About the artist Chong Ho Yu has a Ph.D. in Measurement and Statistics (Arizona State University). He also has a BA degree in Visual Arts (Bemidji State University, MN), a Diploma in Professional Photography (New York Institute of Photography), and two certificates in Computer Technology (Microsoft Certified System Engineer and Ceritified Novell Engineer). His work reflects an integration of traditional media and modern digital imaging. As a Christian, he uses digital photography as a medium to glorify God. (Skip the artist's statement and go to photos) Artist's Statement Traditional Chinese two-dimensional visual art is a type of synthesized medium, in which calligraphy, poetry, and painting are integrated. This kind of mixed media faces several criticisms. First, calligraphy is viewed as an invasion in the painting space. A viewer's attention may be distracted and the composition of the painting may be upset. Second, poetry is supposed to be a medium for imagination. When a visual representation is side by side with the poem, it leaves little room for imagination. In contrast, "purity" is strongly pursued by several modern Western artists. "Pure color" and "pure form" that are detached from historical and realistic themes are considered higher forms of art. This direction differs from the spirit of traditional Chinese art, which fuses several elements together. Being educated in the West, I have embraced the aforementioned Western standard for a long time. Recently I re-discovered the value of traditional Chinese art. As a researcher in technology-based instruction, I see a trend of electronic multi-media that mixes sound clips, movies, animation, text, and still pictures. The rationale is that human beings are equipped with multiple sensors; thereby we are able to process multi-media information in a meaningful manner. In this sense, multimedia do not compete against each other. Rather they are complementary. Further, drama on radio is also said to be an art of imagination. When television and movies were introduced, some argued that the visual interpretation of stories kills imagination. This argument assumes that the visual element is ultimate and there is no further realm to contemplate. As a matter of fact, philosophers point out that there is another reality, "thing-in-itself," behind every perceptive element. Thus, I don't believe that visual representation can exhaust the meaning of poetry. In research the presence of several factors together forms an interaction effect. Thus, the interaction of different medium should even provoke more imagination rather than reducing it. Being exposed to Western technology, I am familiar with photography and computerized art. This exhibit is an attempt to apply modern technology into traditional Chinese synthesized art. Some poems on the pictures are adopted from Chinese classics and the Scripture, and some are written by me. 1999.12 Please click on the Next button to view the photos. Thumbnails will be available soon.