Void of Light: The Dialectics of Being and Appearing

VOID OF LIGHT:
THE DIALECTICS OF BEING AND APPEARING

IN THIS WORK, I SEEK TO EXPLORE WHITE—A COLOR BOTH “PUREST” AND “MOST COMPLEX”—TO TOUCH UPON THE ESSENCE OF BEING ITSELF. AS A VISUAL SYMBOL, WHITE IS BOTH THE SUM OF ALL COLORS AND THE ABSENCE OF COLOR; IT EMBODIES BOTH ULTIMATE ABUNDANCE AND ABSOLUTE VOID.

THROUGH THE LAYERING AND DISSOLUTION OF NATURAL MATERIALS (PAPER, SALT, ORGANIC HARDENERS…), THE WORK ENGAGES IN A DIALOGUE OF APPEARANCE AND CONCEALMENT ON THE LEVEL OF DASEIN (BEING-THERE). AS HEIDEGGER STATES, “THE ESSENCE OF TRUTH IS THE UNCONCEALMENT OF BEINGS.” THE SUBTLE LAYERS OF THE SURFACE, ALTERNATELY REVEALED AND OBSCURED, MIRROR THE WAY BEING UNFOLDS ITSELF—IT APPEARS, YET WITHIN THIS APPEARANCE, IT RETAINS AN AURA OF MYSTERIOUS WITHDRAWAL.

WHEN VIEWED FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES AND UNDER VARYING LIGHT CONDITIONS, THE DELICATE TEXTURES AND TONAL SHIFTS CONTINUOUSLY EMERGE AND FADE. THIS EVER-CHANGING VISUAL EXPERIENCE ITSELF CONSTITUTES A LICHTUNG—A CLEARING IN WHICH BEING REVEALS ITSELF. RATHER THAN CONVEYING A CONCRETE MEANING, THE WORK INVITES THE VIEWER TO CONTEMPLATE THE POETIC UNFOLDING OF BEING THROUGH THE MEDITATIVE EXPERIENCE OF WHITE.