Seeing Cindy Sherman at Metro Pictures in New York
(PHOTOGRAPH, 3.5x5 inch, c-type photograph by Josiah Leung, 1990)
January 1990. We visited Metro Pictures in New York to see Cindy Sherman’s exhibition. This photograph was taken by Josiah Leung, a friend we met during our time in New York. Later, Josiah returned to Hong Kong to further his career. While in New York, he had been an assistant to Grant Peterson.
Grant was known for his mastery of the 8x10 Deardorff camera, using natural sunlight to create his images. It was said that his photography table could be moved to follow the direction of the sunlight streaming through the windows. At the time, he was nicknamed the Sun King and was a rising star in New York’s photography scene.
In the 1990s, when the Hong Kong Institute of Professional Photographers organized its Photography Biennial Awards, I chaired the organizing committee. In one edition, we invited Grant Peterson to Hong Kong as an international judge.
New York is a cultural hub, and a photographer’s reputation there often extends beyond the city, we heard about Grant when we were in Hong Kong. However, in North America, fame tends to have a shorter lifespan than in Asia. One can be at the peak of their career for a few years, only to be replaced by another rising talent soon after.
在紐約Metro Pictures看Cindy Sherman
1990年1月。我們在紐約Metro Pictures 畫廊看Cindy Sherman的展覽。照片是Josiah Leung拍攝。Josiah 是我們在紐約活動的日子所認識的朋友。他後來回到香港發展，在紐約的時候，他是 Grant Peterson的助手。Grant 擅長用8x10 Deardorff 照相機，以陽光拍攝。 據說他的攝影枱可以移動，去依順窗戶照射進來陽光的方向。 當時被稱之為陽光之皇 (Sun King)，有一段時間，在紐約紅極一時。在90年代，香港專業攝影師公會籌辦攝影雙年獎，有一屆我當籌委主席，便邀請了Grant Peterson來港作為海外評判。紐約是文化集中地，Grant在行內的名氣，在其他地區亦會不脛而走。但是在北美洲的人氣生命，也較在亞洲的為短。在幾年間你紅極一時，但幾年後又可能被另一個強人所代替。