Another video, the third in the cycle as in the intro
depicts a young boy playing with a woman on a bed. The
bed can both denote sexual or restful connotations depending
on context. In this video work, sexual associations
arise from the position and placement of the female
figure, her expression, the sound track, the way the
boy is positioned on top, and lastly the facial expression
of the mother. In Tseng's writing about his work he
states "the true form of love, according to Freud,
is the form in our parents, or the form of our basic
instincts."--for a boy, his first love thus is
his mother. From Tseng's explicit reference to Freud,
a connection to Freud's Oedipal Complex is inescapable.
The Oedipal Complex is named after an ancient Greek
story where it is told that King Oedipus inadvertently
killed his father in order to marry his mother. In expanding
this concept one could conclude the first love-object
for a boy is his mother. He wants his mother's attention
and affection. For a boy, his father represents a stronger
entity that is with his mother. Therefore, in this complex
the father becomes the enemy while the child finds for
love from his mother. In this video, the boy is overwhelmed
with his mother's love. In turn, he is also enjoying
her company and her affection because the loves is mutual.
Tseng writes "once we are born, we grow further
away from the body itself, and substitute it with nouns
and adjectives." In this context, Tseng presents
the viewer with a scene which dwells both on sexual
and human relations and its interpretation is contingent
on the viewer's experience. No matter what the viewer
concludes, Tseng realizes that words and relational
experiences are necessary to express the mandates of
the work. This bond and expression of love becomes abstracted
by words as Tseng suggested.
The fourth video cycle in the work introduces sexual
tension in the way which a child should interact with
an adult. Children lack concepts sexual privacy; wherein,
an adult may feel implicated by such the innocent actions
taken by a child. In this scene, sa boy runs towards
his father and embraces him by his lower thigh and genitals.
Tseng plays more subtly here wherein the viewer's biases
toward proper social conduct is placed in tension with
this simple act of a child holding his father. Sexual
activities are lost and challenged with Tseng's filming
of this direct and natural act. Tseng confirms his intention
by writing "if sensations are to be made with logics,
and to be separated from passion, then desire can only
be spoken through impressionism, and Rodin and Camille
should have never kissed".
If passion is amongst the basic instincts of human
nature, then it would seem that internal passions are
subject to modification during the lifetime of an individual.
Tseng's piece "Who is listening?" criticizes
social reinterpretations of how these passions and instincts
whether motherly or fatherly are transformed into various
states of acceptance in both child and adulthood realms.
Tseng's work illustrates his relief that emotions should
be experienced directly and innocently rather than be
collectively held accountable to social conventions
which misrepresent simple interactions.
And I played the role of a child.
It is the real skin. It will feel directly.
It is before any outside invasion.
Its reactions are real, although displayed in a slightly
confusing manner.
Because while it is labeled on the outside, it will
unconsciously drop that label right in front of your
eyes
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