When I learned that the Chinese American Museum in Washington, D.C. (CAMDC) and VA Photo Club would jointly hold the "Through the Lens – The World Around Us" exhibition, the first thing that was brought to mind was the century-old debate on whether photography should be considered as a form of art. Those who opposed it saw photography merely as a thoughtless camera mechanism for replication, and one that lacked refined feeling and creative sentiments. As a result, for nearly 100 years, photography had no place in museums or art galleries. In 1828, the first photograph in the world was taken by a French scientist, but it was not until 1924, nearly 100 years later, when the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston became the first prestigious institution in America to collect photographs for exhibition.
So far almost 200 years have passed since the invention of photography. With the works by generations of photographers, photography has been transformed and elevated into such a status that nowadays the modern art world sees it speaking the same language, addressing itself to the same sentiments, and reflecting the same spirit and creativity of humankind as any other art.
Many thanks to CAMDC! Without its insightful artistic appreciation, VA Photo Club’s exhibition at a museum would not be possible. This exhibition features 44 photographs by 44 club members. Viewers can determine if the artistic exercises are necessary in the production of these photographs. I firmly believe that it is the photographer's knowledge, or art of seeing, which gives value and importance to their works. If it was not for their perceiving mind to see and feel the various important aspects of the world around us, nothing else could make their photographs exhibitable, let alone inside a museum.
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