Close your eyes, and then re-open them. If you still do not recognize the temporal dimensions of the images you are looking at, you are in the right place: you were able to catch the ‘idea’ left by the pictures of Tianqi Song..
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Sometimes, we use our imagination to got some pictures, they are much more clear than what we see in the real world. - T. Song
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Close your eyes, and then re-open them. If you still do not recognize the temporal dimensions of the images you are looking at, you are in the right place: you were able to catch the ‘idea’ left by the pictures of Tianqi Song.
Among all the different artistic forms, she gave her preference to the photography, a medium definitely privileged in her production. In fact, from a certain point of view, it fits perfectly with her research, being a ‘box’, a ‘poetic storage’ for singular and collective memories materialized through images. Beyond that, the most significant part of Song’s work is the indefinite atmosphere every picture releases: it has the flavour of the past, of something already happened, but at the same time it shows a certain suspension, it tastes like the action is not yet completed. Song herself says that the mood one can always perceive looking at her picture is a sense of alienation. And one can find this same impression whether it is a portrait or a still life, the photography of a landscape, as well as a urban scenario.
Tianqi Song is an artist from China, where she studied Graphic Design, then moved to the U.S., where she currently lives and works (New York).
In the last few years, she has been presenting her visual projects to several exhibition, from China to the U.S. and beyond, and she is a published artist. To have a more serious hint of her job, and to understand the main themes and interest she has, it is enough to read the following interview. And, of course, admire her pictures.
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Author Silvia Colombo
L.A.: Tianqi can you tell us about your first approach to photography?
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Tianqi Song: I am not so good at memory. Sometimes it is really hard to think of some moments I do really care about. Also I am not so good at talking about them. So one day, I just think maybe I can use camera to store my time and memory instead of words. Then I started it.
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L.A.: How do you choose what or who to photograph, what are you looking to capture?
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Tianqi Song: My work base on my memory and situation. I am keep wandering around, I aim for nothing, but for aimless experience and self atonement. When some moments wake me up. I just did that.
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L.A.: What do you hope people see, feel or understand when they look at your images?
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Tianqi Song: I hope from my works, at least on my image perception, is worthy of being accepted and respected. What is more, I want to awake something at the bottom of people's heart. Like a ceremony for the lost things. Modern life is so fast, we even could not see things clear, and they already gone.
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L.A.: What's the true role of the photographic medium in your creative work?
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Tianqi Song: In photography, things could not be changed into another thing, time, chance, or real stuff. I can say, photography is physical chemistry for reality. But to photographers, are opposites. It is more connect to emotion, photos are just like lonely fragments, to prove everything has been lost. The image in photos are lifeless, but people’s intention, memory make these image alive. Sometimes, we use our imagination to got some image, they are much more clear than what we see in the real world. We feel we use our eyes to watch, but actually we use our experience and imagination to watch. Foundation determines the situation. Maybe we have a standard way to talk about photography and art. But we don’t have a standard way to talk about emotion and feelings. When images in life are more and more impactful on people, and even play a leading role, we have to express some emotion through images, or we have to hide them in the bottom of our hearts; additionally we can review the truth, because the image is more like our emotions. It plays an important role.
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Cub #2
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L.A.: Do you have a favorite shot in this series? If so, which one and why?
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Tianqi Song: Yes, the 5th , I just found out that emptiness and loneliness is the true significance of life.respected.I prefer to feel more than express. That is why I choose to use camera, photography is my language. Life is a trip for illusory. Wait for the lost time. Waiting for forget.
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L.A.: Hopes and projects for the future?
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Tianqi Song: To be sincere and free forever.
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Cub #4
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Tianqi Song Grisel www.tianqisong.com
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