The Solaris of Social Networking Abstract, Mixed Media, 60cm (H) x 100cm (W)   jonathan leong studio   In the sci-fi novel “Solaris” by Stanisław Lem, the alien planet of Solaris is visited by scientists who seek to analyse it. However the reverse seems to occur as the planet of Solaris has a unique life of its own. The themes explored in the novel are comparable to the Internet social networking phenomenon happening in our present era, where people go online to discover new worlds of cyber interaction. The novel “Solaris” contains an inbuilt sense of loneliness juxtaposed against a vast alien sea; similarly, the ever-expanding rush to the ocean of digital social networking exposes an intrinsic human fear of being alone or left out. The Internet thus becomes our collective Solaris, a strange ongoing mirror and commentary on life, emotion and reality all contained within an increasingly perceptible database. Just like the planet in “Solaris” seems to appear as a sea-like organism, my painting is constructed to look like a floating space form made up of many artificial waves that interlock into a giant construct in never-ending orbit. It has been designed to create visual interest no matter which orientation it is hung from or placed against a wall.                             The Tower of Projection Digital Painting, 30 cm (H) x 42cm (W)   jonathan leong studio   Drawing inspiration from two of my favourite topics: science fiction and modern architecture, the Tower of Projection is a conceptual fantasy digital painting. It is lit in a way to resemble a spacecraft, while at the same time conveying a certain sense of permanence one would find in a building. The work of highly conceptual architects Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid influenced the formation and exploration of my digital painting and graphical experimentation practice, which led to the creation of this piece. Dreaming up fictional architectural constructs and executing them digitally, allows me to experience a certain visual projection as to what they might look like if they were actually built.                             Space Castle Version 1 Mixed Media; Plastic Sheets, Glue, Light bulb, Apprx 60cm (H) x 55cm (W)   jonathan leong studio   Throughout the history of civilization we have been intrigued by stories of far away lands, of distant futures and mythical universes. This piece entitled "Space Castle Version 1" is an exploration on mankind's fascination with the concept of utopia. The impression that the future is always shiny, preferably with a cosmic tint of blue so as to stimulate a certain dreamscape quality. Plastic being the dominant medium herein, serves as a point of discourse for our preoccupation with preservation, leaving our mark for the future and the fantasy with regards to being indestructible or having ever-lasting qualities.                             The Tower of Projection Version 2 Mixed Media; Wood, Glue, Metal, light bulb, Apprx 55cm (H) x 50cm (W)   jonathan leong studio   Inspired by an earlier piece of conceptual visual work, this is The Tower of Projection Version 2. Drawing inspiration from two of my favourite topics: science fiction and modern architecture, the Tower of Projection is a conceptual fantasy digital painting. It is lit in a way to resemble a spacecraft, while at the same time conveying a certain sense of permanence one would find in a building. The work of highly conceptual architects Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid influenced the formation and exploration of my digital painting and graphical experimentation practice, which led to the physical sculptural creation of this piece.                                           All work © Jonathan Leong Peng Chung 2009