French novelist and essayist Georges Perec’s works have often
dealt with the concepts of loss and identity. But the writer and filmmaker was
best known for introducing the idea of ‘infra-ordinary’ prompting people to
look at the seemingly ordinary, mundane details of life by being reflective and
changing their ideas of perception. Chinese artist Tongji Philip Qian, who
began his career as an art historian, explores this concept through his ongoing
show, Signals from the Universe: Homage to the Element of Chanc e. The multidisciplinary
artist responds to his surroundings by using his handmade woodblock prints to
offer insights into the vast possibilities of the cosmic environment.
Order
and control
Qian
has lived in rural China for a few years where he did not have access to
facilities like a printmaking press. “So, I investigated Chinese and Japanese
woodblock printing techniques and now I print with a Japanese baren (a hand
tool for woodblock prints),” he explains. “Making prints in an Asian way
enables me to work in most places where facilities are not possible. And I
enjoy printing by hand because the process is meditative and self-reflective to
me.”
Qian,
considers himself a craftsman rather than an artist as he advocates the concept
of chance and craft through his creations. “As humans, at least in the context
of today, we like to control many things regardless of whether it is
manageable,” she says. “I was influenced by Perec’s idea of the infra-ordinary
and am devoted to exploring the essence of the element of chance which is so
quotidian but powerful.”
The
artist marries the twin concepts by interpreting woodcuts as craft media and
making prints through his self-devised algorithms, thereby depicting the
concept of chance. Qian’s process, as per his artist statement, begins with
deconstructing pre-existing dimensions of wooden blocks by reconstructing a new
grid system based on the numbers that he rolls with a dice. These numbers
denominate how many cellular units each new row/column now entails. He defines
the coordination between the rolled number and the accompanying carving action
and repeats the iterations till he reaches the end of his algorithm and finally
starts printing.
According
to Qian, it is essential to lose control sometimes to be able capture things
that have been previously overlooked. “I have been incorporating the element of
chance in numerous ways for more than two years and it never ceases to surprise
me,” he says.
Quian
usually dedicates a couple of weeks to foster an idea and then realise it in a
print form. Though the print-making process, which follows an algorithm
formula, is difficult, it helps him hone his skills as a craftsman. “I face
various challenges, some of them technical and some conceptual, but I usually
learn from them and use them as inspirations for the next project,” he says.
“In a way, the previous challenges inform the process of future projects.”
Signals
from the Universe: Homage to the Element of Chance is on at Cosmic Heart
Gallery, New Marine Lines till November 10.
Making
prints in an Asian way enables me to work in most places where facilities are
not possible. And I enjoy printing by hand because the process is meditative
and self-reflective to meTongji Philip Qianartist
Source: THE HINDU-8th November,2017
