Xiaobin_Liu_Exhibit

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About the Collection

Niagara Falls gave birth to many artworks and art cultures in its long history. Under the theme of “19th Century Visual Art and Niagara Falls”, I chose a series of photos to display. These photos are full of elements related to Niagara Falls. They come from Canada and the United States at different times in the 19th century. Some photos depict the appearance of the waterfall at that time, and some depict the environment around the waterfall. There are also photos that focus on the depiction of ships on the Niagara River and the characters on both sides of the riverbank. I think the direct manifestation of visual art is in photos. Although photos lack the meaning of art and culture compared to paintings, especially landscape paintings, they can more intuitively show the past scenery of Niagara Falls. Photos can freeze time and allow viewers to travel through time to feel the past.

Niagara Falls has a special geographical location and is the core of the Niagara region. Historically, in order to compete for this treasure, the two countries fought a fierce war between 1812 and 1814. After the war, the two countries signed the “Ghent Agreement”, stipulating that the Niagara River is shared by the two countries and the center line of the main channel is the two countries. boundary. Since then, the two countries have built a sister city called Niagara Falls on each side of the waterfall. One belongs to Ontario, Canada, and the other belongs to New York State, USA. The two cities face each other across the river and are connected by a rainbow bridge, The flags of the United States, Canada, and the United Nations are flying in the center of the bridge. The Stars and Stripes are in the south, the Maple Leaf flag is in the north, and the United Nations flag is in the center. The two countries do not have a single soldier here, and the people come and go freely without going through border formalities. The peaceful environment also makes Niagara Falls rich in tourism resources to bring more rewards to the two countries. In addition to the developed tourism industry and the subsequent emergence of gambling, food processing, chemicals, auto parts, metal, paper, and wine-making have also developed.

As mentioned earlier, Niagara Falls is very different, and there are many different ways to watch this unique waterfall. The photos I selected are also shown. Some were taken at the top of the waterfall on the Canadian side, and there were also photos taken at the bottom of the waterfall. Even now, people are still willing to appreciate this magnificent waterfall from various angles.

All in all, the history of these photos is of absolute importance to the Niagara area and Niagara Falls. Their existence shows that Niagara Falls is an important reference object and topic selection in the visual culture of the 19th century.