A Solo for Josiah
27/01/2018 - 10/02/2018
Josiah Wesley Yu
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Josiah Wesley Yu is a multimedia artist and designer, focusing on practices of photography and film. Additional to these focus areas, he also is well versed in a wide spectrum of media arts and design. With a conceptual approach, his photography establishes links between the landscape’s reality and that imagined by its conceiver.
These works focus on concrete questions that determine our existence. By applying abstraction, he creates personal moments masterfully created by means of rules and omissions, acceptance and refusal, luring viewers in ambiguity. His works directly respond to the surrounding environment and use everyday experiences from the artist as a starting point. Often these are framed instances that would go unnoticed in their original context. With a conceptual approach, he creates work in which a fascination with the clarity of content and an uncompromising attitude towards conceptual and minimal art can be found. The work is aloof and systematic and a cool and neutral imagery is used.
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The Planet Doesn't Have Time For This
2017
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The work I have produced was first realized during an experimental piece for an art film, we wanted to build a view of the world. We started experimenting using traditional film techniques to create such image, but further one was lost ourselves in the process, in burning through materials and giving off harmful gasses while we mixed these materials together.
This process inspired me to pursue this further by actually using the most harmful liquids and materials to the environment to create the world. This is how this work came to a realization. The hottest topic in the world right now about the world, global warming or global cooling, no one knows whats going on. working with the photographic medium for almost a decade, I have experienced many dangerous and life-threatening moments with this medium, and that got me to think about trying to create a work both toxic and yet environmentally friendly.
I chose to create my photograph using gasoline, fungus, acids, pesticides, powdered aluminum, also including every material used to create traditional photography, even including alternative processes such as bleaches, palladium, and selenium. After experimenting and finding what worked and what didn't I then started capturing the chemical interactions and how it created ideas and segments reflecting on the world itself. I then chose to use a modern output of Latex print, which has been graded more economically friendly and biodegradable.
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The Planet Doesn't Have Time For This, 2017