Lin Chuan-tsu was active in Central Taiwan as a photojournalist and creator. In recent years, reproduction, promotion, and research projects for important cultural monuments and events of Taichung have also relied on the precious historical records of images left by these senior photographers.
Making Flag by the River was exhibited in Eye of the Times – Centennial Images of Taiwan at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 2011. The documentary content of this work highlights the characteristics of the times. In the 1960s, the customs Taichung are simple while the winding Liuchuan has been an important vein of the city in the past and the present. In addition to being an important part of people’s daily life, Liuchuan’s special flag-making process at that time was also presented in the work.
By the Liuchuan in the picture, the army and the ordinary people are separated by only the water, which forms a strong contrast. The flag-making mantle is built along the river bank, and the parallel perspective increases the stability of the composition. The foreground features the white light of the banner, which fully emphasizes and highlights the theme. In addition, the people riding bicycles on the right side lead the viewer’s sight to the perspective point of the background, enriching the layers of the work. The artist boldly divided the layout into two, and then arranged the flag maker in the center of the image, trying to achieve the effect of balance between movement and stillness of the composition.
Sun Wei-xuan, “2021 Compilation and Research Project of Metadata in Photography.”