The artwork QUALIA #01 has been exhibited in Hong Kong Art Fair in 2010 and I/O (input/output) under the title ‘New Media, New Thinking’ in 2009. New Media artist Desmond Leung 乐森 explored the way of creating and seeing painting through the acrylic painting, which deformed in motion graphics application, in the aim to examine the fragile nature of moment and the constant changing of emotion.
Desmond Leung’s QUALIA # 01 is not only a direct feedback to the question of what new media is, but also a new interpretation of visual image itself. Our society does change a lot and our way to perceive visual images is also altered; we are stuffed with thousands of images a day and not a bit of them captured us. We see, and we walk away. So why artworks are in a special status require audiences to pay extra attention to a single image? In the age of digital-media, visual image is no longer motionless but always flow like a river. QUALIA # 01 presents a sensory experience to audiences: the mixing of new and old elements captured the fluidity of images, whereas it postulates with our real world experience. As the form of reading artwork completely changed, it allows audiences to enjoy artworks in the realm of real time.
To Desmond QUALIA # 01 is more than a reply to new media. It also served as an inner personal search, as Roland Barthe saw it as projecting a “dream of identity” – to find for oneself, and for the others, the evidence of meaning of one’s life”. Great Greek Philosopher Thales once said, “Water is the principle, or the element, of things. All things are water.” And in Desmond’s work it deeply reflects the fluidity of life. When nothing in life stays, the tidal waves of instability wipe us away from directions. It is in his work the constant revival of abstract expressionist paintings that works as a proof to the timeless emotions of the artist himself. It is also the artist’s statement to respond to the ever-changing nature. From changes the elements of life is being exposed.
By watching the flowing images in 25 frames a second, audiences can feel and interpret the artists’ emotion in their own way during the process. Though there is no fixed answer to what abstract paintings are “meant” for, Desmond still longs for the feedback of the audiences. It is the searching and sharing of emotions allows the interactivity of both parties to build a stronger bound between performances and audiences.
Title QUALIA Year 2009 Material Acrylic paint, LCD monitors, media player, wooden frames Duration 1 min 30 Seconds in loop / 2 min 5 seconds in loop Format FULL HD Video
