IT MAGAZINE IT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY ISSUE | Page 17

ARTISTS ' STUDIO
Look Lake
( 2015 ) Marker on paper by : NGUYEN , Nathan
The piece appears to simply depict a ripple in a lake, but in reality, a faint face
appears to look back at the viewer. The identity of the face is uncertain, but this may be
the intent of the artist. Anyone looking may very well see themselves reflected back at
them. The dark blue and black lines represent water at a surface level, but perhaps the
artist demands the viewer to look beyond the surface. Is the perspective from above or
below the water? If below, then the face above must not be a reflection but is instead a
person separate from the viewer, looking down through the water at the viewer. This
interpretation may also be reversed: if this view is looking down at the water, there may
very well be a person in the water looking up at the viewer. A sense of danger may arise
given this ambiguous tension. Perhaps it is in fact an image of ourselves, but we are too
afraid to recognise who we appear to be. Perhaps the greatest danger to ourselves is
ourselves.
IT Magazine / February Issue
15