The work revolves around objects William has collected. A birdbath on his balcony. A plate that belonged to his mother and a photograph of his father remind him of his personal history as an Australian born Chinese. A ‘weed pot’ from Maleny, Queensland, remind him of the place to which he returns for spiritual renewal in nature. A replica of a sacred Chinese mountain alludes to the Taoist theme that runs through the piece. At the show’s heart is William’s own philosophy of life - with his trademark wryness, he calls himself a “decorative Taoist” - and knowledge he has gained from experience; from being a marginalised person, being an artist, from feelings about injustice, or war, or simply what has made him happy. Like Tarot cards, these objects and places allow William to make sense of his life. Not only a life of art and achievement, but of the everyday, the ordinary - an inner journey of the spirit.
“In being without desires, you experience the wonder. But by having desire, you experience the journey. Yet both spring from the same source, and differ mostly by name.” - Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
See also: Shadows (Current) & Friends of Dorothy (Available) |