Jay Tang

Title: Everyday Landscapes

About the Photo:

It is 2015, it is my final year of my photography study Photography Design at the Fotovakschool in Amsterdam. I do not have a theme yet for the final assessment. As a graphic designer, I wanted to create something graphical, but as a photographer, using only the basics: a camera, light and subject.

I went on to photography coloured paper sheets in various compositions and colour combinations. In the weeks after, I would further develop this excersice, ending up with using a variety of white coloured paper sheets, tissues and other everyday material. The harsh lighting would make the material barely visible, while at the same time casting a shadow, creating an abstract landscape.

Throughout the years, I have experimented with other techniques and material and developed a style that references classic Chinese mountain paintings, bringing it closer to my Chinese heritage.

What makes Everyday Landscapes interesting to me is that the works have multiple layers viewing experiences. From a distance, the shadows blends together, allowing the viewer to interpret their observed reality. While up close, the view changes and the details of the material can subtly be seen, often leaving viewers in shock and awe.