Land scape
Stephen Chen
CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW
successful attempt to produce a dialectical fusion that operates as a system of symbols creates a compelling non linear narrative that , walking the thin line between conceptual and literal meanings , establishes direct relations with the viewers . German multidisciplinary artist Thomas Demand once stated that " nowadays art can no longer rely so much on symbolic strategies and has to probe psychological , narrative elements within the medium instead ". What is your opinion about it ? And in particular how do you conceive the narrative for your works ?
I totally agree with that statement as contemporary art practice and criticism has moved beyond the production of a singular art object into building and understanding a body of work respectively . As a result art is no longer “ pure ”, viewed in isolation on a separate plane , but within a larger context .
Even in my early photographic work , I was cognizant of the problematic “ purity ” inherent in the art form passed down since the early masters such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston ( especially when the medium inherently fetishizes the idea of an iconic moment ). If you were to go to an exhibition of their work , you will see a wall of beautiful photographs ; each perfectly contained that does not speak to the next , nor collectively build into something larger than the sum of their parts . I think it is this containment that leads to the sort of ritualized seeing e . g . where people pick out their favourite pieces , offer bland compositional “ critiques ”, or consider how it would fit in their décor .
To counterpose that , to try and make viewers engage in the work as a whole , I structure my photographic projects like a musical score ; whereby each photo ( like a musical phrase ) loses something when taken in isolation . Your observation on how the work creates a non-linear narrative is both perceptive and correct ; I don ’ t think most people are consciously are aware it is what I set out to accomplish .
My musical / narrative inspiration is the Passacaglia form which is non-linear , as opposed to the Sonata form , which is linear ( having a distinctive exposition and development ). I see linear narrative as both ritual and tyranny . From children ’ s fairy tales to corporation press releases , linear narratives dictate meaning – there is only one way to think ( and one way to behave ). In contrast , the Passacaglia form ( which itself has so many variations that scholars can ’ t agree on the distinctions ) is a set of continuous variations over a bass ; and it is this structure of shifting meanings over a base that makes it especially suited for allegory . By layering and varying conceptual and literal meanings , I hoped to convey and encourage the viewer to see beyond the manifest , to uncover hidden references , and even create new unintended symbolic connections for themselves .
You are a versatile artist and over these years you have gained the ability to cross from one media to another : in particular , we wouls like to spend some words about another interesting piece entitled THE SCHOOLING OF DESIRE . We have appreciated the way your approach reveals such incessant search of an organic symbiosis between a variety of viewpoints . So we would like to ask you if you have you ever happened to realize that such multidisci-