All images ©Rona Chang
Rona Chang recently submitted her project, Hold Over Water for my consideration. It is a creative enquiry that does well to confront one of the most pertinent issues of our time: water and its management through a set of visually interesting photographs that hinge on the interplay of manmade and natural elements to create their effect.
Born in Taiwan in 1978, she spent her childhood on the overcrowded island that is well aware of its limited natural resources, particularly water. She grew up fishing with her dad at man-made fishing ponds, going to dams as recreational areas, and living in an area affected by devastating floods from summer typhoons. Aware of the many water issues, she began making photographs of parched river-beds and dams in 1999.
She elaborates a little on this and asserts,
"I am impressed by the sheer volume of water that a dam can hold, the seeming void downstream, and the long geometric curve that can make up a dam's form. The idea of humans engineering their landscapes to alter river courses and the flow of nature has always held me in awe. The images that comprise this body of work speak of my fascination with the temporary power man can hold over water."Rona has a BFA from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York, NY, 2000 and has participated in numerous exhibtions across the globe. She also stakes claim to an impressive list of awards, residencies, fellowships and publications more of which can be seen here.
