Masks 100
2014
Digital prints, non-toxic particulate masks, installation
200 x 200 x 6cm
Masks is a poetic response to contemporary social and political issues. In today’s society, information spreads seemingly without limitations of time and space – ‘you say, I say, everyone says… you know, I know, everyone knows’ – somewhat like Chinese Whispers, a children’s game that has been reinvented and replayed in the 21st century through the internet. However, the message often loses its originality and truth through the process of transmission.
Retelling the same story through different visuals challenges the viewer’s mind, and inspires viewers to reflect on their attitude to the world. Monsters are dangerous and adventurous, good and bad, and often, we are the monsters ourselves.
The materials are used as a metaphor to reflect the character of the monster in the poem. The direct reason behind using particulate masks was a reaction to the pollution created by industry in China. However, there is a hidden meaning underpinning this work: the image suggests that people’s voices are filtered and censored, commenting on the prohibition against free speech.
This simultaneously ambiguous yet explicit work reflects my art practice, which has always been concerned with exploring the interplay between yin-yang polarities. Masks addresses a global issue of humanity or the lack thereof. Some people are influential, some are victims, and some are anonymous. The images are heavily pixelated so that they are unrecognisable close-up. However, as the viewer steps back, physically increasing their distance from the work, the faces become clear. I take moral and ethical line to reexamine truth.
Chinese Whispers
12 December 2014 – 31 January 2015
Goulburn Art Regional Gallery
Exhibition catalogue: Chinese Whispers
ISBN 978-0-9875863-2-2