An interview with Char Le, speaking to Bette Wood.
Hello Char!
The show is getting closer, what has your role been in pulling it all together?
I became involved in the fund-raising team, and as team leader my role was to organise various fund-raising events. As a team we held bake sales across the university’s campuses which were all really successful. We included various foods and baked goods made by everyone in our class, as well as decorations and apparel (some courtesy of Nanna Le, thanks!)
Regarding your practice now, what are the key themes in your work?
I’ve always been interested in women’s roles in society. Over my time in uni I have researched techniques used in the media and explored the concept of ‘social normality’ and the pressure that places on women.
My work is mostly photography based, depicting morbid exaggerations of the results of such pressures.
… Wow, so what drew you to these powerful themes?
As a woman I feel a personal connection to my work, as every woman exposed to such a commercial volume of pressures.
And how is your final piece coming together?
It’s been an interesting project – clashing 2 gender stereotypes as I look into a world I am unfamiliar with (the army) and one I am very aware of (domesticity). As I am using both themes in parallel; the unpleasant domestic scenes and real life footage of drone operations, it has certainly added a level of realism and unpleasant truths as they collide in my final images.
All of this considered, what have you found most challenging in this process?
Technically I have explored design programmes I have not used to this extent before. A challenge, but ultimately invaluable for the future of my practice and the direction my work is taking.
What I’ve found most challenging while researching my project has been discovering some harsh realities of war. Learning what must take place is this seemingly inhuman act, as a ‘duty’.
