Interview with Cathy Xiaoyuan Fan
IPA JURY MEMBER
Q: As a member of the jury panel of the International Photography Awards, an important award in the photography industry, can you share with us – What are your criteria for good photography?
Today, there are more and more diverse opinions and discussions about what makes a good photograph. Social media like Instagram or TikTok are also reshaping our visual habits. However, for me, a good photo, regardless of its “origin”, regardless of its visual language and style, should have one element: sincerity. Sincerity in expressing the human condition, sincerity in expressing our environment, sincerity in expressing emotions and desires.
Q: Among the IPA winners in 2020, whose works were the most impressive to you?
I am particularly interested in non-professional photography. Joanna Borowie’s “W was born in a camp”, this year’s Deeper Perspective Photographer of The Year, stood out to me. The combination of honest and unpretentious portraits and evidence of history is a powerful way to tell the heavy story of a seemlingly ordinary person.
Q: When selecting works for IPA awards, did you encounter a moment when you could not make a decision?
Because of the nature of the competition, there will always be winners, which makes it difficult to choose between the many excellent works. As a judge, you have to think carefully about the essence of these photographs and then make a further choice.
Q: Has your understanding of good photography changed over time?
Yes, it has. Or to put it in this way: I used to work in journalism in China, and now I’m in the New York art world, but also in media-related work. I was more exposed to documentary and photojournalism photography in the past, and now I have a huge interest in photography as contemporary art. However, as I said in my first answer, understanding can change as my perceiving information involves and the process is always interesting and inspiring to me, but a constant standard for good photography is always there.
Q: What is the experience of being on the jury panel of IPA like? What, in your opinion, sets the IPA International Photography Awards apart from other awards?
It’s such a great experience! Every year it’s a pleasure to see the latest work from the world’s best photographers in every category.
The IPA is the most diverse and complete categorized photography competition I have ever seen for the medium of photography. It also gives photographers from all over the world – professional and non pro – a better and more varied opportunity to showcase their work.
Q: Every year, many Chinese photographers participate in the IPA global competition. As a Chinese photographer yourself, do you have anything to say to these contestants?
I must say that China is a huge country for photography. My experience in the industry over the past years and my contact with the photographic community makes me feel that they are getting information faster and denser than you can imagine, and many of them are improving very fast! If I need to say something to them, I think it’s “go break the barriers of thinking and create more boldly!”