I love photographing art and artists but they can be a funny bunch they can be a bit precious about their work, their image and are generally a little over serious. It is probably the natural result of two people trying to create something but at totally crossed purposes. Art can be an abstract concept but newspaper photography by its nature is about capturing what is really there all be it in the most creative way possible. I personally enjoy that interaction but sometimes it just does not work.

This is what I was thinking when the Royal Academy employed me to photograph Ai Weiwei at Burlington House for the first major show of his work in the UK. I did not know a lot about this high profile Chinese artist before I met him, I knew he is as much an activist as an artist and that as a result he had suffered imprisonment and heavy censure in his own country. I also knew that this was the focus of his work. so if anyone has the right to be serious and defensive of his work it would be Ai Weiwei. I was expecting a few minutes of straight faced photos with a man with a serious message fed up of the scrutiny of everyone.

It appeared I was right, he walked in and stood at the far side of the room an abstract wave of steel rods in front of him, he looked at us (10 or more photographers), he held his arms out and he left the room. The pessimistic part of me started to think, here we go that’s it, we are done! He walked back in, a small smile playing on his lips, then right there in the hallowed halls of the RA did a full on star jump. Much fumbling with shutter speeds ensued and obligingly he did it again, the atmosphere changed instantly. It was suddenly obvious to all present who did not already know that serious as this man and his work are there is a mischievousness running through all of it.

We did three locations, us photographing him, him photographing us, you could just see this as part of a post modern, social media age obsession where everything must be photographed. I prefer to see it as a mark of respect; just as we are capturing him with his creations he is capturing us making ours. (I am bottom left)

Courtesy of Ai Weiewei's Instagram

ˈkəːtɪsi/
noun
3. 1.
6. the showing of politeness in one's attitude and behaviour towards others.
7. "he treated the players with courtesy and good humour"
10. synonyms:politeness, courteousness, good manners, civility, respect,respectfulness, deference, chivalry, gallantry, good breeding, gentility,graciousness, kindness, consideration, thought, thoughtfulness,cordiality, geniality, affability, urbanity, polish, refinement, courtliness,decorousness, tact, discretion, diplomacy; More
23. 2.
26. archaic
27. a curtsy.
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43. Translations, word origin, and more definitions

1

SERIOUS FUN