Artwork Appreciation
HSU Ru-Fei’s work Years I, II is a continuation of The Time in Between Episode I, II, and III, and presents a dual-channel video. The video shows a tailor busy taking measurements, marking lines, cutting, and weaving a piece of work while describing his experiences in learning the trade and personal concerns about the industry relocating overseas. The other channel of the work is a black-and-white video that captures the sounds of a busy sewing plant that include working machinery and hand tailoring, producing a video and sound combination that immerses the audience in the working environment of the sewing industry. HSU Ru-Fei uses the language of video-making to convey the changing times, personal expectations, and actual reality faced by the tailor, outlining the memories and landscapes of Taiwan’s sewing industry.