In 'Encountering Fragments,' I will embark on a poetic exploration that intertwines nature and humanity. Through the act of encountering, collecting, painting, and writing about botanical fragments, I will delve into the profound connections between nature and life. By metaphorically likening leaves to people, I aim to unveil the insignificance and futility we often feel in the natural world and human society.
My project aspires to evoke awe and reverence for nature through poetic inquiry. I firmly believe that each botanical fragment holds a unique narrative, and every encounter serves as an opportunity for enlightenment. Together, we traverse into a poetic realm where nature and humanity converge, inviting reflection, appreciation, and wonder.
This project has been on my mind for quite some time, dating back to 2019 when I was immersed in my Zen-inspired poetic nature project. Here's what I wrote about the previous works:
"Second Life series - I created these installation works with found objects to respond to my research of Zen concepts, especially the human–nature relationship in Zen. The found objects are dry plants, which I picked up on my way home. I found the beauty in them, even though they were dead. These dry plants are fragile and easy to break apart. I tried to hang them up with fish line in my studio. In this process, I realised there could be symbolism inherent in both my media and my process of making. Moreover, I focused on the material itself through this project, for which I was inspired by emptiness in Zen and minimalism. I explored the notion of balance in these installations of dead plants. Finally, I documented my outcomes through photography.
In the work below on the left, a broken leaf with a curved stem is dry, fragile and stiff. The curve shape of its stem cannot change. I captured it in my photo with its shadow cast on the wall with natural light in the building, which I believe is an important part of this artwork. I named this project the Second Life series. The second life is not only about the dry plant but about an awakening moment in my mind. I deeply felt aspects of the life, death, gravity and balance through the installation process. The strong feeling is hard to explain in words. At that moment, I saw myself in these dry plants.
Another work in the Second Life series is shown in picture below on the right. What I found in nature was often just part of an original plant. These parts fall on the ground naturally with a plant’s metabolism and life cycle. There could be external causes, such as storm and wind. Additionally, these found objects are often broken or have lost some parts already, and I found that they demonstrate the concept of wabi-sabi perfectly. Talking about my role in this process, I am the witness and presenter. As a presenter, I do not try to compose or recreate but to present them as they are – one object at a time. I focus on the object itself, purely through this experience. This project clearly states the Zen concept of emptiness. Viewers can see these works because I found them and installed them. These plants will eventually rot and return to nature. As form, they are not going to be everlasting, but they do exist as plants. 'Form is emptiness, emptiness is form': revisiting this Zen idea allowed me to discover the nature and art from a more spiritual perspective.
Balance is another key concept in this project. I used the invisible fish line to give objects a force to balance the gravity it takes. The balance in these installations symbolises that all things exist on our planet and beyond." (Source: Shi Dong's PhD dissertation, An Exploration of the Influence of Zen-inspired Poetic Nature Painting on Contemporary Abstraction, 2022)
Shi Dong, Found Objects, 2019, Installation, Dry plants, Melbourne, Australia
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