When:
Friday Jun 06, 2008
at 6:00 PM

Where::
L Ross Gallery
5040 Sanderlin Avenue
Memphis, TN 38117
United States
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An exhibit highlighting the talent and diversity of up-and-coming women artists in the Memphis community.

Featuring artworks by:

Niki Johnson
Rebekah Laurenzi
Emily Walls
Pixy Liao
Lauren Hamlett

curated by Ian Lemmonds

Unfortunately, I can’t be there.

Yes! I can’t believe it’s next Friday. Thanks to Britt Jenkins (a student from Rhodes College’s gallery management class), I’m lucky enough to have my first solo show in Adam Shaw Studio, a very lovely space. Here’s the press release:

Adam Shaw Studio and Britt Jenkins are excited to announce a solo photography exhibition: 

Pixy Liao:  Experimental Relationship

A performance will take place in the gallery from 7 – 7:30 p.m.

Experimental Relationship will feature seven recent photographs from the talented young photographer, Pixy Liao.  Hand processed color photographs radiate seductive colors that add to the intimate nature of the work’s content.  These sensual color photographs show the artist’s investigation into the facets of relationships, but not necessarily her own.  Consequently, a dynamic tension is achieved because of the work’s performance aspect.  A summation of the work is best expressed from the following excerpt taken from her project’s description, “This project is more like an experiment to me, not a real document of my relationship.  It may even have nothing to do with me or my boyfriend.  It’s more like me throwing out questions and ideas about relationships.  I have always doubted the routines of human beings.  Why should a couple be a man and a woman?  Why does man have to be a certain way?  Why should woman be a certain way?  I feel relationships are for more complicated and always changing, and it has lots of possibilities.”

Jpg information:  “PixyLiao_pr.jpg” is “How Long Can We Kiss?” from Experimental Relationship 2008, Image courtesy the artist.

   
Project: We?(name undecided)
As a woman, I used to think I can only fall in love with someone that I adore, who is maturer than me, older than me, a protector, a mentor.  Then I met my boyfriend, Moro, who is 5 years younger than me. I felt the whole relationship is changed all the way around. I become the person who has more authority & power. & when I told my male friend about my new relationship, he said, “How could you choose a boyfriend the way we choose a girlfriend?!” & I think damn right. That’s exactly what I’m doing,  & why not?! So I began to think about the meaning of this relationship & experiment with it.
In this project I explore the new possibilities in relationship. What will happen if man & woman exchange their roles of sex & roles of power. What this relationship does to man & woman？(To me, it’s a liberation, to both of us.) Also I express my frustrations in a relationship, the impossibility to find a soul-mate, the feeling of isolation & disconnection.

系列：我们？（名字未定）
作为女性，我曾经以为我只能爱上一个我崇拜的人，比我更加成熟，年纪稍大，一个保护者，一个良师益友。然后我遇见了我现在的男友，小我五岁的MORO。我理所当然的情侣关系彻底颠倒了。我变成了那个有更多权威和影响力的人。当我把这段新恋情告诉我一个男性朋友后，他说“你怎么可以像我们挑选女友一样选男友呢？！”我想他真是说到点子上了，这正是这段关系的重点，为什么不能呢？然后我就开始认真思考起这段关系的意义，并且(用照片)做起了实验。
在这系列照片中，我探索新的可能的关系形式。如果男女转换他们的性别角色和权利角色会怎么样。这样的关系对于男女双方有什么作用？（我觉得这对我们双方来说都是一种解放。）我也在照片中表达了我在男女恋爱关系中的挫折感，无法找心心相印的感觉，隔离感和疏离感。（我没有办法用两种语言表达同一个意思，这个说明英文写在前面，所以大概更加接近我的意思。）

Artist Statement is the hardest thing. Somebody help me.

Film Stills

Relationship

3 photos I showed in my critique last night. They come from 2 bodies of work.
The top 2 images are photos look like film stills. It all started from the 1st picture which I took when I went back to China. It was a spontaneous shot. I happened to step in this little restaurant with my friend. I like it so much that I want to make more photos like this. I wish to have more control in this picture(lighting, clothing, direction, etc.). So I arranged the shooting in a local restaurant in Memphis, set up light & prepared props & clothing… These photos are about the moment when a person is alone & facing their own problems.
The 3rd picture along with my pinching nipple, biting lip photos, belongs to the relationship project. This photo is about the miscommunication & attitudes of couples.

Feedback:
You have good control of technique.
Which project are you interested in? I have 3 projects right now, a. murder scene, b. relationship, c. film stills.
I’m interested in all of them for different reason. I’m more interested in the compostion of a, the idea of b, & the technique/look/effect of c. I guess it’s time for me to cut down & make up my mind, or maybe try to combine. 
The film stills look like Cindy Sherman meets Brassai.
Have you made a list of places where/what/who contemplate these things (film still)?
It’s kind of a metaphor how you treat your signifigant other - like ass.
Do you have a list of how couples relate? No, I work when I have inspirations. Inspiration is overrated. 
Write an artist statement. I’d been avoiding that, but I’m writing.
You could illustrate the Michelin restaurant review or it could be like another anthropological research project. Do portrait of who eats there, where, what kind of food (ethnicity). Project could revolve around this history of people who frequent these place. There is a potentially a lot of money in that. People like Cindy Sherman, like psychological portraits (Annie Liebovitz). But do it in the next three weeks, cinematography is quicker. It’s “charming” that it’s intercontinental, but it would help if you made a map. Whenever I hear about money I feel compelled to do it, & it usually wears me out. I’ll try to take more photos & see if it works for me, but not possible in these 3 weeks. I’m slow.
Combine short film with photo. I just got myself a miniDV cam.
You could play the language of film by shooting 15 stills. I’ve done story board kind of photos before, not really working.
Haruki Murakami’s Wind-up Bird Chronicles. I’ll try to read it, I never read novels though.
Buffets are more isolating, these look like hometown restaurants. might try tasty buffet.
I’ve only seen your work twice, but I need to hear you articulate more. The film stills are not as strong as the relationship photo. Do you want to pursue conceptual or technical exercises? Maybe you need to be naked in a restaurant. Thanks, Richard
You have a distinctive style, so having 3 bodies of work isn’t problematic, because you have a style. Idears converge and are always connected. I don’t differentiate between the series. Don’t try to limit youself. Thanks, Chase. You are my pal!

Above are the two photos I showed in the critique. My own explaination for the top one is relationship with boyfriend, 2nd one is about loneliness, boredom, mimic murder scene, life is more horrible than murder.

Feedback:
Metaphor.
Les Krims 1972, Stack O’Wheat Murders, fake crime scene photos. I don’t like them, I don’t get it.
Murder or Death?
Presentation: white paint on frames(great idea, might try), white masonite panel (i don’t think this works), plexi or aluminum(going to), refer to Ian Lemmonds. My comprimised result is floating frame.
bigger scale
What is worse than murder? Are you saying murder is common in pop culture? NO
read Howard Zin, historian. Democracy and Disobedience. How do we accept when there is so much disorder in the world.
Are you talking about victim or killer?
Do we honor the victim? Are you sympathetic? Are you apathy?
Wahol’s car crash
“Death of Marat” This leads to my new picture.

commented on dustpan and shoes color
why pinching nipple? Like a game
An extension of shutter.
Does shock transfer to pleasure?
a metaphor for psychological annulation.
Why is he wearing a wig?
sexual ambiguity. Why do we have 2 genders? Why do we have another gender?
do you write? no. but I draw storyboard for 60% of my photos. interested in film
exasperation, exhaustion, a terrible conversation.
don’t look like murder. Towel was blood.
theatric
have you been looking at crime scene photos? yes
go to rotten.com. I did, uh~~~~~
Damian Hirst love it.
write ideas so they are less elusive
present more than one photo- perhaps 70 would be a good number.
roles of sex, roles of power.
and thats the first critique I’ve ever ended with the word hermaphrodite.

昨晚带着小黑去参加了CLASS OF ‘07（正好他PHOTO TRIP到MEMPHIS，得以相见，很好的人呢）。今年的Class of ‘07比去年的要办的大，有本地近40个艺术家参展。他们找到了一处空关着的办公室改造成了gallery。作品有的放在几间小房间里，有的放在很窄的走廊里，大件的放在后面仓库里。人很多，里面也很热。
I went to Class of ‘07 with Jigeng last night (He visited Memphis during his photo trip. We finally meet, he’s really nice guy). This year show is much bigger than last one. Almost 40 local artists are in the show. They found an empty office space & changed it into gallery. Some works are placed in different small rooms, some are in the hall way. Big pieces are in the back garage place. Lot’s of people, & heat.

我这次展了一张和MORO的合照。上次说到我想用PLEXI GLASS，但是限于时间和成本就放弃了。后来我在MICHAEL’s找到这个16×20的floating frame。还算比较好的达到了我要的目的，就是把照片浮在墙上，但是有个黑框怎么都是阴影啊，白框应该要好些，可惜没有。
Mine is a photo of Moro & I, called “Choking Game”. Last time I talked about using Plexi glass. But I gave up due to the time & cost. I found a 16×20 floating frame at Michael’s. It’s a pretty good comprimise. It does float my picture. But I still don’t like the black frame, looks so dark. I wish it were white, but they don’t have white ones.

Lantana Project注的说明比较有趣。“廖的‘窒息游戏’颜色令人惊奇的中立（靠近中灰色）；照片中的人物正在玩一种私密（也或许是性）的求爱游戏。他们半穿着衣服，又或许我们应该看成是半裸，要看进行程度决定了。女主角正在咬她的男伴的下半嘴唇，她的手又紧握着他的喉咙，表现了暗示性的性侵略。”
Lantana’s fun take:

很荣幸和我一个老师Greely Myatt的作品放在一个房间里，他的这个作品是我这次最喜欢的，特别适合闷热的空间。
I’m very honored to be in the same room as my teacher, Greely Myatt. His piece is my favorite one in this show, called “The Blind Leading the Blind”. So properite for the heat.

另外一幅我很喜欢的作品。Nick Pena的Red Inter-ior。Another favorite piece.

The Class of ‘07: The Best Artwork of the Year
Saturday, November 17
7:00 - 10:00 pm
574 South Main
$5 entry
 
Featured Artists:
Lea Alexander * Elizabeth Alley * Susan Best * Sarah Boyce * Dwayne Butcher
Paul Clements * Holly  Davis  * Hamlett Dobbins * Melissa Dunn * Melinda Eckley
Melissa Farris * Annette Fournet * Michael Force * Brooke Foy * Richard Gamble
Ashley Gerst * Elisha Gold * Pinkney Herbert * Jed Jackson * Niki Johnson
Tim Kinard * Yijun Liao * Nancy May * Erica McCarrens * Carol Harding McTyre
Carl Moore * Sunny Montgomery * Greely Myatt * Elizabeth Owen * Catherine Blackwell Pena
Nick Pena * Joel Rose * Vitus Shell * Rumi Tominaga * Ben Utigard * Ryan VanderLey
Billy Welch * Steven Troy Williams * Tad Lauritzen Wright
 
Entertainment by DJs the Defective Agency and Mind at Large

Thanks to Lantana Project, I’m in the show again. I were in their Class of ‘06 last year, that was the first show in my life. Til now I have been in four shows, 3/4 of them are related to Lantana’s curator Ian Lemonds. In China, we will call him “Bo Le”, a guy that finds good horses. I try to be a good one.

So come support me if you can. They will have a vote for the “Most Popular” member of the class this year. Every attendee will get one ballot, and the top 3 winners will each receive:Two tickets to RENT at the Orpheum Theatre
A $75 gift certificate to the Art Center
A CD from Goner Records
A Lantana tee shirt

 I don’t need much, one tee shirt is good enough.