Representation “Matters” Art, Evidence, and telling the story of Tyrus wong
Drawing from her just published new book, Background Artist: The Life and Work of Tyrus Wong, film scholar and biographer Karen Fang discusses how a Chinese immigrant artist, centenarian, and Disney Legend defied the challenges of Asian American history. Tyrus Wong arrived in the U.S. during Chinese Exclusion, and watched the careers of many friends and peers suffer due to Japanese internment. Despite these circumstances, Wong left an indelible mark on American visual culture. From Bambi, Warner Bros., and bestselling Christmas cards, Wong’s artwork is both an unmistakable contribution to American heritage, offering a fascinating reexamination of Asian American history. Karen Fang is a film scholar and cultural critic who writes about the intersection of eastern and western aesthetics in global culture.