简介：NotallofTan'srecentworkmaybecharacterizedasportraiture.Island(2008)isa12-minuteblack-and-whitevideothatsurveysthedistinctiveterrainofGotland,anislandofftheeasterncoastofSweden.ProjectedonalargewallinVancouver,Islandusesprolongedstaticshotstoimmersetheviewerinanausterelandscape.Utterlyflatwindsweptmeadowsextendtolowhorizons,orsometimesmeetasilverybandofsea.Bentandgnarledpinetreesgrowinstarkisolation.Insomeshotsadistantlighthouseisvisible,butnopeopleareeverseen.Meanwhile,aman'svoicedescribesafemalevisitortotheisland,someonewho"didnotcomehereallthatlongago,butalreadyhaslosttrackoftime."TheserenityofIslandisdisruptedaftereightminutes,whenthecamerasuddenlybeginstomove.Asitrushesacrossagrassyfield,aimlesslyswervingthiswayandthat,asubjectiveexperienceofthelandscapeemerges,oneseeminglyfueledbyrestlessanxiety.Thenarratorconfirmsasmuch,describingadespairthatafflictsthewoman:"Thisplacecannotcontainherunease.Ifshewalksfastenough,perhapsshecanovertakeherself." AmongtheworksshowninVancouver,Islandmayseemanomalous.ItsexplorationofabarrenlandscapeclearlydepartsfromTan'stypicalfocusontherealorimaginedbehaviorsofspecificindividuals.NearlyallofTan'sfilmsandvideoinstallationsconcernasearchforidentity.Hercharactersareoftenengagedinsuchaquest,andherstrategicdeploymentofstillandmovingimagestendstoelicitasimilarinvestigationfromherviewers,whoaregenerallyinclinedtoconcedethatidentityofteneludesrepresentation.SurelythecrisisthatliesattheheartofIslandspeakstothistheme,withitsunseenprotagonistwhobecomesprofoundlyuncomfortableinhercircumscribedenvironmentandseeksanescapefromitslimitations.Andalthoughtheymayengenderanguishandconfusion,suchcrisesareembracedinmuchofTan'sworkaspositivesymptomsofamutableselfengagedincontinualevolutionandadaptation.Indeed,intheclosingminutesofIsland,thecamerastopsmovingandameasuredassessmentofthelandscapereturns.Amidthiscalm,thenarratordescribesachangeinthewoman."Nowtheairfeelscooler,"hestates."Shethinksthatperhapsthisplaceisbecomingherhome."…