Liberation+of+Taiwan+-+Yao+Jui+Chung


 * Liberation of Taiwan – Photographic Series by: Yao Jui Chung**



Image obtained from the Artists personal web site: [|Yao Jui Chung]

Title: [|Liberation of Taiwan] Artist: Yao Jui Chung (姚瑞中, Yao Riuzong) Date: 2007 Country of Origin: Taiwan Cultural / Ethnic Affiliation: Taiwanese Medium: Photography
 * Artwork Identification**


 * Introduction**

The multi-faceted artist Yao Jui Chung shot a series of photographs titled the //Liberation of Taiwan// that create the illusion of him floating in front of, and perhaps above and beyond well known government buildings in Taiwan. This series resembles another photographic series shot between 1994 and 1996, titled //[|Recover Mainland China]// and are reminiscent of propaganda posters used to elicit loyalist reactions.



Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei



Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei



Presidential Palace of Taiwan

All images were obtained from the Artists personal web site.


 * Descriptive Analysis**

The Liberation of Taiwan is a photographic series, that are modern depictions of military propaganda posters. The artist is dressed as a Red Army soldier and posses in front of various Taiwanese landmarks that are imbued with political significance. The photographs were taken while the artist was in a mid-jump pose, creating the appearance of floating in front of the landmark structure. The artist refers to this as a “[|Pointed remark about China’s ongoing influence over his country] ”. This series is made up of four separate photographs that are set up in front of well known architectural sites including the Presidential Palace of Taiwan, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, and the Kaohsiung City Government Building. The backdrop for these photos are not the actual structures, but miniature version located in the Window of China theme park (小人國) in Taiwan.


 * Formal / Contextual Analysis**

According to Yao Jui Chung’s biography, his work is meant to “examine the absurdity of the human condition”. In regards to the series //Recovering Mainland China//, according to the artists biography, this work was intended to subvert “modern Chinese political myths”. With such a similarity in the works of //Recovering Mainland China// and the //Liberation of Taiwan// series, perhaps these “political myths” are further explored. The //Liberation of Taiwan// series deliberately showcases symbols of Mainland China that are located in Taiwan. Furthermore, the inclusion of the artist floating above these landmark structures (deliberately shown in a very distant perspective), may be a symbolic representation of the Taiwanese people rising above the rule and or the influence of China. Moreover, it speaks to the absurdity of the idea of the Republic of China re-conqueering China (反共復國 ) that was the chief political slogan of the martial law period in Taiwan. The fact that he positions himself not above the real structures, but miniature replicas further enhances the absurdity of scale and political reality.

It may also be a representation of a defiance of the history of [|Chiang Kai Shek]. Chiang, the President of the Republic of China and the Director-General of the Kuomintang ruled the island of Taiwan with an iron fist.

Yao Jui Chung expresses these ideas through photography, but with his inclusion in the photographs, his work also has an element of performance art as well. He has explored this form of artistic expression in the work of //[|Phantom of History]//, which also seems to be centered on the topic of “Chinese political myths”. In all three of these mentioned works, he is dressed as a Red Army Soldier, which would suggest to the viewer that these pieces contain a strong influence of political and wartime propaganda, quite possibly, a continuation of the “absurdity of the human condition”.

The subject of propaganda and the absurdity of the human condition has been explored by other artists as well. The installation piece //[|All the Submarines of the United States of America]//, by the well known performance artist [|Chris Burden], explores the topic of military power and the propagandist elements of that power. An example of a combination of photography and conceptual elements can be seen in the art work //[|Running Fence]// by [|Christo and Jeanne Claude]. By combining elements of visual conceptualization, design, construction and photography, they have created temporary, but monumental visual works of art.



We Will Definitely Free Taiwan, Propaganda Poster from 1971. Image obtained from [|ChinesePosters.net]


 * Personal Interpretation**

When I see images such as the //Liberation of Taiwan//, I think about the thought process that went into it, such as; what was the artist thinking or why did they do what they did? Knowing the basic message (I think) of what Yao Jui Chung wanted to say with these images brings them to life and makes the message even more important. The Taiwanese people have struggled for an identity that has been controlled by outside forces for centuries, and it has left them questioning their identity for just as long. The contemporary art scene is helping to create that identity and artists like Yao Jui Chung are the key figures involved in crafting how the world will view Taiwan in the years to come.



These images of the artist Yao Jui Chung were obtained from his personal web site.


 * References**


 * Printed Sources:**

Information about Chris Burden, conceptualism and activist art, including performance and installation art was found in the book: //History of Modern Art//.

Arnason, H. H., and Elizabeth C. Mansfield. //History of Modern Art//. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc., 2010.

Information about Christo and Jeanne Claude as well as additional information about installation art was found in the book: //Understanding Art//.

Fichner-Rathus, Lois. //Understanding Art//. Belmont, CA: Thompson Learning Inc., 2004


 * Online Sources:**

Answers.com / Chiang Kai Shek – An informational web site with biographical information about the late leader of the Kuomintang army, aka Generalissimo Chiang. http://www.answers.com/topic/chiang-kai-shek

Chineseposters. net – An interesting web site containing information about the use, creation, and history of propaganda materials. http://chineseposters.net/themes/taiwan-liberation.php

Chris Burden / Gagosian Gallery – The official site of Burdens work and information about the artist. http://www.gagosian.com/artists/chris-burden/

Christo and Jeanne Claude – This site is the official site of the artist Christo and the late Jeanne Claude. The site contains biographical information and photographs of their projects. http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/

Yao Jui Chung – The artists’ personal web site. This site contains biographical information, a collection of his artworks, and copies of articles and reviews written about him. http://www.yaojuichung.com/htdocs/index_en.php