Joyce S. Chan - Kowloon Tablerock

Joyce S. Chan

I am interested in examining the physical and emotional conditions of certain objects. Whether they are related to the materiality, form, or cultural content, there are certain juxtapositions that I find intriguing. The materials I am using are sourced from my immigrant parents' restaurant. What interests me in using these egg roll wrappers, foil tight-pack bags, and golden yellow tablecloths are where they historically came from and what they can become. Easily attributed, yet disposable for a specific environment. Authenticity has been constructed and negotiated. The environment of my everyday and of a land that I hold glimpses of are recollected in my work. How one forms an understanding, digests, and displays their mascots contributes to a wider syncretic landscape. Originally trained in painting and drawing, this new work moves between a 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional arena. They are based on objects from the kitchen, garden, and home. This everyday intervenes with minimalism's seriality, structures, and grids. The tactile nature of the material intertwines with the strictures of the object. What looks sharp is soft, fabric is limp but stiff, structures look heavy, yet empty at the same time. Line weaves back and forth between the whole and the intricate. This diluting or possibly additive process wrecks and reshapes the object's point of origin. My process of cutting, pleating, and forming creates a product that comes out of everyday repetitive work. Work that is the norm, work that becomes tradition, and work that is seen and unseen. Joyce Chan was born in Schenectady, NY in 1979. Residing in Queens for the past 10 years, she earned her BFA(2001) from Manhattanville College and is currently an MFA Candidate(2012) at Queens College CUNY. Recent exhibitions include NYStudio Gallery, apexart, and Jonathan Shorr Gallery. Lecture opportunities include Hunter College: MFA's presenting their art and the New York Summer State of the Arts.