Albert Bonsfills – No Car No House
“I have found in photography a way to understand human beings, and although I still have a long way to go, with each work I do learn a bit more about what is happening in our contemporary society.”
Duality in Shanghai
The Chinese society is undergoing change due the loss of values marked since more than two thousand years ago by Confucius, the man that thanks to his thought and innovated ideas filled the Chinese minds like we knew until recently. His philosophy was based on terms such as protection, loyalty, respect, tradition, harmony and study.
For older generations, the three most important and basic objects for everyday life began with “r” were the clock, the radio and the wheel (related to a bike), that no matter how much money you have, one needed government permission to buy one. Other items such as the washing machine and the television were add immediately. Personally, the biggest wishes were to have a good job, a good woman to create a family and become someone respected by those closest to each one.
Now, in the full Capitalism, two totally opposite societies live together in large cities of China, chickens cluck in the narrow streets tangled with each other under the lavish look of the new skyscrapers glazed, girls out of their cars with French label bags way to the new Apple store and have a coffee at aboulangerie is the latest milestone West.
The Chinese youth grew up under pressure from their parents because of the law’s only son (only carried out in big cities), this is one reason why they are so prepared. New generations want to change China’s image, stop being robots and beginning to work on creativity. They will fight to change the synonymous of the country: from cheap to be quality. Is getting a lot of emphasis on issues such as new technologies.
Without living behind some of the ideas more traditional, Chinese youth want money, a good car and be someone powerful. For them if you have power, you are respected. They are very interested in the Western image, especially in the famous and successful businessmen. On the other hand, older people still wearing their white shirt and elderly met on Sundays to sing in the park. China, a country that grows between two philosophies.
Bench in chinese traditional neighborhood, Beijing
Office workers speaking in a shopping center, Beijing
Young merchant on friday morning, Shanghai
Avenue, Beijing
Shoe store in neighborhood, Beijing
Two hairdressers, Shanghai
Two guys playing games, Guangzhou. In China, there are 33 million adolescents with addiction problems to internet games. It is the country with more internet users, over 450 million. In 2010 a young man died because he spent 72 hours in a internet cafe.
Garbage, cocks and clothes, Shanghai
Hui minority young girl, Beijing
More images and other interesting projects on Albert Bonsfills’ website and on his blog.
“Working as a photographer has made it possible for me to tell, through different life stories, the story of everybody. What unites us is universal, and to explain these stories through the camera I don’t just use my eyes but also my heart. That is my way to understand the testimony of those I photograph, whose looks and words will stay with me for the rest of my life. To show the world the reality of these individuals makes me feel that I can raise their voices as they would never be able to do it themselves. I always try to approach everyone that I photograph reaching deeply to understand their dreams and what are the things that make them cling to life.
I have found in photography a way to understand human beings, and although I still have a long way to go, with each work I do learn a bit more about what is happening in our contemporary society.”