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On The Border, From The Distance II
邊境，近境 II

Hong Kong, Taiwan, Zurich | 2016 | Color | 20’08” | Sound


–
Screening & Exhibition

2016

Joint Exhibition, Jordan, Hong Kong
"The Separated Rooms"

Joint Exhibition, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Center, Hong Kong
"Ambient Occlusion - MFA Creative Media Graduation Show 2016"

Solo Exhibition, Lumenvisum JCCAC, Hong Kong
“The Shape of Time” 

–

SPECULATION OF TIME: ON DOROTHY WONG’S RECENT WORKS

BY SEAN WONG - Studied Fine Arts for a few years, and still learning to observe and narrate little by little. 

In the contemporary world, visual presentation is the leading element to facilitate communication. People are always aware of the need to define the content of images with the thread of messages, and to cast a safety net for the ever-changing interpretation. Mainstream media like viral videos, TV programmes, and movies have established an accustomed framework for the public to interpret an image. Viewers tend to look for clear instructions and constant information. The act of relying heavily on simplified procedures in perceiving and comprehending an image has limited viewers’ ability to think beyond the existing operating system of images. 

The Implication of images is never constant. Regardless of how explicit the theme of an image is, uncertainty still exists in the search for the meaning of a piece. Dorothy Wong attempts to explore the ambiguity of images and the possibility of perceiving time and space through her recent works, ‘Border’, a series of photography works, and ‘On the Border, From the Distance’, an experimental video. Wong strives to create a neat and minimal composition for both pieces in order to focus on the partial background in the hope of creating an abstract space. The work only contains few tiny objects, as if precious feathers fall from a world of chaos and are placed in an empty yet colourful space, where the colour blocks which carry the flow of time act as the entrance for open interpretation. When the fragments of time are sliced off one after another like a gecko’s tail, the swaying of space detaches it from the happenings. If the dropped tail is placed in a monotone glass container, what will viewers who just step into the room see when they find an ashy silhouette curling, straightening, and swaying beneath the glass? 

Ambiguity of Image

In ‘On the Border, From the Distance’, Wong attempts to explore the fundamentally ambiguous side of images. From shooting angle, composition to editing, Wong deliberately reduces common context clues, such as aerial perspective, architecture, and human activities etc. The spatial relevance of subjects like the clouds, waves, and bushes is taken away. They are removed from the respective timescale, geographical regions, ecological relations, and the given names. The images are therefore formed into groups of visual vocabularies, inviting viewers to engage with their imagination. That moving white line along the edge of the blue square is a falling star, a boat alone in the sea, and fish in the lake. Objects often remain the same in the eyes of many, but they can turn into anything when being conceived. When viewers engage the work with their unique imagination and perception, their personal memories and sentiments can be evoked. This is the preciousness of the ambiguity of images. This quality can also be found in Wong’s earlier works, including the photography series ‘West of the Sun’ and ‘Island in the Mist’. Wong’s works have continuously shared subtle and ambiguous content. Yet they are able to capture both the macro and micro perspectives of the nature, creating an imaginary scene between the images. 

Frames as an Alternate Space

Another major focus of Wong’s work is on the contemplation of time and space. Both sets of works feature arrangements of collage split in frames. In general, framing aims to exhibit the distinct difference between the frame and the framed content. Intersection between the two creates a strong contrast, and further highlights the content inside the frame. A painting frame hindering the captivating landscape on the canvas to extend further would be an example. The frame allows the space in the painting to stand alone, and enables viewers to engage with it without distractions. However in Wong’s work, the frames and the framed content share a similar nature. ‘Border’ splits the picture by separating some detailed differences from the same scenery, as if juxtaposing the objects at a different time in the same space. Seemingly a coherent picture at the first sight, viewers can only realize the dividing line of the two spilt pictures when taking a close examination. These slight differences in the two spaces appear and disappear on the border back and forth. Not until the birds’ wings finally separate from the body at the end of the border would viewers know about another space hidden under the same hue. Leaving with the perception from ‘Border’, viewers might wonder if there is any border leading to another space when they look up at the sky. 

Consciousness of Time

The mobility in ‘On the Border, From the Distance’ enables Wong to further manifest her time perspective. Breaking down images in the same manner, the filmed images remain static but not still, the changes are minute but lingers as time does. Dissolving into the seemingly still but dynamic scenes, time runs silently without noticing. Such ordinary rhythm of the nature may bore metropolitans because of the hypersensitive attitude we used to have towards chronology of events. That explains why we are so confused in face of the pure movements of the nature. Through reiterating the initial liquid state of time, the work develops a base for further exploration. The part featuring a still image juxtaposing with the video clip is particularly thought provoking. In short, moving image is a representation of time. Yet, the kind of representation is developed on top of the optical illusion created by the dynamic and quick transition of multiple images. Based on the optical illusion theory, in the scene 2 of the work where waves flow dynamically on the top part and remain still below. The dynamic and static in the picture can be understood as two image-changing rates, the normal speed of visual perceptual processing; and the extremely slow speed that freezes the image. If the composition of splitting the same image in the work aims to initiate an evaluation about space, juxtaposing the dynamic and static version of the same image here can then be interpreted as a reflection about time perception. An excerpt from the classic ‘Free and Easy Wandering’ by Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi can be rendered as an elaboration of it, “The morning mushroom knows nothing of twilight and dawn; the summer cicada knows nothing of spring and autumn. They are the short-lived. South of Chu there is a caterpillar that counts five hundred years as one spring and five hundred years as one autumn. Long, long ago there was a great rose of Sharon that counted eight thousand years as one spring and eight thousand years as one autumn. They are the long-lived” (Zhuangzi & Watson, 2013, p.2). There is a huge difference in measuring time as the long-lived and short-lived. Similarly, the lasting stillness in our eyes may be transience of a particular kind of perpetual time flow. 

Since the popularization of photography, human civilization has invented unprecedented methods of perceiving time. We obtain the freedom to capture a moment and review the past. The technological advancement of photography and postproduction allows us to take a glimpse of tiny changes in slow motion, and review the history of centuries in few minutes. This empowerment may excite many, but also lead one to grow impatient with the primitive rhythm, and feel dissatisfied towards the drifting seconds at the moment. If you feel desensitized when conceiving an image, please do not forget that a group of artists share the similar situation with us. They were, they are, and they will continue to make attempts in the hopes of examining and challenging the norms of seeing. Dorothy Wong is perhaps one of them at present. 

* English translation of ‘Free and Easy Wandering’:
* Zhuangzi, & Watson, B. (2013). The complete works of Zhuangzi. New York, United States: Columbia University Press
 

時空猜想- 淺論黃加頌近作 

黃翊豐著 - 曾修讀藝術數年,仍遲緩地學習觀察與敘述。 

現代以視覺主導溝通,人們總小心翼翼地以訊息脈絡限定圖像內容,為浮動詮釋罩上緊密的安全網。 網絡影片、電視及電影等主流媒介已塑造大眾閱讀影像的慣性,讓人觀看時不自覺地期望明確指示與 固定訊息,感知與理解時常依賴過於簡化的程序,卻局限了固有影像操作系統以外,設想其他事物的能力。 

影像涵義向來多變,縱使其主題再確切,仍蘊含意義不明的面向。黃加頌以攝影與錄像為媒介,主動探 索影像的曖昧性,並嘗試發掘其他感知時空的方式。她近期的作品有實驗錄像《邊境,近境》與攝影作品 《邊境》。兩者構圖精簡,以聚焦環境局部來創造抽象空間。內裡只有一兩件微小物象,似是從繁雜無 序的世界裡抽出吉光片羽,置於無垠而多彩的虛空,而盛載著時間流動的色塊是通往開放詮釋的入口。 這些一片片被切割下來,尤如壁虎之尾的時間中,空間的晃動脫離了事件;若把斷尾放進素色玻璃箱: 一端略闊,另一端收尖的灰濁線條在捲曲、伸直和搖擺,甫踏進房間的人會看到什麼呢? 

影像的曖昧性 

黃加頌於開放影像曖昧性的用功可見於《邊境,近境》,其中取景、拍攝角度與構圖剪輯等等,都著意減 去常見的閱讀線索,如空間透視、建築物形態及人類活動等等。被攝對象如霞彩、海濤或樹叢的時空脈 絡被斷絕,具體時間刻度、地域所屬、生態關係及文化命名等被抽空後,鏡頭擷取物象的獨自呼息,並呈 現為一組組邀請觀者發揮想像的視覺詞語。藍色方塊邊緣的移動白線是流星墜落、是海上孤舟,也是 湖泊的魚苗。物象看在不同的眼裡並無二致,被認知時卻能千變萬化,此為影像曖昧性的可貴之處。當 觀者以各種聯想及推敲去介入作品時,個人的記憶與感受漸趨活躍,此為與作品進行細膩交流的條件。 《太陽以西》與《島嶼雲煙》等攝影系列是黃加頌較早的相關嘗試,同樣不具明確訊息內容,而在質感 和氣氛的表現上,已見捕捉山間水邊等巨大空間的廣袤與微妙之處的傾向,讓意境生於一幀幀圖像之間 不見於眼的隙縫裡。 

框作為異空間 

她創作的另一重心在於思考空間與時間,框狀切割的拼貼處理是兩組近作的共通點,當中框的屬性頗堪 玩味。一般而言,框或界限的形成在於它與「被框者」有差異,互相中斷了對方的內容並產生對比。理想 的情況下,框內物會得到強調而顯得更為明確。例如裝飾外框阻斷了畫布上的風景延伸,卻讓畫中時空 得以確立,讓觀者更容易進入其中。然而黃加頌所塑造的框與「被框者」是同質與近似的,較接近分割 重組而非框限;所欲的不是突顯中心影像,而是探討框內外時空的可變性。《邊境》中切割畫面的方法是從同樣的景物中分離出細緻差異,像並置同一個空間內不同時刻的狀態。驟眼看來是一片平緩單色,定 睛時方能察覺時隱時現的界線。看著翅膀在框線消融處脫離軀體,觀者才知道幾乎相同的灰度裡藏著不 同的空間。帶著從《邊境》中獲取的觀感,我們仰視天空時甚至會猜想上方可有通往別處的邊境。 

時間的知覺 

《邊境,近境》的影像流動性讓黃加頌更為完整地表達出她的時間觀。在相同的分割處理中,被攝的景 觀靜態而不靜止,如霞彩渲染或海濤浮泛,變化微細但持續,時間在似動非動的物象之中流淌。這種大自 然的平凡節奏或會讓城市人感到無聊,可能是我們對事件式時序過於敏感,面對單純的物象呼息時才會無 所適從。透過呈現時間原始的流動形態,作品建立了進一步發揮的基礎,即其錄像片段與定格相片並置所 能誘發的聯想。攝錄影像概括而言是時間的重現,建基於快速切換連續影像時所產生的動態錯覺。根據這 樣的視錯覺原理,某些場景如作品第二幕,海波在上方流動而下方靜止,畫面中的動與靜便可被理解為兩 種影像切換速率--貼近視覺常態感知的速度,及極其緩慢以至單格靜止的速度。若作品的分割式構圖旨 在引起關於空間的隱晦猜想,那麼此處的動靜並置便是對於時間感知的玄思。具體的比喻或可借《逍遙 遊》:「朝菌不知晦朔,蟪蛄不知春秋,此小年也。楚之南有冥靈者,以五百歲為春,五百歲為秋;上古有大 樁者,以八千歲為春,八千歲為秋,此大年也。」小年與大年的時間感知當有極大差異,而我們眼中的所謂 靜止,可能不過是某種漫長流動形態裡的一剎。 

自攝影技術普及以來,人類文明已產生了前所未有感知時間的方式,不斷消逝的當下可被捕捉與保存,我 們得到凝望瞬間的視力,也獲取了回眸過去的自由。有賴一代代人執著於發開眼睛,攝錄與各種後期處 理科技已日益精進。如今我們能以慢鏡一窺朝菌所知,也能在數十分鐘內看遍世紀百年的流變。這種種 大能或許令人過於興奮忙亂,不耐於原始視覺,不安於眼下分秒。但如果有時侯感到眼睛乾澀無感,請別 忘記在過去、現在與將來,也必定有一群與我們處境相同的創作者,為緩和麻木而作出了各種嘗試,而黃 加頌大概是此時此地一個小小的例子。 
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On The Border, From The Distance II
邊境，近境 II

Hong Kong, Taiwan, Zurich | 2016 | Color | 20’08” | Sound


–
Screening & Exhibition

2016

Joint Exhibition, Jordan, Hong Kong
"The Separated Rooms"

Joint Exhibition, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Center, Hong Kong
"Ambient Occlusion - MFA Creative Media Graduation Show 2016"

Solo Exhibition, Lumenvisum JCCAC, Hong Kong
“The Shape of Time” 

–

SPECULATION OF TIME: ON DOROTHY WONG’S RECENT WORKS

BY SEAN WONG - Studied Fine Arts for a few years, and still learning to observe and narrate little by little. 

In the contemporary world, visual presentation is the leading element to facilitate communication. People are always aware of the need to define the content of images with the thread of messages, and to cast a safety net for the ever-changing interpretation. Mainstream media like viral videos, TV programmes, and movies have established an accustomed framework for the public to interpret an image. Viewers tend to look for clear instructions and constant information. The act of relying heavily on simplified procedures in perceiving and comprehending an image has limited viewers’ ability to think beyond the existing operating system of images. 

The Implication of images is never constant. Regardless of how explicit the theme of an image is, uncertainty still exists in the search for the meaning of a piece. Dorothy Wong attempts to explore the ambiguity of images and the possibility of perceiving time and space through her recent works, ‘Border’, a series of photography works, and ‘On the Border, From the Distance’, an experimental video. Wong strives to create a neat and minimal composition for both pieces in order to focus on the partial background in the hope of creating an abstract space. The work only contains few tiny objects, as if precious feathers fall from a world of chaos and are placed in an empty yet colourful space, where the colour blocks which carry the flow of time act as the entrance for open interpretation. When the fragments of time are sliced off one after another like a gecko’s tail, the swaying of space detaches it from the happenings. If the dropped tail is placed in a monotone glass container, what will viewers who just step into the room see when they find an ashy silhouette curling, straightening, and swaying beneath the glass? 

Ambiguity of Image

In ‘On the Border, From the Distance’, Wong attempts to explore the fundamentally ambiguous side of images. From shooting angle, composition to editing, Wong deliberately reduces common context clues, such as aerial perspective, architecture, and human activities etc. The spatial relevance of subjects like the clouds, waves, and bushes is taken away. They are removed from the respective timescale, geographical regions, ecological relations, and the given names. The images are therefore formed into groups of visual vocabularies, inviting viewers to engage with their imagination. That moving white line along the edge of the blue square is a falling star, a boat alone in the sea, and fish in the lake. Objects often remain the same in the eyes of many, but they can turn into anything when being conceived. When viewers engage the work with their unique imagination and perception, their personal memories and sentiments can be evoked. This is the preciousness of the ambiguity of images. This quality can also be found in Wong’s earlier works, including the photography series ‘West of the Sun’ and ‘Island in the Mist’. Wong’s works have continuously shared subtle and ambiguous content. Yet they are able to capture both the macro and micro perspectives of the nature, creating an imaginary scene between the images. 

Frames as an Alternate Space

Another major focus of Wong’s work is on the contemplation of time and space. Both sets of works feature arrangements of collage split in frames. In general, framing aims to exhibit the distinct difference between the frame and the framed content. Intersection between the two creates a strong contrast, and further highlights the content inside the frame. A painting frame hindering the captivating landscape on the canvas to extend further would be an example. The frame allows the space in the painting to stand alone, and enables viewers to engage with it without distractions. However in Wong’s work, the frames and the framed content share a similar nature. ‘Border’ splits the picture by separating some detailed differences from the same scenery, as if juxtaposing the objects at a different time in the same space. Seemingly a coherent picture at the first sight, viewers can only realize the dividing line of the two spilt pictures when taking a close examination. These slight differences in the two spaces appear and disappear on the border back and forth. Not until the birds’ wings finally separate from the body at the end of the border would viewers know about another space hidden under the same hue. Leaving with the perception from ‘Border’, viewers might wonder if there is any border leading to another space when they look up at the sky. 

Consciousness of Time

The mobility in ‘On the Border, From the Distance’ enables Wong to further manifest her time perspective. Breaking down images in the same manner, the filmed images remain static but not still, the changes are minute but lingers as time does. Dissolving into the seemingly still but dynamic scenes, time runs silently without noticing. Such ordinary rhythm of the nature may bore metropolitans because of the hypersensitive attitude we used to have towards chronology of events. That explains why we are so confused in face of the pure movements of the nature. Through reiterating the initial liquid state of time, the work develops a base for further exploration. The part featuring a still image juxtaposing with the video clip is particularly thought provoking. In short, moving image is a representation of time. Yet, the kind of representation is developed on top of the optical illusion created by the dynamic and quick transition of multiple images. Based on the optical illusion theory, in the scene 2 of the work where waves flow dynamically on the top part and remain still below. The dynamic and static in the picture can be understood as two image-changing rates, the normal speed of visual perceptual processing; and the extremely slow speed that freezes the image. If the composition of splitting the same image in the work aims to initiate an evaluation about space, juxtaposing the dynamic and static version of the same image here can then be interpreted as a reflection about time perception. An excerpt from the classic ‘Free and Easy Wandering’ by Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi can be rendered as an elaboration of it, “The morning mushroom knows nothing of twilight and dawn; the summer cicada knows nothing of spring and autumn. They are the short-lived. South of Chu there is a caterpillar that counts five hundred years as one spring and five hundred years as one autumn. Long, long ago there was a great rose of Sharon that counted eight thousand years as one spring and eight thousand years as one autumn. They are the long-lived” (Zhuangzi & Watson, 2013, p.2). There is a huge difference in measuring time as the long-lived and short-lived. Similarly, the lasting stillness in our eyes may be transience of a particular kind of perpetual time flow. 

Since the popularization of photography, human civilization has invented unprecedented methods of perceiving time. We obtain the freedom to capture a moment and review the past. The technological advancement of photography and postproduction allows us to take a glimpse of tiny changes in slow motion, and review the history of centuries in few minutes. This empowerment may excite many, but also lead one to grow impatient with the primitive rhythm, and feel dissatisfied towards the drifting seconds at the moment. If you feel desensitized when conceiving an image, please do not forget that a group of artists share the similar situation with us. They were, they are, and they will continue to make attempts in the hopes of examining and challenging the norms of seeing. Dorothy Wong is perhaps one of them at present. 

* English translation of ‘Free and Easy Wandering’:
* Zhuangzi, & Watson, B. (2013). The complete works of Zhuangzi. New York, United States: Columbia University Press
 

時空猜想- 淺論黃加頌近作 

黃翊豐著 - 曾修讀藝術數年,仍遲緩地學習觀察與敘述。 

現代以視覺主導溝通,人們總小心翼翼地以訊息脈絡限定圖像內容,為浮動詮釋罩上緊密的安全網。 網絡影片、電視及電影等主流媒介已塑造大眾閱讀影像的慣性,讓人觀看時不自覺地期望明確指示與 固定訊息,感知與理解時常依賴過於簡化的程序,卻局限了固有影像操作系統以外,設想其他事物的能力。 

影像涵義向來多變,縱使其主題再確切,仍蘊含意義不明的面向。黃加頌以攝影與錄像為媒介,主動探 索影像的曖昧性,並嘗試發掘其他感知時空的方式。她近期的作品有實驗錄像《邊境,近境》與攝影作品 《邊境》。兩者構圖精簡,以聚焦環境局部來創造抽象空間。內裡只有一兩件微小物象,似是從繁雜無 序的世界裡抽出吉光片羽,置於無垠而多彩的虛空,而盛載著時間流動的色塊是通往開放詮釋的入口。 這些一片片被切割下來,尤如壁虎之尾的時間中,空間的晃動脫離了事件;若把斷尾放進素色玻璃箱: 一端略闊,另一端收尖的灰濁線條在捲曲、伸直和搖擺,甫踏進房間的人會看到什麼呢? 

影像的曖昧性 

黃加頌於開放影像曖昧性的用功可見於《邊境,近境》,其中取景、拍攝角度與構圖剪輯等等,都著意減 去常見的閱讀線索,如空間透視、建築物形態及人類活動等等。被攝對象如霞彩、海濤或樹叢的時空脈 絡被斷絕,具體時間刻度、地域所屬、生態關係及文化命名等被抽空後,鏡頭擷取物象的獨自呼息,並呈 現為一組組邀請觀者發揮想像的視覺詞語。藍色方塊邊緣的移動白線是流星墜落、是海上孤舟,也是 湖泊的魚苗。物象看在不同的眼裡並無二致,被認知時卻能千變萬化,此為影像曖昧性的可貴之處。當 觀者以各種聯想及推敲去介入作品時,個人的記憶與感受漸趨活躍,此為與作品進行細膩交流的條件。 《太陽以西》與《島嶼雲煙》等攝影系列是黃加頌較早的相關嘗試,同樣不具明確訊息內容,而在質感 和氣氛的表現上,已見捕捉山間水邊等巨大空間的廣袤與微妙之處的傾向,讓意境生於一幀幀圖像之間 不見於眼的隙縫裡。 

框作為異空間 

她創作的另一重心在於思考空間與時間,框狀切割的拼貼處理是兩組近作的共通點,當中框的屬性頗堪 玩味。一般而言,框或界限的形成在於它與「被框者」有差異,互相中斷了對方的內容並產生對比。理想 的情況下,框內物會得到強調而顯得更為明確。例如裝飾外框阻斷了畫布上的風景延伸,卻讓畫中時空 得以確立,讓觀者更容易進入其中。然而黃加頌所塑造的框與「被框者」是同質與近似的,較接近分割 重組而非框限;所欲的不是突顯中心影像,而是探討框內外時空的可變性。《邊境》中切割畫面的方法是從同樣的景物中分離出細緻差異,像並置同一個空間內不同時刻的狀態。驟眼看來是一片平緩單色,定 睛時方能察覺時隱時現的界線。看著翅膀在框線消融處脫離軀體,觀者才知道幾乎相同的灰度裡藏著不 同的空間。帶著從《邊境》中獲取的觀感,我們仰視天空時甚至會猜想上方可有通往別處的邊境。 

時間的知覺 

《邊境,近境》的影像流動性讓黃加頌更為完整地表達出她的時間觀。在相同的分割處理中,被攝的景 觀靜態而不靜止,如霞彩渲染或海濤浮泛,變化微細但持續,時間在似動非動的物象之中流淌。這種大自 然的平凡節奏或會讓城市人感到無聊,可能是我們對事件式時序過於敏感,面對單純的物象呼息時才會無 所適從。透過呈現時間原始的流動形態,作品建立了進一步發揮的基礎,即其錄像片段與定格相片並置所 能誘發的聯想。攝錄影像概括而言是時間的重現,建基於快速切換連續影像時所產生的動態錯覺。根據這 樣的視錯覺原理,某些場景如作品第二幕,海波在上方流動而下方靜止,畫面中的動與靜便可被理解為兩 種影像切換速率--貼近視覺常態感知的速度,及極其緩慢以至單格靜止的速度。若作品的分割式構圖旨 在引起關於空間的隱晦猜想,那麼此處的動靜並置便是對於時間感知的玄思。具體的比喻或可借《逍遙 遊》:「朝菌不知晦朔,蟪蛄不知春秋,此小年也。楚之南有冥靈者,以五百歲為春,五百歲為秋;上古有大 樁者,以八千歲為春,八千歲為秋,此大年也。」小年與大年的時間感知當有極大差異,而我們眼中的所謂 靜止,可能不過是某種漫長流動形態裡的一剎。 

自攝影技術普及以來,人類文明已產生了前所未有感知時間的方式,不斷消逝的當下可被捕捉與保存,我 們得到凝望瞬間的視力,也獲取了回眸過去的自由。有賴一代代人執著於發開眼睛,攝錄與各種後期處 理科技已日益精進。如今我們能以慢鏡一窺朝菌所知,也能在數十分鐘內看遍世紀百年的流變。這種種 大能或許令人過於興奮忙亂,不耐於原始視覺,不安於眼下分秒。但如果有時侯感到眼睛乾澀無感,請別 忘記在過去、現在與將來,也必定有一群與我們處境相同的創作者,為緩和麻木而作出了各種嘗試,而黃 加頌大概是此時此地一個小小的例子。 
On The Border, From The Distance II 邊境，近境 II Hong Kong, Taiwan, Zurich | 2016 | Color | 20’08” | Sound – Screening & Exhibition 2016 Joint Exhibition, Jordan, Hong Kong "The Separated Rooms" Joint Exhibition, Run Run Shaw Creative Medi