Shanghai – based photographer Ryan Pyle offers a glimpse of a vineyard in Shanxi, producing a perspective of China’s fast developing wine industry. The process of images reflect and could be recognised as ‘documentary’, however Pyle is able to capture raw emotion and motion of a country not stereotypically known for its process and production of ‘wine’. The emotions of some of his images such as the men working in the fields and the females picking the thousands of grapes portray and signify a culture that still processes through man labour. A tradition where the men work on the fields and the females work inside. But none of the workers are really showing a love for their work; a desire or passion. It seems more like a mechanical process in what is photographed. Lots of lower class workers producing high quality products for the middle and upper class. Clashes of characters are shown in the images. The girl at the end drinking the wine looks attractive, clean, crystal and perfect; as well as the point of sale in which the wine bottles are displayed in. Signalling a ‘luxury’ and ‘privilege’ to drink and consume this drink. In which as we see the production of the industry, we notice that this may not be the case. The process starts at the bottom, with the lower class and concludes being consumed by the upper class. A representation of social and working life in China; brilliantly and accurately captured by Pyle through stills. Proving that images can mean more than just a picture.
Daniel Booker, Lens Media 