From East to West – Liu Xiao Xian

The exhibition titled ‘From East to West’ by designer artist Liu Xiao Xian was held recently at the RMIT Gallery. Liu Xiao Xian came across to Australia as a refugee over 19 years ago in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre. This was Liu Xiao Xian’s first major solo exhibition.

One look at Liu Xiao Xian’s designs and it is evident that his work is about the western world meeting eastern cultures, Chinese culture to be precise. However, his work is not as straight forward as you would like it to be. It takes a bit of time to see where and which angle his coming from.



My favourite piece of work of his was ‘Our Gods’, which was basically two very large images of Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha. Each one of these images was made up of hundreds of small scale images of the same large image. It’s impossible to comprehend the talent and work Liu Xiao Xian put into creating that piece of art. There were two small sculptures of these two images as well. They were precisely crafted out of porcelain that was over glazed with gold and under glazed with copper. When taking a closer look at these two Gods, it is clear that Liu Xiao Xian portrays many differences in them. It shows the difference between the western God from the eastern God. It shows happiness and sadness. While Jesus Christ is shown with a crown of thorns, Lord Buddha is portrayed smiling or laughing. It also shows that one is a religion and one is a philosophy.





Another piece of art I found very interesting was the two very large sculptures that was placed on display in front of a bright red background. Not too sure of the symbolism of the background colour. My understanding of these sculptures was the difference between western medicine and eastern medicine. He shows how the eastern world uses a more natural approach to medical treatment. The holes in the eastern woman symbolizes the use of acupuncture as a pain reliever as appose to using western medicine. It is hard to say what Liu Xiao Xian tries to tell you when it comes to the stance of the two figures though.



Another amazing piece of work was the very large eye catching and dominating ‘reincarnation portrait’ that greeted you as you walked into the exhibition hall. This was titled ‘Reincarnation – Mao, Buddha and I’. This was made up of 300 panels of C-type photographic prints, each 300 x 200cm in size.

There were many portraits on display showing a Chinese family sitting in the foreground of a picture that is been taken in the western world. There was a Chinese backdrop held up when these pictures were taken. What I gathered from this, and I think what Liu Xiao Xian is trying to say through these pictures is that, no matter where in the world you choose to live, you will always take a piece of your past, culture and simply a piece of home with you.







Trying to look intellectual...

...and failing miserably!!!

The Great Wall of China was another work of art that caught my attention. Liu Xiao Xian took a series of photographs of plates outside an abandoned plate factory in southern China. Inspiration for the creation of the Great Wall of China was drawn from Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, the home of porcelain production. To create this piece he systematically photographed every inch of the dumped plates using a process he describes as manual scanning. With the aid of Photoshop he assembled the 500 odd images to recreate the scene that he originally came across.

All in all this exhibition was a amazing look into the mind, thoughts and life of an amazing designer.

Interview with Fernando and Humberto Campana

This is an interview with popular brothers, Fernando & Humberto Campana which took place at Design Miami 2008 on the 2nd of December 2008 at Miami Beach Florida. Fernando talk about Design in today’s world. They talk about what they believe in as designers and how design brings about another aspect and it is not just about function and form. They talk about how design is a fantasy and emotion. They also go on to say that people today need much more connections between them and the pieces they are going to decorate their houses and homes with.

A question was put forward to them stating that design need to have a form and function. Their response to that was that design goes beyond form and function and both of these two elements form a kind of poetry.

When asked whether they think about the global financial crisis, environmental problems, energy crisis, global warming when designing the arts and products, they responded by saying, scarcity is their treasure. They also go on to say that when living in Brazil where there is no tradition in design, they started out under very difficult conditions. They didn’t even have money to invest in the tools they required to do their work. So they started looking around for what they could use as alternates. For example they wanted to produce a plastic chair and as they didn’t have the resources to do so, they started using bubble wrap to produce the chair. They go on to say that even though it was difficult things worked out in their favour.

When asked if its good for creativity when there is not a lot of raw materials for a designer, they responded by saying from a crisis you grow up. They say people will rethink their lives and start to realize what is necessary.

They say through the hardship they go through with the economic crisis in Brazil, it makes them mentally stronger and flexible in terms of changing and adapting.

When asked what makes a good design. They reply, the design that touches the peoples souls by the functionality, by the poetry, by the price or by anything that can capture the heart and soul of the people.

In conclusion, I think this was a very insightful look into the creative minds of two incredibly talented modern day designers.

VAN GOGH: Brush with Genius

Vincent Van Gogh is one of history’s most influential artists and is probably one of the main contributors of today’s modern art. He is by far the most popular and the most spectacular painter the world has ever known. Van Gogh was born in Zundert, Neatherlands on the 30th of March 1853.

Brush with Genius is based on the life and death of Vincent Van Gogh. The short film is centered around the narration by himself and about the hundreds of letters written by him to his younger brother Theo. To better understand the artist, the film takes its views to many places. From the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam to the south of France where he discovered his famous ‘high yellow note’. The film also takes you to Auvers-sur-Oise where he expresses his love for the country side. This is where in his own words he says “I am almost certain that these canvases illustrate what I cannot express in words, that is how healthy and heartening I find the country side”. The film is certainly a journey to the heart of Van Gogh’s paintings. The film brings you face to face with genius in its purest state.

Van Gogh lived most of his life in the Neatherlands till he moved to France and lived with his brother till he decided to take his own life the the fields where he loved to paint. He shot himself in the chest and is known to have died 2 days later. He died at the age of 37. His brother who was by his side during Van Gogh’s last moments died 6 months later as he could not come to terms with the loss of his beloved brother.

He is known to have created over 800 paintings in the 1880s alone.

He was a man who lived most of his life in pain and suffered sevier depression, specially during the last few years of his life. His mental state was such that it drove him to the point of cutting one of his earlobes off. He commited himself to a mental clinic where he lived a year of his short life. Within that year he is known to have kept on painting as a passion and at the same time at part of his therapy.

Van Gogh says in his own words, “ sometimes the pictures came naturally to me without any effort, like in a dream”. He drew his inspiration from nature, landscapes, from the dazzling yellow of the cornfields to the deep blue of the sky.

All in all the film was a look at a painter in full creative floor. It was a journey that portraied Vincent Van Gogh’s emotions, pain and suffering. No dobut one of the greatest painters ever to place a pain brush of a canvas.

Note to David: while researching information to write this report, I came across a song that was dedicated to Vincent Van Gogh. I think the lyrics in this song says it all…

Lyrics:
Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...

Campana Brothers at Vitra Design Museum

The video is about an exhibition of the work of brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana which was held at the Vitra Design Museum in May 2009. The exhibition showcases pieces from the latest to the very early beginning of their career even before their collaboration as designers.

Fernando Campana was trained as an architect while his brother, Humberto was trained as a lawyer, who after his studies went to northern Brazil and decided whether he should become an Indian and live like an Indian or whether he would prefer to become an artist. The object out of sea shells that was created by Humberto Campana was from the sea shells he collected from along the beaches of Brazil. Their work that spans over decades of artistic collaboration shows the spectrum of their works which rangers from jewellery to fashion to furniture and last but not least, pure artistic sculptures.

The exhibition also strived to showcase the difference between the work of Fernando Campana and that of his brothers Humberto Campana, in relation to each individual’s character and of their approach to design. As they both are very different as personalities, it is clear their choices in materials are very different too. The material is infact the subject which is in the foreground of their work. The exhibition explains the work of the two brothers as designers, through the approach and use of the materials for their designs.

Their artistic techniques, point of views and approach to their work is strongly influenced by social realism in the 1920s, cubism, pop art and even from action art. They both are influenced by different forms of art. Humberto is much more influenced towards sculptured art where as Fernando is more influenced towards a more conceptual approach to art and design.

The functionality of many of the objects on display is not so important than the image they portrait. The whole concept of the exhibition was to present the different approaches to art and design which were in nine different groups.

Their work method is strongly influenced by organic plants to animals, not to mention very heavily Brazilian influenced. They get plenty of inspiration from nature, from the natural jungles to the urban jungles such as the city of Rio De Janeiro.

All In all, the exhibition was a very interesting look at two unbelievably talented designers who thrive on their different approaches to art and design.

Design Your Life - Ellen Lupton

Ellen Lupton, curator of contemporary design of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum did her first exhibition in 1993 at the age of 29 which she called Mechanical Brides and it was a show based on women, machines and technology.

Ellen Lupton along with her twin sister Julia Lupton, recently published a book called ‘Design Your Life’, which is basically a book showcasing photographs on design in ones everyday life. The book started out of a website called designyourlife.org, which was created by Ellen and Julia 5 years ago. The website was basically a place where they would complain about objects that would annoy them and would comment on trends and developments of their interests.

I find Ellen brings out an important point when she refers to the toaster, kitchen computer or the refrigerator. She basically goes on to say that once a great design for a contemporary product has been created and successfully marketed, designers will find some other way to better that particular product as well as re-construct the product to give it a multifunctional purpose. In her view it could mess up the product and take away the purpose the product was originally created for. However Ellen finds in some cases that the reconstructed product can also be better for the consumer when it comes to elements such as price, quantity, wastage, speed, etc. A good example of this is the square role of toilet paper she talks about which discourages wastage, thus becoming cost effective.

In my opinion, I think what Ellen is trying to get across is that keeping a design simple and direct to the point is most often the best way to go about a design situation. Certain products, when so-called improvements are made to them, raise the cost of the product, and that could deter consumers from purchasing them.

Ellen goes on to talk about the Visibility Principle. It’s my understanding that the basic idea behind this principle is that if the work or design is in front of you, i.e. in your face, it gets done which causes an increase in productivity.

I personally found Ellen’s take on the roller bags to be very interesting. The fact that even though the idea of putting wheels on a bag is a fantastic idea, the behaviour and mindset of the consumer using it changes. Ellen goes on to say that this is a simple case of good objects, bad behaviour.

Altogether, this was a fascinating look at a very interesting woman and author on her views on Design in the everyday world.