Unit 1 - Individuals — JianingCheng

Unit 1 - Individuals

Concept

This work explores themes of social power, label theory, existentialism, and self-identity theory by assigning different names and price tags to potatoes of the same variety.

The potatoes, marked with various names and prices, reflect how power in human society categorizes and evaluates individuals through labels. This work provoks reflection on the impact of these labels on individual behavior and self-perception and questions the relationship between external labels and personal essence, emphasizing the uniqueness and autonomy of the individual. It guides the audience to consider the contradictory relationship between social identity, value judgments, and the essence of the individual, and challenges their perception of conventional social classifications and value assessments, emphasizing the conflict between an individual's inner nature and external identity.

The work leads the audience to reflect on their social positioning and the process of identity construction, while also prompting deep thoughts on social power and value judgments. It encourages people to rethink the relationship between individual identity and the collective in social life."

Inspiration

Carleton E. Watkins. Late George Cling Peaches. 1889.
Image source: MoMA

In this photographic work, the first thing I noticed was the neatly arranged peaches. They seem unremarkable, just like the other peaches we commonly see in our daily lives. Upon closer observation, I found that they possess individuality amidst their similarities. They have different angles, shapes, sizes, and textures. This is much like us in human society. Although we have different personalities or characteristics, the differences between us as individuals are actually not that significant. So, what causes the disparities and conflicts in society?

In this work, I questioned the social structure and power system...

Why Potatoes 🥔 ?

Cheap. Easy to get. Do have varieties and similar appearance. And most of all, I like potatoes.

Potatoes in Market

Potatoes with different names and prices.

Labeling potatoes with information obtained from the market.

One thing to admit:

Although I found many different varieties of potatoes during my research, I used the same variety in this project. The reason is that I wanted to explore the theme of labels and values assigned to individuals by external rules, so I hoped to maintain some level of consistency in the potatoes themselves. This is similar to how individuals in human society are distinguished by different rules, such as professions and ages. As individuals, our roles are not that different.

However, my approach was questioned by some viewers. There were opinions that labeling the same variety of potatoes with different names is a deceptive practice. I think the viewers' perspective is also reasonable, and I will pay more attention to this in my future practices.

Open Studio (Exhibition）

During the exhibition, the audience was able to participate in the creation of the artwork. They became the subjects exercising power, and as they chose a specific potato and decided where to place it, a system of judgment was at play in their minds. They contemplated why they chose one potato over another, and why they placed it in one spot rather than another.

I interviewed some audience members about their reasons for choosing a particular potato and its placement. Most mentioned the individual's shape, size, name, and price. Some tried to place one potato on top of another but failed, explaining that sometimes luck and natural laws are important factors in determining outcomes. Others said they just picked one at random without giving it much thought.