June 2009
“71 Fragments of a Dream”
©2009 New Jersey State Museum; reprinted with permission
by: Margaret M. O’Reilly, Curator of Fine Art, New Jersey State Museum
I first saw a work by Maria Lau several years ago. The image of a car with Chinese symbols superimposed upon it (Chinese Car, on view in this gallery) intrigued me through its mix of history, memory and culture, all found within a hauntingly beautiful, yet enigmatic photograph. This was a dreamlike image of a place I had never visited but that seemed somehow familiar. Was this large vintage American automobile from a movie set or was I looking at a photograph taken in Chinatown in a large U.S. city in the late 1950’s? Although I did not find the answer that day, I have since learned more of the story and discovered why Lau created her series, 71.
New Jersey artist Maria Lau (b.1971) shares her personal story of origin as she brings the viewer into her exploration of her Cuban-Chinese family history. She has said that her works from 71 “deal with the search into (her) Chinese ancestry in hope of finding surviving family members…It illustrates a journey of self-discovery within the multi-layers of (her) heritage and of this specific story.” In a 2004 interview, Lau stated, “ I did start the 71 project with the hopes of uniting my family and the idea of a narrative came from my journal on that trip to Cuba. From there, I started to gather photos to illustrate that journey and I never imagined that the project would evolve the way it has. From that initial dream of uniting the Cuban and Chinese family, a series of photos, collages, video, installation and soundscapes ensued.”
Layering of imagery through double-and triple-exposures creates works which offer multiple interpretations and meanings. While these photographs serve as documents of a life re-discovered, they also succeed on a purely visual level as well. Composition, quality of light and the use of saturated colors or black and white serve to create mood and draw the viewer into the work and Lau’s journey.
Because Lau’s photographs are personal, there will always be something undecipherable to the viewer. However, the cars, storefronts, streetscapes, markets and people feel familiar to us because Lau’s chronicle reminds us of our own origins, to seek our individual identity and to preserve our unique cultural identities. Her personal revelations, seen within the fragments of a dream, encourage the search for self and the discovery of authentic self.
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EXHIBITION CAPTIONS. EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEW:
Dad Divination 2004
Curator: This is one of two works in the show that have a direct connection to particular people in your life. The figure in Ancestor Search is your grandfather, and here is your father. Can you talk about this work and its importance to the project?
Maria Lau: On my first trip to Cuba, my uncle told me about our Chinese history; he was just so proud. There’s been a revival of Chinese culture, but for a long time with all the other problems in Cuba, it wasn’t emphasized. My uncle talked to me about the important role the Chinese have played in developing Cuba.
On my second trip to Cuba, I went to an archive in Chinatown to find information about my grandfather, Santiago Lau. Of course, Santiago was not his Chinese name; everyone’s names had changed. They asked me if my grandfather belonged to any associations, but I didn’t know. I was told that everyone had associations by their last name. Lung Kong was the designated Lau home in Havana. I wasn’t told where it was, but I just headed out and sure enough, there was a guy in front of a restaurant and I told him I was looking for information on my grandfather named Lau. I gave him my business card, and he stopped and then said, “Welcome, this is your home.”
He took me upstairs where there was an amazing altar brought from China. He asked me to meditate and ask the ancestor a question. I said, “Gramps, I didn’t really get to know you, but I’m trying to. You could help me. Give me a sign that this is the right way to do this.” I selected my fortune stick and it was 71. That number connected us all. It is the number of the house I grew up in – the first house that my dad was able to buy (in the United States). It’s also the year I was born. It turned out to be a really important number for me.
Say Jo 2003
Curator: Will you discuss how you work? Are you using film and doing in-camera double and triple exposures or sandwiching negatives in the darkroom? Or is most of the manipulation done via computer?
Maria Lau: When I started the work, digital wasn’t really big yet. So, I worked in film. Film to me is very characteristic of Cuba. It is what it is and there are limitations with it and you have to know your stuff. I like the look of it, too.
I don’t like everything perfect. Cuba’s not perfect, either. Digital [manipulation] has made things not real for us. I have nothing against Photoshop, but I came from that documentary school and I don’t want to mash it up so much. I guess I’m a purist in a sense. I love being in the darkroom and having an interaction with the work that I’m doing.
ALTAR CHINO Y CARIDAD 2009
Curator: Did you plan the series in advance, with an idea of the type of images you wanted to include?
Maria Lau: I don’t plan anything. I just go with it and it turns into something…. Photography has always been an experiment for me. Cuba has always been an experiment.
June 2009
“71 Fragments of a Dream”
©2009 New Jersey State Museum; reprinted with permission
by: Margaret M. O’Reilly, Curator of Fine Art, New Jersey State Museum
I first saw a work by Maria Lau several years ago. The image of a car with Chinese symbols superimposed upon it (Chinese Car, on view in this gallery) intrigued me through its mix of history, memory and culture, all found within a hauntingly beautiful, yet enigmatic photograph. This was a dreamlike image of a place I had never visited but that seemed somehow familiar. Was this large vintage American automobile from a movie set or was I looking at a photograph taken in Chinatown in a large U.S. city in the late 1950’s? Although I did not find the answer that day, I have since learned more of the story and discovered why Lau created her series, 71.
New Jersey artist Maria Lau (b.1971) shares her personal story of origin as she brings the viewer into her exploration of her Cuban-Chinese family history. She has said that her works from 71 “deal with the search into (her) Chinese ancestry in hope of finding surviving family members…It illustrates a journey of self-discovery within the multi-layers of (her) heritage and of this specific story.” In a 2004 interview, Lau stated, “ I did start the 71 project with the hopes of uniting my family and the idea of a narrative came from my journal on that trip to Cuba. From there, I started to gather photos to illustrate that journey and I never imagined that the project would evolve the way it has. From that initial dream of uniting the Cuban and Chinese family, a series of photos, collages, video, installation and soundscapes ensued.”
Layering of imagery through double-and triple-exposures creates works which offer multiple interpretations and meanings. While these photographs serve as documents of a life re-discovered, they also succeed on a purely visual level as well. Composition, quality of light and the use of saturated colors or black and white serve to create mood and draw the viewer into the work and Lau’s journey.
Because Lau’s photographs are personal, there will always be something undecipherable to the viewer. However, the cars, storefronts, streetscapes, markets and people feel familiar to us because Lau’s chronicle reminds us of our own origins, to seek our individual identity and to preserve our unique cultural identities. Her personal revelations, seen within the fragments of a dream, encourage the search for self and the discovery of authentic self.
EXHIBITION CAPTIONS. EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEW:
Dad Divination 2004
Curator: This is one of two works in the show that have a direct connection to particular people in your life. The figure in Ancestor Search is your grandfather, and here is your father. Can you talk about this work and its importance to the project?
Maria Lau: On my first trip to Cuba, my uncle told me about our Chinese history; he was just so proud. There’s been a revival of Chinese culture, but for a long time with all the other problems in Cuba, it wasn’t emphasized. My uncle talked to me about the important role the Chinese have played in developing Cuba.
On my second trip to Cuba, I went to an archive in Chinatown to find information about my grandfather, Santiago Lau. Of course, Santiago was not his Chinese name; everyone’s names had changed. They asked me if my grandfather belonged to any associations, but I didn’t know. I was told that everyone had associations by their last name. Lung Kong was the designated Lau home in Havana. I wasn’t told where it was, but I just headed out and sure enough, there was a guy in front of a restaurant and I told him I was looking for information on my grandfather named Lau. I gave him my business card, and he stopped and then said, “Welcome, this is your home.”
He took me upstairs where there was an amazing altar brought from China. He asked me to meditate and ask the ancestor a question. I said, “Gramps, I didn’t really get to know you, but I’m trying to. You could help me. Give me a sign that this is the right way to do this.” I selected my fortune stick and it was 71. That number connected us all. It is the number of the house I grew up in – the first house that my dad was able to buy (in the United States). It’s also the year I was born. It turned out to be a really important number for me.
Say Jo 2003
Curator: Will you discuss how you work? Are you using film and doing in-camera double and triple exposures or sandwiching negatives in the darkroom? Or is most of the manipulation done via computer?
Maria Lau: When I started the work, digital wasn’t really big yet. So, I worked in film. Film to me is very characteristic of Cuba. It is what it is and there are limitations with it and you have to know your stuff. I like the look of it, too.
I don’t like everything perfect. Cuba’s not perfect, either. Digital [manipulation] has made things not real for us. I have nothing against Photoshop, but I came from that documentary school and I don’t want to mash it up so much. I guess I’m a purist in a sense. I love being in the darkroom and having an interaction with the work that I’m doing.
ALTAR CHINO Y CARIDAD 2009
Curator: Did you plan the series in advance, with an idea of the type of images you wanted to include?
Maria Lau: I don’t plan anything. I just go with it and it turns into something…. Photography has always been an experiment for me. Cuba has always been an experiment.