The work of Taiwanese photographer Yung Cheng Lin (aka “3cm”) is a sensitive and surreal observation of the female condition. Sexuality, menstruation, maturity and birth are all running themes in his photos, an ongoing larger body of work. His critics take two sides; most praise his abstract, personal take on a woman’s experience while others rejects it as objectification. 3cm rarely, if ever, grants interviews or interpretations of his work, so we can’t defend either. He wants his audience to look at his photos without interference. At his Facebook page, 3cm says, “There is no explanation for my images because I want there to be various, different interpretations, and I would like to see what those are.” His recurring female subject is depicted in contorted and compromising poses, tugging at her hair and playing with her skin. We’re guided throughout by a strange and beautiful pest, a fruit fly, possibly attracted by his motifs like blood and fruit. Her interaction with food is especially interesting. For example, Western audiences may see a banana as a phallic symbol, but traditionally in Chinese art, the banana might represent self-discipline. Even his namesake “3cm”, the moment of cervical dilation, offers a reference to birth- or maybe he just wants to protect his ambiguity. Whatever the case, his subject appears to be neither an idol of female power nor an object of desire. By making us slightly uncomfortable, 3cm’s photos make us think about why we’re uncomfortable in the first place.
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