A sense of distance is always felt in the works of Almond Chu

The title Time Tunnel refers to a journey – the loss and exploration in the transitional journey of life. One after another evasive metaphor comes through the images.

Massive metal aqueducts are important passages in water supply. This is a real-life scenario and a symbol – one that is akin to the bloodstreams that keep creatures alive. The scene is a space surrounded by metal ducts – no exit can be seen in the defined visuals. A pale and fragile lady dressed in glamourous clothes oddly shows up; she is lonelily placed in such a distant environment; she is totally out of place in the setting. Such arrangement, however, generated a supernatural interface that is similar to the fourth dimension[1].

This is an absurd placement arrangement, which presents an unusual experience. The gesture of the lady reminds one of a ghost: it directly depicts the scene in which the dexterities are out of control and not knowing what should be put where; a sense of strange dislocation is brought out. Although it is an image taken by a long shot, the stiffness of her facial expressions can be vaguely noted – not knowing how to respond to the situation that she exists and being unable to fall into the twisted condition, she demonstrates a kind of gloomy yet detailed loneliness. The solidarity, loss and distant feelings that follow come together in an even stronger and dark manner. The focus of the work gradually goes to contemplation on the situation, the identity and other issues.

As for the arrangements in production, Almond Chu employed a technique that is unique to this series of work: while the handling of black and white in the originally shoddy environment highlights its rustic, the work was processed and printed with platinotype, the most elegant method with the highest collectible value in the history of photography. Thanks to the graininess of the visual and the richness of layers, the printing quality and the tones of the picture are almost perfect.  If you can look at the original, you will experience the charm of this printing technology. Next, the surface of the exquisite visual is decorated with gold leaves and features pretty geometric shapes and lines; the low and dark tone jumps right up to another level.

Another form of unique intervention technique handles the emphasis on the sense of distance through the use of the long shot; it is also an intentional rejection of subjective projection. Although this is a series of works, each is independent and do not have to be linked together. It also requires no lead in about the ups and downs as the key is about the fine details. As John W. Lennon once said ‘Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.’

[1]Renowned British physicist Stephen Hawking exemplified that passing through a time tunnel is entering “the fourth dimension”. As for the critical point of a time machine, as stressed by Hawking, it would be “the fourth dimension.  The fourth dimension is all around us, but it is so small that it can be hardly noticed by the naked eyes. They exist in the rift of space and time.

朱德華的《時光隧道》

朱德華的作品總是有一種疏離的感覺。

《時光隧道》的標題是一個旅程的，是生命過渡旅程中的迷失與探索；影像處處都感受到陣陣欲言又止的隱喻。

碩大的金屬輸水管，是供應食用水的重要管道，這是一個現實的場景，也是一種符號，如維持生命的血脈。場景是 一處被金屬管道圍繞的空間，設定的畫面看不到出口；一個穿著華服卻纖弱蒼白的的女郎不尋常的出現，孤零零地放置在如此疏離的環境中，跟整個處境格格不入的安排，衍生出的是如四度空間的靈界面[1]。

這是一場荒謬的處置安排，呈現出來的是一種不尋常的體驗。女郎的舉手投足如幽靈般的姿態，直托出失措的肢體不知如何投放，帶出怪異的錯位感；雖然是遠鏡的影像，卻隱約感覺到她表情的生澀， 對所在的處境不知如何自處及無法墮入的變扭狀態，演繹出的是一種低沉而細緻的寂寞。隨著是原來的孤獨、迷失、疏離感受凝聚得更強烈更深沉，作品的著眼點逐漸投向對處境和身份種種問題的思考。

而製作上的安排，是朱德華為這組作品特設的手法；黑白的處理將為原來粗劣的環境突顯出當中的粗糙感；卻以攝影史上高貴而極具收藏價值的鉑金印相法印製。畫面顆粒感之強，層次之豐富，讓畫質階調接近完美，只要看到原作，便能體驗這種印製技術的魅力。然後再在這精緻的畫面上，配上金箔和人手繪出亮麗的幾何圖形和線條；令原來低沉的調子跳脫到另一種層面。

而另一種特有的介入手法，是運用遠鏡頭的處理強調作品中疏離的調子，也是刻意拒絕對號入座的主觀投射。雖然這是一組系列作品，但每張作品各自獨立，不必互相關連，更不必需要上下起伏交待，重點在於當中的細膩； 我不其然想到 約翰·連儂的幾句話：「由結果來看，一切都算過得去。如果放不下，代表還沒走到盡頭。」

鳴謝：蘇淑 (舞蹈家)

Credit: Ann Mak
文：麥安 (Ann Mak)

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*John W. Lennon: Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

[1]英國著名物理學家史蒂芬·霍金舉例指出，穿越時光隧道就是進入“4度空間”。至於時光機的關鍵點，霍金強調就是所謂的“4度空間”。 “4度空間”就在人類四周，只是小到肉眼很難看見，它們存在於空間與時間的裂縫中。