Artist Statement
"The images are part of an ongoing photographic
site-specific dance exploration of Hong Kong."
Since arriving in Hong Kong in 1996 I’ve been fascinated by the breathtaking natural beauty of Hong Kong and the indomitable spirit of the many different peoples who have shaped and made this rugged land what it is today. Although the history of Hong Kong is a relatively brief one, the land is rich with tales of man’s travails.
The images are personal reflections, fleeting glimpses of what each location may or may not reveal. They cover both urban and rural locales, ones’ steeped in the past and those with an eye to the future. Whilst I lament the loss of our past, as our physical heritage is too easily cast aside, and the encroachment on our natural heritage by greedy developers, I am equally awed by the exuberance and majesty of Hong Kong’s development.
In the creation of these images I utilise dance performers of different genres for each segment of the project. We collaborate closely to bring to life the chosen location in a site-specific dance. The dancers bring a human element, illuminating the image.
There is a flux in how we use the land and the structures we build on it. We design its form and use, but man's influence is ephemeral. In time, the form and use change, while in between the space falls into a lull, awaiting reinvigoration. Similarly in Dance, there’s a flux in the relationship between the fall and recovery of the dancers' movements, the moment of repose before a new action emerges: Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest.
Gareth Brown
The images on this site are copyrighted and are the property of Gareth Brown and Blow Up Studios.
Reproduction is prohibited without the written permission of Gareth Brown.