Land scape
Stephen Chen
CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW
The power of being indirect lies in the perception it is less forceful . Neutral is a shade on a swatch , not a stance . I don ’ t want to tell people , I want people to think ; which is why I prefer to work with non-linear narrative structures , so as to create spaces for people to make their own linkages . Particularly for those working in a climate rife with censorship or conformity , I think it is one of the few viable strategies for expression that does not overly compromise one ’ s authenticity .
I believe the role of the artist is to somehow break through the sea of apathy and complacency in the public sphere of our highly mediated and materialistic culture . I have no utopian delusions about sweeping social transformations from art . More so than ever , one has to guard against the codifying , commoditizing , and co-opting impulses of the contemporary age . However , if we all create enough ripples , it just might become a wave of change .
One of the hallmarks of your practice is the capability to create a direct involvement with the viewers , who are urged to evolve from a condition of mere spectatorship . So before leaving this conversation we would like to pose a question about the nature of the relationship of your art with your audience . Do you consider the issue of audience reception as being a crucial component of your decision-making process , in terms of what type of language is used in a particular context ?
Thank you . The issue of audience reception is a critical component of my creative decisionmaking process . One of the things that resonated with me in Adorno ’ s conception of the dialectic is the notion of immanence , of coming from within . When I am creating a piece , many of the decisions are around how to create the conditions and symbolic structures to encourage the audience to think actively , to