Since the birth of Superman in the 1930s, Superheroes have dominated pop culture with at least one unifying characteristic: unprecedented physical prowess. Young Sun Han’s recent portraits are infused with a kind of Science Fantasy that undermines the nature of the typical Superhero. Both idolizing and demeaning the Asian male form, they combine Science Fiction with erotic fantasy to make a poignant statement about racial-sexual stereotypes. The title, invAsian!, identifies strongly with the opinion of a small number of people that find multiculturalism invasive, an issue particularly current in New Zealand, which has experienced a recent influx of Asian immigrants. The symbolism used in Han’s light box work, Signal, is more sinister in its reference to biohazards and is indicative of a minority, but vicious xenophobic opinion, and the use of rainbow colouration suggests that the invasion may not only refer to cultural diversity, but also to sexual difference. Elevated in a background of the starry universe, the seven characters of invAsian! appear Superhuman, despite lacking the physical stature of your typical Superhero. Han’s models are all young Asian men who pose in their underwear, evidently comfortable with their exposure. They may not wear the anticipated spandex cat suit, but their jocks are nonetheless tight, and their poses are certainly sexualized, making them potential homoerotic pinups. Gloriously objectified, they are poised in a manipulated starscape among swirling constellations of colour. The frequent use of the colour purple is ironically, both celebratory and condemning of the dignity they exhibit. While a flamboyant colour recognized in the greater community as an icon of gay pride, it also symbolises in Christian symbolism, one of the most serious of the deadly sins: pride. The duality elucidates the kinds of differences in opinion within a community that may leave some feeling invaded by another. Their poses are, nonetheless, far from subservient; they could, almost, be snipped straight from a Hanes catalogue, but the characters’ faces are overtly unnatural and hint at something more ominous in the air. As though they are animals caught in car headlights, their eyes are washed over by an emission of glaring light. This glare of light or eye shine is a phenomenon commonly seen in nocturnal animals in which light is intensely reflected onto the retina, making it difficult to photograph wild species in their natural state. Emitting a supernatural glow, the figures appear hollow, and their individual identity is abandoned in this transition. Each becomes a token representation of the gay Asian male, and in this instance, their objectification is comparable to subjects of zoological research rather than erotic objects. Reinforcing the suggestion that they are an exotic species, like aliens, they inhabit outer space, and it’s hard not to examine them as such. Foreign species often have a damaging effect on the ecosystem to which they are introduced. By implication, these men may pose a threat to the existing population. From another perspective, these men are very different. While they may appear to represent a cultural-sexual minority, their physical presence is largely dominating, and the grand scale of the works suggests they are not objectified at all, but rather idolized. Their eye shine may be a stronger icon of power, than it is submission. The Sci-Fi background on the one hand portrays these men as alien, but it also elevates them into heroic inhabitants of the greater universe. Due to the exaggerated eye shine, the gazes of Han’s figures are impenetrable and confronting. One cannot make eye contact with these men, but they, powerfully and invasively are able to gaze at us. Whether idolized as Superheroes or demeaned through comparison to animals, the real nature of Han’s subjects is unclear, but they reveal that a difference of perspective is the key to understanding issues surrounding racial and sexual stereotypes – and perhaps, those that may feel invaded by either, ought to adjust their perspective. Anna Jackson |