Abstract
As an artist, there are several themes I find of interest within the medium of photography including the relationship between the lens and the eye, aspects related to imagination and truth, as well as history and tendency. I believe that photography is the best medium for my current body of work because it inherently allows one to reflect on the conflict between reality and construction/fabrication. This is the main theme conveyed in this work. The title, 无法抗拒-Untranslatable, describes the problematic aspect of expressing oneself in a different (foreign) language and the feeling of inadequacy experienced therein. Any individual who is not versed in Chinese cannot have a sense of 无法抗拒. The use of both words in the title represents the fact that we cannot properly translate another language. Additionally, it symbolizes the feeling I wish to express being untranslatable. Thus I use a different format and distinctive perspective to explain the “feeling” in this body of work.
This collection of work includes various elements such as, still photography, stop motion, drawing and sound. Ultimately it is exhibited in three formats: photographic series, videos and a book. The work expresses my pessimistic and helpless feelings towards power dynamics from these three perspectives, including the human’s inner struggle, the external influence of society and cultural mutual manipulation among people.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Photography, Artistic; Visual art; Photobooks; Artists' books--New York (State)--Rochester
Publication Date
5-20-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Student Type
Graduate
Degree Name
Imaging Arts (MFA)
Department, Program, or Center
School of Photographic Arts and Sciences (CIAS)
Advisor
Christine Shank
Advisor/Committee Member
Willie Osterman
Recommended Citation
Liu, Yuanyuan, "无法抗拒 – Untranslatable" (2015). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
https://repository.rit.edu/theses/9111
Campus
RIT – Main Campus
Plan Codes
FNAS-MFA
