LEACH: What is your project about?
XU: My project is about the presence or lack of presence of civilization shown through a series of photographs. Each photograph should distinctly draw out a certain emotion in the viewers, whether that is sadness, sympathy, adore, calmness, or pure happiness.
LEACH: Where were these pictures taken? How did their context influence this photo essay?
XU: Many pictures here were photos that I had taken a while ago throughout my travels. I believe that the variation in the location of the photos also creates a stronger concept for the series of photographs as a whole, in that they are very different yet they all relate to one, unifying theme which is civilization (both the presence and lack of).
LEACH: Talk a bit about your composition process.
XU: The objective that I wish my series of photos would achieve is to provoke a strong sense of understanding in the viewersâ eyes. Collecting these photos was quite a difficult process as I tried to show two different moods (happy and sorrowful) as well as a mixture of both in my series of photos. These photos represent very different things and settings; however, they all prove the presence of the lack of human civilization. Whether it is the quiet wooden trail where no sign of civilization is present; the paper bag that shows the mourning for a lost loved one; or the glorious looking guest seating in the operation house that shows civilization without even the presence of actual human being present, these photos together show that the lost or lack of civilization is melancholy while any sign of civilization, even if only a faint amount is present, is still heartwarming and gives people the motivation to live on.
LEACH: Except for a shadow, these photos are unpopulated. What kind of mood do you hope to evoke?
XU: Â In the first half of my series of photos, a feeling of isolation and sorrows is evoked. In the second part of the collection, viewers are guided towards âthe lightâ and happiness where civilization slowly starts to be present; little at first, and wholly shown in the last photo of the collection.
LEACH: You recently read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. In it, the Traveling Symphony tours from village to village in a post-apocalyptic world, performing Shakespeareâs plays. Their unofficial motto comes from Star Trek: âBecause survival is insufficient.â What does this mean for you?
XU: The motto of the musicians and actors, "because survival is insufficient" shows that they do not wish to solely survive in the world post-apocalypse; they want something more than not dying, they want to live meaningfully in that messed up world. To me, I believe by grasping onto the idea of a goal to reach or a guideline to live by that makes the members of the Symphony happy is their way of staying in control while the rest of the world is âmessed upâ and in pursuit of a form of happiness that seems unreal and not genuine.
LEACH: If civilization were to end tomorrow, what would you miss most?
XU: Â I think that if civilization can never end unless all hope is lost. The human kind is strong; because unlike animals that only live to survive, we have hopes and dreams. As long as hope is still present, man will find a way to not only survive, but also to actually live. I think that if civilization were to end tomorrow, what I would miss the most is music. Even though civilization is lost in Station Elven, I believe that the Traveling Symphony created their own civilization by relying upon each other through music, acting, and living. To me, civilization is not lost as long as there is still communication and exchange of emotions amongst different individuals. Music is stronger than words or actions at times, and to me, if music was lost, then that would actually be the end of the world.















