Extended Image Assignment 1: Body of Work

The Process

My personal experience with body dysmorphic disorder has always been something I wanted to talk about but never dared to. It is also something so prevalent in today’s society (even more so in the gay community) and despite the current body-positivity movements, there is still a lot to be done in terms of acceptance.

Stemming from photo series titled Disappearing Act, I wanted to create a video that served as a performance and that could be projected in a variety of spaces and on various mediums. For this installation, Body of Work, I chose to screen it almost life-size and surround it with objects and photos that supported the message and idea of the video.

Bowl – The bowl in this installation represents the perfect form. So white and glazed that it goes against my final form when painted completely black. Bowls also carry connotations of femininity.

Rice – Rice is a form of sustenance and is the staple food in the Asian context. When placed beside the video, rice then becomes the source of black paint, transforming it into something that bears ideas of something toxic and the culprit of the destruction of my body.

Corset – The corset is a symbol of the idealism of the female body and its perfect form. It, however, holds so much meaning with regards to oppression and the objectification of the body. The way I contort my body to form a new silhouette holds a similarity to the way the corset is meant to shape.

Self-portraits – I wanted to present myself in the purest form. Clean from any physical or cosmetic alterations. My face and abdomen, therefore, serve as a reflection of my gaze in the video. It also suggests how one of the driving forces for this piece stems from something internal.

Artist Reference

I looked to performance artist Lee Wen when thinking about how I wanted to create my installation. Best known for his works Yellow Man and Journey of a Yellow Man where he covers his body with bright yellow paint as an expression of his ethnic identity and citizen of Singapore. Paint and colour are symbols that I resonate with due to their transformative abilities and strong visual language and metaphorical representations.

I also looked at his installation setups and props used during his performances. He is someone that is sensitive when it comes to using symbolism to illustrate his messages and I was drawn to his use of everyday objects that were both aesthetically pleasing and full of meaning.

The Oceanic / The Current Convening Strategies

The Oceanic and The Current Convening #3 were recently held at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, concentrating on research projects and observations within issues surrounding the Polynesian Islands and the Pacific. As The Current Convening was presented in a panel discussion format, I will place emphasis on The Oceanic and what I experienced when I was there.

Strategy #1: Space

The greatest strategy that created an excellent ambience for viewing the large collection of research and artefacts in The Oceanic was the space in which it was held in. The walls were clean white peppered with various colour accents as a result of the different projections and screens, the ceiling was high and it created a sense of serenity, almost allowing me to take my time at each portion of the exhibit and not rush through it. Perhaps I could employ this for my own extended image installation and not clutter the space with too many objects / imagery that would create a tensed atmosphere.

Strategy #2: Lighting

The next strategy building on the first would be the clever play of lighting. When given a large space, The Oceanic was successful in creating focal points using a smart play of lighting. Light was also able to set the mood, enabling me to feel differently at the various segments of the exhibition.

As seen in the image above, light played a key role in directing viewers on where to look and thus created impact in the exhibition space. As someone who loves playing with lighting in my photography, I look forward to lighting my own personal installation space creatively so as to communicate the full depth of my concept.

Strategy #3: Sound

Upon walking into the exhibition area, I immediately heard faint pockets of different sounds echoing all over the space. This added on to the overall ambience yet each individual sound didn’t seem to overpower each other. There was instead  a sense of balance and harmony. For exhibits that contained more explantations than others, individual televisions and headphones were provided which also sparked ideas on how I could use this way to create a direct and somewhat personal connection with an audience in my space. On a whole, sound was used effectively in communication and should be something I think about when I create my own work.