Saltflats. (Limited Edition 1 of 5) Large print. Photograph

Selfie-tourism, identity and lies - Eric Cung presents a strong body of work at the intersection of performance art and photography. He makes a comment on selfie-tourism, examining it in a surreal way with a sense of irony: “I take holiday selfies. But with a twist…” His work also explores the themes of deception, identity and personal integrity in a digital era. Commenting on the theme of human identity, he asks: “What right do we have to our own identity when the face – the first and strongest expression human recognition – is being exploited?” Two important influences on his work are American painter Edward Hopper and British graphic designer Storm Thorgesson. At an early age, he recalls viewing Hopper’s “Soir Bleu” with its melancholy, white-faced clown sitting at an outdoor café among a disconnected group of people. That image really stuck with him. He was introduced to Thorgesson when he first saw the album covers designed for Pink Floyd. Evocative and cinematic, Cung’s images are being compared to those of American photographer Gregory Crewdson. They are simultaneously staged yet also spontaneous due to element of chance that is present when shooting on location. He notes that there are so many variables he cannot control in the same way as in a studio. On some occasions a fellow hiker or urban explorer has stopped and observed while Eric has staged an image. A surreal moment, in the middle of nowhere, has been embedded in that persons memory. Something real.