Keith Macgregor
Tea shop - Shanghai Street, 1982
The Way We Were
3-18 November 2018
Venue: Pop-Up Event Space Usagi
6-10 Shin Hing Street, Sheung Wan
(steps down Hollywood Road, near PMQ)
Keith Macgregor documented Hong Kong during the economic boom period from the 70s to the 90s, a time of immense prosperity, social development and general optimism. Nearing the end of its status as a British colony, these photographs depict a fascinating time where the visual contrast between British and Chinese culture, as well as what could be described as the old and the new, was still immensely visible and played into what made the city dynamic yet still mystical in nature.
Keith Macgregor記錄了香港在70年代至90年代的黃金時期，這是一個社會發展繁榮和樂觀的時期。 這些照片為仍是英國殖民地的香港，描繪出那個迷人的時期。其中的中英文化以及新舊之間的視覺對比仍然非常明顯，並融入並創造出這個充滿活力的城市畫面，但同時本質上仍然保留其神秘感。
Hong Kong in 70-80’s
Duo Collection
Panoramas 全景系列
The "Panoramas" body of work were all created between 2007 and 2016. Hong Kong is indeed a city of transformation and adaptation, this series expresses that through the comparison of before and after, old and new. Most cities see great change in infrastructure and real estate, however in Hong Kong, due to land reclamation the land itself has expanded as the harbour shrinks; Macgregor's "Panoramas" documents the changing landscape or a fluid city.
《全景》系列作品全部創作於2007年至2016年之間，通過比較新舊之間的對比，展現出香港確實為一個充滿轉變和極具適應力的城市。大多數城市的巨大變化多數在於基礎設施和房地產方面，但是在香港的變化集中於土地被不斷開墾，以縮小港口的手法去擴大土地面積。 Keith Macgregor的《全景》系列正正記錄了這個動蕩的城市裡，不斷變化的景觀。
View from the Peak, 1982
Kowloon & Island fom Fei Gno Shan, 2011
Neon Fantasies 霓虹遐想
Neon lights are synonymous with Hong Kong where at one time there were over 100,000 neon signs that decorated the city. It would be almost impossible to remove this visual language from how the city is presented in art and culture, photography and films. Neon first became recognised in Hong Kong in 1920 and the first sign appeared in Shanghai in 1926. Flourishing in Shanghai in the 1930s, Hong Kong was, as always, quick to follow the trend opening a neon light factory in 1932. Seen as effective advertisements and signages, first lighting up the streets of Wan Chai (escorting the growing nightclub scene), followed by Nathan Road in Kowloon. Neon signs gain ever greater prominence in Hong Kong in the post World War II era and in the 1950s “neon boom” in Hong Kong. In the Wan Chai District, the neon streetscape of Lockhart Road emerges in sync with the flourishing nightclub business catering to the Marines as US warships made stops in the city during the Korean War. The emergence of more energy-efficient LEDs in the 1990s initiated the decline and by 2003 Hong Kong’s neon manufacturing relocates to mainland China; companies remaining in the city diversify to LEDs and light boxes. Between 2006 to 2012 a number of emergency reports on street signs are received, raising a public safety issue. The Buildings Department removes about 3,000 unauthorised signboards per year. In 2013, Hong Kong’s “Validation Scheme for Unauthorised Signboards” was implemented, furthering the disappearance of neon signs from the city’s streets.
Keith Macgregor’s “Neon Fantasies” series imagines a Hong Kong landscape where there are no restrictions on neon lights and where signs take over and cover all the darkness of the night. Where more is more and bigger is better - the works show the psyche of the city that never sleeps. Digital collage of photographs is used to present this alternate reality which also represents a new development in the work of the artist who primarily takes landscape and street photography. At the heart of the project is a nostalgic love affair with the disappearing neon lights, a longing for a bygone era before the city started to become “sanitised” and a deep connection to the place Macgregor once called home. "Neon Fantasies" expresses how the artist believes the city should look like today, abound in colour, diversity and optimism.
霓虹燈是香港的代名詞，全盛時期曾經有超過10萬個霓虹燈招牌裝飾。幾乎不可能將這種視覺語言從城市在藝術和文化、攝影和電影中的呈現⽅式中刪除。霓虹燈於1920年⾸首次在香港得到認可，第一個招牌於1926年在上海出現，而香港緊隨上海的發展在1932年已在本開設霓虹燈工廠。 作為有效的廣告和招牌，首先照亮灣仔的街道，其次是九⿓龍彌敦道。在第二次世界⼤戰後的香港和20世紀50年代的香港霓虹燈熱潮中，霓虹燈在香港的地位日益突出。在灣仔區，駱克道的霓虹燈街景與朝向海軍陸戰隊的蓬勃發展的夜總會業務同步出現，因為美國軍艦在朝鮮戰爭期間在本市停留。20世紀90年代，因節能LED燈的出現引至霓虹燈的招牌數目下降，到2003年，香港的霓虹燈製造業搬遷到中國大陸，而大多數公司招牌都改用LED和燈箱。在2006年至2012年期間，收到了一些關於路牌的緊急報告，引發了公共安全問題。屋宇署每年清拆約3,000個未經批准的招牌。 2013年，香港實施了「未經授權的招牌驗證計劃」，進一步消除了城市街道上霓虹燈。
Keith Macgregor的《霓虹遐想》系列想像一個香港的景觀，對霓虹燈沒有任何限制，招牌覆蓋夜晚的所有黑暗。更多更⼤更好的地方 - 作品展現了香港不夜城的⼀面。照片採用數碼拼貼呈現這種替代現實，這也代表了以往主要拍攝風景和街頭攝影的 Keith作品的新發展。《霓虹遐想》系列是對消失的霓虹燈的懷舊情懷，在城市開始變得「乾淨」之前對過去時代的渴望，以及與Keith稱之為家的地⽅的深層聯繫。
Keith Macgregor has been photographing Hong Kong for nearly 50 years. He comes. from a family with long term connections to Hong Kong and China, his great grandfather having arrived in Shanghai in the late 1850s where set up Caldbeck Macgregor Ltd, a wine & spirits importing business which eventually opened offices all over Asia, China & Hong Kong (1884).
Keith was educated in England from 1954, finishing up at Oxford University in 1964. In 1970 he returned to Hong Kong to set up as a portrait and later a commercial photographer which led to the creation of his publishing business, Cameraman Limited. The books, calendars and postcards published were very successful. “An Eye on Hong Kong”, first published in 1997, sold out 6 editions. His 2nd book: “Neon City, Hong Kong, at Night ” also sold out and became a collector’s item. A "50th Anniversary of photographing Hong Kong” edition is in the pipeline, as well as a book of his Panoramic images. Despite having lived in London for the past 26 years he returns frequently to take photographs of Hong Kong's ever changing landscape.
Keith Macgregor拍攝香港近50年。他來自⼀個與香港和中國很有淵源的家庭，他的曾祖父於19世紀50年代末抵達上海，在那裡建立了Caldbeck Macgregor有限公司，這是一家酒和烈酒進口企業，最終在亞洲、中國和香港開設辦事處。
Keith於1954年在英國接受教育，1964年在牛津⼤學完成學業。1970年，他回到香港成為一名肖像攝影家，後來來成為商業攝影師，創立了他的出版社業務Cameraman Limited。出版的書籍、⽇曆和明信⽚非常成功。1997年首次出版的“An Eye on Hong Kong”六版全部售罄。他的第二本書：“Neon City, Hong Kong, at Nigh”也賣光了，因此成為收藏家的收藏珍品。 “A love affair with Hong Kong. 50 years through the lens of Keith Macgregor”及一本他的全景影像攝影書 (Panoramic images) 正在籌備中。儘管過去26年他曾在倫敦⽣活，但他經常回來拍攝香港不斷變化的城市景觀。
Press Received:
Ming Pao
CNN
Wall Street Intenational Magazine
Trailer for the exhibition ‘The Way We Were’ at Blue Lotus Gallery (pop-up venue Usagi, 6-10 Shin Hing Street) 3-18 November 2018
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