Tin Ly's use od mixed media, a normal form of expression in the west, is still today rarely encountered in Vietnam, where the definition of painting is a rectangle of canvas or paper on which color is applied. The artists in Vietnam who use found objects can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Tin Ly from an interview with Lois Tarlow
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The large mixed media paintings with accompanying found and fabricated objects represent Tin Ly's interest in integrating opposites, such as the alluring paint quality of the ovoid, the brushed aluminum "frames," and hostile, spiky objects. "I work with the concept of yin and yang to bring opposing elements into a unity where each compliments the other. This is part of an ongoing series begun in 1989. Because of my religious upbringing-I was a Seventh Day Adventist-I am dealing with a Western idea, the theme of birth." Referring to the sawblade, Tin says, "I like to play with a sense of threat and fear. Perfection wouldn't exist without fear and ugliness."
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"The ovoid has been an interesting form for me to explore. My attention has shifted from the idea of creation or the beginning of life to a search for my own identity. I now understand that I have a lot of anger never addressed resulting from separations and displacements of culture and roots. This series has allowed me to deal with it.
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