ARTIST STATEMENT
CINDY PROJECT is an art concept—a musical album of photographic statements on the fleeting and evolving nature of life and love.
Documenting the everyday moments of his life-long muse, Cindy, ERIC KIM sought to convey the range of emotions of love. The intimate perspective and uncanny composition express love as playful, abstract, and interpretive. The mise-en-scène of ERIC KIM within the photos through his shadow, reflections, and refracted through Cindy’s gestures and expressions invoke a feeling of cinematic memories.
CINDY PROJECT encourages the viewer to embrace the present moment.
SONG 1 “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT” celebrates the dance between the photographer and subject and introduces Cindy as a subject rather than a silent object. Cindy speaks through her poetic lines introducing each photographic diptych. Her eyes stare back in defiance, they hide in the darkness, they blur the lines between photographic eye and viewer’s eye.
HAPTIC EXPERIENCE: TEXTURED, TIMELESS, ONE OF A KIND
CINDY PROJECT: SONG 1 “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT” celebrates the fleeting moment and transience of life by using both traditional and modern methods of printing and presentation. The images are printed on handmade Zó Vietnamese paper—one of the most archival, resilient, robust materials. The paper is handmade using traditional processes existing since the 13thcentury and requires up to 100 steps to produce. Each paper is uniquely beautiful with its organic fibers and haptic textures. The prints are presented in a modern portfolio case directly sourced from Japan. The portfolio case showcases paper ephemera from the production of the art prints.
CINDY PROJECT: SONG 1 “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT” embraces the meaning of HAPTIC by focusing on the sense of touch. Pushing the boundaries of photo prints and art, we made ‘haptic’ unique prints, by printing on handmade mulberry Zó paper to produce one-of-a-kind prints. We believe that art should be an experience. Thus, CINDY PROJECT: SONG 1 is intended to be touched, held, and interacted with. From the noticeable weight, to the handheld size, to the removable portfolio– each component of CINDY PROJECT: SONG 1 is intentional.
Limited Edition
CINDY PROJECT: SONG 1 “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT” is a limited edition photography art portfolio. SONG 1 “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT” is the first published art prints from Eric Kim’s CINDY PROJECT.
Made in a limited edition of 10 signed portfolios which include:
- 2 art print sheets (4 Eric Kim photographs printed on handmade mulberry textured Zó 8 x 11 inch paper )
- 1 art print (5×7-inch print is made via the ‘Giclée printing’ method, with UltraChrome K3 archival ink on 96-pound matte paper)
- 1 limited edition handmade mulberry 4×6 inch ARTBOOK with Cindy Project, Hanoi cover
- Poetry and Colophon
Inspiration
Cindy studies her Ph.D. in Vietnamese history at UC Berkeley and researches the history of book, libraries, and print making. From her research, she has studied the history and craft of woodblock printing. We are both deeply inspired by Japanese woodblock printing in particular, and the Japanese philosophy of “wabi-sabi”–the beauty in transience and imperfection.
Eric desires to create art objects that you can live with, interact with, and experience. Bridging the gap between photography, philosophy, and art, Eric seeks to remind us to be grateful of our loved ones, and to always Memento Mori (realize that life is short, uncertain, and fleeting). Cindy Project is his life-long project; a project he will pursue until the death of both him and Cindy.
Colophon: SONG 1: “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT”
I don’t ever want to be susceptible to anyone else’s version of my history.” – Nan Goldin, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency
What is the photographic moment?
It is a song, a record of the playful dance between photographer and subject.
Where is the photographic moment?
It is everywhere and nowhere—
An attempt to extend that sweet something while surrendering to the transience of life.
Who is the photographic moment?
She exudes power in her vulnerability.
She speaks, contests, collaborates.
She lives [sống].
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC KIM
ART CONCEPT BY CINDY NGUYEN
Eric Kim made these photographs from 2014 to 2016 in Los Angeles, Hanoi, and San Francisco.
HAPTIC PRESS, 2018
“Sống” means to live in Vietnamese.
Invest in CINDY PROJECT: SONG 1 “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT”
There are only a limited edition of 10 signed art portfolios. Each portfolio required a tremendous amount of time, labor, and thought to carefully make. Each print in the portfolio is numbered, signed, and one of a kind. Your investment in this art portfolio will support the creative collaboration between ERIC KIM x HAPTIC INDUSTRIES.
Invest in CINDY PROJECT in HAPTIC SHOP >
STILLS
FLIPTHROUGH
Invest in CINDY PROJECT: SONG 1 “SUBJECT NOT OBJECT”
There are only a limited edition of 10 signed art portfolios. Each portfolio required a tremendous amount of time, labor, and thought to carefully make. Each print in the portfolio is numbered, signed, and one of a kind. Your investment in this art portfolio will support the creative collaboration between ERIC KIM x HAPTIC INDUSTRIES.