Ty masses catalog

140 Hill Street #01-10/11/12 MICA Building, Singapore 179369 T +65 6883 2001 F +65 6883 2707 info@elementartspace.com www.elementartspace.com

MASSES

“Take mankind in mass, and for the most part, they seem a mob of unnecessary duplicates” - Herman Melville

The exhibition title Masses was suggested by the artist, Tie Ying, whose photography works are montages that are striking both in narrative and in composition. The works chosen for his first solo exhibition in Singapore at Element Art Space is a combination of multiple series from 2009 to date which merge into one theme which we are familiar with and have seen in our daily lives. It is a collection of images that explores the capabilities of the artist to show extreme detailed observations of society in China today.

Born in 1971, Tie was only five years old when Mao’s Cultural Revolution ended in 1976. Similar to others in China that has been molded by global capitalism, he tends to see an err in the provocative politics of the Tiananmen Square in 1989, in the sense that their leap forward was premature. Today, given the social and cultural freedoms brought by the gradual liberation of Chinese society, Tie’s works concentrate on the China of today, rather than the country’s concerns from the 1970s to 90s. (cover image)

Miss world letters series: “ To be or not to be, that’s not a question”

installation view

2010

(inside front cover image)

Tie Ying projects studio view, located in

Dashanzi Art Zone, 798 Factory, Beijing, China.

C - print: 90 x 170 cm

Noting the changes in Chinese society before and after Mao’s rule, Tie does not see Mao as purely a dictator, just as he declines to see himself as a political artist. He takes the role of a commentator on images flooding the printed media and television. He sees the media’s manipulation of culture not only as a Chinese, but also as a

general, pan-cultural problem. There seems to be a desire to be ‘daring’ and ‘free,’ and he is unafraid to use political images in his creation. In “To be or not to be, that is not a question,” multiple images of military officers applauding their leaders on a platform are cropped from a celebration of the National Day in North Korea.

Despite the celebratory images used in this work, it is, in fact, a testament to the predicament of North Koreans– they do not have any choice but to follow the government in absolute.

Despite the political cast of his works, Tie views himself more as an artist than agitator. His choice of subject matter is idiosyncratic in that he is more interested in its emotive impact rather than aesthetic appeal. Tie is constantly inspired by events that have impacted today’s society and will have an impact on the future. They also include non-political events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics seen in “Flags and Torches 02” and natural disasters such as the Japanese tsunami. In “The World is Yours,” the artist combines an image from the Japanese tsunami on 11 March 2011 with 21 pieces of color chromatics to display the imbalanced relationship between human and nature. He explains that, “The World in this work can be understood as a spiritual construction of vision shared by the human race, and any attempt to resist or defy nature will inevitably lead to ultimate destruction.” The 21 color blocks are also an extension of the work “Wish,” where the vertiginous colors will overwhelm the viewers and gradually vanishing their focal point and themselves in the distance. Here, Tie also refers to the Tibetan Buddhist concept of “wish” to maintain self-existence and self-consciousness by showing the viewers the sense of vainness through the instantaneous feel of vertigo colors.

Looking at Tie’s works in this exhibition, which are combinations of different series, there is a sense that he is continuously evolving, never remaining static in his development, moving from one thematic interest to another.

His photography works tempt to re-create and re-construct the optical truth and the memory–it is a constant challenge of one’s self. It also serves as a reflection of how he interprets the transition of China from the Cultural Revolution of his early childhood to the current modernization, rapid developments and conflicting interests of an ambitious world power, of his adulthood.

In an attempt to understand Tie’s works, it is useful to keep in mind that most artists can never be divorced from the past. This is true for Tie as well, where the past affirms the present and influences the future. Traditions are also constantly changing and do not remain rigid nor static. Although Tie’s response to history and tradition can range from outright abhorrence to faithful adherence, the past forms an ever-continuing thread throughout his practice, sometimes remaining well hidden, and at other times, more apparent. Behind the skilled manipulation of images is the idealism of an artist between human and nature, and provocative discussion of the implied abuse of state and media.

Aniela Rahardja

Director, Element Art Space

Plates

Blooming in a riot of color 2000 - 2006

C-print: 145 x 288 cm

10

11

(preceding page)

Wish 2011

C - print: 110 X 244 cm

The world is yours 2011

C - print: 110 X 244 cm

Trail blazing 02 2010 C-print: 74 x 200 cm To be or not to be, that’s not a question 01 details (left) 2010 14

C-print: 110 x 185 cm

Game Panels Series: Heaven 01 (left) 2010

C-print: 110 x 94 cm

Game Panels Series: Heaven 02

2010

C-print: 60 x 155 cm

Game Panels Series: 1967 & 1997 2010 C-print: 100 x 162 cm Game Panels Series: Brothers & Sisters (left) 2010 C-print: 80 x 240 cm, C-print: 88 x 240 cm 18

Masses 01 - 09 2009 Installation view, C - print: 110 x 110 cm each Masses 08 (left) 2009 C - print: 110 x 110 cm each 20

Biography

Flags & Torches 02 (left) 2010

C - print: 124 x 180 cm

Tie Ying

Published by Element Art Space Pte Ltd © 2011, Element Art Space, Singapore

Born in 1971, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China Education 1996 -199 Visiting scholar at the Royal University of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden Current works and lives in Beijing, China

2006

Solo Exhibitions 2011 MASSES, Element Art Space, Singapore The World Is Yours, Plus One Space, Beijing, China 2009 BACKFIRE - Showroom Mai 36 Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland 2005 State Power - Photography Exhibition Marlborough Chelsea, New York, USA 1994 Morass of Reverie - Oil painting Exhibition, CAFA, Beijing, China

2005

Group Exhibitions 2011 Scope Basel 2011, Fang Gallery, Basel, Switzerland CDS Art Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark Art Stage Singapore 2011, Fang Gallery, Singapore 2010 Fang Gallery - Grand Opening, Jakarta, Indonesia Bazaar Art Jakarta 2010 - Indonesian Art Fair, Jakarta, Indonesian CDS Art & Visibility the contemporary art gallery at Nordic Art Copenhagen, Denmark 2008 House Arrest - Showroom Mai 36 Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland Asian Contemporary Art Consortium, Asian Society Artists in Conversation program 2008 at Sotheby’s New York, USA 2007 Distance Estimated by Eyes Photography of Eight Chinese, Shenzhen, China ShContemporary 2007, Marlborough Gallery, Shanghai, China

1997

2004 2003

1993 1992

China International Gallery Exhibition, Marlborough Gallery, Beijing, China The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA A3 - art Fair, Paris, France China International Gallery Exhibition, Marlborough Gallery, Beijing, China The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA Group show of Photography at 798 Time Space DaShanzi Art Zone, Beijing, China The First Book - Group Photography Works show at Art Scene China Gallery, Shanghai, China Founding of Tie Ying Projects Studio, located in Dashanzi Art Zone, 798 Factory, Beijing, China First place of the country, documentary photography works 2nd Roma International Photo Festival, Roma, Italy No Problem - Ten Young Photographer, Aura Gallery, Shanghai, China Painting exhibition, Mejan Gallery of Royal University of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden Beijing Contemporary Paintings Art Show, China Daily Gallery, Beijing, China China Oil Paintings 92, Hong Kong

Collections aZure collection, Monaco, Zurich DSL Collection, Paris, France Chinart Collection, Zurich, Switzerland Prince Albert II , Monaco PALM Collection, London, England Barclays Wealth Monaco, Monaco Marlborough Fine Arts Inc. New York, USA

Published in conjunction with the exhibition: MASSES 7 – 30 October 2011 Element Art Space, Singapore ISBN: 978-981-07-0133-8 All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form of any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright holder. Copyright of artwork images belong to Element Art Space and their respective artist, and essays to the respective authors.

Written by: Aniela Rahardja Design and Layout: Tie Ying & Stephanie Seet Ying Dimension of works are given in centimeters, height x width Element Art Space Managing Director: Sardjana Sumichan Director: Aniela Rahardja Sales Manager: Leong Ai Kiew Gallery Assistant: Stephanie Seet Ying Element Art Space 140 Hill Street #01-10/11/12 MICA Building, Singapore 179369 T +65 6883 2001 F +65 6883 2707 E info@elementartspace.com www.elementartspace.com Tie Ying © Courtesy of Fang Gallery