Philadelphia Photographer Explores "Beijing"

Photographer Daniel Traub left his native Philadelphia for Beijing in 1999 and until 2008 photographed the city and its people through an extraordinary decade of change. These stunning large-format images, under the title Beijing, will displayed for the first time in the United States in The Art Institute of Philadelphia's 1622 Chestnut Street Gallery from August 26 through October 16, 2009.

"I was intrigued by how people presented themselves to the world, their clothing, facial expressions, and gestures," says Traub. "As an outsider, photography offered me a way to interpret this new visual landscape."

Traub's images convey the sense of theater present in the world he observed. He sees the ancient city giving way to a modern one which resembles a stage set, a two-dimensional backdrop and garish vision of the future before which people try on new costumes and new ways of being. He is drawn to individuals who seem to have paused for a moment between roles - neither at home with the old nor comfortable with the new, but awkward and out of step, stunned by the world that has suddenly appeared around them.

Traub's journey was also a return to his personal heritage. Through his Chinese mother, the Chinese language and culture were integral to his upbringing.

"Making these images enabled me to reconcile the China of my childhood imagination with its present day reality," Traub says.

This exhibit is co-sponsored with community partner Asian Arts Initiative.

An artist's reception will be held from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 17 in the 1622 Chestnut Street Gallery.

Pictured: Woman with Gloves - Photo by Daniel Traub

About the Artist
Daniel Traub (www.danieltraub.net) is an award-winning photographer who divides his time between the USA and China. Since 1999, he has been engaged with long-term projects in China. His images have appeared in publications including The New York Times Magazine, London Telegraph Magazine and Wallpaper. His work has been exhibited in Asia, Europe and the United States and is in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Daniel Traub has also been the director of photography for numerous documentaries and reports throughout Asia for networks and production companies including PBS, National Geographic, German Television ZDF and Arte.

About Asian Arts Initiative (http://www.asianartsinitiative.org/)
Asian Arts Initiative is a community-based arts center in Philadelphia that engages artists and everyday people to create art that explores the diverse experiences of Asian Americans, addresses our social context, and imagines and effects positive community change.