In the process of painting, I apply paint layers after layers, repeatedly. I impart messages, feelings and experiences that I encounter every day into each layer. I don’t intend to recreate forms in a figurative way but rather to transpose these fragments of life into a concrete collage using the medium of paint. At the same time, these become the starting points for my exploration of the relationship between material, space and time.
For the past few years, changes in my family, the loss of beloved ones, the disputes surrounding the ownership and selling of ancestral land, combined with life’s uncertainties made me to rethink about the relationship between memories, material and their monetary equivalent.
The keeping of an object or photography is the most direct form of remembering past events in our life. Memory occupies our lives in an intangible way whilst objects occupy a physical space.
Similarly, could memorable events or historical buildings be preserved solely through photographs and images? As greed for land and selfish desires arise in Taiwan, words like “memories”, “memorials”, and “historical value” seem to suddenly become catchphrases. However, is there genuine care about the historical value and memories for these sites that have been neglected for years until the government announced a redevelopment plan for the area?
Through the collection of vintage postcards, I re-evaluate the relation between time and space of the past and present. Though the people and connections no longer exist, the postcards remain, often thanks to – or rather saved by - their monetary value. They may be traded in flea markets, specialised shops or at online auctions. What is left are the intimate emotions of a greeting or a short paragraph accompanying the image of a significant landmark or scenery. Some of these might still be famous; some might have disappeared, some might have changed or even witness some major historical events. These postcards eventually end up in the hands of a complete stranger, like myself. I catch a glimpse of the exchanges and appreciate these special moments. Without these physical mementos, these fleeting connections in the past would have long been forgotten.
National monuments, historical buildings, family home or personal objects – may be considered as assets, treasures, memorabilia or rubbish depending on the context and circumstances. Facing the rapidly changing social-political environment, the way we ought to deal with these “things” has become increasingly important. I believe that memory and images can be placed together, and once the “things” might have gone, only memory – wonderfully unreliable as it can be - and some images will be left behind.
