GREY KILLED DIGITAL - Jai Tanju
GREY KILLED DIGITAL
JAI TANJU
19,8x 25 cm, 20pages, 200gr and 120gr paper, color laser printer, postcard
A La Maison Printing 2021, Paris
Renowned in the worldwide photography and skate communities as one of the initiators of, and driving forces behind the « PRINT EXCHANGE » program involving an ever-growing network of creatives relying on the physical mail system, Jai Tanju - photographer, zine maker, gallerist, editor, magazine contributor - is now releasing « GREY KILLED DIGITAL », quite the emblematic crystallization of his general approach and contribution to the culture thus far.
Imagery indeed includes many references to Jai's trademark consideration of the tangible, be that under the form of evident photographic film behavior manipulation with its consequential impact on the display, or the postcard format, anchoring given frames onto a moving dimension of material and spatial purposes - plus directly consisting in more potential fuel for print exchange.
Trace of skateboarding action also echoes this tendency with visuals of humans directly interacting with and against rigid environments, all the while inviting the viewer within their own liminal spaces and, paradoxically, remaining mostly ignored by mainstream skate media.
Text by Aymeric Nocus
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I think the year was 2003ish? I was living in the basement of a legendary #TiltMode / #Enjoi skate house here in San Jose called "The Mansion". The entrance to my apartment was through the communal laundry room which I would turn into my darkroom at night. This didn't stop my roommates, all eleven of them from doing laundry while I was printing, so often someone would come in & turn on the lights despite the sign saying I was printing... One time, someone came in & turned on the lights but quickly noticed me and turned them off when I was somewhere in between the developer & the fixer - I decided to keep going...
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"My only conclusion is that shit happens! Sometimes the lights go on and all you can do is learn from it & get creative."
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(all the shipments are made with a tracking number)
