KAYUNG LAI, 1988, UK
YCS: The consistent theme throughout your work is the culture of the Orient, and the degrees of connection/disconnection with it within Western contexts. Would you expand upon the particular ideas that drive your practice? How straightforward was the process of isolating your main motivation(s)?
KL: It took me years before I knew I wanted to make work about Orientalism. I think for a long time I was uncomfortable with how cliché it felt, which I overcame upon realising the importance of making work that I felt was honest to my character. So I have always been interested with the representation of the Orient, which has stemmed much from my experience being British Chinese. However this interest only became academically realised as I wrote my third year dissertation. At the time, this dissertation highlighted the implications of photography with validating Othering upon meeting early civilisations. Even though China was never really colonised, there is wealth of historical evidence to suggest the relationship between Britain and China (in particular Hong Kong) could be described as a colonial relationship. I am particularly interested in how China became to be believed as the Orient as ‘Other’, which is a concept presented in Edward Said’s Orientalism. The concept the Orient as ‘Other’ is a western social construct, designed during the eighteenth century to authorise ideas of binary thinking between East and West, in order to reinforce colonial domination. Said identifies how persuasive Orientalism became once it was granted with a material existence, as a result of a dominant, western hegemonic system. My practice analyses contemporary material culture to seek how the Orient is still presented as Other, which suggests how inherent Orientalisim is to objects as a way of identifying a sign of the Other. But given the context of our globalised world, the responsibility of creating this fantasy has become diffused as western hegemonic power could be argued as no longer dominant. By highlighting the postcolonial ambivalences within my analysis of contemporary material culture, I seek to re-assess some of Said’s key tenants within the context of globalisation.
YCS: I find your mixture of strong colours with desaturation quite beautiful. There is an effective minimalism to your composition also. Are these intentional devices or an unconscious aesthetic; from where do you feel this evolved? Technically they appear executed to a high standard, does this involve any post production or further techniques?
KL: I think I have always had an affinity for minimalist compositions. My images gradually became more stylised throughout my undergraduate course through the use of colour. When I shoot, I tried to get as much technically right as possible as I try to avoid reshooting, because my work often involves public spaces where access is restricted. I do post-produce my images, in the sense that I remove colour casts and reduce noise, but generally speaking I don’t have a problem with post producing if it is relevant to the idea of the work.
YCS: What initially brought you to photography, and what led to you adopting it as a long-term practice? What has been the most demanding aspect of your involvement with it thus far?
KL: Initially I wanted to be a graphic designer but I got horribly bored studying it. Then I realised the universal thread throughout my work was photography. So I decided to commit to a specialism pathway during my art foundation. My art foundation was a really exciting year for me, because I knew nothing about photography prior this, so I was pretty keen student. One of the reasons that consolidated my decision to pursue photography as a long-term practice, was probably when I realised that I could never be bored of photography, which I had previously felt about painting and design. Also learning how to develop and print film had significantly changed my perspective on photography, in the sense that I remembered being so excited to have found a medium that I really liked working with. I think one of the main demanding aspects about photography is the process of making new work. To make sure your new project is somehow a departure from your last project, where the idea is original, to have the confidence to creatively experiment, to have your ideas successfully realised, to be critical but not too much, I think all these elements are quite difficult to sustain when projects are made over a period of time.
YCS: You have explored various ways of addressing your topics – using reportage, still life, and the photograph as object – how do you determine these choices? In Chinese Restaurants, due to be a publication, images are presented in mixed sizes – similarly, how do you resolve final presentation? What does this range of strategy reveal?
KL: The variation in genres has a lot to do with the fact that I was on my undergraduate course, so I was still finding a style of working that I liked. I tend to find working in one genre quite prescriptive and I don't like making work with in mind of emulating a type of genre, because I find there is a danger of making work that appears a bit vain. So the aesthetic choices to the work are normally a product of a dialectical relationship between making work and research. The final resolution of my images I think is always an ongoing process and should be partly informed by the concept. Like with Chinese Restaurants, I had tried to exaggerate this idea of fantasy by creating very large prints, so that it resembles the consumable fantasy that we experience when the idea of the Orient is conjured.
YCS: In 2010 you co-founded the Untitled project while studying at Falmouth. From where did the idea for it evolve, and what gave the founders the conviction to carry it through? What insights did that experience provide you going forward? Do you recommend this sense of autonomy to others?
KL: Untitled evolved because my friends and me realised that Falmouth University didn't have a platform that celebrated their students' work. I was always impressed with the talent found on the other courses and we wanted to produce a zine that showed this. Initially we were worried the zine wouldn't sell so we made a small print run of 100 for the first issue, which sold out in a few hours. It did help that there was this self-publishing boom and with Falmouth being such a close knit town, we found that the students were keen to support independent creative projects. After much support, we were then granted funding from the university, which went towards the production of the second zine and a ticketed event that hosted five speakers from different creative industries. The zine has been passed down through several interns since, which is nice. I think independent creative projects are always a good thing, but it takes a lot of commitment, a level head and good judgement to make it successful.
YCS: You went straight on to study for an MA in Photography after achieving your BA. Do you feel it is necessary to formally study photography [for you] to understand your practice? What differences have you discerned between the levels? How useful has it been for the refinement of your work? What role has the institution played?
KL: For me, I have found it is really important to study photography to understand my own practice. As my work deals with postcolonial narratives so it is integral to my practice to have a historical understanding of how early photographic discourses could have yield a dominant influence upon eighteenth century Orientalism, before I can assess Orientalism within a post colonial context. I think the emphasis that photography courses places on cultural history is significant, because it highlights how photography is made in constant dialogue to its historical and cultural context. This is important because it suggests how photography was often overlooked as this simple medium because of its objective veneer and indexical nature. As shallow as these observations may be, they sustained photography as an indicator of truth, which is highly problematic for when representing the Other because it validated a colonial vision. Also the contextualisation of the cultural history helps when it comes to analysing other artist's work and developing that critical awareness I think is vital in developing a good practice. I think art foundation is a good year to experiment, develop and practice all the basics. Undergraduate courses build on the former skills, but making work becomes more concept/ research driven and how to manage this space successfully. I think during postgraduate studies, it becomes a time to really hone in to specialism of interest and to further develop an academic enquiry in to research. Yet staying mindful of creating a practice that is interesting and innovative. The educational institution has been important in refining my work, as I find having a critical soundboard to be really useful. I often find even if I don’t agree with the feedback that they are steps to refining my position as an artist. Also having peers and tutors that share a mutual interest, can be a great motivation for teaching you to be ambitious when making work.
YCS: From your experiences so far, are there any common practices you feel could be adjusted, for the benefit of those in the early stages of a longterm engagement with a creative process?
KL: I think I have learnt over these last few years how important good technical ability is. There’s nothing worse then getting attached to a series of work and finding that it doesn't print well and you have to re-shoot the entire series. I think to have the confidence to use new equipment and the patience to experiment with it thoroughly, is really important. As I would like to think even if it doesn’t work out, that it is better to have your own opinion and experience to tell, because that is more insightful than regurgitating what other people think.
YCS: You have achieved some great coverage already, from Source and SeeSaw Magazine, and exhibitions with the Salon Art Prize and the Belfast Photo Factory Open. How do these opportunities occur? Have you needed to self generate interest in your work at all? What has proved the most useful method for acquiring audiences?
KL: I have had to self generate interest in my work as partly being an artist is about maintaining a visibility. I think having a professional and working website is really important. It is one of the cheapest ways to promote yourself and an artist website is the primary place to see your work. It is also important to maintain a good online visibility as well, which often does mean utilising relevant opportunities. I do believe that if you show you’re consistent in making and showing your work that other opportunities will find you.
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Image Copyright belongs to Kayung Lai.
