Loh Xiang Yun
Salad
Self-published, Singapore — 2018
Intrigued by human perception of nature, SALAD by Loh Xiang Yun presents a collection of 200 photographs that bring the various textures of a park to the fore. Steadily amassed from 24 parks over five years, Loh brings her passion as a scientific botanical illustrator into the tableaus she depicts, presenting a capsule of images guided by precision and an eye for detail. Emulating scientific fieldwork methods of collecting, ordering, and identification, each photograph is accompanied by a notation of its location and composition – twig, leaf, stone, netting, other. The book recalls a sample swatch in its presentation – a comprehensive catalogue of options, a buffet-style of offerings similar to that provided in the assembly of a salad. Through its thoughtfully organised pages, SALAD probes the idea of the natural vs. contrived environment, allowing viewers to look beneath the surface in contemplation of mankind’s relationship to nature.
