Diversity

of the relationship between humankind and nature inspired by the beauty, fragility and power of Banff National Park-my home from 1987 to 1990 and the hometown of cellist Shauna Rolston, who commissioned the work. My most recent work is called Le Matin du Monde (The Morning of the World). It is a 28 min 'sound film' inspired by the philosophy of sound ecology of R. Murray Schafer and the World Soundscape Project in Vancouver , that is: respect for the ear and the natural voice, awareness of the symbolism of sounds, knowledge of the rhythms and tempi of soundscapes , fresh hearing (with clarity), soundwalking to discover our sonic environment. DIVERSITY Fig. 4. Valerie Soe, Diversity, video installation, the lAB Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 1990. This three-channel video installation points out the complexity ofAsian culture. Valerie Soe, 27 Winfield St., San Francisco , CA 94110, U.S.A. Diversity (1990) (Fig. 4) is a threechannel video installation that features footage of Chan Cheong-Toon, regularly seen at a traffic island at the corner of Broadway and Columbus in San Francisco's North Beach section, singing furiously in Chinese to whoever cares to listen. Through interviews with Chan, as well as with his many observers, the piece addresses the projection of individual desire onto single subject as each interviewee offers his or her interpretation of Chan's intentions. In addition, by focusing on this unusual personality, the piece explodes the myth of the model minority, contradicting the fallacy that Asians are quiet, well-behaved and aligned with social conventions. 220 Words On Works The installation consists of three separate channels of video played simultaneously on individual monitors arranged in a triangular configuration with screens facing inward. The viewer, positioned at the center of the piece, chooses to view one or two monitors at once, although sound from all three is audible at all times. In this way the viewer sequences and selects the configuration of the piece, choosing the order in which the images and narrative unfold . This three-fold arrangement reflects the many aspects of the singing Chan, the focus of the piece-as he sees himself, as others see him, and as he objectively appears-suggesting the variety of perceptions and personalities found in a single individual. Also included in the installation are a number of names on the gallery wall of various Asian Americans who in one way or another have distinguished themselves. Although several are notable for outstanding achievements , such as author Wakako Yamaguchi and singer Pat Suzuki, others, such as convicted felons Joe Fong and Wendy Yoshimura, are known for more notorious actions. This points out the complexity of Asian-American culture, emphasizing again the diversity of a community too often stereotyped as one-dimensional. Diversity has been exhibited at the lAB Gallery, San Francisco, the San Francisco Art Institute McBean Gallery , and the Woman's Building in Los Angeles. It will be on exhibit at SUSHI Gallery in San Diego in April 1992. ...