Enkyklios Liyen Chong

“…the purpose of an encyclopedia is to collect knowledge disseminated around the globe; to set forth its general system to the men with whom we live, and transmit it to those who will come after us, so that the work of preceding centuries will not become useless to the centuries to come; and so that our offspring, becoming better instructed, will at the same time become more virtuous and happy.”
−Denis Diderot, Encyclopédie Vol. 5 (1755)

A woman, a man, twin bullocks and sheep, groups of men, patients and clients, amateur photographers… a constellation of images from the not too recent past informing the mythology of a region. Selected and appropriated from an encyclopedia published in 1970s on Australia and New Zealand (and Papua New Guinea), these found images, scanned and enlarged, have been interrupted by explorations into their mythic, visual and iconic qualities. Inherent in these explorations is the questioning of both the founding statement of the purpose of encyclopedias by Diderot and the cultural/historical backdrop on which the images in this encyclopedia were published.

All works 2013, acrylic paint, gold and silver leaf on ink-jet photo rag.

Liyen Chong is an Auckland based artist, with works in major public collections such as The Chartwell Collection and the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Since 2006, Chong has developed a multi-faceted practice exploring cultural tropes. Her art practice typically involves an engagement with diverse disciplines and media, including text-based graphic design work, embroidery with hair, printing on ceramics and photography.