Jason Phu: Art-led revolt of gods, demons, spirits
Artist
INTERVIEW BY PETER SALHANI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEAH JING, DOCQMENT, JACQUIE MANNING
Sulman Art Prize winner Jason Phu became the first visual artist to be commissioned (in 2019) by the Sydney Opera House (with Arrow Collective) to create new work for its Antidote festival. A performance piece, an art-led revolt, a summoning of the gods, demons and spirits on behalf of Planet Earth is what he has devised. Jason speaks with Sparkkle about humour and risk, about standing out, and fitting in.
WHAT DOES THIS COMMISSION MEAN TO YOU?
It’s one of our biggest cultural institutions, and a part of Utzon’s original mandate for the Opera House, to be a centre for the arts, so for me, it’s really exciting. I was surprised to be picked as the inaugural artist for this commission.
Phu’s current works have his trademark naive figures and symbols, interspersed with Chinese calligraphic characters. Photo: Docqment.
WHAT’S THE PIECE ABOUT?
It’s a performance piece called Procession in the Warming Light/Procession in the Rising Darkness, referencing the climate change crisis. The Opera House criteria and heritage status require nothing attached or permanently installed, so that notion of the ephemeral sparked my idea for a performance. Actually I don’t see performance as ephemeral, because I always think about documenting it as a piece of video art, so it lives long after the performance is over.
“THAT BRINGS AN ELEMENT OF RISK WHICH I LIKE.”
CHILDS PLAY
The performance will have a broad direction, with parents and teachers helping out, but there’s a point at which I can’t predict what a bunch of school kids will do. The performers are volunteers from Newington College and Erskineville Primary School. I thought that if the work is about the future, it should be performed by kids, who literally are the future. That brings an element of risk which I like. For costume making, I provide reference imagery of Chinese gods and demons, but the kids may just make their own weird stuff. I’m happy for that.
Hand-made costumes reference Chinese mythology.
IS IT MEANT TO BE CONFRONTING?
The gods, demons and spirits imagery evokes Chinese mythology, where most of my reference material comes from. It’s not necessarily intended as a literal message on global warming, but hopefully offers a perspective shift. The gods, demons and spirits represent a blockage to climate change solutions: the (mistaken) belief that a scientist or superhero will save us just in time. It’s not meant to scare people, or to judge, but just to say that even the gods and spirits can’t fix this alone. They need all our help. Like most of my work I guess, it’s also a bit humorous.
“HUMOUR ISN’T SATIRE, AND SATIRE ISN’T HUMOUR.”
WHY IS HUMOUR IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Firstly, humour isn’t satire, and satire isn’t humour. Humour is a cheap trick to engage an audience. There’s nothing wrong with cheap tricks, they’re just illusions. I don’t use it to say ‘I’m an artist who uses humour’. I was always the class clown at school; it’s just my nature to communicate with humour. I like it, but I recognise also that it’s not always the best vehicle.
Phu’s 2018 Sulman Art Prize finalist piece depicting Buddha and Jesus as ‘mates’ at a barbecue.
HAS YOUR ART OFFENDED?
Yes. My 2018 Sulman Award entry had a Buddha punching Jesus in the face at a barbecue. It was meant to represent Buddha and Jesus as two mates having a biff, not: ‘Buddhism is better than Christianity’. But some people took it that way. I was hoping people would see humour in the idea of Buddha punching… anyone! It’s not their fault my message was lost; I didn’t spell it out. Then again, I don’t think that’s the point of art. If I wanted to clarify and spell everything out, I’d write an essay.
Jason Phu in the studio. Photo: Docqment.
“IF I WANTED TO SPELL EVERYTHING OUT, I’D WRITE AN ESSAY.”
Jason Phu at Primevera 2018: Young Australian Artists exhibition, with his diorama about Chinese-Australian bushranger, Sam Poo. Photo: Jacquie Manning.
RESIDENT ALIEN
I identify as Chinese / Vietnamese / Australian. I grew up in Croydon Park, Western Sydney, which is very multicultural. I had loving parents, lots of friends and a very happy childhood, but I never really felt Australian. Sometimes people would say: ‘you’re not from here, go back to where you came from’. I didn’t feel more bullied than anyone else though, but it made me acutely aware that I didn’t belong, because of how I looked. It’s important for me to have conversations about that. I’ve also lived in China and loved it, but I don’t feel any more at home there either. So I call Australia home.
Jason Phu, 2019 exhibition at Sydney’s Chalk Horse Gallery. Photo: Document.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
In August 2019, I began a two-year studio residency at Gertrude Contemporary in Melbourne, and I have a few collaborations ongoing in Sydney. One is Prototype, a subscription-only (free) video art project, started by Lauren Caroll Harris. Another is Real Real at Campbelltown Arts Centre, curated by Jessica Olivieri. It’s inspired by Chinese opera and will stream on Facebook Live. Both are about taking art out of galleries and theatres, and directly to the audience. I really like that. It’s empowering.