< >

The Gaze, 2015

Chinese ink on silk, 270mm x 34mm

 

‘The Gaze” depicts the pacific island historically known as Formosa (beautiful island), Tayouan (Grand Bay) and now called Taiwan. The drawing mimics the shape of an eye gazing into the sky, filled with the country’s native betel palm (Areca catechu). Modern satellite imagery provide us with maps, give directions during travel and allow us to visit places without leaving the comfort of our sofas, no matter what type of maps or devices we use to explore, the idea of the shape of a place has been systemized and we look at it by an organized and prescribed perspective. The style of map depicted in The Gaze has been drawn in 80 CW, a similar style to the earliest maps of Taiwan that were hand drawn by Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the 15th century.

The gaze is one of Lee’s Final 66 Drawings, a series of works set to count down to the end of her drawing based works. Commissioned by EM15 for their Sunscreen online project at Venice Biennale 2015

http://sun-screen.uk/artists/feng-ru-lee-the-gaze