The series Proxemics in China examines the need to re- evaluate and re-negotiate notions of space during long-term field work in China. As a middle-class Australian who grew up in the sprawled city of Perth, Talhy explores different perceptions of personal space, and the challenges faced when living in the world’s most populated country.
The work draws from American anthropologist Edward Hall (1966) who is renowned for developing ‘Proxemics’, the study of the subjective dimensions that surround each person and the physical distances they try to keep from other people according to subtle cultural and social rules. Through photographic visual inquiry, Talhy’s research contributes to an understanding of how these spaces vary cross-culturally and between social classes.
The work was selected to be part of the Locations exhibition held at Spectrum Gallery in Perth, Western Australia. The exhibition sought to explore the course and methods artists use to arrive at the selection and photographic rendering of specific locations.