Marc Riboud in China [Hardcover]

Marc Riboud (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1997

In 1956 Marc Riboud became one of the first Western photographers to enter China since the Communist takeover of 1949--and he was permitted to return regularly over the next four decades. This book presents his compelling record of the far-reaching and rapid changes that have taken place as China has evolved through the revolutionary era into a puritanical tyranny, and finally into a mirror of the capitalist West. 150 duotone photos.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Marc Riboud's images are a window on a world in transition as China reinvents itself with dizzying speed--his is as revealing a window as we are likely to find. The contrast between China old and new, as interpreted by Riboud, is an often startling one that cannot help but inform and intrigue. He specializes in the juxtaposition of images, perhaps none are more jarring than his photograph of a poor man lugging a sack of belongings down a trash-littered back street while a pair of chubby-cheeked babies glance over his shoulder in a nearby poster and a porno actress bares her chest in an ad overhead. Riboud's home is France, his territory is the world from Vietnam to Iran, but his heart and soul are apparently in the China he has covered from the days of Mao's revolution through the erosion of Communism to the country's modern economic upheaval.

From Library Journal

Renowned French photographer Riboud (Angkor: The Serenity of Buddhism, LJ 10/01/93) has been regularly recording the profound changes in China since 1956. In this companion catalog for an exhibition on display in Paris and New York, Riboud notes that "the East that we loved for its permanences is suddenly turning into a caricature of the West." Indeed, this collection portrays not only the striking contrasts between the old and new China but observes remnants of the old society adrift in the new. Generally showing either cityscapes or villagers engaged in daily activities, the 150 black-and-white images move from the tradition-bound Old World culture to scenes contrasting that world with Mao's China to the emergence of a modern, consumer-driven society carrying vestiges of the past. Along with the stirring photographs, Riboud's witty, personal captions and a reflective preface by French journalist Jean David capture the spirit of a resilient people and the soul of a rapidly changing nation. Highly recommended.?Joan Levin, MLS, Chicago
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; English language ed edition (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810944308
• ISBN-13: 978-0810944305
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,727,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and memorable, October 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Marc Riboud in China (Hardcover)

My wife (who is Chinese) and I have spent hours with this book
and find it endlessly fascinating. The quality of the photographs
and printing is excellent. It is like a window into a lost and
changing world.

There is considerable overlap with Riboud's earlier collection
of photographs from China. If you only buy one of these,
I recommend this one. The photographs are better and the
printing quality is much higher.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Old & New China in one book, June 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Marc Riboud in China (Hardcover)

This is a welly printed photographic book on China by photographer Marc Ribond. The page layout is neat especially with old and new images printed on facing pages. This is not just a great photographic book but also a record of new China history.