於台灣社會依然嚴重？或者，做為一位女性攝影家，必需透過不同的藝術手法，重新訴說一次類似的話語，以做為自我救贖/解放壓抑的必要過程？或是其他原因？
那麼，在提出了具有普遍意義的女性共同處境後，由於「普遍性」而可能顯得籠統的話語，可以因為萬一一回到自己的特定社會展開新的創作，而解決了上述的問題。太過「普遍性」的主題，常可能會犧牲了特定政治意義的有效性，因為它缺乏話語的脈絡。萬一一正在進行中的新作，我有幸先閱讀了一些，而當中的社會脈絡就清楚很多。萬一一女性主義立場的攝影創作，也就格外值得期待。
十多年過去了。台灣女性今日的社會位置或處境，雖有局部的提升或改善，但整體地看，仍欠缺應有的進步幅度。然而，我卻看不太到有足夠的女性影像創作者，對這個重要的議題，以靜態攝影發聲，進行性別政治的書寫。這是令人遺憾且不解的。於是，在這個匱乏的狀態下，看到萬一一女性主義觀點的攝影作品，讓人感到鼓舞。
萬一一利用針孔相機做為創作工具，將自己的身體、女性情慾、以及女性的社會處境，既清楚又曖昧地呈現出來；這種曖昧模糊，不僅顯現在她處理影像的手法與美學上，也再現了她對相關性別政治議題、似乎既清晰又模稜的態度。這是饒富趣味的。從她自述的創作理念、以及許多作品的標題來看，攝影家的女性主義政治立場十分明確；但從其他一些作品及其標題裡，似乎又並非如此。也許這恰好是身體與慾望的複雜本質：我們無法因為對性/別議題有了政治正確的思維，就能完全免於身體和慾望讓人無法規訓的另一些陷溺。
這些作品，大體上仍在敘述女性於男性霸權文化裡的狀態。許多影像傳遞的訊息，與女性的情慾、社會情境，都早已經存在；萬一一的作品，大約是在重複地論述已經出現過的相似的訊息。問題因此是：為何這些訊息需要重複訴說？是由於女性的所謂「普遍性」（universal）情境，至今沒有一點改變，還是這些問題於台灣社會依然嚴重？或者，做為一位女性攝影家，必需透過不同的藝術手法，重新訴說一次類似的話語，以做為自我救贖/解放壓抑的必要過程？或是其他原因？
那麼，在提出了具有普遍意義的女性共同處境後，由於「普遍性」而可能顯得籠統的話語，可以因為萬一一回到自己的特定社會展開新的創作，而解決了上述的問題。太過「普遍性」的主題，常可能會犧牲了特定政治意義的有效性，因為它缺乏話語的脈絡。萬一一正在進行中的新作，我有幸先閱讀了一些，而當中的社會脈絡就清楚很多。萬一一女性主義立場的攝影創作，也就格外值得期待。
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