ARBOR VITA
ENCOUNTERS
DONGENG GENTENG
I USED TO PLAY HERE
A celebration of trees.
The autumn air is clear,
The autumn moon is bright.
Fallen leaves gather and scatter,
The jackdaw perches and starts anew.
We think of each other
- when will we meet?
This hour, this night,
my feelings are hard.
Li Bai (701 - 762)
Observed reality and the construction of identity.
'The camera never lies
but it does not tell the truth.'
Roman W Schatz
The photographic work Dongeng Genteng (Tile Tales) explores the human side of work in a traditional roof tile factory at Jatiwangi in West Java, Indonesia.
On my recent trip to China I collected images for my current art project which examines issues of personal reality, space and emotions. As I explored some of the back streets of Shanghai I became a witness to the battle between destruction and development and the extent of human endurance, all of which evoked a range of emotions within me.