Xu Bing

This artist came to me as I was sitting in my art history 102 class when my professor mentioned a man by the name of Xu Bing.  He is shown to the left presenting one of his works where historical words are printed on pressed tobacco leaves.  While I'm not sure what he is intending for this particular work, Xu Bing works with typography and often plays with the idea that meaning is communicated through language (be it words or writing).  His works usually show how words and/or their meanings can be manipulated.  Xu Bing also works with printmaking and calligraphy.  Below are a few of my favorite works he has produced in which he manipulates the characters of two different languages he is familiar with.  A viewer needs to look very carefully to see and understand what he has manipulated.  I didn't "see it" at first.  But now I wish I knew how to read chinese!  I wonder if they would portray a different meaning to me if I was bilingual as he is.

The first Xu Bing work I saw was shown to me in my Art History class.  My instructor showed us the installation below.

This work is called Tian Shu which translates to Book From Heaven.  This work was compiled in 1988, after three years in the making. While the hanging sheets of paper resemble scrolls of the chinese culture, there are also bound sets of books on the ends of this installation which resemble traditional chinese books. Most interesting to me, Xu Bing hand-carved over two thousand pieces of wooden type to print what looks like a type of chinese characters.  While he rearranged elements from real chinese characters,  apparently, none of these characters which he created can be pronounced or understood!  What is most confusing is that there is not a lot of meaning connected to this work.  Or at least, there is no intended meaning.  Xu Bing claims to specifically avoid meaning in his works, allowing the viewer/reader to incorporate their own meanings.  Again, this is an example of how he plays with language, literacy, and meaning.

While there are many other intriguing Xu Bing works which I could share, perhaps one of his most beautiful installations is The Glassy Surface of a Lake.  Which is shown below.

According to an article attached to Xu Bing's official website, "The Glass Surface of a Lake (formerly titled Net) is inspired by a passage in Henry David Thoreau's 'Walden," a mediation on the profound purity of an utterly still lake.  In the passage, the famous naturalist writer inverts his viewpoint to envision the lake hovering overhead so 'you could walk right under it to the opposite hills.'"  The words (formed by wire-linked aluminum letters) in this passage now stretch across a gap of space, like water would fill a divide.  I love how this installation involves a viewer from different viewpoints and perspectives;  being above the "lake's" surface and below it.

Overall, I love how Xu Bing intertwines meanings and interpretations between two cultures and their very different linguistics until the has confounded these meanings and created a different way to communicate.

Henry Moore

Henry Moore (1898-1986) was born in Yorkshire, England and is a world-wide accomplished modern sculptor.  He is famous for his large bronze organic sculptures as public works of art.  He is particularly known for his abstractions of the human body.  Often his works depict mother and child figures, as well as almost sensual female representations. In the 1950's, he went through a phase of depicting family conglomerates and figures.  Many of these are reclining, however some represent standing figures, some sitting, and a manner of all other appropriate human-related actions/positions.

While the picture of him above gives a better idea of the mass of his works, I think this photograph is so cute!  Here, he is pictured working with his daughter.  He, himself, came from a large family, but had a sound childhood.  He originally became a teacher, due to his parent's objections to sculpting.  But after WWI, he went back to school to become an artist.

To the right is a beautiful example of one of his organic, abstract bronze masses.  It is called Oval with Points (1968-70).  This particular picture is interesting to me, due to the angle from which it was taken and the clarity of the horizon.  In the background, you can see another one of his bronze sculptures.  Oval with Points appears to be a garden or courtyard of some sort.  When thinking about the work, itself, Oval with Points, despite the figure eight hole in the middle, is a very unified piece.   The surface is smooth and makes me want to run my hands all along it in order to feel the subtle curves and dips of this mass.  I am intrigued by the soft edges that forms on the lower right side of the mass.  My favorite part, however is the very nearly connecting points in the middle of the center.  That focal point adds a lovely delicacy to the piece.  In whole, Oval with Points is a tranquil and curious work.

This work, Family Group, done in 1950, is a prime example of one of his bronze works that depict a family.  Again, this piece has an organic and even alive feel to it.  The contour of the entire work flows consistently as all the forms are interacting and touching.  The potential energy of the humanoid forms are focused towards the center where the child is.  The way Moore portrayed the mother figure is stylistically similar to ancient Mesopotamian works that depict women.  This is shown in her frontal knees and feet and especially in the lack of clothing depicted on her upper torso, and the evidence of clothing folds around her knee.  I like how Henry Moore draws on ancient styles from ancient cultures yet adds his own modern flare.

Henry Moore is unique in his style and artistic contributions.  A famous quote from him: "The observation of nature is part of an artist's life, it enlarges his form [and] knowledge, keeps him fresh and from working only by formula, and feeds inspiration."