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Jiawei Gong

In 2013, I accepted a teaching position at a university in Texas and moved from Pennsylvania to the Lone Star State. Before this, I knew very little about the city where the school is located, or even Texas itself. At that time, I was a faculty member at a university in Pennsylvania, situated in one of the most economically developed regions of the eastern United States, where the population density is relatively high compared to other states. As for the Southwest of the United States, I always perceived it as a distant and unfamiliar cowboy land, like a mysterious world existing in another dimension. Out of curiosity, I opened Google Maps and wandered through the streets and alleys of Lubbock in Google Street View. My initial impression was akin to what I had gathered from Western films: a desolate beauty, solitary and austere, with a strong sense of history.

After moving to Texas, this perception became even clearer and more direct. I began to carefully study and experience the natural landscapes and cultural traits of the American West. The natural environment of West Texas is highly picturesque; beneath its desolate beauty lies a profound silence and solitude. The vast, open land is scarcely inhabited, with dry vegetation scattered across the gentle plains, and the sinking sun casts long shadows, creating an indescribable atmosphere of loneliness, as if time itself has halted. This landscape of silence and solitude also reveals an eternal quality, detached from the mundane world. Ansel Adams captured a similar spirit in his work "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico," depicting a timeless scene that transcends the constraints of time, reflecting a deep reverence for the natural world.

The natural scenery of West Texas contrasts sharply with that of Hangzhou, the Chinese city where I was born and raised, and Zhuhai, where I currently live. In terms of visual and emotional experience, the contrast is stark. Compared to the vast and open natural scenery around Lubbock, the verdant mountains, pristine waters, flourishing flowers, and graceful trees of Hangzhou and Zhuhai are gentle, intricate, and beautifully lush. Even the dense and saturated greenery conveys a sense of luxury, even ostentation. My annual trips back to China further deepen this contrasting experience and inspired the creation of the "West Land/East Country" series.

Created over five years from 2020 to 2024, "West Land/East Country" documents the natural environments and cultural landscapes of Lubbock, Hangzhou, and Zhuhai, comparing my experiences spanning more than half a century between these two distinct countries. For this series, I chose immersive photography as the primary medium due to its unique all-around perspective, deeply engaging experience, and interactive quality. Immersive photography captures a complete 360-degree view of a scene, both horizontally and vertically, allowing viewers to experience a seamless visual environment. When viewed with a VR headset, the spherical images provide a strong sense of immersion, more accurately reflecting the natural landscapes and man-made spaces of West Texas and East China. Unlike traditional photography, immersive images break down the boundaries of viewing, transforming viewers from mere external observers into participants who can freely explore and engage with the scene. Viewers can move their perspective freely across the landscapes of Lubbock, Hangzhou, and Zhuhai, exploring specific spaces from different angles and viewpoints, experiencing an unprecedented sense of space and environment.

Immersive imagery is a “spherical” representation of specific scenes, and when not viewed through computer monitors or mobile devices (such as tablets, smartphones, or VR headsets), it inevitably involves the issue of mapping a sphere onto a two-dimensional plane. Realistic two-dimensional image creation follows the principles of linear perspective, from one-point to two-point and at most three-point perspective, which cannot represent angles greater than 90-100 degrees. After extensive research and comparison, I chose to use curvilinear perspective (equivalent to six-point perspective) image editing rules and equirectangular projection methods for the two-dimensional presentation of "West Land/East Country."
The study of curvilinear perspective and the projection of spheres onto planes has a long history in Western history, dating back to Greek cartographers in the sixth century BC, who studied the natural world in geometry and cartography. In art history, evidence of "spherical vision" did not appear until the fifteenth century, when some Renaissance artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, showed a keen interest in curvilinear perspective. Da Vinci observed that curvilinear perspective simultaneously measured and calculated the distortion of object widths and heights, aligning more closely with human visual perception. He also defined the difference between artificial perspective and natural or synthetic perspective: the former involves the artist's mapping of forms on a plane, while the latter focuses on the perception of real object sizes in the natural world.

After 360-degree spherical images are projected equirectangularly, visual distortions, especially at the edges of the image, create unconventional shapes and spatial relationships. These seemingly distorted and stretched spaces provoke alternative imaginations of the landscapes of West Texas and East China, reminiscent of the floating, twisted clocks and objects in Salvador Dalí's works, which also speak to the fluidity and relativity of time and space. Additionally, the unique perspective and spatial distortion can render even familiar scenes alien, giving viewers a sense of surreal, dream-like spaces that are mysterious and sometimes eerie. The rich black-and-white tones and strong contrast of light and shadow in "West Land/East Country" resonate spiritually with the works of Giorgio de Chirico. Both blur the lines between reality and fiction, conveying a profound sense of solitude and tranquility, offering viewers an exploration beyond reality into the realms of the spirit.

In the process of editing and organizing "West Land/East Country," I discovered that juxtaposing images from the two worlds creates a unique visual dialogue. The continuous curves and distortions generate a visual flow that enhances the connection between these seemingly different worlds, creating a natural transition and link between the contrasting images. I hope this visual juxtaposition will encourage people to reflect on shared experiences, contrasting features, and potential harmonies between different geographies and cultures. Sometimes, viewers need to carefully examine each scene to accurately identify its corresponding spatial and regional attributes.

Personally this new mode of visual narrative evokes memories and affection for the experiences of both life contexts. British psychologist John Bowlby, in his studies on attachment theory, found that around eight months old, infants begin to form attachments to their mothers (or caregivers). When the mother is present, the infant feels calm and secure, exploring their surroundings and playing more confidently. Separation from the mother usually results in protests and anxiety. The mother provides a “secure base” of comfort, confidence, and safety for the child’s early development. This attachment to familiar figures and environments also plays an important role in adult life. The familiar scenes from the two worlds in the "West Land/East Country" series not only inspire my creativity and serve as the subjects of my artistic expression but also create a “secure base” for me. They help me maintain inner balance and confidence amidst the complexities of life and artistic exploration. The 360-degree immersive images enhance this psychological inquiry. Their immersive quality not only offers a comprehensive view of the landscapes but also provides emotional touchpoints for seeking comfort and stability. They help me find a psychological balance and sense of belonging between Eastern and Western cultures, prompting me to deeply reflect on cultural fluidity and complexity. I hope the "West Land/East Country" series will inspire broader discussions on topics such as identity, cultural migration, and the transformative power of transcultural experiences.