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拍品专文
Under the pressures of the social and political changes enveloping him and inability to freely express any criticism against it, Fang Lijun turned towards his shaved headed self as the subject - one that is devoid of constraints and opposition by the external world; revealing his desire for liberated artistic expression and his choice of oneself as the ideal subject. Adeptly understanding the variable subtexts embodied in the shaven head, Fang ardently exploits it as his iconographic artistic channel for contemporary social narration and uses it as a sign of non-conformity. Like that seen on prisoners, soldiers, and monks, the shaved head is collectively found in their likenesses yet are equally isolated in their unique experiences.
Illustrating this idea of collectiveness are Fang Lijun's sculptural works. In 2005.1.10 (Lot 1284), dozens of unique bronze and gold foiled figures find comfort in co-existence. Distorted, with small hands gesturing towards one another, they seem to be in dialogue and listen to each other with their oversized perky ears. They all look towards the very sky that Fang Lijun paints, showing the correlation and transcendence between Fang Lijun's two dimensional and three dimensional works. Their similar yet equally unique stylization demonstrates Fang Lijun's progressive consideration of the human form, condition and their mental psyche by directly challenging our perception of the physical and abstract relationship between the figures within this group and our association to them. In Self Sculpture (Lot 1285) Fang Lijun makes himself the subject of bust shaped forms after those usually created in lieu of a great politician or commander's public service, to playfully mock the very political regime that has misled the new generation of youth. The simultaneous multiplying of his self image into three emphasizes the duality in perception of the self not as an individual but rather as an icon for admiration of spectators. In its smooth, glistening white surface, the spectator can almost see his or her own reflection, forcibly melding oneself into Fang's sculpture like wearing a mask. Painted in a peach toned "skin colour", the figure depicted in Untitled (Lot 1286) perhaps renders the idea of a universal man, though no one is truly that vibrantly orange. He is strange in his colour and exaggerated gesture; as though he is a prized statue, or Atlas who holds the weight of the world above him. Yet equally he is representative of a man determined to conquer fears and tribulations, rebelling against being the silent, opinionless follower.
Fang's sharp tongue for satire is deeply rooted in metaphysics as 'vagueness' forces us to ponder on the essential nature of being and the world. Clearly far from cynicism and simply a humanistic reflection on the historical and cultural tyrannies, his works project Cynical Realism with "cynical" dramatization of dystopian, utopian and perhaps apocalyptic vision aided by his absurdly garish primary colours and rigid contours, only in ironic hope to render existential ethics and the inner "realism" of human beings.
Illustrating this idea of collectiveness are Fang Lijun's sculptural works. In 2005.1.10 (Lot 1284), dozens of unique bronze and gold foiled figures find comfort in co-existence. Distorted, with small hands gesturing towards one another, they seem to be in dialogue and listen to each other with their oversized perky ears. They all look towards the very sky that Fang Lijun paints, showing the correlation and transcendence between Fang Lijun's two dimensional and three dimensional works. Their similar yet equally unique stylization demonstrates Fang Lijun's progressive consideration of the human form, condition and their mental psyche by directly challenging our perception of the physical and abstract relationship between the figures within this group and our association to them. In Self Sculpture (Lot 1285) Fang Lijun makes himself the subject of bust shaped forms after those usually created in lieu of a great politician or commander's public service, to playfully mock the very political regime that has misled the new generation of youth. The simultaneous multiplying of his self image into three emphasizes the duality in perception of the self not as an individual but rather as an icon for admiration of spectators. In its smooth, glistening white surface, the spectator can almost see his or her own reflection, forcibly melding oneself into Fang's sculpture like wearing a mask. Painted in a peach toned "skin colour", the figure depicted in Untitled (Lot 1286) perhaps renders the idea of a universal man, though no one is truly that vibrantly orange. He is strange in his colour and exaggerated gesture; as though he is a prized statue, or Atlas who holds the weight of the world above him. Yet equally he is representative of a man determined to conquer fears and tribulations, rebelling against being the silent, opinionless follower.
Fang's sharp tongue for satire is deeply rooted in metaphysics as 'vagueness' forces us to ponder on the essential nature of being and the world. Clearly far from cynicism and simply a humanistic reflection on the historical and cultural tyrannies, his works project Cynical Realism with "cynical" dramatization of dystopian, utopian and perhaps apocalyptic vision aided by his absurdly garish primary colours and rigid contours, only in ironic hope to render existential ethics and the inner "realism" of human beings.