Meet Jingge (Ginger) Zhang | Interdisciplinary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jingge (Ginger) Zhang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jingge (Ginger), what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
My pursuit of an artistic career stems primarily from my passion for photography and my curiosity about both the inner self and the external world. Personally, my artistic journey has unfolded in three distinct stages: Initially, I was captivated by the allure of commercial photography, reveling in its high resolution and vibrant colors influenced by mass culture. Then, I was drawn to the profound insights of Roland Barthes’s definition of punctum and studium, delving deep into the ontology and philosophy of photography. Currently, I integrated my personal narrative with a broader perspective, intertwining my individual experiences with the social context. Creating art has been a journey of self-discovery for me, allowing me to gain deeper insights into my own interests, voice, and identity. Each piece of art I produce serves as a visual representation of my personal perspective and how I, as an individual, perceive and interact with the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is informed by my experiences both as an immigrant farm worker on an assembly line as well as a graphic designer in an e-commerce industry where output is accelerated for mass distribution. Using my own labor as an entry point, I examine the fabrication and circulation of images amid the current deluge of social media and content creation, ultimately questioning the machine of commodification and consumption.

Approaching my practice as a worker, I combine the digital methods of deconstruction and collage with the manual application of my assemblages onto packing tape. Fusing replicated screen images with images of real life, my digital imagery encompasses a diverse range of sources found on screens or digital devices, ranging from digital archives and stock photos to screenshots, emojis, ephemeral snapshots of other screens, and fleeting daily captures by phone in everyday life. The tape transfer, a material of shipping and distribution, echoes not only the systems and visual language of mass production but also the invisible labor inextricably bound to these processes. By translating photographs and images into material objects, my work represents the commodification of image production, which unfolds the economic significance within the processes along with the chaos, synthesis, and displacement that occurred across screens and everyday experiences.

In creating multiples, I embody a re-simulation of labor in the production line, and effectively dismantle the notion of the original-separating art from its auratic nature into a product, while the base of tape-a flimsy medium of repair-reveals the degradation of an image over time and repetition.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the vibrant energy and bustling rhythm of daily life in New York City. When my best friends visit, I would love to introduce them to the authentic experiences of the city from my perspective rather than just its iconic landmarks. I wanted to show them the real experience of New York-walking across the diverse neighborhoods, having an ice cream roadside, experiencing the crowds around Times Square or probably Soho, taking them to the local grocery stores that I often go to, going to a random but cozy bar at night, chatting and joking around. If there is a show or exhibition we’re both interested in on view we are both interested in, we could check them out. Nothing special just casual, chill, and real.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to extend a heartfelt shoutout to my community, particularly the Pratt community, for the unwavering support, collaboration, and invaluable experiences we have shared together. A special mention goes to my professors Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Sara VanDerBeek, Shannon Ebner, and Anna Collette for their consistent support and guidance, from the pre-COVID era to the post-COVID adjustments. I also want to express my gratitude to my friends and talented artists Xunzhen Zhu, Wenyi Zhang, Mengyu Han, Yu Cheng, Ethan Li, Haoyu Niu, Shengqi Ming, Sen-Sen Chiu, and Kyle Wilcox, who tirelessly helped me in my studio and sacrificed their sleep to ensure everything was ready for my show opening. Last but not least, a big shoutout to my parents, Hongwei Guan and Mingkai Zhang, for being my tuition guys and supporting me anytime anywhere throughout my art journey.

Website: https://www.jinggezhang.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gingerzjgstudio/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingge-zhang/

Other: Instagram: @gingerzjgstudio (https://www.instagram.com/gingerzjgstudio/)

Image Credits
Image credits: Jingge Zhang, Ethan Li, Sen-Sen Chiu.