Reviewed by
Dr. Jayne Cole
Summer. 2020
Reviewed by
Prof. Deanne G Beausoleil
09.2019
The Gretchen Schuette Art Gallery’s annual artist in residence program is a great opportunity for the artist and the Chemeketa Community. It has been my pleasure to let Junwei Zhang use the space of the gallery to explore the possibilities of installation and conceptual art. The work that is a result of this exploration represents an incredible contemplation on being and what we see in the world. All three works of art use everyday materials to ask the viewer to consider place. This may be our place on the highway or a place we inhabit in the world, whether it be with our family or community.
This thoughtful installation is reflective of the artist. Working with Junwei Zhang was a pleasure from the initial emails to the installation of the show. At all times I was keenly aware of great contributions from a disciplined and contemplative peson. Flat Tire, Considering the Commute is not a show to be taken in with a simple pass. The viewer needs to slow down to experience the art. This act is part of the irony of the installation; we must take our time to consider artworks which are comprised of things we associate with speed. By doing this the viewer completes the cycle of the artist in residence program. The Gretchen Schuette Art Gallery provided Junwei Zhang an opportunity to study and develop artwork. His installation of the show enables us to consider our environment from a different perspective.
Reviewed by
Vicki Amorose & Almeida Lillian
08.2018
3:30 AM is a series of large-scale evocative photographs, installed on the windows of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. The series of seven grainy images begins with an empty shopping cart in a parking lot. As the series progresses, the artist painfully attempts to find his position within the cart. In the final image the artist faces the viewer and stands upright in the cart, finding momentary equilibrium. The artist wears a Chinese infant costume, intended for newborns. The costume’s bright red color punctuates the expanse of the gray field, and the horizontal line of a yellow curb unifies the series. The artist expresses his personal experience in Eugene, one of loneliness, cultural otherness, and search for belonging. The work’s placement on the Hult Center calls for a broader discussion about identity, socio-cultural status, and the basic human need to be seen and acknowledged. Junwei’s installation asks, “Where do I fit in?”
