标题: 潜溢 罗晓冬作品展 [打印本页] 作者: 陈小虎 时间: 2009-6-12 19:43 标题: 潜溢 罗晓冬作品展 A Move Within
Luo Xiaodong
GALLERIA DELL'ARCO, Shanghai
curated by Cecilia Freschini
Opening 20th June 2009, Saturday 5 p.m.
Almost half a century ago, Donald Judd issued the obituary of painting. Although Judd’s assertion never actualized, artists who have been carrying on the practice of painting have been striving to cross the boundaries of this thousand years old art form.
Quoting the curator Cecilia Freschini: “Time flows and single images stand out more clearly than our memories. Facing Luo Xiaodong’s work, we easily enter a timeless dimension, in which dwells a mortal silence, an enormous emptiness devoid of context… Art is a serious and deep matter, and the artists should respond to major social problems… (his images) are pieces of our time, that he aims to review, suggesting us to pay much attention and make a move within.”
Be it a bench breathing the lapse of time, Forbidden City appearing as desolate landscape of crumbling ruins, or simply a scene extracted from news events, Luo Xiaodong, by employing his peculiar technique – scraper full of paint leaving irregular triangles on the canvas, and monochromatic application, not only captures the spellbinding ‘silence’ and oppressive ‘emptiness’, but also caresses our common sentiments and questions our way of viewing the world outside.
In his most recent works Luo Xiaodong tries to involve the medium as a significant element of his visual grammar: new balance is achieved by varied proportions, separation and different angles of the canvas. Through these images, the artist endeavors to build a connection to reality, but by simplification of colour and abandoning the precision of shape, he also shuns allegorical or realistic implications.
Luo Xiaodong, born in northwest China, like many other artists, has a background of academic education. However, after graduating from Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, he chose to part from the still influential socialistic realism. From the initial attempt in abstract expressionism to the increasingly established unique individual style, the artist compares his exploration in the realm of painting to an “adventure” and he will never stop. This solo exhibition will be his second in China, preceded by “My World” in Tokyo in 2007, and last year’s “The Empty City Trick” in Shanghai and Nanjing.
Opening: June 20th, 2009, Saturday at 5 pm. Exhibition: June 21th, 2009 – August 10th, 2009 Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 Monday-Sunday, Venue: Building 1, floor 2, No.50 Moganshan Road, Shanghai Tel: 021 52527164
"Images are crystallized thoughts that overcome the test of time” (Anonymous)
All that really belongs to us is time and feelings. Our whole life is series of moments and sensations, where past, present and future lose their meanings. Time flows and the single images stand out more clearly than our memories.
Facing Luo Xiaodong’s work, we easily enter a timeless dimension, in which dwells a mortal silence, an enormous emptiness devoid of context. Nevertheless, is not disorientation or pessimism what we feel, but the familiarity of a common experience.
The eclectic attitudes lead the viewers to an ambiguous atmosphere where each our personal feelings can freely emerge from his unsmooth and mottled images. What is interesting to underline in fact, is the connection between the image and the information behind it.
Luo Xiaodong’s art comes from an extraordinary strong passion. Recently, the artist started to adopt a scraper to paint. This original technique is absolutely more congenial to the artist and his vehement behaviour; from a closer look, the whole canvas appears as savage jungle of irregular triangles and strips made by paint dropping down. Furthermore, now, his works are almost totally dominated by pure black and white. Luo said: “the adoption of monochrome, prevents wasting too much time in choosing colour .Its saves much energy”. Art in his hands is the media able to express his thoughts and the universal language through he can talk to the whole society with. The canvass now on display at “Galleria dell’ Arco” show a work more mature than the previous “disaster” series. Here, transpire the “calm after the storm”, a suffused cry of alarm that it’s up to us be able to listen to. According to the artist, painting should generate a new understanding. “We would still become quite emotional and sentimental when facing incidents happening in society, but as a matter of fact, we see nothing. After that, all will turn back to zero, with life going on. There’s a problem of paramount importance lying in this: are we really looking or are we seeing the reality of the world in our own way? To some extent, the way we view the world determines the way we lead our life and make a living. We do need to think about it.” As articulated by these words, Luo Xiaodong, is highly conscious of what it means to do art and what should be an artist’s behaviour. Art is a serious and deep matter, and the artists should respond to major social problems. The cities in the process of modernization and the natural environment are two of his main concerns.
In his most recent works Luo Xiaodong tries to involve the medium as a significant element of his visual grammar: new balance is achieved by varied proportions, separation and different angles of the canvas. Through these images, the artist endeavors to build a connection to reality, but by simplification of colour and abandoning the precision of shape, he also shuns allegorical or realistic implications.
The artist has softened the dramatic force of his early subjects, but his mind is still really clear and his message is even stronger: the cities are theatre left in a state of devastation and despair, the world appears smashed with confused borders and a bench lay down in a perfect composition, surrounded by a nostalgic forest…. Each painting works has an historical record: “Postcard”, “Mountain”, “Rope”, “Souvenir” are pieces of our time that he aims to review. Luo Xiaodong suggests us to pay much attention to these images which serve as a start for a move within.
