Pottery Fossils(part)
Write by Li Yanzu, Professor of Tsinghua Univ
Issue 9\2004 < New Arts >
Translated by Chi Hsu and Li Hongwei
"Fossil is a nature creation, some paleontological remains existing in the geological state at certain geological time. But LU Bin's fossil series is not such kind things, not what he uses pottery to make fossil, but materialize the human life in the form of pottery. Use a new angle to unveil the realistic human life, or like what LU Bin says to stand at a future point to look back today's reality, to use piece wise daily materials to describe contemporary life. But in fact it says much more than just that, it is a reconsideration of a ceramic artist's view points to ward Art and Life, just like what Philosopher Feng said 'Reconsideration is philosophical'. by viewing his work, if we see them from his inner world.
During over ten years of study and working in 1990s, Lu Bin’s overall pursuit can be properly summarized by just one word--- Aestheticism. As an undergraduate student in mid-80s, he was deeply influenced by modern artistic thoughts which prevailed in the mainland of China after the Cultural Revolution. Clive Bell’s famous remark “Art is an interesting Form” played an essential role as an unshakable creed uphold by art students and artists, continuously affecting their creative work. As Lu Bin recalled his artistic experience of this period of time, he wrote: “Modernism emphasizes aesthetic---expression of interesting form and material language naturally connected with the special feature of ceramic art. Modern ceramic art attaches much importance to its material as well as controllable or casual changes of these materials during the firing process. Modern ceramic artists are very sensitive to the change of these abstract forms. This helps it get the access to communicate with modern aesthetic ideal” (Lu Bin’s “The story of the stone”). Based on such understanding of art and ceramic art, he created a series of functional flower vessels as well as his well-known work named “Structure of brick and wood” series and “Wall series”.
From more than twenty pieces of “Structure of brick and wood”series, we can see that Lu Bin has been trying to pursuit and express the artistic language of ceramic art as well as its structure itself. “Brick and wood” is just a representation of form and structure. The combination of his series work “Structure of brick and wood” from 17 to 21, looks like labor tools, but the artist does not care much the issue whether these pieces are representation of tools. Rather, what he really cares is the form of structure consisted of the shape of these tools, as well as the ceramic language and elements expressed by different structures. Other pieces of “Structure of brick and wood” present the same artistic tendence and pursuit---the significance of form, all is about form. After that, he also created “Movable Character series” and other series of aestheticism works.
Things will turn back when they go extreme. When concentrating on form, just for the sake of form to the extreme, some sensitive artists tend to throw doubt upon the necessity and authenticity of such exploration. Actually, Lu Bin also senses that modern aesthetic ideal can no longer satisfy his increasingly deep exploration for artistic value. Much confusion that he confronted in the past several years’ life experience in District of Shenzhen, push him to reexamine the relationship between ceramic art and life as well as the new ways of expression. In this uncertain situation, he realizes that a new turn and leap as well as a departure from current form are required for the rebirth of artistic creation.
"For contemporary ceramics, all mouths of the vessel are sealed, so it becomes a sculpture. Many Japanese artists are doing this. But for LU Bin, he moves further away. He is trying to find organic relationship between the daily life and his art creation. To borrow such Chinese cultural symbol is not because he is fascinated with such culture but truly believe such symbol bears its realistic content which reveals his art creation intent and direction. For an observer, he may read more or it reveals more meaning. Like one Shenzhen scholar Lao Dao said in one of his article about LU Bin.
"'Self training is a kind of devotion'. LU Bin accumulates such devoted energy and suddenly his life bears dignity and responsibility. In his "Urban Series", the "Stew Jar" in black and red, the "Fish of Abundance" wrapped with shroud and the "North Pointer" pointing no where, reflected LU's resistance to the "forma beauty" that emphasized in the previous work, and indicated his deep thinking of the culture and philosophy. All these exploration should be a prelude of LU Bin's "Fossils Series". "