Meet Yan Jin | Artist

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

Hi Yan, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Most of the time I let my instincts leads me. I always remember one mentor said, if you have an idea, just carry it out, don’t ignore the ideas came to you and don’t give them up easily. I totally agree with this perspective. I enjoy taking on challenges and trying new things before coming to any conclusions. So, whenever I have an idea, my initial reaction is to give it a try! Definitely I’ll face many difficulties along the way, however I find joy in the process of analyzing and collecting information to overcome these obstacles.

This is especially true in creating my work. I start down a new path, face obstacles, try to solve them, and during that process, my idea gradually takes shape and becomes clearer. Rather than having a clear vision of what the final piece should look like from the beginning, it’s more like it comes together over time through experimentation and exploration. I wouldn’t have all that if I give up too early. That being said, the journey isn’t always easy. So, when do I call it quits? It’s when I stop having fun or lose my drive while executing. I tend to get easily bored, so if I find myself repeatedly asking why I’m doing it or losing sight of my original purpose, I’ll pause and rethink whether it’s worth pushing through.

I didn’t start out as an artist. I studied French in university, then worked in auditing for one of the Big Four accounting firms and later moved into corporate finance, for analysis and forecasting. While working at an international company, my boss introduced me to the CFO. Looking closely to their lifestyle, I realized that was not what I wanted. The company has business in North America, Europe, and Asia, so their work was often around the clock without set hours. Since then I started saving up for art school. I believe art is infinite and interconnected, which can’t be exhausted, just like the universe. That’s when I put my ideas into action and began my journey as an artist. It’s tough to stay committed to being an artist. I want my works to be displayed in galleries and museums, and I feel like I’m just getting started.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an interdisciplinary artist, I do photographs, video and multi-media installations. During my undergraduate, I went to France as an exchange student and spent a semester there. I lived with a friend who was very keen on photography at that point. She definitely had a certain influence on me. After I came back, I started shooting with a film camera, for a whole five or six years I shot with a Bronica sq-ai until it broke during a trip. In 2018, I started my MFA program at the School of Visual Arts, Photography, Video and Related Media department and received my master’s degree there and that was the start of my artist career.

To me, the process of making art is a constant dialogue with myself. The struggle is always about how to present part of yourself to the outside world and be ready for any critique you may receive. Many of my pieces are inspired by personal traumatic experiences so sometimes it’s just not easy to deal with them. However meanwhile, I don’t think an artist can lie to herself. My video essay Cremeschnitte explores the dialectical relationships among language, culture and geopolitics, how language is constructed and restructured by culture, as well as how cultural heritage transcends the border and constraints within ethnic or social groups. It’s based on a true story but I intentionally blur the line between fiction and documentary. Working on this video almost feels like a therapeutic process. I edited the first version then I stood back and took another look after leaving it untouched for several months. Exactly what I would do to process my emotions: to understand, to make sense of, and to accept.

My work keeps posing questions and challenging the notions we take for granted. I constantly redefine the found photo and found objects by various procedures including scanning, retouching, erasing, etc, blurring the gaps between presence and absence and bringing disparate binaries in dialogue with one another. I’m obsessed with working with found objects because they are so banal, boring, and usually don’t catch any attention. But I believe the aspects of things that are most important are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity. For me, I’d like to reveal that with my work and make people aware and think about them again. Besides, working with found objects allow me to imbed complex ideas in simple however unexpected visual presentations that literally stop the viewer in contemplation, also, to touch the untouchable concepts such as memory, loss, time and other ineffable qualities in life.

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?
We’d start by hitting up the Santa Monica Pier for some classic beach vibes, then grab a bite to eat at one of the food trucks at Grand Central Market. For a chill evening, we’d head to Griffith Observatory to catch a breathtaking sunset view of the city.

The next day, we’d hit up the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) for some art and architecture appreciation, and then grab a drink at a rooftop bar for an unbeatable night. To satisfy our foodie cravings, we’d head to K-Town for some Korean BBQ. On the last day, we’d go on a hike at Runyon Canyon, and then have brunch at in the open air.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This isn’t the Oscars ceremony but I do have a long list! First, I want to thank my graduate school department head Charles Traub. He really appreciates my work and always encourages me to combine my past experiences with my artwork. He has a great sense of humor and the nicest person you can ever meet, always patient and encouraging to his students. I also want to thank all my teachers at school, Lucas Blalock, Penelope Umbrico, Liz Deschenes, they are all inspiring artists as well as best mentors you can imagine. Jan Avgikos, Richard Leslie, whose classes introduced me to the field of art criticism and opened up new doors to art history and different art theories. Grahame Weinbren and Ben Hagari, amazing video artists and editors, who fully and openly gave me a lot of advice and help on video editing and video installation. Last but not least, all my friends! They give me strong support and care

Website: https://yanjin.art

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yanjin.art/

Image Credits
Red Repulse Exhibition Photo Credit to Adam Cable Lost Exhibition Photo Credit to Floor_ Gallery Hospitable Utopia Film Festival Photo Credit to VideoPark Film Festival