Foreword
In times past, our ancestors used painting to record a person's appearance, their way of life and particular incidences or occurrences. These were not wholly accurate because they did not depict total reality. Only photographs can transcribe the absolute truth.
Nowadays, photography is more than a tool for recording purposes. Like painting it is a form of creative art. This is the case with Sun-chang Lo; while his photographs record, they also represent his art. He never flaunts, neither does he distort, tamper, blear or remodel his images. They always remain realistic in nature.
It is true that Sun-chang Lo records objects and scenery realistically, but he never documents history. Objects in his photographs can be found in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Japan and the United States, but they seem to have little to do with the history, appearance or culture of these places.
Sun-chang Lo draws his viewers into his creative world using realistic objects. Though he does not photograph the human body, he clearly expresses it. Neither does he take scenic shots, but fascinating landscapes appear in his photos. He does not focus his camera at the sky, yet he presents natural views of dawn and dusk. Without palette or brush, equipped only with his camera, he creates interesting ink-paintings, watercolours, oil paintings, collages, prints and sketches. Through photographic design, he turns banal objects into endlessly fascinating images.
An artist's mission is the present beauty, a mission which Sun-chang Lo duly fulfills. Through simple photographic means, he truthfully records insignificant decaying objects, unveiling their natural beauty. Through his magic play, the unimportant becomes important, the ugly becomes lovely. In this way, he creates innumerable beautiful moments and places.
Yeung Chun-tong
Director
The University Museum and Art Gallery
The University of Hong Kong