French novelist and essayist Georges Perec’s works have often dealt with the concepts of loss and identity. But the writer and filmmaker was best known for introducing the idea of ‘infra-ordinary’ prompting people to look at the seemingly ordinary, mundane details of life by being reflective and changing their ideas of perception. Chinese artist Tongji Philip Qian, who began his career as an art historian, explores this concept through his ongoing show, Signals from the Universe: Homage to the Element of Chance. The multidisciplinary artist responds to his surroundings by using his handmade woodblock prints to offer insights into the vast possibilities of the cosmic environment.
Order and control
Qian has lived in rural China for a few years where he did not have access to facilities like a printmaking press. “So, I investigated Chinese and Japanese woodblock printing techniques and now I print with a Japanese baren (a hand tool for woodblock prints),” he explains. “Making prints in an Asian way enables me to work in most places where facilities are not possible. And I enjoy printing by hand because the process is meditative and self-reflective to me.”
Qian, considers himself a craftsman rather than an artist as he advocates the concept of chance and craft through his creations. “As humans, at least in the context of today, we like to control many things regardless of whether it is manageable,” she says. “I was influenced by Perec’s idea of the infra-ordinary and am devoted to exploring the essence of the element of chance which is so quotidian but powerful.”
The artist marries the twin concepts by interpreting woodcuts as craft media and making prints through his self-devised algorithms, thereby depicting the concept of chance. Qian’s process, as per his artist statement, begins with deconstructing pre-existing dimensions of wooden blocks by reconstructing a new grid system based on the numbers that he rolls with a dice. These numbers denominate how many cellular units each new row/column now entails. He defines the coordination between the rolled number and the accompanying carving action and repeats the iterations till he reaches the end of his algorithm and finally starts printing.
According to Qian, it is essential to lose control sometimes to be able capture things that have been previously overlooked. “I have been incorporating the element of chance in numerous ways for more than two years and it never ceases to surprise me,” he says.
Quian usually dedicates a couple of weeks to foster an idea and then realise it in a print form. Though the print-making process, which follows an algorithm formula, is difficult, it helps him hone his skills as a craftsman. “I face various challenges, some of them technical and some conceptual, but I usually learn from them and use them as inspirations for the next project,” he says. “In a way, the previous challenges inform the process of future projects.”
Signals from the Universe: Homage to the Element of Chance is on at Cosmic Heart Gallery, New Marine Lines till November 10.
