Chinese-American artist Andrew Thomas Huang debuts new film ‘Fire Cock’ and talks personal and political art and his forthcoming collaborations with Kelela and Björk
Watching Andrew Thomas Huang’s videos gives you goosebumps. Whether it’s an alien organism slowly creeping over a human body in his own work or the otherworldly dreamscapes he creates to accompany Björk’s music, Huang’s highly-textured visuals feel like something you can almost hold in your hands. That tangible quality is what makes Huang such an interesting artist, able to merge technology and art in a way that takes viewers into a world that feels almost physically of his own making.
Perhaps best known for his VR work and directing music videos for names like Björk, Thom Yorke, and Sigur Ros, Huang has now collaborated with Eternal Dragonz – the Asian underground art collective celebrating ‘AZN pride’ – on a small, far more intimate concept piece. Titled Fire Cock (a reference to this year being that of the fire rooster as well as a tongue-in-cheek nod to Huang’s own queerness), the video is soundtracked by London-based producer Organ Tapes’ “XI BA LAN (稀巴烂)”. A coming together of creatives from the Asian diaspora, Fire Cock is also a diary entry of sorts – an address of concepts at the core of this artist’s own identity: heritage, sexuality and the current global political situation. “This is the first time I've ever directly addressed those elements in my work,” Huang explains. “The older I get, the more I’m interested in that murder mystery of who the hell my ancestors are and stuff like that.”
We spoke with Huang from his home in LA to go a little deeper into his creative process and find out what inspired him to take off his director’s hat and create this deeply personal video piece.
This piece of work feels very autobiographical. What was it inspired by?
Andrew Thomas Huang: I’ve always avoided doing work about being Chinese-American, in the same way I’ve avoided making any gay films. I’m always a bit afraid of making something marginalised and budgetarily shrivelled. Working with Björk on Vulnicura was really informative for a ton of reasons. One being that I admire how she uses her personal autobiography – she’s so fearless in making work that’s essentially a self-portrait, but she’s heightening it and making it transpersonal and archetypal. That’s what makes her such a powerhouse. Up until now I haven’t done it so directly. I think that comes from some immigrant shame, but also because my family fled China when they were literally obliterating their history and their culture and heritage, so what is there to look back on? But, obviously, there’s a lot. I shot the footage for this video on my phone of my relatives playing Mahjong less than a month after Trump was inaugurated. Everybody has been so shell-shocked and I was thinking about how my relatives escaped a situation that began with the same ingredients: populism and anti-intellectualism.
Can you explain what we’re seeing in the video?
Andrew Thomas Huang: It’s a collage of three elements: footage of my relatives playing Mahjong, the Facebook live feed, and a scan of this deity, Guan Yu, the Chinese God of War. When I was growing up, my family owned a restaurant and they had this porcelain statue of Guan Yu in the office. I would always hang out in this greasy back room looking at it. I literally made this footage of my relatives swirling these Mahjong blocks in this really witchy way and conjuring up the God of War. I’m not saying it’s a call to action for war – Guan Yu is a peaceful god, and he’s meant to be benevolent and protective, but he’s holding a weapon at the same time. As much as I hope for a better future for our generation, that means fighting for it and being vocal. It’s going to be messy. That’s why I like Tim (Organ Tapes)’s music. There’s something melancholic about it, but he uses some really aggressive beats – his music was perfect.
“Not to get too hippy, but I do believe that what you put out there in the digital ephemera is casting a little spell. That’s why even with a sketch like this you’re casting a message in a bottle out into the world” – Andrew Thomas Huang
And the Facebook Live feed?
Andrew Thomas Huang: Facebook Live feeds are fascinating. I love seeing those emojis, but I find them a bit depressing because you’re watching something horrible go down live somewhere across the world and all you can do is make a sad face? It’s a bit disquieting. Mimicking that Facebook live format speaks to the immediacy of the way I captured that moment, but also the immediacy of what’s unfolding in front of us. It’s horrifying and anxiety-inducing but it’s also empowering to see our friends rally. That’s why I switched out the sad and happy faces with objects of violence and peace at the same time
Do you feel a responsibility to make a statement with your work?
Andrew Thomas Huang: What responsibility do we have? The answer is we have an immense responsibility. I think this is the first overtly political work I’ve made. The minute Trump was elected, and even leading up to the election, me and all my artist friends were constantly talking and sharing stuff on Facebook like, ‘What the hell are we doing? Is it even worth it anymore?’ I was talking recently with one of the directors from Encyclopedia Pictura about the fact that part of the escapist tendency of fantasy is dissatisfaction and a jaded cynicism with the way things are. You can use that to call out things you think aren’t cool and where you think society should be headed. All the best Miyazaki movies are about that. Not to get too hippy, but I do believe that what you put out there in the digital ephemera is casting a little spell. That’s why even with a sketch like this you’re casting a message in a bottle out into the world.
How did Eternal Dragonz and Organ Tapes get involved in this project?
Andrew Thomas Huang: As I filmed that footage I was trying to figure out what I could do with this piece to make it contemporary. That’s when I found Jason Wong at Eternal Dragonz. I loved the fact he was working with young musicians like Organ Tapes, V Kim, and v1984. You’ve got these Asian kids who are making super contemporary records, but we’re all connected by this same experience of growing up in a western context and having parents who fled persecution in one way or another. It made sense to marry the footage with something that Organ Tapes composed, as he’s half Chinese.
How important is it to have a connected Asian diaspora?
Andrew Thomas Huang: It’s really important. It’s important to have organisations like Eternal Dragonz, especially in the world of arts. It’s cool to see them reaching out to other people in the Asian community because it rallies us as a voice alongside our black friends, our LGBTQ friends… The idea of Asian pride was thrown around when I was at high school and it was kind of a ‘lol’ term amongst me and my friends, but at the same time it was taken very seriously by some people. I think now it’s important to recognise that term as a doorway to solidarity with other people of colour in the United States who are fighting for their right to exist happily.
“I’m shooting something with Björk in just a few weeks. I can’t say much but I can say her next album is very much about questioning what utopia is, what paradise is and knowing that’s an idealistic concept” – Andrew Thomas Huang
How do you choose the artists you work with?
Andrew Thomas Huang: When I first started directing I didn’t have anything to my name, so I was kind of a chameleon. After I made Solipsist in 2012, what my work was about became clearer. It’s about fantasy and world-building, and I gravitate towards artists I can partner with on that. Also, the unconscious political message is important. I can’t just work with someone who isn’t trying to make you a bit uncomfortable or who isn’t progressive. I’m really excited about labels like NON and Fade to Mind and artists like Chino Amobi and Nkisi – they’re organising through their music and making a political message. Rallying behind them and supporting them is one of the only ways I know how to be an activist.
How do you keep your work accessible?
Andrew Thomas Huang: I think a lot about craft. There’s a lot of computer-generated imagery which is ‘hip’ – it’s hip to make crude, sloppy, lo-fi stuff. There’s nothing wrong with it, but sometimes it becomes trendy. People respond to work that’s been given a lot of tender love and care – something really well made. Feeling that in any work, whether it’s music or a product, that’s you telling someone ‘I care about this thing I’m delivering to you.’ Björk does that really well; she’s not this obscure polymath. It’s important now more than ever to speak to people.
What do you have coming up?
Andrew Thomas Huang: I’m making my own motion capture piece, which I’m hoping to release soon. I’ve also been talking to Kelela for a long time and trying to get a video piece off the ground. I really want to make a big fantasy epic movie for myself, which is really queer and personal. I feel very possessive about that. I’m shooting something with Björk in just a few weeks. I can’t say much but I can say her next album is very much about questioning what utopia is, what paradise is and knowing that’s an idealistic concept. I’m not speaking for her but that’s where my head’s at.