Photographs from Taewon Jang’s Collusion series will be on view at Gana Art New York from March 19 – April 11, 2009. This is Taewon Jang’s first solo exhibition at Gana. There will be an opening reception on March 19 from 6-8 P.M. at the gallery, located at 568 W. 25th Street.

The Collusion series, begun in 2007, explores Taewon Jang’s response to various landscapes around the world. The initial photographs were taken in the Korean countryside, followed by images shot in Japan. Jang is currently completing the project, which will include about 40 images, by photographing in New York, where he is based. The photographs are both conventional and digital C prints, 50”x70”.

Throughout the Collusion series, Taewon Jang shot exclusively after midnight, using only moonlight for illumination, giving the work a dark, mysterious and highly emotional quality. Jang focuses on the natural landscape as it is altered by the human presence, often in the form of factories and other industrial sites. In Jang’s images, the enveloping darkness creates a parity between both the natural and the built forms. At times, it is simply human beings standing in the sea at midnight, which establishes the relationship between humanity and nature.

As the title Collusion suggests, these images allude to the artist’s negative commentary on society and the impact we have on our environment. Jang has noted, “We often separate ourselves from nature. If we want to coexist with nature, we need to be more inclusive. We make ourselves part of a separate entity and we collude for ‘our progress’ alone.” Moving beyond critique, Jang’s work embodies a deep sense of connection. “In the dark night in the countryside, I think, ‘Where am I standing now?’ Suddenly the sky, mountain and earth around me seem so beautiful. I want to embrace and live together with people, nature, creations, and even waste.”

Born and raised in Korea, Taewon Jang first studied photography at Choong-Ang University and later received a Master of Fine Art degree at Columbia University’s School of the Arts.