MATTHEW HARRIS

May 31 - July 26, 2009

Each relief print begins with a single found object or figure found in traditional Chinese paintings. Isolated form its context, the image is repeatedly printed over and over until it begins to lose its original identity. The result is evocative of the transformations occurring in China as it's culture both evolves from and struggles with a national identity that is closely tied to its social roots. The crowded overlapping patterns relate to the chaotic speed at which these changes are taking place and the social confusion that such fast-paced transformations can cause.

"Bloom", a look into the transformations occurring in China as the country plays a growing role in the modern global market. In this series, spurts of homogenous figures appear to be blooming out of Chinese sculptures and statuary heads, showing the growing pains and changing effects of rapid economic growth. The homogenous figures appear to be both decorative and disruptive, representing the blending of the old and new.

"Resurfaced" shows the blurred boundaries between modern day life and China’s cultural roots. Ranging from a small Ralph Lauren Logo on the robes of a rural Chinese farmer to a gilded pattern of McDonalds arches across the surface of a large Buddhist statuary head, this series uses combined imagery to show the influences of outside forces on contemporary China.

"Packaged Tradition" is a reflection on the race that has begun to excavate as many archaeological sites in this region before they are forever sealed off by the dam’s rising water levels. This series of Buddhist statuary heads shows an exaggerated state of distortion, representing the way in which artifacts are rapidly unearthed and packaged to be shipped to safe ground. The distortion also suggests the effects and pressure of consumerism on Chinese traditional culture.

The ceramic installation "Waterline" addressed the controversial construction of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China. While this dam will provide China with the largest source of hydroelectric power in the world, it will also flood a region of great historical importance. The horizontal red lines on the gallery walls and on the figures themselves recall the painted lines that Chinese government officials are using to mark the future water level on buildings and houses condemned to be flooded.