Copyright 2004, Michael Wolf, from "Hong Kong: The Front Door/The Back Door"

This week, Michael Wolf was awarded a World Press Photo first prize for a photo series he made for Stern Magazine called China: Factory for the World. He was kind enough to talk with me about the award winning work, as well as the Architecture of Density photos featured in Lens Culture. Our very interesting conversation ranged almost 2 hours and covered a lot of ground. The first installment of our interview is about 11-1/2 minutes. You can listen to it here. (I've got to get better at editing audio recordings -- sorry for the thumping sounds and for the sudden transitions from one topic to the next). Check back later for other excerpts from the interview.

The photo above is part of his companion series of photos intended to accompany the Architecture of Density photographs. Wolf has this to say about these "back door" photos:

"Most Hong Kong people do not have enough private space for their needs, therefore public space becomes private space. Private acts happen in public places: laundry, even vegetables are dried on fences surrounding the housing estates, house plants are raised in back alleys, shoes are jammed under outside water pipes because there is no space inside for them, washed gloves are hung to dry on barbed wire. If there is no more space inside, something must go out: mops, shovels, pots and pans are hung on hooks on the walls outside of apartments. In order to survive in this dense environment, one must be able to adapt. In comparison to the ordered and well planned european cities, Hong Kong is almost like a plant - it grows organically, making space for itself wherever possible. The face of a newly built public housing estate is a blank slate - several years later its facade reflects the ingeneuity and improvisational talents of its inhabitants.

"Through my photographs I am exploring the adaptations to this lack of private space and inviting you to reflect upon what these improvisations reveal about the character of the inhabitants of Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong: The Front Door/The Back Door" will be published by Thames and Hudson in 2005. You can see lots more of Wolf's work at his website.