Year

2007

Degree Name

Master of Creative Arts

Department

Faculty of Creative Arts

Abstract

Due to the geographical distance and for historical reasons, Chinese photographers have had little chance to learn about Australian culture. My photographs examine the city of Wollongong, a typical Australian city, from a cultural perspective. This will provide a fascinating opportunity for Chinese audiences to explore this previously unknown country This will not only show the beautifully unique scenery of Australia, but more importantly the exotic and diverse cultural experience rarely viewed in China will be made available to a Chinese audience through the eye of a camera held by a Chinese photographer. Photography captures the object of the gaze, the most striking examples are elements of different cultures. Cameras aim in all directions, capturing everything and anything. Elements of cultural identity are represented within the small square frames of the photographs making comparisons and interpretations possible. Photography is a technology which binds together space and time, so the future is implied as well as showing the present. My works will analyse the cultural features of the city of Wollongong by investigating three aspects: the beach culture; the multi-cultural and multi-religious diversity; and the harmony between the industrial and living environments. These three aspects derive from my subjective experience in my work, and reflect my time in Australia - particularly in Wollongong. This experience is specifically influenced by my Chinese background. These aspects are the determining reasoning as the subjective direction in my works. They all reflect my life experience in the City of Wollongong and Australia. A primary emphasis for me is to consider how viewers from China would relate to my specific viewpoint of Wollongong.

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Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.