Sunset, 2021
Sunset, 2021
Oil on canvas
31 x 31 cm (12 x 12 in)
Sunset (2021) depicts a view near Tan Mu’s studio, based on a photograph she took overlooking the East River in downtown Manhattan. The painting captures a fleeting moment when the city transitions from day to night, as natural light recedes and artificial illumination begins to emerge. The warm glow along the horizon is echoed by the small lights on the interior wall, creating a visual dialogue between the exterior landscape and the built environment.
This interplay between sunset and urban illumination reflects Tan Mu’s ongoing interest in how natural phenomena intersect with technological and architectural systems. The distant city lights across the river function not only as markers of place but also as signals of human presence and activity, subtly transforming the landscape into a network of information and energy. By framing the scene from an interior perspective, Sunset situates the viewer at the threshold between inside and outside, observation and participation. The work becomes a quiet meditation on time, transition, and perception, capturing a moment when nature and the city briefly coexist in balance before night fully takes over.
Q: Sunset presents a quiet, contemplative moment. What drew you to this particular scene?
Tan Mu: This painting is based on a photograph I took near my studio, overlooking the East River in downtown Manhattan. I was drawn to the moment because it captures a transition rather than a fixed state. Sunset is a threshold between day and night, when natural light begins to fade and artificial light gradually takes over. That shift resonated with my ongoing interest in time, perception, and transformation. It is a moment that feels ordinary and familiar, yet it contains a subtle tension between stillness and change.
Q: The painting emphasizes the interaction between natural light and urban illumination. What does this relationship represent for you?
Tan Mu: The dialogue between natural and artificial light is central to this work. The glow of the sunset on the horizon is echoed by the small lights on the wall and the distant city lights across the river. This mirroring creates a connection between the interior space and the exterior landscape. For me, urban lights function like signals, marking human presence and activity within the environment. They transform the city into a network of energy and information, gradually replacing natural rhythms with technological ones. This coexistence reflects how contemporary life unfolds between nature and constructed systems.
Q: How does Sunset relate to your broader practice, which often addresses technology and systems of transmission?
Tan Mu: Although Sunset appears quieter and more intimate than some of my other works, it shares the same underlying concerns. The distant lights across the river resemble points of data or signals, similar to the visual language I use in works about networks and information systems. By framing the scene from an interior perspective, the painting places the viewer at a boundary between observation and participation, inside and outside. In this way, Sunset continues my exploration of how we perceive the world through mediated spaces and how moments of transition reveal the invisible structures shaping everyday life.