text by Sophie Mclntyre
The only way to enter the deepest part of the spirit is to confront the body's feelings. -- Tao Ya-Lun
Tao Ya-Lun is one of Taiwan's most recently acclaimed young artists. In his two and three dimensional mixed media automated installations, the artist focuses on the body as a site for self-exploration and self-expression. Driven by a desire to overcome self-consciousness, Tao explores the body which he views as a house where one's deepest psychological, sexual, and spiritual feelings reside, and where one will discover one's true identity.
In "Secret Sexuality" (1997), Tao explores the politics of sexuality In a society where traditional, conservative views about sexuality persist, this intriguing work questions social conventions and moral values, and brings the viewer to an awareness of his or her self. Here, the artist represents female genitalia through formal and material associations which invoke a subtle yet potent sexual tension. Stretching a piece of fine, and almost translucent elastic material over an elliptical shaped wooden frame, Tao then attaches a sensory motor to the inside of the structure. When triggered, this sensor slowly and repeatedly slides up and down. The eye of the viewer hypnotically follows this fleshy swelling through the material, becoming fully aware of the sexual reality of the structure. In reference to this work, Tao states, "sexuality is the intimate bond between mind and body and is the root of self-consciousness."
"Breathing A Sigh" (1998) is a less emotive work, and is underpinned by a cool, controlled tension. In an effort to capture the slow, rhythmic movement of inhalation and exhalation, Tao has built a large, ovoid-shaped iron framework onto which soft, supple brown cloth is stretched so that the "ribs" of the framework protrude through the material. When the sensor is triggered by the viewer, the iron ribs rise and fall, like a breath, until the sensor ceases and the breath dies.
Utilising various mechanical devises to create his works, Tao explores the sensory realm of human emotions and desire with a dispassionate critical focus. Here, the human anatomy is transformed into a machine with which the viewer interacts. Contained within a framework, the movement of the body is activated and regulated by the sensor. In these works, Tao adopts a minimalist but highly sophisticated vocabulary to produce an understated indictment of social and self-repression, which he considers creates internal conflict, and inhibits awareness of one's self.
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