text by Sophie Mclntyre
The historical destiny of humanity has a certain incurable absurdity. -- Yao Jui-Chung
As one of the younger generation of artists in Taiwan, Yao Jui-Chung consciously sets out to deconstruct, subvert and denounce the established order. In his works, Yao focuses on Taiwan's history, or "shit-ory" as he describes it, which he satirically re-interprets and re-presents to challenge long-held political ideologies and definitions of national identity. As a performance artist and photographer, Yao re-enacts and re- records history, integrating his own image within an historical framework. In doing so, the artist not only personalizes history, but also describes the sense of displacement and disillusionment which he shares with others of his generation who struggle to overcome the inherent contradictions of history, and to find their own identity.
Yao's irrepressible urge to rebel against the prevailing political power structure is demonstrated in a series of works, titled "Recover Mainland China" (1996-7). Recalling the long-lived belief that the Kuomintang Army in Taiwan would one day re-take Mainland China, Yao sets out on his own crusade to re-claim China's historical sites, in front of which he photographs himself as a soldier standing ready to attention. Although these works may appear comical in their absurdity, they are imbued with a sense of melancholy and sad irony. In this series the artist endeavours to express the overwhelming sense of detachment and disillusionment which many Taiwanese experienced when they were finally allowed to return to China after the lifting of martial law in 1987. Despite historical, cultural and family connections in China, Yao, like others, is a tourist, a floating figure, who will never touch the ground. In his series of works, titled "World is for All" (1998-9), Yao visits various cities around the world, where he photographs himself standing under the gate which symbolically marks the entrance to Chinatown. The artist adopts the title "World is for All" (na xia wei gong) which is commonly inscribed on the gate in Chinese characters, as a parody, to challenge the notion that Chinatown, is in fact for all people. Yao examines patterns of immigration and settlement by Chinese who are almost intuitively drawn to Chinatown where they set up their homes and businesses, and where they re-discover their identity. In these works. Yao applies gold leaf to the photograph, as a symbol of prosperity. In contrast, the ornate European frame alludes to the sense of dislocation and alienation which Chinese migrants experience in a world which many believe is not for all.
Underpinning the series "Beyond the Blue Sky" (1997), is the Taoist philosophy of "letting go". In these finely executed ballpoint pen drawings on paper, Yao faces the Beyond, where alien beings float in an indefinable space. In this apocalyptic world, time has no meaning, and there is no history, identity, or memory with which to relate to oneself or to the "Other". These prophetic works are in answer to the artist's calling to open our minds and form a new identity.
|
|
