Sculpture, 2021

86*48*6 inches, Wood and inkjet printing

Sculpture, 2021

about 48*48*56 inches, Steel

This sculpture is funded by the Sachs Program for Arts Innovation

I keep asking myself what the image of history is.

Photography as a recording tool is widely used in literature and academic research. Photography is regarded as a neutral existence in these documents. Although this is out of a rational consideration, these photography still cannot get rid of certain aesthetic elements and narratives.

The Schuylkill River is an important river that flows through Pennsylvania. Along the coast is the important coal and industrial area in the history of the United States. It is also the seat of the indigenous Lenape Indian tribe. In my project, I traveled along the Schuylkill River, from King of Prussia to where this tributary meets the Delaware River, echoing the form of documentary photography, recording the hydrology, vegetation, and settlements along the coastline. I used water as a linear symbol to counter the temporality of the landscape. By deconstructing the narratives and aesthetic properties of these spaces, I searched for images that could allow people to identify and empathize with the place, beyond the obvious storytelling that photography can provide.

08/2020-02/2021