Meet Presley Yang

We had the good fortune of connecting with Presley Yang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Presley, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Choosing an artistic career was rooted in my childhood. I was born in Taiwan. Since I can remember, I have been passionate about drawing. In my everyday life, I used various colors to express my feelings and drew everything around me. Drawing was an easier way for me to express myself than talking. When I was 12, I attended an art class in junior high school for professional art training, and at the age of 15, I was accepted into the best art class in high school in southern Taiwan. However, I gradually felt restrained and lost the excitement of drawing due to the rigid painting standards in the art class. I began searching for new ways to express myself freely. One day, I found an old Canon AE-1 film camera in my dad’s closet and bought two rolls of film. I started taking photos of whatever I saw. The experience of capturing photos brought back memories of how I used to draw as a child. There were no set standards; I simply photographed what I saw and felt. At the same time, I found analog photography more intriguing than digital photography, as I was drawn to the physicality of images produced in an analog way. To further explore analog photography, I enrolled in the Photo and Media program at the California Institute of the Arts. During my undergraduate studies, I learned how to develop films and print photographs in the darkroom. I was fascinated by the hands-on approach and how I could be deeply involved in every printing stage. This tactile aspect of creating images provided a greater sense of control and a stronger attachment to my work. Therefore, taking photographs always makes me feel more deeply connected with my inner self than other forms of media, and that’s the reason why I pursue it as my career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work primarily focuses on natural landscapes such as coastlines, forests, rivers, and meadows. Rather than simply documenting these landscapes, I aim to reflect my inner self through photography. I prefer to use 35mm black and white film to capture my subjects and enjoy experimenting with various darkroom processing techniques, such as liquid emulsion, cyanotypes, and plant-based developers, to explore the intersection of image and material. Engaging with every step of the photo processing is crucial to me. Nevertheless, working with alternative processes brings significant challenges, especially when it comes to liquid emulsion. Each coating process has to be done under safe light, which makes it very hard to achieve an even coat on the paper. There’s no shortcut to overcoming these obstacles; it is all about learning from failure and persistent practice. During the initial two months of my thesis project, I encountered many setbacks and felt frustrated as my show was fast approaching, yet I had no satisfactory work to display. There was a fleeting moment when I considered giving up and opting for an easier path. However, I was determined not to give in to despair as I didn’t want regrets for my upcoming show. Eventually, the countless failures and practices led to visible progress. Ultimately, I completed all the prints needed for the show, and at that moment I felt a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

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?
If my friends are visiting LA, I would definitely take them to Pasadena City College Flea Market and Rose Bowel Flea Market. I always find exploring flea markets truly fascinating. Every visit feels like embarking on an adventure where I never quite know what I’ll find, but I always end up discovering some very unique handcrafted treasures. I would also take my friends to the Huntington Garden which is located in Pasadena as well. Unlike the hustle and bustle of downtown LA, the Huntington Garden offers a peaceful escape to

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 express my gratitude to my family, who always give me care and support, especially my mom. She always encourages me to step out of my comfort zone and experience new things.I also wish to extend my deepest appreciation to my partner, who consistently inspires me, comprehends me, and stands by me. Additionally, I would like to thank the instructors I met at CalArts for imparting their invaluable knowledge of art and photography, and for their insightful critiques and suggestions.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/py_yang11/ 

Image Credits
Personal photo photographed by Yuang Li