ying volume 2, 2006, #025

ying says that photography began as a way for her to glorify everything that was beautiful and worthy of appreciation in a fast-food world where everyone is too busy climbing the social and economic ladder to truly marvel at the world around them. it's her tribute to the poignancy of life.

1. how would you explain 'art' - in 19 words or less? i remember reading once that art is a way to make those at ease to feel discomfort and those in discomfort to feel at ease.

2. what is the first work of art you ever loved? wish i could remember and had a great story about how seeing the first piece of great art of my life changed everything. if i had to choose something, it would have to be music though. probably roberta flack's 'the first time ever i saw your face.' i would have been five or six years old, with no understanding of romantic love, but it still moved me to tears. i think it was the first time that i felt an emotional shift that was caused by something other than an event directly related to me.

3. how important is theory to your art? academic theory doesn't have any direct impact of my work because i've never formally studied art theory before, so logically, that would be impossible. although, because theory is merely explanation, all things in life are immersed in its own discourse of theories and therefore inescapable.

4. describe your ideal art workspace. a huge warehouse space with a flying fox, huge ladders, hardware equipment, and bare concrete floor angled to a drain so i can hose the whole space down if i need to clean it. one corner would have a blank white infinity curve on all three sides, surrounded by weird props of every description.

5. describe your current art workspace. the world and everywhere around me.

6. if you could be placed in suspended animation and safely reanimated at some time in the future with the sole purpose being to see how history treated you / your art, would you do it?
no, because if my work made no impact whatsoever in the future on such a macro scale as to leave a mark in history, i might not be strong enough to continue the side of my art that wants to make some kind of social contribution. i might lose purpose because it might not be enough to just make pretty things to look at.

7. who are some of your favourite artists (contemporary or canonical)? i love the work of nan goldin because of her raw and unflinching documentation of her life and the people in it. i also love the work of the chapman brothers for their courage to go where others don't. and last but not least (because i've got about 25 other artists who i hold in equally high esteem) are edward and nancy keinholz - their exhibit which had a significant impact on me was at the MCA in sydney, where they reconstructed a grotesque and eerily accurate parody of the red light district in amsterdam, complete with mannequin prostitutes, dirty wash basins, ashtrays, bicycles, hanging laundry, and no parking zones. the entire exhibit was quite possibly the most hard-hitting and immediately relevant social critique i'd seen in years. it growls its gutteral discontent at the complexity of the wounded world, suffering at the hands of abusive power and showcases the extent of collateral damage and gives its silent cries a voice. it's amazing to see the medium of sculpture have such a visceral impact on its viewers to the point of nausea and red, red fury.

8. tell us about a gallery (online or physical space) that you think rocks, and why you think it rocks. i think that the tate modern in london and MoMA in NYC are amazing spaces and you would have to have rocks in your head to not see why. they are extensive without being alienating and have a continually evolving collection of works that moves people from all over the world every day.

9. would you choose the baked bean jaffle or the caramelised pumpkin and red onion tart with crispy radicchio and hazelnut salad with apple vinaigrette? baked been jaffle, because i'm having a savoury carb craving right now … but ask me again in a few hours and you'll probably get a different answer. i have fickle appetites.

10. finish this sentence: "the work of art can / cannot be considered separately to the artist because ________." the work of art can or cannot be considered separately to the artist depending on the kind of perspective you want to see the artwork from. the artist may choose to maintain some kind of anonymity in order for their work to be 'faceless' and 'nameless'. others may require their personal experience to be taken into account for their work to be given context.