PRUFROCK'S IMAGES exhibition opening at Zhaoqing University (Zhaoqing, China) (March 15 - 23, 2007). This joint exhibition is a culmination of students at Zhaoqing University (Zhaoqing, China) and Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.A.) working simultaneously to visualize various lines from T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock".

Students view the images: top row - digital art works by Zhaoqing University students; and bottom row - digital art works by Wake Forest University students.

Students view the images: top row - digital art works by Zhaoqing University students; and bottom row - digital art works by Wake Forest University students.

Xu Zhen Hui, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office at Zhaoqing University reads the descriptive text about the exhibition.

Students view the images: top row - digital art works by Zhaoqing University students; and bottom row - digital art works by Wake Forest University students.

Students view the digital art works by Zhaoqing University students: bottom and top rows.

Students view the images: top row - digital art works by Zhaoqing University students; and bottom row - digital art works by Wake Forest University students.

Li Wen Wen [second from left] and Liang Ying Ying [second from right] talk with their classmates. Both of these third-year students have two art works each in the exhibition. Digital art works by Zhaoqing University students [top row] and Wake Forest University students [bottom row] are seen in the background.

Students view the images: top row - digital art works by Zhaoqing University students; and bottom row - digital art works by Wake Forest University students.

Students view the images: top row - digital art works by Zhaoqing University students; and bottom row - digital art works by Wake Forest University students.

One of the school leaders reads the descriptive text about the exhibition as Xu Zhen Hui, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office looks on. Digital art works by Zhaoqing University students [top row] and Wake Forest University students [bottom row] are seen to the left.

American and Japanese exchange students view Liang Ying Ying's art works as she [right] talks about her concepts.

Students view the images: top row - digital art works by Zhaoqing University students; and bottom row - digital art works by Wake Forest University students.

Group photo of some of the participating students. Mr. He, President of Zhaoqing University is seen center with Tom R. Chambers, Visiting Lecturer to his right and Mr. Lu, Dean of Fine Arts to his left.
This project is a collaboration between students in China and America under the instruction of Tom R. Chambers at Zhaoqing University (Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, China) and Jennifer Burg at Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.A.).

This poem (composed February 1910 - July 1911) is in the book "Prufrock and Other Observations" published by T. S. Eliot in 1917, which marked the start of his career as arguably the twentieth century's most influential poet. "Prufrock" is still one of the dozen most famous 20th century poems in English.

The poem itself tells the inner feelings of a man in love who realises that his aspirations and his outlook on life are much deeper than those of the rest of the people. He feels the need to stir those around him, to make them conscious of the seriousness of life and of their frivolity, but at the same time he fears being rejected and mocked. Another thematic element is the subject of aging: the speaker contemplates his wearied heart (the mornings and afternoons he has known), the repetitions inherent in life causing his physical deterioration (a bald spot, weak teeth making him fear food), and the consuming idea of an impending death [www.prufrock.com].

The students at Zhaoqing University used a translated version of the poem in Chinese. As both groups of students acquire and enhance their digital media skills, which is pertinent in a vocational sense, they'll also become more aware in an interpretative/aesthetic sense. The latter is more important, perhaps, in terms of laying a foundation for critical thought and evaluation. By going through an exercise such as this visual interpretation of the poem requires the students to be more cognizant of "life", "the forces of nature", "the Cosmos", "inner-self", "human nature/emotions", etc. So, they're learning about themselves through the aforementioned.

Tom R. Chambers
Visiting Lecturer, Digital/New Media Art
Fine Arts Department
Zhaoqing University
Zhaoqing, China