Niagara Falls, New York

1984, printed 2022

Tseng Kwong Chi

Associated Names
Tseng Kwong Chi

Artist, American, born Hong Kong, 1950 - 1990

The image shows a man standing upright with a waterfall in the background. He has a serious expression with sunglasses covering part of his eyes. He has short, neatly combed dark hair and is wearing a buttoned-up suit jacket with a collar. His shirt sleeves are visible, and he has a badge with a photograph pinned to the left side of his jacket. He is holding a cable that extends downward out of the frame. The background features tall grass, foliage, a large waterfall, and a forested area in the distance.

Media Options

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On View

West Building Main Floor, Gallery M72

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Funds from the Kend Family Fund and Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund

  • Dimensions

    image: 91.44 × 91.44 cm (36 × 36 in.)
    framed: 94.62 × 94.62 × 4.45 cm (37 1/4 × 37 1/4 × 1 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2023.12.2

  • Series Title

    East Meets West

  • Copyright

    © Muna Tseng Dance Projects Inc.. Courtesy Yancey Richardson, New York

More About this Artwork

Video:  How This Photographer Used Selfies To Explore Layers Of Identity

Video essayist Nerdwriter helps us explore the extraordinary work of photographer Tseng Kwong Chi, whose iconic East Meets West series blends self-portraiture, performance, and satire.

The image shows the upper half of a person in the foreground of a nighttime scene. The person stands slightly turned to the side, looking upward and outward to their right. Their facial features are highlighted by the lighting, showing a focused expression, with short, dark hair styled neatly. The person is dressed in a uniform with a mandarin collar, buttoned up and featuring a high level of tailoring, and worn over a plain shirt. There is an identification badge pinned to their left chest pocket. The person is holding an object with one hand, though details of the object aren't clear. The background prominently features the brightly illuminated dome of the United States Capitol Building, and the contrasting dark sky accentuates the architectural details. The area surrounding the capitol appears well-lit, emphasizing the structure's iconic presence.

Article:  Visionary Photographer Tseng Kwong Chi’s Vintage “Selfies”

Discover the artist's “East Meets West” series from the 1970s and 1980s exploring American identity and exclusion.

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York); NGA purchase, 2023.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on verso, center of print, by Muna Tseng in black ink: Muna Tseng / 5/9 / Silver gelatin / selenium toned 2022 / Niagara, New York, 1984; stamped in black ink: From the Estate of TSENG KWONG CHI © Muna Tseng Dance Projects, Inc.

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