i was at a talk by Dinh Q Le on his artistic adventure as a photographer with a story to tell. the tapestry that he employs in depicting the woven layers that make up our lives. especially highlighting the threads of history that make up our present. the duality expressed in these works creates a platform for interpretation and appreciation. and i must say the thought and presentation of these ideas are capable of stirring social movements.
one concept that moved me entirely was the exhibition "the texture of memories" and the emotions that a white, white on white exhibition can evoke. to elaborate, he conceived the idea after learning that women who were not clinically blind, were unable to see. this bewildering condition known as hysterical blindness affects people who have had to see their loved ones being tortured. it is almost like an automatic blindness generated by the brain to block out further trauma. i am amazed at the way that he translated this state of being into art so that people can touch and feel and 'see' their side of the world. he employed thick white embroidery to outline the faces on white fabric. this was displayed in a gallery painted in white. the idea is to interact and feel the thread of the embroidery, and by doing so dirty it enough so u see the patterns. by touching the 'memories' you bring them alive again.
i was moved by the presentation. i feel that photography brings little bits of everything together. it is an expression of time, history and feeling, presented in a way that makes it the ultimate form of art.
