𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 (2020)
A Stagnant Stack is a digitally manipulated self-portrait that explores the natural compulsion for personal excellence and a paralysing fear of mediocrity.
The work reflects on sustaining ambition and motivation in the recent climate in which most industries are stagnant at best. Informed by column articles and think pieces to introspect and seek personal growth, the narrative the work presents appears to be protesting this forced productivity. However productivity is presented through the artwork - suggesting the ironic involvement of inventiveness, discipline and labour in employing the recurring motif in Lau’s work, the notion of the duplicated self. Drawing from Sisyphean attempts in personal improvement and its seeming futility, the doubling motif is contextualised by Psychoanalysis theories on the duality and interchangeability of performed identities.
Photoshoot facilitated by Chester Siu and friends.
A Stagnant Stack 是一幅電腦合成的自攝像。作品呈現對個人成就的追求和對流於平庸癱瘓般的恐懼。
作品探討在各行業停滯期間嘗試維持個人志向及動力的行為。專欄及文章常鼓勵讀者利用這段空檔自省及促進個人增值。作品似是在表達對於這種不得已又勉強的生產力的抗議，卻在製作合成分身影像——一個劉氏作品中一再出現的元素——的過程中體現了創作力、紀律和勞動力。取材自對於個人成長無盡而看似徒勞的追求及其中西西弗斯式的重複嘗試，複製分身的主題也帶有精神分析學中多重而流動的身份認同及演繹的背景。
