TITLE: Voyeurism

My photo focuses on the dark side of human nature, to be more specific — voyeurism. This main theme of voyeurism is depicted through the infinite repetition of the eye, trying to spy on other people's lives. Eyes are the main expressive element of this theme, followed by mirrors. Eyes visually symbolize the actions of spying and observing, while mirrors reflect people's different appearances—those who appear friendly may also be spying into your life behind you. I took the first photo in studio using a 4x5 large format camera, which made the entire process very long but also very meaningful. While, other photos are shoot by digital camera.

In the last few years when I was depressed, I found that I had become very extreme. Many negative emotions exploded during this period. I found that I would look at the people around me through tinted glasses. I was shocked to discover that people have a lot of hidden desires in their hearts. I chose to make these photographs black and white, to evoke a sense of claustrophobia, similar to what I was feeling at the time. I wanted to pry into the negative and private aspects of other people’s lives, to confirm that they felt the same pain that I was in.

I want this work to bring awareness of the dark side of human nature, which is an inevitable human desire. I would like to use my artmaking as a way to face my strengths and weaknesses. I’m not sure what perfection looks like, though I would like to use my photography as a way to face myself. To contend with my human desire, and find a way to continue to love myself in new ways.

AUTHOR: Tianya Fang (China)

My name is Tianya Fang. I was born in China and currently live and work in New York. I work primarily with photography to explore the hidden aspects of human nature—those dark, unspoken desires that reside within us all. I believe that learning to coexist with these impulses is essential to understanding who we really are. Through intense and exaggerated imagery, I aim to create space for viewers to reflect on their own subconscious emotions.
I hold a BFA in Photography and Video from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York.