The Levitating Perils - Light Installations (2022)

Experimental 3D animation with sound, Outdoor Projection Installation, Sculpture

 

Acrylic print, Woodwork, Yellow and Orange LED light, Electronic components; Approx. 75 x 27 x 6 inches (each);

 

In these works, intense yellow light is cast onto the prints of mysterious deep-sea invertebrates on reflective acrylic. These creatures play an important role in the "Yellow Peril" metaphor in Western history. Echoing the ubiquitous portrayal of Asia through distorted lenses in the media, the printed images are skewed, fragmented, and blurred by digital image manipulation. This series of light installations suggests the imposition of racial stereotypes (such as the notion of yellow skin) on Asian groups and exposes the century-long anxiety about "Yellow Perilism." At the same time, the octopi images become an empathetic study of the innocent creatures and their history of being misrepresented as racist symbols in modern mythology.