Graceland, Tennessee

Tseng Kwong Chi

1950–1990

Graceland, Tennessee, 1979

Where object was made: Graceland, Tennessee, United States

Material/technique: gelatin silver print

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 91.5 x 91.5 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 36 1/2 x 36 1/2 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 37 1/2 x 37 1/4 x 1 1/2 in
Weight (Weight): 16 lbs

Credit line: Museum purchase: Helen Foresman Spencer Art Acquisition Fund

Accession number: 1999.0147

Not on display

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Label texts

Brosseau Center for Learning: In Conversation with the 2018–19 KU Common Book

In East Meets West, Tseng Kwong Chi photographed himself standing in front of well-known monuments of the western world. Although he never set foot in mainland China, he always appeared in the photographs wearing a Chairman Mao worker’s suit, perpetuating the idea of “East” meeting “West.” Tseng wears an identification card bearing the title of “Art Alien,” suggesting not only that he is out of place but also that he is interchangeable with any other non-citizen.

Exhibition Label: "Contemporary Photographs: Rethinking the Genres," Oct-2000, Rachel Epp Buller Beginning in 1979 and continuing throughout the following decade, Tseng Kwong Chi created a photographic series titled East Meets West. In each work, Tseng photographed himself standing in front of a well-known monument of the western world such as the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building. Although Tseng never set foot in mainland China, he always appeared in the photographs wearing a Chairman Mao worker’s suit, perpetuating the idea of East meeting West. Graceland, Tennessee, from the East Meets West series, stands on the border between landscape and portraiture. While the series is devoted to capturing European and U.S. landmarks, Tseng remains the constant in each photograph. He manipulates the notion of self-portraiture, however, by sporting a worker’s suit and sunglasses, both of which lend a sense of anonymity. Tseng’s identification card bears not his own name but the title of “Art Alien,” suggesting not only that he is out of place but also that he is interchangeable with any other anonymous alien.