Matailong Du

In Passing | In Passing is an ongoing photography project which portrays people’s daily lives in the public environment such as streets. This project is the photographer’s approach to show the importance and beauty of people and things around us. Something ordinary could be extraordinary.

Street photography could be the easiest and most difficult art format: it is extremely accessible for people photographing in the public space, but it is hard for photographers making connections between visual arts and real life efficiently. Magnum photographer Harry Gruyaert said, “There is no story. It’s just a question of shapes and light”. It is unnecessary to discover every story behind photographs and there are no stories for some photographs. For In Passing, the most important elements are shadow and strong colors.

By having those two elements, the objects in the photographs could be presented directly while coming with a dynamic arena for normal people. The body of work could fit in with current contemporary art by combining documentary photography and fine art photography. The ideal audiences for In Passing could be people who do not get involved much with visual art or people who are always in a rush and fail to slow down and discover the beauty around them. www.matailongdu.com