Album Series
Album Series is a photograph series that explores the newly emerging escapism and consumerism of music festivals in Taiwan. There are two parts in the work, images and presentation. In images, the aspect of escapism is presented, in which vibrant colors shine and young crowds sway. The dream-like quality was adopted, but instead of being similar to a warm, sweet dream, a tranquil and blurred approach was taken. Calmed by the music, people escaped from reality, and entered into an unstable hallucination. On the other hand, in physical presentation, the aspect of consumerism is presented. Inspired by the albums sold in packs, the presentation of the work is not aimed to show every image to the audience. Yet, it is meant to be discovered, like how music lovers dig out different albums which are although unfamiliar to them, still attracting them with the album arts. By replacing music albums with photo albums, and replacing music with images relating to music, I want to pay tribute to the music environment in Taiwan, which I enjoyed enormously. In addition, criticisms of the current situation in music are raised in the work, expressing concerns of mine to the kind of art I love.
Album Series was taken by film during the Roving Nation Festival, which is a 3-day music festival in Taichung, Taiwan. Images were graded into cold color tone and printed into 4x6 inch photographs. Then, they are framed by Pine wood and put into a box in order. By put the side facing up, the fronts of photographs can be seen only when the photograph is taken out by the audience. Only through active interaction of the audience with the particular photograph can the image be shown. One or two photographs are put outside as motives for the audience. Besides, the photographs can be bought by the audience if they like it, just like the innumerable copies of music album.
