Page 221 - 亚洲二十世纪及当代艺术

of art, portraying his most magical artistic charm using seemingly the Beijing municipal
decayed expressions. regulations prohibiting
In the Smoke of Mortal World, there Lies an Alternative smoking in public
Realm places enacted at
The No Smoking Series Opens the Scene the end of 1995, as
an ar tist who has
The presented work, No Smoking Series: I like Smoking (Lot 53), been smoking for
was completed in 1995, a significant year in Liu Wei’s artistic m any y e ar s , t h e
career. That year, with his Do You Like Meat? series, he was
exhibited in the central position of the main exhibition hall at protagonist in the
painting becomes his
the 46th Venice Biennale, making him an instant sensation in own reflection, and
the international art scene. At the same time, he focused on these slogans reflect
the diverse transformation of his own artistic language. After his reflection and
moving to Songzhuang town in Beijing and moving away from his questioning of the
successful early Revolutionary Family series, he began to break
the boundaries of traditional “aesthetic comfort points” with a standardization of the
decadent expression, depicting a blurred body associated with real society.
desire, emotion, behaviour, and personality, metaphorically In this landscape
representing the philosophy of the “Id.” He returns a hint of poetic mixed with romance
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of human nature. It is during this important turning point that depicts his innermost ߒ 1798 ϋЪdࡐ౱਷࢕ߕஔ᎜ᔛ
his iconic No Smoking series was born, and the presented No r e a l i t y . T h e dim
Smoking Series: I like Smoking is an important representative fluorescence in the dark night is like Francisco José de Goya y
of this series. Different from the later stage of the series that Lucientes’ The Devil’s Lamp, under the pen of the Spanish artist,
primarily depicted figures smoking, this work creatively combines using the flicker of a lamp to determine one’s own life and death.
the text “Smoking” with the skull symbol, placing the flesh- However, within Liu Wei’s intense writing, seemingly casual
coloured figure in an expressive landscape. It presents the beauty but sincere words can be seen, each containing a confused yet
of dissolution between the flesh, dispersed in a haze of smoke soulful cry. He powerfully expresses his mockery of the noisy
and fog, a beauty that is as splendid as a peach blossom amidst and flashy external world while also dissecting his own body,
rot. rethinking, starting over, and moving towards the future with
The Continuous Writing of Body and Soul a naked flesh. Life and death, body and soul, humanity and
nature intertwine in the picture, with colours and ink, words and
On the selected gold-flecked paper, Liu Wei uses multiple
mediums and dynamic brush strokes to create a misty and patterns, carried on the gold-flecked paper from ancient times,
connecting fundamental contemplation and care for the essence
magical place, with gold dust swirling in the air, pulling viewers of existence. The brilliance in decay, the lustre born from being
into the mysterious atmosphere. The hazy purple colours pushed to the brink of death, under Liu Wei’s skilful brush, forms
gradually blend like mist, and in the distant sky, layers of an unforgettable artistic landscape.
delicate ink strokes create the swaying shadows of trees. As the
brushstrokes intertwine, the faint night glow from the depths of To Break and Establish, the Embodiment of the Spirit
the jungle gradually spreads, illuminating the bright red flesh at Liu Wei’s Recreation of Van Gogh’s Painting
the centre of the painting like a flickering flame burning in the Liu Wei’s creative focus has been on portraiture since graduating
bushes, revealing an everlasting vitality. from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy
of Fine Arts in 1989, such as the early politically speculative
If you take another step into this intricate and variable painting, Revolutionary Family series. People have always been a subject
you will discover that the background jungle is filled with multiple that interests him. In 2009, he broke new ground by returning to
writings by the artist, with arrows, numbers, Chinese and woodcuts, which he excelled at since his student days, rather
English characters, and symbols. The fragmented and flowing than working on canvas and paper, revealing another artistic
brushstrokes of the painting figures create a wonderful echo, as if
both possess a fleeting stream of consciousness, shrouded in the inspiration.
variable smoke, giving birth to countless possibilities. Thus, the In that year, he took Vincent van Gogh, a worshiped and highly
protagonist in the painting is situated in the centre of a vertical spiritual artist, as the basis for his work Portrait of the Postman
coordinate axis, with arrows pointing both up and down, guiding Joseph Roulin, using his ingenious ideas to reinterpret it and
him towards the path he unfolds, as if all roads lead to Rome, created one composite medium wood panel and four paper
embracing an open-minded attitude towards the future. Beside works, named Van Gogh’s Painting. In this series, he first selected
the protagonist, a skull symbol in the shape of smoke and clouds, a piece of wood and meticulously carved it to capture the
reminiscent of the Baroque period “Vanitas” movement from the distinctive features of the protagonist’s cheeky beard and the
17th century, metaphorically represents the coexistence of life postman’s identity with concise lines, highly reproducing Van
and death. Above and below the skull, the words “I like Smoking”, Gogh’s original work. Then, he brushed ink on the surface lines of
“Smoking”, and “No Smoking” are written. In combination with the woodcut, presenting distinct bold lines like traditional painting
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