Image descriptions for the sunfish (2017-ongoing)
*all photographs are monochrome, of various blacks, whites, greys
(1)
Landscape photograph of salt flats receding into distance, the flats made up of dark geometric shapes with white outlines. On top of this photograph is a pancake of bubbling water, slowly extending outward in centrifugal motion.
(2)
Still building with sign that reads: Carte Machine and Tool Inc. Featuring dark windows and four thin wooden pillars, this building stands cut by diagonal ray of light that illuminates parts of it from shadow. In front of this building lines the edge of sidewalk curved into road, as well as an erect street sign saying ‘no trucks.’
(3)
Three rock surfaces or cliffs mostly obscured by shadow, their edges traced with sunlight. On top of these cliffs are minute trees and foliage.
(4)
Weathered grey building with dark windows, shown at a slanted angle. Tree leaves and their elongated shadows spread across these windows until they touch where building meets pavement. Two window shadows form rhombi on the ground, their bottom edges parallel to this building.
(5)
A youthful hand extends, half-bent, against the trunk of a tree. The palm faces us, fingers curled slightly, gently, as if beckoning some kind of motion.
(6)
Pair of gaunt, aged hands, each clenching gauze. Behind these hands rest a cotton hospital gown with small, cross patterns in dark outlines & folded cotton sheets beneath their wrists. These hands are dry, their veins dark, their dried, flaking skin like white constellations.
(7) Diptych
Left (L): Turbulent ocean scene. One wave’s crest is bubbling, foamy, while the rest of the wave recedes into ribbing motions, creating a kind-of water husk.
Right (R): Close-up of freckled skin and flexed arm and shoulder, part of their clavicle covered by shadow. Disembodied and rendered unfamiliar, this muscle looks like soft, speckled rock.
(8) Diptych
L: Two skyscrapers covered in glass windows, with occasional white dotting for lights. They are cropped so we can’t see their bottoms, and dense, foggy sky partially obscures this second, farther skyscraper from our view.
R: Close-up of aged tree trunk, its wrinkles of different gradations. Like hair they twirl and curl into frozen waves.
(9) Archival
Corean woman with cropped, permed hair and bangs looking directly at us, her gaze serious, concentrated. She wears white, dotted hanbok, classroom blackboard & chairs behind her.
(10)
Two hands, one hand parallel to the couch, the other hand gently clasping this hand from above. This hand grasping the other wears warm grey shirt sleeve with light ribbing texture.
(11)
Slate or granite gravestone knocked over flat onto grass littered with crunchy, dead leaves. You can’t see who it belongs to; there are no words on the parts of slab we can see. Behind this collapsed grave stone are tree trunk and fence.
(12)
Two kids on a trim lawn against white lake, the sky clouded in sunlight. One stands still and looks straight ahead, their back to us. The other is blurred as if kicking or running forward, chasing bubbles. In front of these kids are two wooden lawn chairs, some people standing on the pier in the distance.
(13)
O. and M. sit next to each other, their faces and bodies cropped to just their chests and shoulders. M.’s shoulder, in white t-shirt, presses into O’s dark shirt, their long hair brushing M’s tee. Their bodies overlap each other.
(14)
Water well from bird’s eye view, covered by plastic circle lid, small plastic pot sitting upside down on top. Surrounding this well is weathered, cracked, grainy-textured concrete of many gradations.
(15) Diptych
L: Close-up of mother lifting up child, their backs turned away from us so we only see their curly hair and arms wrapped around each other. Mother wears watch and black outfit; child wears striped black-and-white dress with small triangular keyhole in back.
R: Close-up of two bodies enveloped in each other, one arm extended outward so that back of hand catches sunlight. Inside these shadows, if you look closely, you see one has tattoo inside crease of arm; another, wearing dark cotton pants, with hand in sunlight, has thin scar beneath their nipple.
(16)
Two living rooms with traditional Corean screen doors separating them, though open in this picture. In foregrounded room, two Asian men sit on couch with floral pillows. Both wear cotton polos and glasses, one looking off to side, another looking down. In back room behind them, elderly Asian man lies down on low bed, one hand on his head, other hand by his chest, one knee propped up. Also in this room: another door with rectangles; small trashcan; smooth, wooden floor; large, ornate mirror with shiny, shelled designs on cabinets.
(17)
Go-go walks with his back toward us, a lone, small figure against large sea-like sky, dense with clouds. They stand upon rigid, granite-like rock formations.
(18)
A pair of hands with their palms up, their arms receding into shadow. Their fingers curve up, as if holding something. Beneath their arms is concrete floor, dappled in shadows as if under trees.
(19)
Mig stands facing us, their body half submerged in riverwater, shadow reflected in ripples beneath. Their gaze is intense, their chest bared with one hand submerged, other hand dipping into water. Behind them: one glinting, fragile metal backdrop, with black curtain hanging precariously from it; dark shadow of mountain; night sky.
(20) Archival
Elderly Corean woman with large, round glasses and permed hair looks directly at us, smiling quietly. She wears dark, patterned hanbok and stands against foliage.
(21)
Umma lies cradled on a bed of floral sheets and several pillows. With one arm outstretched and another pressed against her face, she sleeps with eyebrows furrowed, her legs crossed and folded like fan.
(22)
Sunfish sunbathes in ocean, lying flat on its side as it floats amidst darkening, rippling waters, close to the surface.