A state of purity

Pure, Julian Lee's recently published photo album, portrays his creative life as a photographic artist through works from five of his exhibitions—"five sentimental journeys obsessively searching for the origin of truth."

Mr Lee, Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Media (SCM), said before joining CityU he had put aside his identity as a "European photographer" and for some time pursued other endeavours: magazine editing, film making, and a venture into the world of dotcoms. Unpacking his photographic archive on arrival in Hong Kong inspired him to put together the collection to "recollect my photo inspiration, my soul- searching days as a photo graduate in London, my struggle as a budding artist in Europe, and my coming to terms with my heart to return to Hong Kong."

 

A grant from the SCM enabled Mr Lee to publish Pure, which is a personal revelation of the way photography has shaped his life. The collection also shows how his work was influenced by such masters as George Platt Lynes, El Greco and Andres Serrano. It contains his interpretations of angels, nostalgic black and white compositions, and his use of colour in pursuit of movement and form, and covers his photographic career from 1988-2001. "My intention in photography is to approach a state of purity," Mr Lee said.

Staff and students can buy a copy of Pure at a special discount price of $90 by contacting Julian Lee on his book website: www.julianlee.f4w.net, or at his e-mail address: smjulian@cityu.edu.hk.