Fu-On Chung
Painting’s Title: Clouds (2022)
Materials Used: Acrylic on canvas
Can you tell us about the process of making your work?
My painting practice is studio – based. Each painting is made in layers and the intention and mark-making present within one layer may be vastly different to the layer beneath. It is through the interweaving of these different chromatic planes which builds the bones for each image. It is through the combination of form and motif, and materiality and chromatic sensation that the image is figured out within the process of painting.
Could you share with us some insights on your ‘Clouds’, (2022) painting? Is there any particular story behind this new work?
‘Clouds’ was a difficult painting. It was a half finished painting from a previous show, from memory it was a rippling field of brown and purple with pink orbs imbedded into this field. I tried to resolve this image through some semi-figurative elements in yellow which rendered the image static. The final layer applied was wet on wet translucent brown worked into a thin layer of wet zinc white. It was this final layer of rapid fire brushstrokes which created a sense of movement and speed which breathed life into this static image.
Could you tell us about how some ideas from the field of the queer theory has influenced your latest painting practice?
I’ve been thinking about my painting practice of late and have come to the conclusion that there is a slight gap between my interests and the work itself, whilst the gap isn’t necessarily an issue it can be an interesting catalyst for making a shift within my paintings. Whilst I was doing my MFA, I was writing about the sensibility of Camp being unmoored and unshackled from its roots within queer theory. I was interested in the humour and the idea of a Camp as a rebellion against good taste. Subsequently, I found this idea as an approach to painting (antagonistic by nature) quite fruitful. If I try to view my work through an objective lens I wouldn’t necessarily say its funny, or antagonistic. I could definitely use terms such as playful and soft. This gap or this grey area can definitely be explored further within a new body of work.
Your painting technique reveals a strong fascination to abstraction. Would you be alternatively interested in paintings with a more traditional figurative approach or would be something that does not apply to your artistry?
I enjoy viewing a lot of figurative paintings. For example two New Zealand artists come to mind, Owen Connors of Robert Heald Gallery in Wellington, and Liz Maw of Ivan Anthony Gallery in Auckland. I just feel it’s not necessarily in my own repertoire. When I was in Art School I made a lot of Still Life paintings, so I approach my abstract paintings in a similar manner, in terms of figure and ground and materiality of form.
What would be the best way to exhibit your work?
Conventional gallery (white cube) hang.
Can you mention any artists you, lately or generally, take inspiration from?
Katherine Bernhardt, Angela Brennan, Renee Cosgrave, Hayal Pozanti.
What about the place where you work? What’s your studio space look like?
I’m in between studio spaces at the moment. Typically my studio will have a desk where I will do drawings and painted studies, a trolley with glass surface where I mix my paint and I hang my canvases directly on the studio wall as I paint. Also I must have snacks in studio because I get bored (and lonely) quickly.
All images courtesy of the artist