Dualism Series Represented by Subject Matter

Subject Matter, a London-based online gallery specialized in art photography, is now representing Xiaowen Zhu's Dualism series.

Dualism: Wall (2013), Limited edition I Signed by artist I Archival inks and paper

Dualism captures overlooked objects and space in daily life. At first, I was interested in documenting random space in urban environment in Southern California: abandoned oil refinery, residential areas in industrial districts, building façades, and architectural components. Then I began investigating the relationship between reality and representation through nuanced manipulation of the images.

This series attempts to raise open-ended questions in relation to subjectivity, perception, and reflection. I intentionally mixed manipulated images with untouched photos, in an effort to blur even further the boundary between the real and unreal. This process does not only echo my understanding of constructed reality, but also challenges my own position as the creator and narrator.