Feng Weidong
(Chinese, born 1969)
Untitled, from the portfolio New Photo, Ten Years 1997–2007
Object Details
Artist
Feng Weidong
Date
2007
Medium
Inkjet print Edition 15/40
Dimensions
Image: 7 7/8 × 9 15/16 inches (20 × 25.2 cm)
Sheet: 9 3/4 × 13 3/4 inches (24.8 × 35 cm)
Mat: 14 × 18 inches (35.6 × 45.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired through the Lee C. Lee Endowment for East Asian Art
Object
Number
2008.009.011
This photograph depicts images of the deceased at a cemetery. When placed at a burial ground, portra(…)
This photograph depicts images of the deceased at a cemetery. When placed at a burial ground, portraits are meant to serve as placeholders for the bodies and souls of their subjects. The image then embodies the individual, preserving their legacy. By photographing the portraits, Feng Weidong brings viewers close to those with whom they will never be able to interact. However, through its multiple levels of removal from the subject, the work also distances us from the deceased and perhaps lessens the sadness surrounding their deaths. (“15 Minutes: Exposing Dimensions of Fame,” curated by undergraduate members of Cornell’s History of Art Major’s Society and presented at the Johnson Museum April 16 – July 24, 2016)
