Disqualified+City+-+Ximen,+2002+Yuan+Guangming


 *  City Disqualified - Ximen, district in day time, 2002, Yuan Guang-Ming.**



Title: City Disqualified – Ximen, district in day time. Artist: [|Yuan Guang-Ming] ( 袁廣鳴 Yuan Guangming) Date: 2002 Period: Contemporary Country of Origin: Taiwan Cultural/Ethnic Affiliation: Taiwan Medium: Digital Photography Dimensions: 300x240 cm Museum/Collection: Unknown Current Location and Manner of Display: Unknown
 * Artwork Identification**

Y‍‍uan Guang-Ming was bor ‍‍n in 1965 in Taipei, Taiwan. He is a digital media artist that is most known for his video work, which he began to explore in 1986. Yuan's video work //Fish on a Dish, 1992//, was highly acclaimed in Taiwan.(1) His career continued to grow in the following decade as he was awarded a jury prize by the Acer Digital Art Center, exhibited in Japan, Berlin, New York and San Francisco. His most recent video work, //Disappearing- Passing, 2007//, can be viewed at this link. In 2002, Yuan participated in the [|Taipei Biennial] in which this work, //City Disqualified//, was exhibited. This particular piece represents a shift from his video installations to a more two-dimensional approach to digital art.
 * Introduction**

//City Disqualified// is a single digital image produced from multiple shots of a scene that was exported and superimposed with editing software. Although the final composition is in a digital medium, the original shots were taken with a medium format film camera. From over 300 film shots, Yuan isolated 70 to scan into a computer program. Through strategic juxtaposition and superimposition, he successfully created an image that appears to have been taken in one attempt; however, the work contains numerous shots that were captured over a period of a month. ‍‍(7) ‍‍ Due to the artistic process and the way the piece references each of the 70 selected images, it may be described as a digital photomontage.(6) Specifically, the image illustrates a large intersection located in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, in a busy shopping district known as Ximen. The layout of the composition appears to lend all of the focus into the diagonal convergence by a series of painted arrows on the bottom left and right corners. In detail, the positioning and depth of the composition presents an 'x'-like shape that coincidentally forms a large rectangle by way of the stripped crosswalks. Similar to the 'x,' the aligned trees planted on both sides of the image provide another impression of symmetry. The lower left of the center displays a simple curved shape where the road and curb conjoin, while the top portion of the image is occupied by large urban structures that diminish into the horizon. The lightness of the sky indicate daytime, but the cast shadows formed by everything that is three-dimensional suggest that it is either morning or late afternoon. The entire shopping district appears to have freshly sustained human activity by virtue of its cleanliness and preservation. Due to this fact, the viewer is most likely to perceive the single most bizarre aspect at the very end- it is completely devoid of life. There may be evidence of life, but the image does not actually exhibit any proof. The district appears to have been very abruptly abandoned, inducing an eerie response to the viewer.
 * Descriptive Analysis**

Ximen District is an incredibly active shopping district in Taipei. It is located in the Northeastern region of the Wanghua district and was once, previously home to a busy theatre district in the 1930s. During the 80s, however, the district experienced a decline as businesses relocated. Rejuvenation of the community did not occur until the year 1999, when it evolved into Taiwan’s first and largest pedestrian mall. This growth- along with the accessibility to buses and metro train lines- has since made Ximen a constant hub of activity as pictured below. (4)
 * Formal & Contextual Analysis**

Yuan distorts this bustling rejuvenation in //City Disqualified// by removing all people and activity from the bounds of the image. Yuan's work often expresses an interest in the intrinsic concept of time. A video he created in 1998 titled, //The Reason for Running//, projects a man running endlessly. This video distinctly references English photographer, [|Eadward Muybridge] who experimented with motion in photography in the 1870s.



Returning to //City Disqualified//, Yuan Guang-Ming was able to achieve this artwork by transferring the original shots into a computer and layering each on top of one another to create new dimensions of space. By use of technology, he carefully removed the unsuitable elements from each individual shot he selected worthy and was left with a seemingly empty city, void of its typical frenzied environment. During the process, however, Yuan made an interesting observation of the images moving when he opened and closed the digital layers. This left him with the impression of "video painting," an approach the artist refers to when interposing still images which all contain a single moment in time.(1) According to Yuan, the final product of a "video painting" is a redefined sense of time and a new dimension of space in a single two-dimensional image. Other artists have used this technique of interposing images to create a photomontage. Prior to digital technology, artist ‍‍[|Jerry Uelsmann] ‍‍ had used this technique with negatives in order to create his final images.(7) Although Yuan Guang-Ming's work does not visually resemble that of Uelsmann's, the technique of gathering multiple images and removing bits to create new works was a process Uelsmann had perfected in a darkroom, long before the creation of Adobe Photoshop and other similar software. Whil‍‍e Uelsmann's work also conveyed a sense of distorte ‍‍d time, Yuan's intent is distinguishable by subtle reference of time as opposed to being more apparent. Yuan has also experimented with concept of time in variations of the original //City Disqualified:// //City Disqualified////- Nighttime View//, and //Human Disqualified//. The latter is a multimedia installation that includes transparent ink and phosphorus powder.



Yuan Guang-Ming was born in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1965. During those years he must have personally felt the effects of a country that was growing and changing politically and structurally. The growth and change of the city in which he lived was combined with the constant struggle for identity by the Taiwanese people might possibly be reflected in this work. //City Disqualified// could be interpreted as a response to a changing city and a growing dependence on technology that makes us all less human. Removing the citizens from the scene creates a sense of uneasiness as if the city does not need the people to exist. This idea of uncertain identity or loss of identity has occurred in the work of other Taiwanese artists. Walis Labai's Invisible Project, depicts indigenous people that have had their faces or bodies removed from the image. Yuan's people have been completely removed from the city, but are still referenced in the fact that the city appears to be very much alive. Ming felt that //City Disqualified// does have something to do with people because cities themselves are about people. (1) When asked about how he feels about technology Ming replied "cyberspace is in fact very inhuman . . . it eliminates the distance between here and there. But I feel it is inhuman." (1) Human identity is lost in the midst of such vast technology. This statement by the artists suggests that the piece is mainly about time and loss. The image itself appears to be a representation of a moment in time but through his process of photomontage he extends that concept of time for several days. The repetitive layering of a single space at various points in time challenges the notion that a photographic image is a representation of a moment in time. The city and its dwellers exist within a new concept of time as dictated by advanced technologies. The title of the work is a bit ambiguous. It is not clear why the city is disqualified if it is the only thing that still exists. Perhaps that is were the ultimate feeling of loss comes. The city loses an integral part of itself when its people are absent. Even though it appears to be thriving its loneliness gives it a sense of once again being in decline.
 * ‍‍Personal interpretation ‍‍**

Online Sources 1) Yuan Guang-Ming, website, []
 * References**

2) Universes in Universe, 50th Annual Venice Beinale, [|http://www.universes-in-] [|universe.de/car/venezia/bien50/twn/e-goang-ming.htm]

3) Youtube, Disappearing Landscape, Video, Yuan Goaning Ming, posted by Chris Ming Kuan, []

4) []

5) []

Printed resources (6) "Jerry Uelsmann - Photosynthesis", forward by A.D. Coleman, (University Press in Florida, 1932)

(7) "Printmaking at the Edge", Richard Noyce, A & C Black Publishers Limited, 2006


 * Lesson Title:** City of Life
 * Grade Level:** Middle School
 * Time:** 9 class periods (55-60 minutes per class period)

This lesson meets the following [|__National Standards for Art Education__] : NA-VA.5-8 1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes (b) NA-VA.5-8 2. Using knowledge of structures and functions (a,b,c) NA-VA.5-8 3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas (a,b) NA-VA.5-8 4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures (a) NA-VA.5-8 5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others (a,b)
 * Standards:**

This lesson plan meets the following [|__National Educational Technology Standards__] : 1. Creativity and Innovation (a & b) 2. Communication and Collaboration (a & b) 3. Research and Information Fluency (a, b, c, & d) 4. Digital Citizenship (a & b) 5. Technology Operations and Concepts (a & b)


 * Central Concepts:**
 * City is a large and permanent settlement also knows as a town. In the City Disqualified, the artist Yuan Guang-Ming portrays the Xinmen district of the Taipei City. It is the capital of Taiwan located on the Tamsui River. It is the home to over two million people. It was founded in the early 18th century and became an important area for overseas trade. It became an urban area after Japan ruled Taiwan. Later, in 1945, the Republic of China took over the Island, which later was declared as the provisional capital in 1949. Yuan Guang-Ming is a digital media artists that is most known for his video work. He was born in 1965 in Taipei, Taiwan and began working with videos in 1986. His career continued to grow over the years. Yuan not only worked with video, but also with two-dimensional digital art. His first two-dimensional artwork was City Disqualified. Some of his techniques were to capture film shots and superimposed them together in computer software. Yuan Guang-Ming connection to the city is that he personally felt that the country that was growing during his younger life there. It was changing both politically and structurally. However, there were many struggles for identity of the people that live there, which is shown in his artwork. //City Disqualified// interpreted from the changing in the city that depended on technology, which according to Yuan, made individuals less human. By removing the people from the city landscape creates a non existence of humans. Ming explained that his artwork is about people because cities are about people.
 * Art and technology: Technology is known for its knowledge and vast amount of data. Technology is the understanding of using tools, machines, and techniques. It could also be used for crafts, systems, or methods of organization. Technology can help individuals to solve a problem or perform a specific function. Art has no real definition. It can be in many different forms. For example, art can be physical, musical, theatrical, and visual. Art is a designing form and a form of expression. It creates a certain form and content and has a different meaning to each individual. It also has an effect on an individual’s emotions and senses. Art can be described as a form of physical and mental stage of a person. In the history of art, art and technology are intertwined. With the advancement of digital technology in the 20th century, the boundaries between art and technology became blurred. Technology could help expand the possibilities of art. Art could be both together art and technology which can create more opportunities in the virtual view and around the world.
 * Sandwiching: Combining two (or more) negatives or slides for creating an image.
 * The City Disqualified is a digital image that utilizes the technique of sandwiching. It is made up of multiple shots of the same scene imported into a computer and superimposed together with editing software. There are over 300 hundred film shots and almost 70 scanned into the computer. There is use of technology in this piece. Some effects he had created were an image that appeared to be eliminated at a certain time which created a certain depth over time. In the image there is a crossroad in a busy shopping district in Taipei. In the right corner the viewer is directly lad to the composition from the arrows painted on the street, which has divided the image in a diagonal point of view. The center of the image is separated by streets that run horizontally. The arrows on the street point to the left side of the image while the horizontal and vertical lines meet in the middle. The city seems to be very clean and empty of living beings. There are no cars, animals, or humans located in the image. The city is shown to be abandoned rather than destroyed which created a disturbing emotion to the image.

Activity 1: Looking at City Disqualified, Day1. Preparation: The teacher inserts the image of the City Disqualified by Yuan Guang-Ming on a PowerPoint slide and inserts Yuan’s Portrait on another slide to show what Yuan looks like.
 * Teaching and Learning Activities:**
 * Ask students to first identify elements of the landscape on the image and then ask students if they can identify the city and locate it on a map. The teacher then provides students the caption information of the artwork and asks students to do Web and image searches of the Xinmen district of the Taipei City. Students then compare and contrast the artwork with the images of the Xinmen district and determine if this is an original digital image of the Ximen or has it been altered. Each student will list the similarities and differences and write a paragraph of whether they think the image is original and their reasoning. Give the student about 15-20 minutes to complete the writing portion, which will be turned in at the end of class.

Activity 2: Digital Imaging Project Introduction, Day 2
 * Students will be asked to interpret Yuan’s artwork by creating a digital sandwiching of a city or town that the students find most interesting to them and/or have a certain meaning to them. This lesson is called City of Life. The reason it is called that is that it is the city around them they are taking images to compose their artwork. The life represents the manmade area surrounding them. They have the option of using the city they have grown up from if the execution of taking multiple photos can be done. The alternative is that students take multiple images of the area where the middle school is located. The city would be walking distance for the school. The teacher will provide the rest of the class period to walk around the school district as a group to take digital images. The students are required to take a minimum of thirty pictures. Students would later download the pictures to a computer program and open/sandwich them in Photoshop.


 * Students will be asked to research information on the Internet about Yuan artworks and his techniques. They are to type a paragraph comparing and contrasting his different sandwiching landscapes. These papers should be typed, double spaced with 12 point font using Microsoft Word.

Activity 3: Creating Your City, Day 3 to 7
 * Each student will download their digital images they have taken of the city (which was done as homework over the weekend). The students will remove parts of the images of the city and composite them into one sandwiched image. They are to create a new dimension of space with the images they have taken. The student can use figures and objects in the landscape, but they have to make sure the castings of the shadow are the same. In the end the student should have one single image with at ten layers used in the image. The artwork is saved as 300 DPI, PSD file and later uploaded to the class’s Tumblr website as a JPEG so other students can view the image and make comments about the artwork. Instructions will be explained on Day nine.

Activity 4: “My City” Presentation, Day 8-9
 * Use an data projector to project the students’ sandwiched images of their city. Each student has two minutes to explain the city that s/he chose, their digital manipulation process, and the effects/meanings they intend to convey. The classmates have three minutes to critique each student’s artwork.

Activity 5: Uploading artwork to Tumblr, Day 9
 * Uploading the sandwich city images to Tumblr to allow students to write comments about each other’s artwork or view other classmates’ artworks.
 * Log in to your Tumblr connect if you have one
 * If not the student needs to sign up for one by visiting the website: __ [] __
 * Students upload images by selecting “Submit” on the right hand side.
 * Once the student clicks “submit,” there will be a box called Submit a post, click the down arrow which allows you to change it to “submit a photo.”
 * Next upload your image by clicking choose file
 * Write a caption for your artwork
 * Check the box that says, “I accept the Terms of Submission.”
 * The last thing is to click “submit.”

Total: 50 points ・free of errors ・grammar ・amount of words (a paragraph) ・quality of information ||  || ・ photograph images ・ balanced composition ・clear quality ・layers ・ PhotoShop techniques ・Techniques ・Cropping of the image ・Intended meanings ||  || ・Uploading to Tumblr ・Comments ||  || ・Clearly present ideas and thoughts of their artwork, ・Reflect on the strength and weakness ・Adequately manage time of presentation ||  ||
 * Assessment:**
 * Grading Rubric || Students score ||
 * Written Statements (10pts)
 * Digital Artwork (25pts)
 * Uploading to website (10pts)
 * Presentation (5pts)
 * Total Points of Project (50pts) ||