In New York in July of 1993, I used computerimaging technology for the first time. "Beyond Eternity" is what I created.

Time February 19-March 20 Pisces.

Such abstract and omnipresent phenomena as astrology, time and space form the creative foundation for the works in this collection, whose Chinese name means "return." The purpose is to probe the relationships between history, events, humanity, objectivity and subjectivity. Moreover, I hoped that by so doing I could develop a model of thinking that was full of vitality, on the one hand, and balanced and harmonious on the other.

What March 21-April 19 Aries.

Hence, this ubiquitous, mysterious symbol of the spiral. At the smallest level it holds within it the organic structure of DNA, and at the other extreme, there are spiralshaped galaxies such as the Milky Way. In between you can find spirals in mountains and rivers, grasses and trees, wind and fire and the fingerprints that are part of our bodies. From the I Ching to taichi, from the cycle of reincarnation to Nirvana, all of the myriad phenomena of the universe contain spiralshaped active elements. The spiral reflects the origins of the universe, and is even more the shape at the beginning of life. I find it a limitless source of wonder. It has a pull on me and has become the principal focus of my creative thinking.

Esteem April 20-May 20 Taurus.

In "Beyond Eternity," apart from trying to highlight the clashes between different ethnic groups and religions, and between Eastern and Western culture, by intentionally combining seemingly unrelated images that nonetheless have traceable links between them, I hoped to reveal the natural flow and fate of human cultural development, which is a cycle of cause and effect, order and disorder. At the same time visually I have created an intellectual atmosphere that transcends limitations of time and space, by juxtaposing the high tech and the primitive, nature and man, and thus revealing a spirit of multifaceted cultural integration.

The twelve photos of violence, which have made a big impression on people, show the vital cultural force that is obscured within historical incidents of upheaval, namely change. For instance, the limitless rebirth of life forms exists within cultural change and natural cycles of waxing and waning and rising and falling. And I have connected the symbols and visual vocabulary employed in each of these twelve works to the twelve signs of the zodiac, which represent the rhythmic relationship between Heaven and Earth. By so doing, I have brought a sense of the signs to the photographs.

The lively images from Western and Eastern myths attempt to convey a kind of culture in which the boundaries of time and space are broken. In the sparks that fly from the spirals in motion I have tried to release the vital thought that integrates the elements of these images, as well as conveying a resonance of spiritual vitality and cultural transformation.

Moreover, in each image I have randomly included a fortune from the cookies you get in New York Chinese restaurants to highlight the cultural status and modes of thinking that are involved in creating in a foreign land. All told, the collection conveys my thoughts about the advance of human culture. At the same time it offers doubts, in this age of multimedia, about photography's ability to capture truth.

Return and rotation, circle and source, a journey of searching and returning to one's roots: more than images, they evoke a process of life.

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Judgment

December 22January 19 Capricorn

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Obsession

January 20February 18 Aquarius

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Time

February 19March 20 Pisces

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What

March 21April 19 Aries

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Esteem

April 20May 20 Taurus

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Spirit

May 21June 21 Gemini

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Inspiration

June 22July 22 Cancer

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Affection

July 23-August 22 Leo

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Desire

August 23September 22 Virgo

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Conception

September 23October 22 Libra

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Expression

October 23November 21 Scorpio

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Imagination

November 22December 21 Sagittarius

Tsai Wenhsiang

1995 School of Visual Arts, New York; Master's in Photographic Arts

1989 Chinese Culture University, Bachelor of Arts in Printing

1997 "Beyond Eternity," an exhibit of photograph construction, Taipei Fine Arts Museum

1997 Kap Med Gallery, New York

1996 "Trace of Sense," Gallery 456, New York

From 19901996 participated in eight group shows in Taipei and New York, including "Eighth Floor" and "Four Asian Artists."

Spirit May 21-June 21 Gemini.

Inspiration June 22-July 22 Cancer.

Affection July 23-August 22 Leo.

Desire August 23-September 22 Virgo.

Conception September 23-October 22 Libra.

Expression October 23-November 21 Scorpio.

Imagination November 22-December 21 Sagittarius.