PRESS RELEASE

Gallery 60 NYC is pleased to present tough, a solo exhibition by Bing Lu (b. 1999). The works in tough are a series of abstract photographs made from compositions that utilize the natural form and beauty of the landscape image. The primary objective is to isolate formal elements such as line, shape, form and texture that might otherwise go unnoticed. Taking the visual components and exploring alternative ways of perceiving nature, the photographs reflect Lu’s emotional response to nature. tough will be on view from June 21st to July 5th, 2025, at Gallery 60 NYC.

Driving by a sense of discontent, Lu attempted to capture the perceived tension within the landscape but realized that the resulting photographs were insufficient in conveying her emotions, appearing to be too precise and well oriented. To Address this frustration, Lu started interrupting the ‘perfect’ landscape. Attacking the original negative by burning, cropping, and scratching, the elements from the original scene become fragmented, distorted and nearly unrecognizable. Refining the color palette by incorporating grey, ochre, dark blue and deep orange - earthy tones associated with the elements of water, air, and fire, the final altered photograph consists of both natural and artificial elements that alternate between flatness and depth, familiar and estranged, while retaining ghostly traces of the original.

Through a series of creative interventions, the once flat expanse concrete transforms into distinct forms, each carried with a distinct sense of dimensionality. These forms appear to stand in juxtaposition to one another, drifting away from its original context, reminiscent of the wild. The experiment documents a process of imagination, revision and limitation to create abstract images upon reality, while stretching out creative thoughts beyond the confines of the static image plane. The intervened photograph appears alluring to the eyes that eventually seeks for psychological response beyond the paper surface,  contemplating the truthfulness of images in today’s saturated visual culture. Responding to Alfred Stieglitz’s point in replace of realistic depiction of the world, the photograph becomes an equivalence of the photographer’s emotional engagement with the world.

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