Karen Tam: Curated by Mary Jane Jacob

07 | 08

511 west 25th street | new york, ny | 10001 www.cueartfoundation.org

isbn-13: 978-0-9797964-1-8 isbn-10: 0-9797964-1-5

k aren tam

two thousand

KAREN TAM C U E AR T FOUNDAT ION JA N UA R Y

31 –

CUR AT ED BY

M A R CH

8, 2008

MARY JANE JACOB

[foreword] We are honored to host this exhibition of the work of Canadian artist Karen Tam, which has been generously curated by Ms. Mary Jane Jacob. Ms. Jacob’s appreciation of Ms. Tam’s work demonstrates how the Foundation’s discretionary process allows differing forms of expression an opportunity to be seen.

CUE appreciates that geographic location can sometimes limit an artist’s exhibition possibilities elsewhere, thus CUE is pleased to offer Ms. Tam the opportunity for her first solo exhibition in New York. Ms. Jacob and we, together, wish her a future of fulfillment and success.

KAREN TAM [artist’s statement]

I have been working with subjects of cultural identity and authenticity, (mis)perceptions and (mis)communication through the genres of installation and video since 2001. I am particularly interested in the history of the Chinese Diaspora, especially its close connection to the emergence of the overseas Chinese restaurant and cuisine both in North America and internationally.

To me, the Sino-restaurant is a metaphor for Cathay or the idea of China in the minds of Westerners. In installations such as Big Wok (Big Trouble) Café (Kelowna, 2005), Gold Mountain Restaurant (Montréal, 2004), and Shangri-la Café (Toronto, 2006), I deconstructed and reconstructed the Chinese restaurant to see which elements signify meaning for the public and, thus, play a role in influencing Western perceptions of the Chinese. In conjunction with each restaurant exhibition, there were also musical performances and special events (for example, “Pirated Movie Night,” “Martini Night,” “Coffee and Games Night”).

These projects can also be seen as an attempt to document a changing restaurant culture as embodied by 1940s to 1960s old-style, family-run Chinese establishments that have made the way for more diverse, newer types of cuisines in larger cities. In fact, one can argue that it was the pioneering Chinese cuisine that opened up the doors (and palates) to other ethnic foods. While the parallel existence of other “immigrant cuisines” evidences family histories similar to the Chinese restaurateur experience, the Chinese version is singular in its predominance and popularity, perhaps owing to its exoticism and taste.

Parallel to my interest in the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant is the idea of producing objects that appeal to Western taste. The fascination with the East dates back to the days of the China export trade and Silk Road (14–19th c.).

Chinoiserie of the 18th and 19th centuries was developed specifically by and for the European market, leading to the massive export of Chinese papers, silks, tea, and porcelain wares. Whereas Americans traded bullion, fur, and ginseng, there were relatively few items (for example, mechanical clocks) which Europe could offer in exchange for the Chinese goods to reverse the massive flow of silver leaving the Continent. The British solution was to export opium, leading to humiliating and catastrophic ends for the Chinese (namely, addiction, Opium Wars, ceding of territory and forced reparation).

Video stills from Karaoke Sessions (2005-present) [from the top] I Want You (2006) 2 min. 46 sec, A Summer Song (2005) 2 min. 30 sec, Jambalaya (Grand Texas) (2007) 2 min. 37 sec, A Summer Song (2005) 2 min. 30 sec

Even at the height of chinoiserie, as the Western market was being flooded with Chinese products, Chinese people overseas were targeted by racist laws and deemed inassimilable aliens. Spurred on by a fear of the “Yellow Peril,” of the unknown and unfamiliar, riots broke out and legislation was passed in Canada and the U.S. to stem the flow of these migrants. Head taxes, Exclusion Acts and restrictive laws separated families for decades. The “fear of Chinese” today, while not virulent, is reflected in talk shows, news reports and blogs on China’s rising status as a superpower, its economic strength and position as the world’s manufacturer. Recent health scares and scandals over Chinese imports in the West have heightened anxieties about Chinese products. As negative attitudes towards the Chinese are on the rise, we also see a return of the exotic “Far East” in Western popular culture, along with the use of relational terms such as “Far East” and “Oriental,” which had emerged during the British colonial and imperial past.

I hope to address these issues through my current installation, a series of small modern-day chinoiserie rooms, Pagoda Pads. Inspired by the proliferating home improvement and DIY shows on television and the Internet, which treat Asian cultures as commodities, each space is focused on giving one’s home an “Oriental flair.” They include must-have exotic accessories and furnishings as well as photographs, paper-cutouts, music, text, and other objects that have a more critical and racist slant. I also want to play off notions of authenticity and fakery by producing and creating faux antiques. At CUE, I am presenting a modern oriental bedroom for those with discriminating taste; a children’s toxic playroom, Kitschy Kitchen Mao for which everything is bought at a discount or by scouring Chinatown, and a serenely white living area. One component of Pagoda Pads is The Karaoke Sessions, a selection of Western golden oldies sung in Chinese, set to random images of landscapes, birds, animals, and dancing. The background soundtrack in the installation is from my Chinese Firecrackers CD, an ongoing project where I have asked people to do cover versions of 19th–20th century English and French racist tunes. Pagoda Pads has allowed me to explore further how Western notions and reconstructions of China and the Chinese continues to the present day in movies, television, music, fashion, and art.

[from the top] Only You (And You Alone) (2005) 2 min. 41 sec, I Want You (2006) 2 min. 46 sec, Habeñera from Carmen (2005) 3 min. 57 sec, Sukiyaki (2007) 3 min. 7 sec

MARY JANE JACOB [curator’s statement]

China’s everywhere! In crafting a lifestyle, chinoiserie has been with us for four centuries now.

“Chinoiserie is intriguing, alluring, playful, and glamorous,” the website www.templetrading. co.uk tells us, “and it is no passing fad.” Indeed.

Chinese becomes conflated with Asian and it’s everywhere—from teas to spas, furniture to food. The historic Yellow Peril, that is, Chinese immigrants thought to be grabbing jobs away from Americans—an issue that has taken on different hues—is back, though not on our shores but offshore, as jobs are migrating to China. We’re told China makes nearly 80% of the toys that come into the U.S. and is a leading exporter of products from electronics to apparel to auto parts, as Mattel recalls one million lead-tainted toys (Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2007). With three-quarters of a million toys recalled, the Chinese government insists on confidence in Chinese-made products (BBC News, September 5, 2007). Now with more than 20 million toys recalled worldwide due to levels of lead and hazards posed by small magnets (Reuter’s November 7, 2007), we find toys coated with a chemical that, if metabolized, converts into GHB, the toxic “date rape” drug gamma-hydroxy butyrate (CNN, November 8, 2007). Yellow peril!

Karen Tam brings us China or the conflated and complex Chinese-ness that surrounds us. Her environments embody it. They are home. They are us. Here a whole house full of installations gives us a living room—ah, the simplicity of Zen; a

master bedroom—the opulent dream; a children’s room—are the toys safe? And Kitschy Kitchen Mao— we do love Chinese food. And who’s on that karaoke video?

One reference, perhaps, says it all. It’s present in the exhibition as well as on the pages of the catalogue. It’s “Chop Suey.” Before we had stirfry, we had Chop Suey: a transcontinental dish stretching from West to East coasts, and from the United States to Canada—where Tam and her restaurateur-parents reside and where Canadian Cantonese is the Chinese takeout of choice. Maybe because of its ubiquitousness, Chop Suey found its way into art and literature, film and music. Tam seizes upon the “Chop Suey” dance sequence from the Flower Drum Song: a novel written in 1957 by Chinese American C.Y. Lee, then just a year later a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical on Broadway, then a movie by 1961 from which Tam takes her image. This rapid translation was, no doubt, an indication of interest in the exoticism of all things Chinese. While not progressive in its portrayal by today’s standards, and so yet another evidence of cultural prejudice for Tam’s seductive studies of stereotyping, the musical and film were groundbreaking in telling a story about and actually casting Asian-Americans. It’s a postmodern story, one of conflict of generations holding on to traditional ways vs. the new and cultural assimilation. Karen Tam tells these stories, too, and they are our story.

Illustration of Eggroll King for The Wonderful World of Chinese Restaurants Coloring Book, 2007–present

Orientally Yours, 2007 As installed at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (Lethbridge, Alberta) Hardwood flooring, stage, menus, placemats, fridge, deep fryers, stove, mah-jong tables, curtains, podium, bar counter, plants, tables, chairs, cigarette shelf, fishtank, Coke machine, high chair, lanterns, photos, video, various items fabricated and borrowed from local community & businesses to recreate the dining and kitchen of a chop suey parlour. Pie, ice cream, tea and pop were served. Gold Mountain Fridays were held every Friday during the exhibition, providing light refreshments and great entertainment, including performances by The Cedar Tavern Singers AKA Les Phonoréalists.

52´ x 27´ x 12´

Shangri-la Café: A Division of Gold Mountain Restaurant, 2006 As installed at YYZ Artists’ Outlet (Toronto, Ontario) Jukebox, counter, display case, booths, tables, chairs, plants, lanterns, photos, paintings, video, various materials fabricated, collected, and rented from prop warehouses, local community & businesses to recreate a chop suey house of the 1950s. One night screening of Cheuk Kwan’s Brasil episode from his documentary series, Chinese Restaurants.

33´ x 25´ x 12´

Community events held during the run of the exhibitions: [top, left] China Doll at Centre A (Vancouver, British Columbia), 2007; [top, middle and right] No MSG At Friendship Dinner (Nor Cats) at Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (Brandon, Manitoba), 2006. [bottom, left to right] Pavillon des canards at Diagonale (MontrĂŠal, QuĂŠbec), 2006; Real-Life Heroes

Who Make A Difference at Irish Museum of Modern Art (Dublin, Ireland), 2004; Orientally Yours at Southern Alberta Art Gallery (Lethbridge, Alberta), 2007

[left] China Doll at Centre A, 2007 (Vancouver, British Columbia) Window décor, plants, hardwood flooring, menus, place-mats, counter, cash register, fish tank, tables, chairs, curtains, counters, TVs, cigarette shelf, Sprite sign, lanterns, photos, videos, and various items sourced from local businesses and individuals to recreate the interior dining areas of a 1950s-60s Chinese restaurant. Karaoke singing and dancing occurred during the opening. Planned events included a wedding banquet and a speed-dating evening.

52´ x 27´ x 12´ [right] Jardin Chow Chow Garden, 2006 As installed at Expression’s ORANGE event “Como Como” (St. Hyacinthe, Québec) Swords, embroidered images of cranes & eagles, signage, window décor, vases, menus, phone, bronze lanterns, display case, plants, booths, tables, chairs, coffee machine, photos, paintings, cutlery, dishware, clay figurines, clay bridges, clay boats, fish tank, Tiki men, mah-jong table, cash register, gumball machine, wooden divider, video, various décor, materials fabricated, collected, and rented from prop warehouses, local community & businesses to recreate a chop suey house of the 1960s. Shrimp chips, soya drinks, coffee & 7-Up were served on during “West eats East,” a day of games, movies & coffee.

50´ x 28´ x 14´

[above] Double Trouble: Rosie’s Chingchongery [dyptich], 2007 Paper, approximately 15½˝ x 22˝ each [opposite] Opium Den, 2007

As installed at Chinese Arts Centre (Manchester, UK) Lanterns from Chinatown; found hanging scroll painting; hand-painted wallpaper, fringe curtains, velvet cushions from Habitat; silk cushions from Woolworth; futon; bamboo sticks, bamboo basket, super king-size cover from House of Fraser; burgandy throws from Primark; plates & cups, lotus-shaped seashell candle holders and silk flowers from Ilva; found velveteen curtains, red gels from Paperchase. Soundtrack from Chinese Firecrackers CD. Approximately 5½´ x 8´ x 7½´

[left] Chinese Fever, 2007 As installed at Chinese Arts Centre (Manchester, UK) Paper, 18´ x 20´ [right] Snakehead: Vince Noir, 2007

Detail from installation at Chinese Arts Centre Paper, 52˝ x 16˝

Scorpion’s Delight, 2007 Table protector fabric, 5´ x 6´

Zen in Ten, 2007 As installed at David Hancock’s home (Manchester, UK) Bamboo curtains from Argos; bamboo design toilet seat from Next; bamboo stalks and trays from House of Fraser; bamboo trellis, Japanese green rocks, black limestone slabs, and water fountain from B&Q; paint, photograph, paper lantern from Chinatown; fabric cutout.

Approximately 5½´ x 8´ x 7½´

LAB 7.3: Pagoda Pads, 2007 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Victoria, British Columbia) Wood cutouts, mats, pillows, peacock feathers, vase, rug, curtains, bronze lanterns, table, YSL “Opium” perfume, papier-mâché pillow, terracotta warriors from Wal-Mart, kimino-robe from Primark, kung-fu shoes from Dollarama, fake antique opium pipe, soundtrack from Chinese Firecrackers CD, objects from the AGGV collection (including ivory medical nude figurines, teapot, plates, embroidered textiles panels, porcelain dog, incense burner, jade bowl, ink painting, opium lamp).

24´ x 13´ x 13´

[left to right] One for sorrow, two for joy. Three for a girl, four for a boy. Five for silver, six for gold, 2007; Comment faire pour y entrer sans étre reconnu?… Me déguiser?…, 2007; I’m a little teapot, short and stout…, 2007; Fleur de Shanghai, 2007 Wood cutouts, 84˝ x 24˝ x 1˝ each

Sailing across a vast ocean 100,000 miles apart (II) [detail], 2006 As installed at A Space (Toronto, Ontario) Cigarette foil, Chinese red paper, 20´ x 18´

La poupée chinoise, 2004 From the series, Chef Lee’s First Wok’n’Roll Garden (2004-2007) Paper, 14˝ x 14˝

[biographies]

Since receiving a BFA from Concordia University, Montréal, Canada and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, karen tam has exhibited her work in Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. She has participated in residencies across Canada, as well as the Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom and the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin.

In 2006, Tam was awarded the Joseph Stauffer Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts for most outstanding young visual artist. She has also received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l’Aide à la Recherche, Québec.

Recent activities include solo and group exhibitions: LAB 7.3: Pagoda Pads (2007) at Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia; REDRESS Express at Centre A, Vancouver, British Columbia; Orientally Yours (2007) at The Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, Alberta; and Portraits d’artistes, a Conseil des arts de Montréal initiative. Upcoming activities include participation in group shows at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal and the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, and a solo exhibition, On Rock Garden, at AKA Gallery, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The exhibition at CUE marks Tam’s first solo show in New York.

mary jane jacob’s projects rethink the nature of curatorial practice while advancing the parameters of artists’ creative and public practices. In addition to numerous museum shows—including the first retrospective of such figures as Gordon Matta-Clark—her innovative exhibitions have included Places with a Past, for the 1991 Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, SC; Culture in Action, Sculpture Chicago, IL; Conversations at the Castle, Arts Festival of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA; and the ongoing Evoking History: Listening Across Culture and Communities for the Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, SC. The critical questions at stake in these shows and others now form the core of the exhibitions and curatorial practices she leads at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she is a Professor and Chair of Exhibitions. Current projects there include The Other Modern, a look at the International Style by today’s global artists, staged in the great modernist city of Chicago (2009-10).

Jacob also frequently writes on art. With Buddha Mind in Contemporary Art (University of California Press, 2004) and a new anthology entitled Slow Art: Experience Into Art in 2009, both co-edited with Jacquelynn Baas, she furthers research into the art experience that joins artists and audiences.

CUE Art Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit forum for contemporary art and cultural exchange between artists and the public. We value the astonishing level of creativity that artists provide and the importance of their activity in the social context of the city.

CUE provides artists, students, scholars and art professionals resources at many stages of their careers and creative lives. Our programs include exhibitions, studio residencies, publications, professional development seminars, educational outreach, symposia, readings, concerts and performances. Since 2002, we have operated from our 4,500 square foot storefront venue in the heart of New York’s Chelsea Arts District.

CUE exhibiting artists are chosen by their peers and a rotating group of advisors and curators from across the country. This pluralistic process ensures that CUE consistently offers diverse viewpoints from multiple disciplines of artistic practice.

Simply put, we give artists their CUE to take center stage in the challenging world of art.

Special thanks to my parents Gordon & Christina Tam for their hard work and for spoiling me, Mary Jane Jacob for her continued support, Micaela Martegani for making a community collaborative project possible, Gilles Morissette, David Ross, Anita Au, and Luke Marsh for their feedback, assistance and belief in my work and the CUE Art Foundation crew for their help and enthusiasm.

Cover: Model Kitschy Kitchen Mao: Not Made in China! [detail], 2007 Mixed media, dimensions variable All artwork Š Karen Tam Catalog design by typeslowly

Board of Directors Gregory Amenoff Theodore S. Berger Patricia Caesar Thomas G. Devine Thomas K.Y. Hsu Brian D. Starer

Advisory Council Gregory Amenoff Bill Berkson William Corbett Michelle Grabner Deborah Kass Kris Kuramitsu Jonathan Lethem Lari Pittman

Staff Executive Director Jeremy Adams Director of Development Bryan Markovitz Programs Director Beatrice Wolert-Weese Programs Assistant Ryan White

Printed by mar+x myles, inc. using 100% wind generated power on FSC certified paper

Development Assistant Talia Spetter

isbn-13: 978-0-9797964-1-8 isbn-10: 0-9797964-1-5

Preparator William Bolton