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Life energy, resilience, survival

Ting has always been fascinated by the size, strength and tranquillity of trees, which are both flexible and highly mobile in their branches, thus making this subject the focus of his work in 2018. He photographs the trees of his Geneva environment with his distinctive view of the complicated root system. The series of tree photographs and root close-ups are characterised by two things: Dynamism and a painting-like aesthetic.

Although the camera usually captures the subject at the moment of shutter release freezing all movement, Ting’s tree pictures surprise with their whirls and exert a perceptible pull on the viewer. The air seems to vibrate between the fine branches. This tension between immobility and dynamism becomes most noticeable at the roots. Although they are firmly anchored in the ground and provide support for the mighty trees, they seem to wind their way through shimmering, unstable forest soil.

Ting reinforces the painting-like aesthetics created by the blurred areas by printing the pictures on natural white artist paper instead of photographic paper. To him, this effect is also a reference to his Asian origin and a way to express his appreciation for East Asian motifs and techniques. The photographer regards his art as an important part of his personal development. His search for motifs takes him into nature. While the choice of motif and image selection is strongly influenced by abstracting lighting conditions and light-dark contrasts, they also establish a dialogue between the photographer and the tree or root. “I love composition, but my choice is also determined by emotional aspects. Life energy, strength, resistance and the will to survive are qualities that speak to me through the motifs.”

By Dr. Anna Bessler

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