Family Stuff by Huang Qingjun and Ma Hongjie, 2005
this project is resonating with me so much right now. we're about to finalize the purchase of our apartment (fingers crossed, it has supposed to have been done since may) and are going to renovate (here's our shared tumblr of inspiration).
this basically means i have so much stuff to get rid of. there is so much i don't need, and the idea of emptying all my closets kind of shames me in a sense... as someone who purports to be somewhat of an anti-materialistic person, i have a lot of crap. just because i got it for free or cheap does not necessarily make it any better/make me any less of a hoarder. it just all added up... my failed etsy store, my volunteering at a thrift store, my "we don't need it but it's on the side of the road!" attitude, and of course my "for once i won't have to think about packing all of this up in a few months!"
all of this to say i saw this photography project today and i find it beautiful, powerful and particularly relevant at this moment.
Huang Qingjun and Ma Hongjie decided to collaborate on this project, ‘Family Stuff’ in 2005. They have visited a number of areas in China for this project looking for typical Chinese homes to photograph by bringing the domestic objects used in everyday life outside. ‘Huang and Ma work as independent partners, Huang covering the North, Ma the South of the country.
Convincing families to expose themselves to their cameras is the major challenge that both face on their respective expeditions. Building trust and laying the groundwork for the shoot can take months, again and again Huang and Ma have to explain why they want the families to empty their houses and let the artists decoratively arrange their belongings outside. Once they have agreed to participate, most families are happy to display their possessions, even more so since they receive financial compensation. hrrrrrrrrm....
In some cases, not all belongings are permitted to be shown, in others not all furniture fits through the doorways; but generally, the artists confirm, their portraits depict average Chinese reality as it is today: simple, unpretentious and compared to 20 years ago, strikingly void of political paraphernalia. In 2011 this project is scheduled to end with a total of 50 pictures and a book’. You can read more about this project on a mesa de luz.
more info and photos here.