Play It Again Sam

Jonathan Tse is a Brisbane based artist and printmaker, who specialises in screen printing, monotype, etching, and artist’s books. Since 1993, he has served as an adjunct lecturer, demonstrator, and technical officer in the Printmaking Department at the Queensland College of Art. His artistic endeavours have garnered recognition through exhibitions held locally, nationally, and internationally, including prestigious events like the 30th Anniversary Shell Fremantle Print Award and the exhibition "National Treasures from Australia's Great Libraries," curated by the Council of Australian State Libraries.

In 2009, Jonathan was among the select few artists invited to contribute to public art installations for the redevelopment of Brisbane's Chinatown Mall. His creations grace numerous public and private collections, notably including the National Gallery of Australia and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Jonathan's personal journey began when his family immigrated to Australia from Hong Kong when he was six years old. This pivotal moment in his life spurred a deep connection to his roots, leading him to collect childhood memorabilia over the past two decades as a means of bridging the gap between past and present. His artistic focus revolves around the immigrant experience, utilizing elements from his personal archive such as postcards and photographs to evoke a profound sense of nostalgia.

Delving into the realm of nostalgia, Jonathan finds parallels between old tin toys and the art of printmaking: both involve graphic imagery transferred onto flat surfaces, eventually taking on tangible forms. These childhood relics have always fuelled his imagination.

Interestingly, Jonathan's exploration of childhood memorabilia mirrors a trend among Hong Kong artists during the 1990s, a period marked by political transitions in the city. This era saw the emergence of installation art as a response to the lack of exhibition space and institutional support for emerging artists. Artists, including Jonathan, embraced the practice of assembling and repurposing everyday objects and childhood mementos. For Jonathan, this artistic journey has become a means of integrating his Asian heritage and language into broader cultural dialogues, fostering critical discourse on matters of identity, society, and politics through diverse mediums like printmaking, sculpture, and paper-making.

Play it Again Sam is inspired by a toy from the artist's personal collection. Following the Second World War, the Allied forces overseeing Germany's reconstruction encouraged the revival of industries. Toys manufactured in the American sector of Bavaria until the 1950s bore the label 'Made in the U.S. zone'. Jonathan Tse's pieces offer a fresh perspective on these historical toys, infusing them with a political commentary and subtle wit. They serve as a reflection on contemporary conflicts, notably the War in Iraq, intertwining past and present narratives with thought-provoking irony.