CH Huang* deconstructing Hsu's photography idea (translated by Nevin):
SY Hsu’s portrait works are unique in terms of the non-existence of any theme or any articulation transcending photography. His portrait works persistently represents a "friend—beauty" projection of his self and the illusionary relationship onto the image, killing the intermediary optical device. This projection aptly concludes his photographic intentions which precede photographic art per se. Paradoxically, these forerunning intentions are roused by the need of photography and in turn result in the intention to kill the media of photography.
No individual subject in Hsu's works is ever epitomised as a certain character in photographic reflection. This is a result of the element of instantaneous flash-back of time present in each of his shutter releases, which, more precisely put, constitutes a micro flash-back in the images outshining the element of "image formation". This feedforeward freezes his subjects before any photographic manipulation.
In other words, his joking and fancing in front of the subjects become a mechanism which makes the beauties be freezed instead of being so later by the shutter release. In this connection, photography morphes into an action or at least an act. The release of the shutter has transformed from a decision to cumulate and cut an image, to escape. This split-second escape is the only possible way to freeze the gazes between the photographer, Hsu and the subjects.
The strangeness in Hsu's portrait works is afforded by this photographic idea of his. Each subject is individualised in the proceedings under such a mechanism. His subjects have thus be turned into individualised strangers.
*Assistant Professor of Department of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts
(Published by courtesy and with copyright of SY Hsu)
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