This Shanghai-born, Tokyo-based photographer who goes by the alias 2/3 considers the art of all that is visual to be more like a state being, two-thirds of something, anything: Time, progress or the gold division line between both — like autumn is the gold division line between pay and harvest. Temper and 2/3 Take Five.
Take 1! Living the good life?
2/3: Most people across China now live in a way that they like and feel comfortable with. The artistic thinking across the nation has become more open and many people of different levels in society are engaging in aesthetic behavior, so to speak. I think a good life can spur on any photographer to do better work. I am admittedly pretty lazy and not very social, so my communication with people/ clients mostly relies on shooting and working. Most of the time I prefer to stay in my own life and enjoy its day-by-day play.
Chinese artists are now chasing more spiritual “things” to express their feelings in and on this environment.
Take 2! Documentary, literature and art.
2/3: My biggest sources of inspiration would have to be new music, detectives, documentaries and travel, I feel that the roots of a person and their way of life will come out through their works. The history of art and photography in China presents a major vault: There is no better inheritance than that gained from our history in aesthetics and traditional art. These legacies are inherent to our culture and therefore often get overlooked. Many newcomers were more influenced by the aesthetic perceptions of Western countries to begin with. However…
These new artists in recent years have once again begun to explore their roots: Where do I came from? What is the aesthetic impact on and of my environment? Of course, this new thinking is partially due to the nation’s more prosperous economy.
Everyone is now chasing more spiritual “things” to express their feelings in and on this environment.
I recently started to think about what it really is I want to do and achieve in life, instead of just going through the motions and doing something that others think is cool.
Take 3! The future is mainstream
2/3: I think that at their very core, both Chinese and American society are anticipating the future of the East to become mainstream across the West. There are too many traditional Chinese aesthetics and new artists waiting to show the world their moxy, turning their art into the new cultural heritage of the younger generations of artists or photographers to emerge. It’s society’s way of self healing, in my opinion.
“Vibrations — Part I”. Photography by 2/3, styling adn hair by Paris Lee. MUA: Anna D. Model: Minsoo Kim. Clothing by Ray Chu and Jn:Dn
Take 4! Ethical behavior.
2/3: I believe every profession has some ground(s) to defend and carries a responsibility to speak for a larger group of like-minded peers. This is not just a matter of professional ethics, but also one of social responsibility.
Photography by 2/3. Model: Alyons M, MUA: Jolin. Hair by David Z.
Take 5! Cold as ice or icy cool?
2/3: I’ve recently started to think about what it really is I want to do and achieve in life, instead of just going through the motions and doing something that others think is cool. Feeling, following your heart and gut, doing what you hold dear and executing a film/ project that you feel is cool. I plan to take some pictures of those people I consider to be cool. Whether they are working behind the scenes or are full-on celebrities or laid-back amateurs, I think there is a cool side to each and every one of them.
Featured Image: “Fake Fashion”. Photography by 2/3, MUA by Jolin. Hair by Tang Tang; Model: Xi Junjie, ESEE Models
All images come courtesy of 2/3 Photography
Copyright@Temper Magazine, 2019. All rights reserved
Perpetually in pursuit of the greater good that is “China Fashion”, van Paridon set up The China Temper to help promote the dynamite dynamic fashion scene sprouting within Beijing, Shanghai, and China overall. Catering to anybody and everybody who reads English and/or Chinese, Temper covers all the basics and bases. From China's street style scenery to its budding photographers, internationally renowned designers, and underground quirks plus phenomena: We present one hot-hip-happening current collective weaving The New "Made in China" tag.
The term “Made in China” is undergoing the ultimate 21st Century makeover. Escorted by the increasingly strong influence of a new thinking among China’s younger generations, regarding individuality and the expression thereof, the fashion scene in the Middle Kingdom is exploding. And stretches far beyond what meets the eye. It’s appliqué, one might say.
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