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4/9/2009

Isolation

FQ Projects, Shanghai

FQ Projects is excited to showcase a group exhibition Isolation. Consisting of ten recently graduated post 80s art graduates. Their artworks are individual, fresh, natural, honest and distinct from the common themes of radical rebellion art. Ranging from oil on canvas, works on paper, printmaking, wood engraving, photography and installation, the viewers will be inspired by this energetic and evocative exhibition.

The Chinese post 80s generation is often described as “lacking a sense of responsibility”, “relationship abhorrence”, “ beyond tradition”, “restless”. The artists from this generation as a new art wave has rapidly and aggressively joined the Chinese contemporary art world. Their outcomes are sometimes transparent, sometimes soft, sometimes sticky, sometimes elastic, and sometimes blue. They are ambiguously appearing fantastical, playful, isolative, and at the same time pre-maturely considered or aged. Because of the high-technology and social development, the relationship between social individuals has become more and more alienated, as one of the common characters shared in this exhibitions works: the massive anxiety and disturbing emotional void is felt behind a seemingly cool status of a self oriented life style.

The artist Deng Zilong, born in the era of internet games and fascinated by historical Chinese military stories uses abstract yet realistic shapes to explore scientific links about orientation within online games and military maps. This playful attitude on serious subjects is one of the iconic forms in post 80’s artists’ art, in addition Deng has blurred the conventional methods of oil and paper based artworks to produce work with a fresh and exciting feel.

The all-pervasive computer and software applications are even more present in Gao Si’s self-portrait. This series of portraits is made entirely from computer software, but the message is timeless, Gao believes "people all have a dark side, we should remind ourselves that there is a ugly and decayed self watching us inside of our own." As viewers of art we might also remind ourselves that the media itself is ignorant of what contemporary opinion considers art and who can be called artist, perhaps history alone can categorize, but we are excited about these works and their potential.

The black and white wood engraving work by Chen Xiaobing graphically depicts the boredom and repetition of a student’s life in university dorm. By threading sparkling and colorful sequins and beads into the work she reflects the juxtaposition between the optimism of youth in an advancing materialist consumer society and the boredom of actuality. Zhao Wei’s oil paintings are striking in their use of color and strident in their content, depicting girls with empty eyes amid an untidy room reflecting the ambivalence of being lonely and eager to seek comfort.

Wang Dawei’s ink on rice paper series "survival" depicts people from various social statuses. It projects the epitome of each type and the artist’s worry about people’s mentality of our times. In Liang Junzi’s large canvas work, there are frequent occurrences of dead weeds and scarecrow, flowers in full bloom and little jungle animals. These things are mixed together within one overall color tone on canvas, combining with his own techniques in using the paintbrush. As opposed to more popular political or cartoon themes art, his works are set in a poetic context of personal emotions and reflect upon urban life and society.

Zhou Guangneng and Dai Jinlong used mottled screen for their printmaking, but in different forms of techniques to express their feelings towards social responsibility. Zhou Guangneng’s installation work was inspired by his childhood memories in Leizhou where he grew up. The work is full of affection and respect for the rural farmers. The use of rusty metal spades as media is a metaphor for the fading and disappearing old agricultural life; From the same printmaking department graduate Dai Jinlong made a gradual disappearance of a tractor to bring the viewers to consider the process of social history - “Borrowing such an element of industrial machinery to re-examine our values towards the evolution”.

Yu Li depicts the most ordinary and popular objects of her time on a large scale with ultra-realistic style and bright colors. This allows the audience to re-examine these everyday objects and thus question the relationship between them and ourselves. The exaggerated brightness and joyful appearance makes people feel a hint of loss and helplessness, metaphoring the post 80s generation’s inner psychology of fear and vulnerability underneath the seeming happiness. The display of her "Candy" works on a table evokes memories of our childhood, recalling the warmth and fulfillment of our sweet old/young days.

In Xu Shijun’s beautiful and poetic photographic works, he discusses the relationship between people and universe, faith and soul. Once again they reveal the mental state of that generation that has a strong feeling of isolation.

Image: Zhao Wei Twittering, 2009

Opening Reception: Sep 5 Sat 6-8pm

FQ Projects
76, Lane 927 Huai Hai Mid Rd - Shanghai
Hours： 10 - 6 Wed - Sun, Thur till 9pm

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