Flashy Ad in Slovenia
October 5th, 2009
Interview with Liu Tzu Cheng - Taiwanese Photographer
January 9th, 2009
Tzu Cheng, native of Taipei, Taiwan worked traditionally as a photojournalist before choosing to focus on artistic pursuits. His new work focuses on the delicate balance between the local and foreign. At Aap!Global we’re big fans of Tzu Cheng’s work “Sadako” and the “Weird Kingdom,” explorations of difference.
This month’s inspirational interview invites Tzu Cheng to share his work with Aap!Global.
Q: Could you start with a brief thematic introduction to your work?
My works mainly focus on the foreignness under the American texture.
Q: Tell us a little about your background?
I was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. I am now thirty-three years old. I moved to the US for grad school in August of 2005. Prior to the move, I was a photographer for newspapers and magazines in Taiwan.
Q: How did you get into photography?
When I had to pick a major during my freshman year of college I chose to be a photographer. It seemed to me that a photographer has a good amount of independence, as opposed to something in the film industry, which I was also interested in. When I was hired as a photographer by a magazine in 2001, I felt the confirmation of photography as my lifelong career.
Q: How do you decide on locations & subjects?
Most of my work was made during road trips, often near inter-state highways. I usually pull over, park, and start walking around to scout for locations and wait for the right subject to appear.
Q: We’re big fans of your collection “Sadako’s Trip”. Tell us a little more about this project?
Sadako is the ghost figure of the classic J-horror(??Japanese Horror?) movie “Ringu” (1998). Before the “Ringu”, the skinny hair dangling figure had already haunted Asians for centuries. The whole project originated from the idea of the ghost image, which had also been a hot topic in numerous TV shows and publications for almost two decade in Taiwan, Japan and Korea.
For Sadako’s Trip, the relationship between the ghost figure and the innocent subjects is a potentially interesting metaphor for the relationship between foreigners and this country. In American society, foreignness can become a formality, the line between citizens and foreigners are blurred and hard to recognize.
Q: We couldn’t help but laugh with the reference and some of the humor the work has - were you intending it to have this humor - this “Where’s Waldo characteristic?”
Not until a recent critique did I learn the meaning of “Where’s Waldo?” The visual arrangement is derivative of the pattern of the ghost image in which the paranormal often appears in an obscure spot within the image, which may be hard to recognize at first glance. The visibility of the ghost indicates one’s vulnerability within the context of the environment. It is a tactic for me to invite the audience to scrutinize the image, focusing on the bizarre landscape and interesting individuals.
Q: As a foreigner in the United States - do you think that maybe you in a way are “Sadako?” - Do you feel displaced in the “Wierd Kingdom” or America as you call the country?
I came to the States first in 2005 when I was thirty. To adjust to the new environment and language, I had to go through the process like we all did as kids, learning how to socialize and build up the knowledge base of the larger environment. I was handicapped in a way. I used to be very vocal back in Taiwan, but here, I have to conceal that part of me and become reserved. In other words, I was forced to shut up and it made me feel like a ghost.
I don’t feel displaced because I was not meant to be an American to begin with. That is how I mentally prepared myself. As a visual artist, I simply came here to be an observer with an outsider’s perspective.
Q. Do you feel that your identity changes when you lift the camera to your eye? Do you act differently?
A camera at hand seems to legitimize the act of approaching someone you don’t know. And it feels even more so to photograph in a foreign land. (I think I would stop here.)
Q: What sort of equipment and software do you use?
I used a Cannon 20D in the early stages of the project, inherited from my photojournalism days in which I felt more comfortable with a digital, mobile and smaller format camera. I am now using a Pentax 67, a medium format film camera.
Q: Would you give a brief walk through your work flow?
Seek consistent lighting conditions, I usually photograph in the morning before ten or an or two before evening. I am shooting mostly film now. After processing and scanning the negative, I adjust the image and proof it via the computer. I then produce files with different sizes of the same image for archival, web and print purposes.
Q: Is your work political, anthropological, commercial, artist? What is your goal in your core work?
I am a combination of those types except for the commercial part. As a commercial photographer, you need the capability of reading peoples’ minds. Your client, a paid customer, might not necessarily appreciate what you are, the message you want to put across as a visual artist.
I find myself fascinated by the idea of using photography to define a bigger context of a city or country. On the other hand, despite the fact that my work can be categorized geographically, I would like it to come across as something that everyone in part, can relate to.
Q: Who are some of your mentors, role models, and aspirations? Q. Which photographers have influenced you most?
I photograph people on the street and have looked at the work of photographers in that realm- Robert Frank, Steven Shore, and William Eggleston.
I admire the work of Martin Parr. He confronts and flashes his subject head on without hesitation. He comes up with a vivid definition of the location and the subject. There are qualities of street photography but along with it his mastering of calculated precision. Those are all tools and traits I would like to put in my pocket, at my disposal.
Q: What are your thoughts on commercial, advertising related work?
The one thing that separates art photography from commercial photography and photojournalism is that as an artist you need to have a statement, a viewpoint of your own. When it comes to commercial photography, there is always something you have to sell for your client. The assignment has already been defined before it’s been made. In this perspective, the challenge of commercial photography would be more straightforward, though definitely not easier, as oppose to other types of photography.
Q: What is your relationship with the poses individuals? Are they strangers, models? Aside from Sadako - you mainly take pictures of strangers - is this on purpose?
Most of them are strangers, people I encounter on the street. I keep my eyes these people and think about all the possibilities of posing them. I always bother my subjects as much as possible. For that I am grateful to all the strangers that I’ve met along the way for their willingness to spare some of their precious time to help me.
Q: Is your work available for sale and if so let us know for our readers?
People are always as much welcome to give me response with their thoughts as to buy my work, though I actually don’t price tag my pieces at this moment.
My work is available for sale, please contact me at autumniac@gmail.com or drop a line to let me know what you think!
Thank you.
More @ http://www.liutzucheng.com/
Aap!Motion in South Africa!!
January 2nd, 2009
Aap!Motion, lenticular motion panels are now available in South Africa. The first units have been assembled for the hit American Show Futurama. A rollout of 50 displays will occur in 2009 throughout the top 5 major South African markets bringing animation to static billboards in a cost effective and unique fashion.
Billboards, Calcultta 1945
August 7th, 2008
“A bewildering mass of billboards at the corner of Harrison Street
(Burra Bazar) and Strand Road. One of the oldest sections of Calcutta,
at the foot of Howrah Bridge, it is a fine vantage point for
photo-graphing the passing parade of oddly dressed natives and curious
vehicles.”
Billboards, Calcutta (1945) from a WWII Military Photograph Album
One can’t help but be inspired by the wonders of Metropolitan Calcutta with great hand painted outdoor signage, street lief, commerce and energy. Explore the series to see even more vintage life.
Tokyo’s Advertising Paradise, Now On Google Street View
August 6th, 2008
Japan Office as Seen From Google Maps Street View…
Google’s hardworking wizard camera vans have finished traversing the labyrinth that is Tokyo; which means today you can tour some of the world’s most wonderful advertising and general real estate in Tokyo without leaving the comfort of your desk. No flight required….
While most foreigners will be happy to virtually tour the wonders of Meiji Shrine, see the shopping district of Ginza or visit the tourist spots of Tsukiji fish market,… we’ve put together a quick tour of some of our favorite outdoor media spots in Tokyo for the virtual world to enjoy.
Hachiko Square Shibuya Tokyo - one of Tokyo’s busiest railway stations, Shibuya is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area. The central meeting points features some of the largest and most expensive media real estate in the world. With full building digital displays to street teams - this is a great place to start on your tour of Japanese outdoor media.
Shibuya 109 - The iconic building owned by the Tokyu group is the original of the 2 and displays some of the finest building wraps in the world.
Daily Inspiration: SURFING IN THE RAIN
June 10th, 2008
Gray, rainy days may be about to get more colorful thanks to a new umbrella invented by Japanese researchers. The Internet Umbrella, conceived by a team at Keio University, acts as a photo browser by displaying images from the Internet as the user walks along. The handle of the umbrella contains a projector that displays images on the underside of the umbrella. The Internet umbrella, named Pileus (meaning the head of a mushroom) was created by two young graduate students. Second-year doctoral student Matsumoto Takashi, 27, and first-year master??s student Hashimoto Sho, 22, of Keio University??s Graduate School of Media and Governance were motivated by a desire to make walking on rainy days more enjoyable.Pileus has been presented or displayed in several countries, including the United States, France, and Austria, and won the Innovation Prize at Laval Virtual 2007, Europe??s biggest virtual reality convention.
Intro to Digital Signage @ Time’s Square NYC
June 6th, 2008
A tour of Times Square from Keyframe on Vimeo.
John Woods visits Times Square and explores digital signage and outdoor media.
Most impressive is that One Times Square building is empty and tenant less. Millions are instead generated off digital signage on its exteriors. Great intro video and fun interview with owner of Landmark
Signs, Tony Calvano, whose company has been maintaining and installing
most ads in Times Square when they were painted!!
Sex and the City!
June 3rd, 2008
Sex and the City - Integrated Alternative Advertising from aapglobal on Vimeo.
Warning - Shameless Plug:
Integrating different mediums is an effective way to build and drive a successful client campaign. This is exactly what New Line Cinema has done by integrating alternative advertising mediums Aap!Rails, escalator handrail graphics and Aap!Motion lenticular billboards with traditional flyer and poster work in Norway via Aap!Global distributor MediaLoop. We’re excited by the implementation and will be sharing some more pictures, videos and more shortly. In the meantime check out Sex and City the Movie at your local cinema or learn more about alternative advertising.
More on
Aap!Motion - Lenticular Billboards
Aap!Rails - Escalator Advertising
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Social Support Networks Galore!
February 3rd, 2008
Our parent company - the Aedeas Group recently launched into beta WeAre.Us - a set of very cool, online “social support networks“ that bring together thousands of individuals in a social networking community geared specifically to their needs.
The platform and network sites provide a venue for those with similar interests, conditions, and visions communicate, collaborate, share information and experiences. On WeAre.Us sites, users can share the wealth of their experience and plan for the future with those like them.
The most popular networks under the platform include sites geared specifically to medical communities: WeAreHD.org for Huntington’s Disease, CancerCancer.org for the Cancer community, WeAreCrohns.org for the Crohn’s Community among others.
The sites are growing very rapidly, and are a great way to find people who share similar problems, aspirations, interests and more.
More info @ http://www.WeAre.Us
Is It Safe To Come Out From Hiding?
January 27th, 2008
Japan lags behind most of the world in its attitudes to those with “different capabilities.” Some fairly positive adverts from the JDSN aim to bring attenion to those living with down syndrome in Japan.
Wonder if this will keep families from “hiding” their challenged relatives in the outskirts of major cities?
See the JDSN adverts in their full glory
