DAY 208

PHOTOGRAPHIC CURIOSITIES

The Photographer of the Mine

SONG CHAO’S REALISM

A native of the Shandong Province of China, Song Chao creates portraits of the miners from his hometown. It is no accident that the laborers are shot wearing their work clothes, unvarnished and candid. The photographer is intimately familiar with the perilous, gritty conditions of the mine—after all, these men are his former coworkers.

Having worked as a miner for the Shandong Yankuang Group Co., Chao has met international acclaim in recent years as a self-styled photographer. Much like the music of American country singer Loretta Lynn, Chao’s art does not merely “rise above” his humble roots—it is informed by his background at its deepest level.

There is a certain inscrutable mystery to the facial expressions of the photographer’s subjects. Transcending social commentary, these photos offer to the viewer a connection with these miners that exists at a much broader, universal level.

Miners often carry photographs of loved ones with them as a constant reminder to be careful on the job. Similarly, for the rest of us, Chao’s portraits serve as a constant reminder of our shared humanity with those who work in this extremely dangerous profession. —DJS

Chinese photographer Song Chao captures the lives of miners with whom he used to work.