Binding method: silk screen, spot color, four-color elegant printing, deckle edge, hand folding, no binding
Dimensions: 240 x 320 x 18 mm
16x9 pages
In Taca’s most important photographic series, ODE (2008-present), the artist uses geographical descriptions from the Chinese classic, The Book of Odes, as clues and inspiration for his works. The Odes, as it is also known, is one of the five classics of Chinese literature and comprises 305 folk songs and poems that deal with the history, myth and religious tradition of ancient Han culture. The earliest songs are thought to have been composed during the 11th century BCE. Taca’s photographic works often directly relate to implied geographic locations and landscape features in central China contained in the poems – hills, mountains, rivers and fields. In many examples, however, the works transcend particular physical space to suggest a kind of spiritual landscape. This impression is heightened by Taca’s compositional treatment; his use of wide horizons and vast enigmatic space to convey a feeling of epic stretches of time. The images speak not only of an enduring sense of China but also of the timeless and enduring spirit of humanity that persists beyond politics and history.
