2023 was a year full of creation for me. One body of work that I’m particularly proud of is my collaborative work with my friend J. David Tabor in Arizona. Psychically, I think I needed this collaboration to keep believing that we can find common ground with strangers, when our nation is often so divided.
Dave and I came to know each other through Instagram because a lot of what and how we photograph overlapped (plants, birds, Holga, film, etc.). We both circled back to film photography after having gone to digital. The more tangible medium of film seems to be a subconscious reaction to the AI direction in photography. And film is an important aspect to this project.
This project involves film swaps–the process of having one photographer first exposing a roll of film, then rewinding it, and then sending it over to another photographer for a second exposure. We did not know what the other exposed specifically–just a general whereabouts and the camera used. Arizona landscapes and plants, layered with those of Massachusetts. What transpired were surrealist images that transcend climate and geopolitical divides. Needless to say, much trust was needed in the process.
Recently, we have been generating some buzz by having some of these images accepted into art exhibitions.
You can see more of our work on Instagram. J.David Tabor is @dumpster_flower, and I am @expert.in.nothing. I have a page in my portfolio dedicated to this project as well now https://lisa-tang-liu.com/portfolio/collaboration/. Finally, you can buy some small, archival, limited-edition prints on my Etsy page at https://lisatangliu.etsy.com
© 2021-2024 Lisa Tang Liu 