My triptych is titled Red Reflection. My intent before going to 798 was to capture the relationship between color and culture. When I arrived at 798 and started taking photos, I noticed other meanings of red.

The first photo of my triptych is an alley with a plain red billboard. The billboard is outstanding in its environment, a deserted alley. When I saw the billboard, I was very intrigued by why it was there. I went into the alley, and all I found was a sign asking for rentals. The only thing “alive” in the alley was the red billboard. I hope this photograph can display a sign of prosperity and hope. In many scenarios, green often symbolizes growth and hope; however, in this photograph, I hope viewers can see that in life, red can symbolize hope and green can symbolize oblivion.

The second photo of my triptych is a traditional Chinese knot hanging on a window. In this photo, I successfully found cultural elements in color. The red Chinese knot is often hung up during the Chinese New Year, a holiday of reunion and celebration. The red knot brings jubilant memories of joy and warmth I experience every winter; the blue lines on the window well represent the cold weather. Not all viewers can resonate with my experience, which is unfortunate; however, I believe most viewers know that the knot in the image is a traditional Chinese knot.

The third photo of my triptych is a construction site. This photo is also my personal favorite. Unlike the other images, this photo does not have too much of a deep meaning connecting to my personal experiences. This image is my favorite because of the composition. The red lift in the center matches the helmet on the worker standing at the bottom right,  and the pile of construction material on the bottom left. Moreover, the lines of this photo work well together. The multiple layers of horizontal lines create a harmony in the slightly complex background, and creates contrast to the vertical bars in the very front. I hope to convey the message, working class that acts as a building block to modern society, through this image.

The three photos in my triptych all have different meanings behind it, hope, tradition and social class. The color red, my theme, ties them together,  creating a unique collection of imagery.