| Qiu’s photographs use familiar symbolism and historical dystopianism. Never forgetful of the past, this body of work engages the constitution of the future, affirmatively critical, specifically with respect to globalism, the identity of the self and self view, the social landscape, post-colonialism, and that of the larger national body politic.
Qilin is an extension and includes imagery from Qiu’s series “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom,” which portrayed a Chinese takeover of the United States. In the earlier series, hidden political dangers are suggested that must be addressed urgently, but are put aside momentarily, subservient to the romance of “the beautiful ideal.” The models for the imagery are Pan Asian American artists, and academics specializing in Chinese culture, the same group persecuted in China’s “Hundred Flowers Movement.” The costumes are discarded U.S. military uniforms, cheongsams constructed for the photographs, and Chinese mock ups taken from a Beijing photography studio, specializing in getups for foreign tourists to re-enact Cultural Revolution Propaganda imagery. |
