Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Ryan Pyle is well known around the world through his writing
for newspapers and magazines and his wonderful photographs. In his book Chinese
Turkestan he is able to capture the everyday life of the Chinese people, and
give us a look at what few would ever be able to see.
There is a raw beauty as you look at the old buildings in
contrast to the new construction. There
is a lot of construction as old buildings are torn down to make better,
earthquake resistant buildings. When
looking at these photographs you often feel as if you have traveled back in
time. There are horse drawn carts
alongside old cars. There are large markets everywhere. Many in the markets sell items they have
learned to make from previous generations, such as knives and other metalwork
pieces. The people are predominantly
Muslim. There are mosques
everywhere. A lot of their customs are
things we no longer allow in the United States, such as cock fights. This look at old and new gives us the
impression that time runs slower there. As
busy and bustling as things are, looking at the pictures creates the illusion
that everything these people have not made a lot of forward progress. It is as if they are stuck in a simpler time,
however it still seems as hectic as today.
This is a wonderful book.
As I looked at the photographs I kept wondering what the people in them
were thinking. I thoroughly enjoyed this
book and would definitely read more by this author.
Links to his work:
Book Title: Chinese Turkestan (on Amazon)
Link : Click Here
YouTube Video of Images
Annenberg Centre for Photography Lecture (Los Angeles)
BBC World Interview - Ryan Pyle on Chinese Turkestan
HiFi HD Television Interview - Ryan Pyle on Chinese Turkestan
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