Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, Selfie, 2024, ink-jet print mounted on wood, dimensions variable. From the series “The vehicle is outward… (interior appearance), PORT CITIES BLUES 211/7.02 version,” 2014—.
“A TRANQUIL SEASCAPE belies an impalpable portent. The boundary where the ocean meets the sand runs at a semi-parallel angle with the horizon, dividing the photographic space into three atmospheric layers. Standing at the liminal point between these layers is a lonesome figure, his hand holding a camera or a phone, absorbed in his attempt to capture the quiet scenery, or a selfie. A tense note of alarm momentarily sounds, as the solemn waves—watery mouths gaping and gargling—appear to rise behind the man, threatening to crash down and swallow him whole. Dotted along the horizon are minuscule shapes of oil rigs, hinting at impending excavations that potentially stir a ripple from the deep—yet another subaqueous threat.
These creeping moments in Kornkrit Jianpinidnan’s arcadian chronotope, titled In Front of the Camera, 2024, illuminated photography’s power to fabricate alternative realities. With a practice that spans experimental and commercial photography, Jianpinidnan is known for his lens-based method of capturing unsettling elements that imbue the photograph with mythmaking potential. […]”
Artwork photo provided by the artist.
Read the full review at Artforum.
