Contexts
01 Shadowless Trees
Alain Resnais
In Peter Suchin's lecture, he mentioned the film "Last Year at Marienbad" and how director Alain Resnais created a surreal atmosphere through the absence of shadows in the movie.
Last Year at Marienbad has been described as the most puzzling of all "The Puzzling Movies" of the late '50s and the '60s', exploring themes of memory, time, and the complexities of human perception. We all know that shadows typically provide a sense of realism and depth in a visual composition. However, Resnais deliberately chose to remove shadows from specific objects in the film, suggesting the uncertainty of the characters' memories and emphasizing the unreliable nature of memory as a subjective experience.
By eliminating shadows and creating a hypnotic atmosphere, the boundaries between reality and fantasy become blurred - a perfect example of the successful manipulation of the viewer's emotions and perceptions through the 'tampering' of images, I understand that this is not merely a cinematic magic trick but also a crucial skill to acquire as a painter.
References
Holland, N.N. (no date) Norman Holland on Alain Resnais’ Last Year at Marienbad - A sharper focus, A Sharper Focus. Available at: https://www.asharperfocus.com/LastYear.html (Accessed: 21 May 2023).
02 Holding an Egg
Jo Ann Callis
In an interview article about photographer Jo Ann Callis, I came across the following passage discussing her intriguing conversation with her tutor, Robert Heinecken:
There was one photograph of his that really struck me... there's a masked woman looking at the viewer and holding an egg between her fingers. I said to him, 'I love this.' The idea behind it, he explained, was inserting an object that you wouldn't expect to be there. If done in the right way, you can create another meaning.(Bodick,2014)
This whole idea of 'holding an egg' somehow resonates with my recent reflection on choosing elements that appear in my compositions.
Since starting my MA course, motivated by a desire to achieve "simplification of composition" in my work, I have experienced a significant shift in my narrative approach. I have moved away from a previous "novel-like" storytelling style characterized by abundant and intricate details, towards a more "poetic" narrative style—non-linear, broken, or absent. Under this narrative logic, I need to carefully consider the limited elements that appear in my images, gradually developing informal criteria：
Realistic, non-imaginary, and surreal elements.
Plausible but unexpected in the context of the scene.
Providing new meanings, multiple interpretations, and even hint at negation (a complete narrative reversal)
The fork, gloves, hairpieces, or wet umbrellas… These elements are crucial to the narrative in my work, and I even feel that they are one of the most important reasons that distinguish my works from others.
References
Bodick, N. (2014) Jo Ann Callis on the mysterious eroticism of her 1970s photographs, never shown until today, Artspace. Available at: https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/meet_the_artist/jo-ann-callis-interview-52444 (Accessed: 21 May 2023).
03 Eroticism and the Inherent Solitude of Our Existence
Georges Bataille
In Georges Bataille's book "Eroticism," the exploration of eroticism is rooted in an examination of the human spiritual existence. He proposes that the cause of arousing eroticism stems from a sense of melancholy and longing for connection within the inherent solitude of our existence.
We are fragmented beings, individuals pushed towards death within the incomprehensibility of chance, deeply sorrowful for the loss of coherence. We struggle to bear our contingency and the inevitability of our mortality. Anxious for a lasting existence, we find ourselves entangled in the primordial unity that connects us with existence itself... This sense of mourning can trigger three forms of eroticism in all individuals... The key to these three forms always lies in replacing the isolation of existence with a profound sense of coherence, substituting the inherent disjointedness of existence itself. (Translated from the Chinese Version.)(Bataille, 2018 p71)
Eroticism is an undeniable characteristic in my work, and I have been attempting to intertwine the exploration of eroticism with the complexities and vulnerabilities of the human spirit. However, my focus has often been on more specific topics such as self-discovery, personal identity, and intimate relationships. Yet, Bataille's commentary on the relationship between eroticism and this existential solitude seems to resonate with a subtle awareness I had previously explored in my works (I extensively discussed solitude in my writing in Unit 1). But it is in reading this passage that a sudden and clear realization dawns upon me. This understanding has provided a broader context to my work and imbued them with a consistent underlying hue.
References
1.Bataille, G. (2018) 色情. 南京: 南京大学出版社.
04 Talk on the Train
The conversation took place on a train, as we were en route to witness Sarah Lucas' curated exhibition, Big Women. In the midst of our dialogue, I suddenly felt compelled to record this talk, for at that moment, I experienced the captivating allure of conversing with a group of insightful, perceptive, and sincere friends, on a train! I dare say that this ranks among the most profoundly inspiring moments I have encountered since I arrived in London. The feedback and sentiments they shared regarding my artwork bestowed upon me a newfound understanding of my creations, and could be the best 'context' for me.