KIRK CRIPPENS
Ten Thousand Scrolls
An ancient Chinese proverb states:
”Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand scrolls.”
«I received an invitation to visit China in 2011. While making travel plans I remembered the Chinese tanks hesitating and halting as they rumbled toward Tiananmen Square, blocked so powerfully by a man holding grocery bags. I realized ominous news reports and ubiquitous ‘Made in China’ labels had colored my perceptions of China over the years. I also knew my understanding of China would never be the same after visiting; I was glad of that.
I wanted to find a simple, quick way to work during my visit. I purchased a used film camera from craigslist, the same model I learned to photograph with as a child. I don’t speak Mandarin; I had to learn to say ‘Hello’ (Ni Hao) and ‘Thank You’ (Xie Xie) upon my arrival. I used these two phrases and my simple camera to introduce myself to hundreds of people during my stay. I used hand gestures to ask if I could take photos. I wanted to meet as many people as I could and look them in the eye. I wanted an opportunity to interact, if only for a moment. These meetings sometimes blossomed into invitations to visit their homes, to have soup (or tea, or apples, or oranges), to visit rooftop gardens, and once I was even invited to a wedding banquet. The camera became a vehicle to remove obstacles and open doors.
The black and white film I shot was hand processed during a residency at RayKo Photo Center. It was a joy to return to the darkroom. I spent ten months making test prints and then silver gelatin exhibition prints. I can’t thank RayKo enough for their support, this project could not have been completed without them. The Artist-in-Residence exhibition will be on view November 16th-December 14th. RayKo will host an opening reception on Friday, November 16th from 6-8» [ Kirk Crippens]
© Kirk Crippens