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Lot Essay
Chen Fei was trained at the Beijing Film Academy, his passion and extensive knowledge for movies has influenced his choice of subjects and compositional style in his paintings. Belonging to the post 1980's generation, Chen's art is more focused on the self and individualistic interests rather than societal concerns. Indeed, Chen Fei's subjects are mostly himself, his girlfriend or his pet dog. His visual language is influenced by the world of anime and manga in an era of consumerism and globalisation. Chen Fei challenges the concept of good and bad taste, both aesthetically and morally, by representing violence and sex. In accordance with his own set of values, the artist points to the fact that, "I don't really like things that are too beautiful, they always make me feel uncomfortable. Some of my paintings look very beautiful, but I would always hide a sinister or evil plot or story inside them. It makes me feel more comfortable this way." He believes that the fact that a number of people actually like "not so pretty things" and this particular kind of aesthetics leaves a longer lasting impression than beauty. With his art, Chen Fei aims to stir emotions and sensory sensations.
With MGM (Lot 508), Chen Fei lays bare his status as a devoted movie buff. It is a humorous take on the logo of one of the most glamorous American film studios of all time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The artist replaces the iconic roaring lion's head with the head of a panting Chiwawa. The powerful company logo that once represented glamor, power and creativity is now reduced to a parody in Chen Fei's hands. With MGM, the artist continues to challenge the concept of good and bad taste with his characteristic playfulness.
With We are Wooden Dolls: Sports School Student (Red); Astronaut; Bruce Lee; & Dissected Man (Lot 509), different roles of Chinese society are being presented in the form of wooden dolls. These wooden dolls are created in the image of different Chinese national figures or identities, representing a sense of nationalism - the sport school student is in the national colour of red, the astronaut, perhaps alluding to China's first mission to space; Bruce Lee is China's first movie star; tying all the figures together is the dissected man. The artist's creative process begins by painting on a readymade wooden figure. The idea behind this creative process is similar to the Dada readymade, an emblematic example of which Duchamp's urinal. Here, the readymade is the artist's creative canvas, intertwining model figure and art, creating a multidimensional sculpture.
With MGM (Lot 508), Chen Fei lays bare his status as a devoted movie buff. It is a humorous take on the logo of one of the most glamorous American film studios of all time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The artist replaces the iconic roaring lion's head with the head of a panting Chiwawa. The powerful company logo that once represented glamor, power and creativity is now reduced to a parody in Chen Fei's hands. With MGM, the artist continues to challenge the concept of good and bad taste with his characteristic playfulness.
With We are Wooden Dolls: Sports School Student (Red); Astronaut; Bruce Lee; & Dissected Man (Lot 509), different roles of Chinese society are being presented in the form of wooden dolls. These wooden dolls are created in the image of different Chinese national figures or identities, representing a sense of nationalism - the sport school student is in the national colour of red, the astronaut, perhaps alluding to China's first mission to space; Bruce Lee is China's first movie star; tying all the figures together is the dissected man. The artist's creative process begins by painting on a readymade wooden figure. The idea behind this creative process is similar to the Dada readymade, an emblematic example of which Duchamp's urinal. Here, the readymade is the artist's creative canvas, intertwining model figure and art, creating a multidimensional sculpture.