Edward Pien doesn't produce twenty-six frames per second, but the speed at which he makes drawings is often compared to that of video. His installations consist of hundreds of drawings which, apart from having an individual meaning, form a whole. 'Two Worlds' contains 1895 drawings on letter size transparent paper, just enough to cover a wall of 20 by 5 meters. The drawings continue across a rectangular projection of the wall of a small but high elevator shaft. Within the space an upward turned blue monitor screen reveals a water spirit which has been 'drawn' on the ceiling in fluorescent tape. Spirits like this water spirit figure prominently in Pien's drawings. A Canadian of Chinese descent, he often applies symbols from Chinese mythology. In this culture spirits are not fictitious unearthly figures, but entities which belong to everyday life. In Pien's work they symbolize themes such as fear or vulnerability. The water spirit for instance symbolizes the fear of drowning. Drowning, besides general dangers like death and crime, is most feared by the Chinese. Collective fears, both universal and culturally defined ones, are of interest to this artist. Although his subject matter is of a serious and philosophical nature, his work appears light and frivolous. The quick, clear drawings in ink on transparent paper are both penetrating and full of humor.
– Nathalie Zonnenberg
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Edward Pien ° 1958, Taipei (Taiwan)
Lives and works in Toronto (Canada)
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