APT6 Activity B

Circle 2009, by Charwei Tsai, Taiwan, b.1980

Digital video projection, single channel, Quicktime, continuous loop, 4:3, colour, sound 40 seconds, open edition.

This video projection documents a circle Tsai has drawn in lack ink on a block of melting ice. Central to the work are ideas of emptiness and transience, articulated through the action and its inevitable disappearance. After completing the work, Tsai discovered that the calligraphic drawing of a circle, or ensō, is a meditative practice that Zen monks engage in to let the body-spirit create. It is believed that the way in which the ensō is drawn fully exposes the character of the drawer. Inviting gallery visitors to hold a projected image of her ensō as the block of ice melts, Tsai places herself in our hands.

Question 1:

This was a different view of an approach to art, through experimentation. The artist, Tsai has used natural and synthetic means to complete a creation. It was original in the terms of methods that she had used. How Tsai had added meaning to this piece of work is by allowing us, as the viewers, to see a part of her ensō/ body-spirit. How she did that was by using black ink, to create a calligraphic drawing of a circle on melting ice. According to the Zen monks, a calligraphic drawing for circle which is also known as ensō is meditative practice to expose the character of the drawer. This then show, that Tsai was allowing us to see a part of her character.

Question 2:

a) The art work that I had chosen was a small media clip, so here are so snap shots.






b) The materials that the artist had used were, black calligraphic ink and a block of melting ice. How the work was created was by first using the block of melting ice as the background. Tsai then used black calligraphic ink and drew a circle on the melting ice. She then allowed the ink on the melting ice, the dimension of water, to represent the evolution of her art work. The circle represents a change, from beginning to end and rejuvenation. Using the method to help show personal individually, in the way that she chooses to draw/ create art. The importance of personal aesthetic (artist) is significant.

c) The visual language shown through Tsai’s art work are: Texture, Symmetrical Balance, movement and colour contrast. The texture in this art work is shown by the developing conjunction of the ink with the ice crystals. As the ice melts over a period of time, the ink displays the constant developing texture of the art, which then helps to display visual interest and give an organic feel to the art work. Symmetrical Balance is shown by the circle that was drawn with ink on the melting ice. It helps to give a comfortable experience for the viewer/eye. It also helps to show fullness, wholeness and it emphasises on the originality. This then makes the viewer of the art work feel content and satisfied. How movement was shown through this art work was by the developing/evolution of the drawn inked circle on the melting ice. As when the ice melted over time the water and the ink slow fused, moved, spread over parts of the ice. This then give a sense of unpredictability and a calming aura through the slow trickling and emphasises. This is because there is no sense of rapid movements or intensity, therefore making this piece of art work naturalistic. -contrast was shown between the black and white of the ink and the ice. It gives a sense of unity to harmonise the image of this artwork. Nature vs. man

d) What the artist Tsai, was trying to convey through this art work is change. By change, it is how at the start or from the beginning of a journey, we would learn thing that would make us different at the end of the journey from who we were at the beginning. However, it is also similar to our body-spirit or ensō as, when we change our ensō will also change over time as well. Our body-spirit or ensō, over time still as the same structure however, parts of it may change as we grow, change and learn new things. This is what makes us as who we are, our character.

e) From what we know about the artist, Tsai, is that she was born in Taiwan, which is a Chinese background country. In Chinese background countries, beliefs in spirits and spiritual things are quite common as well. This may have an impact on Tsai’s art work as different Chinese people may also believe in different types of spiritual beliefs. (e.g. Gods.)

Chinese people also may have different beliefs with what these spiritual things may come to mean to themselves, such as a person’s character and personality. Some Chinese people also have different views about their body-spirit when they leave their bodies. Like, what would happen to their body- spirits, when the die. Some people may come to think that our spirits may move on to the spirit world with the Gods, and some may come to think that we may transform into a spirit in their after-life.

How this cultural may affect the artist’s work, may be the way that she thinks when, she is creating her works. Through her art works she had displayed some of her spiritual interpretations from her cultural. Example that the Tsai had shown that is the emphasis on the body-spirit’s connection to a person’s character/personality.