Remy Faint is motivated by the global histories of abstract painting. His modular assemblages respond creatively to their architectural settings. Faint often references objects and materials specific to his Chinese heritage such as the folding screen, a spatial tool and a cultural symbol. The earliest folding screens existed in the Han dynasty in ancient China, dating as early as the 4th century BCE. Faint uses the screen’s historical and cultural function as a barrier or divider alongside the acts of assembling, repurposing and combining various materials in his studio.
Between Traces, Beyond Screens is a modular installation that explores silk as a painting and sculptural medium. The work references the historical presence of silk throughout Asia in textile production and the arts. The screens are created from metal and wood offcuts from previous painting stretchers and layered with canvas, linen and paper. The silk components are treated with dry pigments and painted with spray guns and wide brushes. The varying levels of transparency highlight the nature of the structures as both rigid and permeable. Surrounded by silk and resin sculptures reminiscent of draped canvases, the installation mimics the spatial attributes of architectural spaces – particularly the white cube gallery environment.
