有记忆的房间

记忆在房间漂泊

文/罗菲

如果说有关中国当代艺术的描述在过去三十年很大程度是一系列围绕全球化、身份政治、消费社会等主流话题展开的有关当下和未来的宏观叙事,那么在新冠大流行时代,全球流动的不确定性,个体的原子化还有人际关系的脆弱现实又似乎让人们开始回望过去,回望那些真切的成长经历与亲密关系。这种回望或许能为我们当下的脆弱与不安提供某种慰藉。在科幻小说《三体》里,危机中的人类像反刍动物那样不断把黄金时代的记忆吐出来,甜蜜地咀嚼。小说中的联合国秘书长萨伊还发起了人类纪念工程,全面收集人类文明的资料和纪念实物,那些人类日记和实物作为文明资料的一部分,最终用无人飞船发向宇宙,任其漂泊。无论在危机年代还是黄金年代,回忆与纪念都必不可少,因为人确实是健忘的动物。

把那些被卷入到历史洪流中的个人记忆打捞上岸,形成对个人成长史的描述,也形成一种区别于从文化整体性或社会框架出发的工作方式。这种工作会从对某些事物的局部描述开始:一些挥之不去的画面,一次创伤经历或者刻骨铭心的岁月。有时艺术家也会从无意识收集日常什物开始,进而让什物自己完成一段讲述。这样的工作在中国当代艺术领域里已有过一些佳作,如宋冬早年在影像作品中抚摸父亲的身体,与母亲合作的旧物收集;何成瑶与患有精神疾病的母亲裸身合影;马秋莎口含刀片讲述自己压抑的成长经历等等。这些与亲人、与自己过往展开的回溯,也成为一段自我疗愈的过程,一段通往成长与和好之路。这样一种基于个人成长史及家庭关系下的微观叙事,也同样构成中国当代艺术的另一条线索,它根植于中国还有亚洲社会中的人伦常情。而这,正好为我们提供了一个进入接下来两个私人房间的观看角度。

吕丽蓉“故乡”,录像环境投影,2020
Lu Lirong’s hometown, Video Environment projection, 2020
吕丽蓉“故乡”,录像环境投影,2020
Lu Lirong’s hometown, Video Environment projection, 2020
吕丽蓉“故乡”,录像环境投影,2020
Lu Lirong’s hometown, Video Environment projection, 2020
吕丽蓉“故乡”,录像环境投影,2020
Lu Lirong’s hometown, Video Environment projection, 2020

吕丽蓉的房间

吕丽蓉来自湘西怀化沅陵县,父母都是当地中学老师,作为双职工家庭,吕丽蓉和弟弟自小生活在上世纪八十年代一个舒适而温馨的家庭。在吕丽蓉的记忆里,父母经常到小镇上找手艺好的裁缝为他们定制杂志上看到的时髦衣裳和裙子,几乎每个月都有新衣服穿,这是吕丽蓉童年记忆中最让她激动的细节。

吕丽蓉十分看重亲情,一些细微的事物和场景也会勾起她对家人的思念,这和她自小与家人有着和睦温馨的家庭环境分不开。几乎每周他们都会走山路去到外婆家,外婆家是一间被烟熏得很黑的木头房子,满屋都是火烧木头的味道,她就坐在火炉旁烤火,看大人们聊天。她自幼与父亲的关系特别好,至今仍记得父亲用竹篓把她背在胸前的画面,还有父亲做的辣椒炒肉的味道。然而在她十五岁时,父亲因病离世,母亲独自扛起家庭重担。吕丽蓉二十四岁那年,刚参加工作,母亲去世。她收集整理了母亲的遗物,其中最多的是母亲的衣裳,至今保存完好,一直带在身边,有整整一大摞,这些衣物成为她后来创作中挥之不去的影像。甚至母亲生病住院时家里专门为她准备的棉被,至今仍然保存着,吕丽蓉说是为了保存母亲的气味,不舍丢弃。

吕丽蓉不只收集来自父辈祖辈的家庭什物,近两年她也有意识收集自己成为母亲后的生物样本。2019年,吕丽蓉把她生第二个孩子的胎盘留了下来,还有一杯乳汁。这些来自一位母亲身体中特有的人体组织和液体,同样成为艺术家有心存留的“什物”,它们是连接她母亲世界和她孩子世界之间的纽带,代表着生物学意义上的孕育与哺养。它们维系着吕丽蓉对母体世界的想象,对家庭的记忆。在她近期另一个展览上,她营造了一个人们可以步入体验的有婴孩呼唤声的子宫环境。

这些线索为我们提供了两组理解吕丽蓉艺术创作的关键词:母体想象与家庭记忆。吕丽蓉有意识的收集着这些家庭留下来的遗物:衣裳、被褥、尚未加工的服装布料,甚至外婆家和村子里废弃房屋的十多根木头柱子,她都一根根搬运到了昆明的工作室,仿佛她随时随处可以重新搭建起一个记忆中的沅陵的家。是的,即将在物空间呈现出来的这个房间,便是由这些柱子搭建而成的具有自传性质的记忆空间。

在这个记忆空间里,这些实物似乎仍然保留着它前面主人的味道、气息、某个手势甚至思绪。在吕丽蓉的房间,这些实物将向我们讲述它们的前世与今生,讲述它们的主人和主人的心灵世界,而无需在漫无边际的黑暗中漂泊。

雷燕“圣物”,纸塑,2020
Lei Yan, Sacred Objects, paper sculpture, 2020
雷燕“圣物”,纸塑,2020
Lei Yan, Sacred Objects, paper sculpture, 2020
雷燕“圣物”,纸塑,2020
Lei Yan, Sacred Objects, paper sculpture, 2020
雷燕“圣物”,纸塑,2020
Lei Yan, Sacred Objects, paper sculpture, 2020

雷燕的房间

和八零后艺术家吕丽蓉的成长环境完全不同,雷燕生于上世纪五十年代,那个视军人为最高职业理想的年代,她也成长在一个军人世家,她的父母和两个姐姐全都是军人。雷燕十四岁便入伍,从军三十年。很难想象,这位看上去身躯十分娇弱的女性曾多次参与前线战事,刚成为新兵她就参与援老抗美,之后的对越自卫反击战、对越自卫防御战等等。雷燕在部队立过功,当过战士、炊事员、卫生员、护士、绘图摄影技术员、技师、干事等等。她自幼的艺术才能也在部队系统获得认可,作品参加过全军全国美展。八十年代末,雷燕考入解放军艺术学院,在北京她的视野被彻底打开。九十年代末她开始参与以摄影和装置为主的当代艺术创作。2001年她和朋友宋梓萍在昆明创库艺术社区设立工作室,并时常参与国际艺术交流项目。在同龄人中,像她这样有着如此跨度如此丰富人生阅历的人可谓非常罕见。

军旅生活对人的塑造莫过于通过绝对的纪律与服从让任何一个人成为具有高度执行力的集体行动的一部分。因此对个人而言,她应该尽可能掩饰或者压抑住自己的某些情绪。对于生于军人世家又长于部队的人而言,遵守规矩、干练、坚强的品格就像钢印一样在这个人还未出生时就被盖上了。但对于有强烈自我意识的人,她会有意识地记录自己的心灵状况,有意识去观察和思考现实中可能过于合理或者明显错位的地方,有意识去想象某些不切实际的东西。这些潜在的情绪和想法会自己寻找合适的地方隐藏起来,直到有一天主人邀请它们出场。我注意到在雷燕早期油画中,那些带着好奇心像孩子一样悬在空中握着望远镜眺望远方的士兵,正是这样的人。

在雷燕的房间里展出的是2016年以来她创作的“圣物”系列,这组作品延续着艺术家在手工造物和材料方面的兴趣,她用硫酸纸塑造了与原物等大的镰刀、斧头、手榴弹、迫击炮弹、军用水壶、军号、烛台、挎包、子弹袋、通讯设备、军鞋、军帽……这些物件对于有着三十年从军经历的军人来说,不过是陪伴她军旅生涯最日常不过的物品,也来自她脑海中挥之不去的场景:艰苦的日常作训,紧张的军事行动,坚守阵地时手中所能有的一切。

作为纸塑材料,硫酸纸脆弱但可塑性较强,被艺术家塑造成特定物品后,经过特意搓揉变得褶皱,它们看上去有些历经沧桑,在幽暗光线下看上去仿佛石碑,庄严、安静,它们像纪念碑群一样矗立在艺术家的个人成长史中。随时唤起她对过往生活的回忆,恍如隔世。

本来,对军人而言私人属性是不存在的,但雷燕却把这些具有集体属性和军事属性的物品形象转换成了具有私人记忆和诗意想象的形象。那种来自战争和历史的沉重感在这组作品里被转换成一种随时可能被轻易捏瘪掉的轻薄的触感,形成一种感觉上的错位。这正是这组作品在材料、形式和感觉上达到高度融洽的效果,反映出艺术家对材料的敏锐。也正因为此,那些纸塑看上去不再是艺术家对原物的模仿,它们似乎是从原物身上蜕下来的一层皮,遗留在雷燕的记忆空间。

吕丽蓉“故乡”,录像环境投影,2020
Lu Lirong’s hometown, Video Environment projection, 2020

在吕丽蓉和雷燕分别营造出来的两个房间里,她们通过对自己过往生活的回望,通过对自己或者亲人的实物的保存、塑造以及讲述,将那些被卷入到历史洪流中的个人记忆打捞上岸,让个人成长史以物件的面貌被捕捉、描述和纪念。这些原本在意识深处忽隐忽现的形象在她们各自营造的房间里被短暂凝固,我们被邀请进入其中,与她们相遇。

2020年11月3日雨夜,昆明


有记忆的房间——吕丽蓉、雷燕艺术作品展

策展人:罗菲
主办单位:物空间
开幕时间:2020年11月21日(周六)19:30
展览时间:2020年11月21日–12月20日
(每周三至周日14:00-20:00)
展览地点:昆明市融创春风十里写字楼万悦文化二楼物空间

A Room With Memory — Lu Lirong and Lei Yan’s Art Exhibition

Artists: Lu Lirong, Lei Yan
Curator: Luo Fei
Venue: Wu Art Space
Address: Second floor of Wanyue Wenhua, Rongchuang Chunfengshili office building, Kunming
Opening Date: 19:30, Nov 21, 2020
Exhibition Duration: Nov 21 to Dec 20, 2020
Opening Hours: Wed-Sun 2pm-8pm

About the exhibition:

“The Room With Memory” is the first art exhibition at Kunming Wu Art Space, curated by curator Luo Fei, who introduces two female artists, Lv Lirong and Lei Yan, two artists with very different upbringing and experiences, they use objects from their immediate surroundings and past experiences to tell their life stories.

The exhibition is in the form of two private rooms. Lv Lirong’s room creates a space of childhood memories in the form of her mother’s clothes and the wooden pillars of her grandmother’s house. Lei Yan, who grew up in a military family, presents the tools and weapons of her military career as a kind of paper sculptures, which look like a stone monument in the dark light, solemn and quiet.

By looking back at their past lives, by preserving, shaping and narrating the physical objects of themselves or their loved ones, the two artists salvage their personal memories that have been caught up in the current of history, allowing their personal growth history to be captured, described and commemorated as objects. These images, which were once hidden in the depths of consciousness, are briefly frozen in the rooms they each create, and we are invited to enter and encounter them.

In curator Luo Fei’s view, the art of Lv Lirong and Lei Yan, as a micro-narrative based on their personal history of growth and family relationships, also constitutes another thread in Chinese contemporary art, rooted in the human ethics of Chinese and Asian society. This provides us with a perspective into their respective memory spaces.

The exhibition will open on the evening of November 21, 2020, and run until December 20.

Read more about the artists and their works through curator Luo Fei’s article: Memories drifting across the room

Artists Roles/Artists Rules II

Artists Roles/Artists Rules II – China/Sweden Art Exchange Project (Station Kunming)

Initiators: Madeleine Aleman, Luo Fei
Curator: Luo Fei
Executive Curator: Wang Bei
Chinese Artists: Lei Yan, Luo Fei, Zi Bai, Xue Tao
Swedish Artists: Rikard Fåhraeus, Madeleine Aleman, Jannike Brantås, Ylva Landoff Lindberg

Opening: 20:00, Sep 9th, 2017
Performances on the opening by: Jannike Brantås and Madeleine Aleman
Exhibition Duration: 11:00-21:00, Sep 9th to Oct 8th, 2017, Sundays Closed

Host by: TCG Nordica
In cooperate with Studio 44 (Stockholm), City College of Kunming University of Science and Technology

Artist Talk:
Artists: Luo Fei, Madeleine Aleman, Rikard Fåhraeus, Jannike Brantås
Time: 7pm, Sep 7th, 2017
Location: Lecture Hall, City College of Kunming University of Science and Technology

About Artists Roles/Artists Rules
Artists Roles / Artists Rules is an exhibition on the artist’s mission, responsibility, duty and position in society- sometimes enforced, sometimes self-imposed. Each artist has worked individually from a personal standpoint on an individual basis as well as with the vision of how things ideally could be.
The origins of the project is the desire to explore and discuss the differences as well as the similarities in working conditions for artists in China and Sweden.
We have a desire to, through this exchange, as artists achieve greater awareness of each others lives and our respective communities.
The only common language for the participants in this project have been the imagery. The language barrier made written communication sparse and poor. Initially, we have communicated through short videos on a chat forum, a channel open and possible in a Chinese – Swedish communication. It has given us the opportunity to learn from each others. These videos have then been merged into a joint work on show in the gallery.
The exhibition features the collaborative video as well as individual video works, installations, collages, photographic works, drawings and documentation of performances.
The project part one has been hold at Studio 44 in Stockholm last Aug and Sep, now ready to present the project part two at TCG Nordica, the 9th of Sep, 8pm, welcome!

opening performance “am I a refugee?” by Luo Fei, Studio 44, Stockholm, 2016 (photo by Anna-Britta Sandberg)

“艺术家的角色与规则(二)”——中国-瑞典当代艺术交流展

项目发起人:罗菲、玛德琳·阿雷曼
策展人:罗菲
策展执行:王蓓
中国艺术家:雷燕、罗菲、薛滔、资佰
瑞典艺术家:瑞卡德·法利伍(Rikard Fåhraeus)、玛德琳·阿雷曼(Madeleine Aleman)、杰妮卡·布朗塔斯(Jannike Brantås)、于尔娃·林德伯格(Ylva Landoff Lindberg)

开幕式:2017年9月9日,周六晚8点
开幕式行为表演:杰妮卡·布朗塔斯、玛德琳·阿雷曼
展览时间:2017年9月9日——2017年10月8日,周一至周六11:00——21:00,周日闭馆
地址:昆明市西山区西坝路101号,创库艺术社区TCG诺地卡文化中心

主办:TCG诺地卡文化中心
合作机构:Studio 44(瑞典斯德哥尔摩)、昆明理工大学城市学院

学术讲座《艺术家的角色与规则》
时间:2017年9月7日晚7点至9点
地点:昆明理工大学城市学院报告厅
主持人:罗菲
主讲:玛德琳·阿雷曼、瑞卡德·法利伍、杰妮卡·布朗塔斯

关于 艺术家的角色与规则
每位艺术家的独立创作都是基于个人底线与立场,也是对理想世界的想象。“艺术家的角色与规则”是一个关于艺术家的使命、责任和社会姿态的展览,这些定位有时是被动的,有时则是自我设定的。
项目的初衷是中国和瑞典的艺术家们渴望通过探索和讨论不同条件下的艺术家的差异性和相似性。
我们有一种渴望,通过此次交流项目,作为艺术家能获得对他人以及各自社群更广阔的认识。
语言障碍使得书面交流十分稀缺,在这个项目中参与者之间唯一的共同语言是图像。最初,我们通过在微信群里发布短视频来交流,这对中国和瑞典艺术家来说都是一种开放的可能性。通过这种交流我们也彼此认识互相学习。这些视频目前已经被合并成了一件集体作品在画廊展出。
“艺术家的角色与规则”展览将包括一件集体录像作品以及艺术家个人的录像、装置、拼贴、摄影、绘画以及行为艺术文献等作品。
该项目已于2016年8月在瑞典斯德哥尔摩Studio44画廊正式启动,今年9月9日该项目的中国部分将在昆明TCG诺地卡文化中心进行,八位艺术家将带来不同形式的艺术文化交流活动。9月7日晚7点艺术家们将在昆明理工大学城市学院进行学术交流讲座。欢迎大家踊跃参加!

了解更多:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BpkO2uuPK5qObbZE97dIQg

探寻精神性的艺术表达:关于雷燕《圣物》系列

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

探寻精神性的艺术表达
——关于雷燕《圣物》系列

文/罗 菲

维也纳史学派的艺术史学家德沃夏克(Max Dvorak, 1874–1921)这样表述艺术与精神的关系:要理解任何一个时期的艺术,关键是要了解这个时期的精神史。他的这种研究方法和视野被后人称为“作为精神史的艺术史”。但这并非将艺术当做时代精神的容器,而是将艺术放在文化史背景中去解读。这一视野同样有助于我们理解发生在当代,尤其是中国特定精神处境中的艺术实践。在一个社会整体精神陷入虚无主义、物质崇拜和平庸之恶的废墟时代,艺术家作为个体,如何在艺术表达中确立精神的存在和价值?这里我们以雷燕的艺术作为个案来观察其探寻生活意义的精神性艺术表达。

自1997年脱离部队美术题材创作以来,雷燕作为一名独立艺术家,从事以摄影、装置、软雕塑等形式为主的艺术创作,作品题材涉及颇广,自传、战争、历史、环境、性别、记忆、日常生活以及诸多当下热点议题。雷燕擅长在各种议题、材料和形式方面开展实验,并且她的作品往往能在个人记忆与公共记忆之间、历史与当下之间、暴力与诗意之间,唤起人们心灵的共鸣,一种温柔的精神慰藉。能产生如此慰藉的其中一个内在因素,是艺术家对逝去生命与时光的缅怀和尊重,这在“假如”系列图片(2006)、《子弹穿过年轻的心》(2006)、《冰冻红色》(2006)、《冰冻青春》(2007)、《我要怎样保护你》(2010)、《十五岁的夏天》(2012)、《十年之殇》(2012)、《消失的影像》(2012)、《迷失的鸟》(2012)、《小灵魂》(2013)等作品里都有明确表达。在无法把握甚至被强制抹去的现实境遇里,纪念,已然成为艺术表达的良知,以此克服艺术成为消遣与遗忘。

雷燕 图片《冰冻红色》2006

雷燕 图片《冰冻红色》2006

雷燕《我要怎样保护你》材料 硫酸纸 2009

雷燕《我要怎样保护你》材料 硫酸纸 2009

雷燕 图片《小灵魂》 2013

雷燕 图片《小灵魂》 2013

在雷燕最近的作品《圣物》系列中,艺术家延续着她在手工造物和材料方面的兴趣,她用硫酸纸塑造了与原物等大的镰刀、斧头、手榴弹、迫击炮弹、军用水壶、军号、烛台以及各式各样的水瓶水壶。它们中有劳动工具以及所指向的共*/产*/主义符号,有军事武器、装备,也有极为简朴的生活用具。这些物件对于有着30年从军经历的雷燕来说,并非只是作为符号或略带怀旧美学的样式加以运用,而是她非常熟悉的身边之物,这些物件几乎陪伴了她一生。这些功能彼此迥异的物件——《圣物》,由于共同的材料、相似的形态和统一的精神指向,成为一个整体,并竖立在雷燕个人的精神历程中。

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

圣物在现代文化语境里有两层意思,一种圣物(relic)指纪念物、遗迹、遗骸、废墟、残片、不朽之物,近似于纪念碑。另一种圣物(halidom)指分别为圣的带有宗教属性的神圣之物、神圣之所,人不能越界触碰,在现代世俗国家,这种神圣性被转移到了国家主权身上。雷燕的那些物件本身,同时具备两者。首先它们作为第一种圣物,即对她个人甚至一个时代而言都具有特殊纪念意义的物品,上世纪50至80年代特有的生产工具、军事装备、风格样式,它们身上有自身强烈的时代印记。对自己过往生活遗留物和历史图像的再运用,在雷燕以往许多作品中都出现过,如《假如他们是女人》(2002)、《冰冻红色》(2006)、《冰冻青春》(2007)、《子弹穿过年轻的心》(2006)、《迷彩布造》系列(2007–2009)等。她把自己和战友多年存放的军装、领章、肩章、日记、旧照片、历史图像加以改造成高度个人化的艺术图式。这种在艺术创作中对自身经历过的人与物的追忆,在记忆库中不断提取材料,带有自传色彩的艺术表达,在许多云南艺术家身上都有共同体现,这与完全根植于学科化的艺术逻辑而展开的创作方式有很大区别,这使得艺术家对自身心灵的反馈能力极为敏感,并对其保持真诚。同时,作为上世纪50年代在中国出生、从军,甚至来自军人世家的人而言,那个年代最神圣的职业毫无疑问就是军人,最神圣的理想就是实现共*产*主义,解放全人类。其身份的神圣性在于军人作为中国无产阶级革命历史叙述里的核心成员之一(另外两个是工人和农民),拥有极高的革命先进性,坚决维护历经百年战乱后的现代民族国家的主权和政权合法性。其理想的神圣性源于上世纪全球资本主义与社会主义两大意识形态对抗中,社会主义社会对自身政治信仰的无限崇拜,并将其当做人类的终极目标。因此那些镰刀、斧头、军号、水壶、烛台、瓶罐,一方面指向个人经验和历史的遗留物,另一方面也指向特定政治叙事中的“神圣之物”。只是此刻这些历史处境里的“圣物”,在艺术家个人精神历程和艺术语言的转述中,已然生成为另一种陌生化的对象。

这组由纸做成的《圣物》俨如纪念碑群耸立在艺术家个人的精神成长史中。硫酸纸是一种质地坚硬薄膜型的材料,白色稍微透明,可塑性强,它被艺术家塑造成特定物品后,经过特意搓揉变得褶皱,使它们显得有些历经沧桑和干瘪,视觉纹理上与石碑相近,但却很轻,可以看到里面空无一物。在相关的摄影作品里,它们大多以竖立的方式摆放,以略微仰视的视角呈现。从那些朴素的瓶子罐子,可以看出雷燕向莫兰迪的致敬。只是莫兰迪式的宗教情怀在雷燕这里得到了更加具体的发挥。

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

那些物件在塑造过程中被提炼稍微拉长,形成尖顶状,如哥特式教堂,雷燕也非常谨慎地选择那些带有尖顶形式的物件进入画面。在这一点上,我们看到雷燕在近年的创作中对尖顶式哥特教堂样式的运用,如《净土》(2014)、《殇》(2014),以及最为典型的是她另一件装置作品《黑色哥特》(2013),这是用女人头发和线织成的3.6米高的女人裙子。雷燕通过简化物体形式,与哥特教堂尖顶风格融为一体。这里,我们看到艺术家个人艺术语言的发展轨迹,以及她从个人生活追忆转向精神性诉求的心灵活动轨迹。这种精神上的诉求使得雷燕在《圣物》里舍弃了过往作品里的迷彩图案,任何可能造成干扰的叙事性画面或观念,舍弃了带有玩偶设计意味的手工布造,取而代之的是单纯的形式感、明确的精神指向以及简练的制作手法。这是艺术家在追求精神性表达时所作出的取舍,正如画家从具象走向抽象所作出的取舍一样。艺术上的重新定向,来源于精神上的重新定向。精神直接诉诸精神。此时艺术家的精神资源不再止于特定的政治意识形态崇拜,开始向莫兰迪式的宗教静默和上达穹苍的哥特精神靠近。

雷燕《黑色哥特》,材料:女人头发、线,2013年

雷燕《黑色哥特》,材料:女人头发、线,2013年

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

在幽暗的背景中,这些灰白色的哥特式物件直入云霄,肃穆而诗意,以至于令人想到死。在中国,白纸做的花往往用来祭奠死去的人。这里也象征着艺术家对过往生活、已死观念的祭奠与警示,从而可以展望未来。死亡,是人类精神议题中最核心的问题,死亡究竟意味着必朽还是不朽?这些散落的纸做的形同纪念碑一样的《圣物》,轻盈而坚挺,易皱却又可塑,它们与为了纪念不朽而采用花岗岩凿成的纪念碑绝不相同,似乎这些《圣物》从一开始就是为了让人看见其必朽而成为的不朽之物。

在必朽与不朽之间发问,在重与轻之间颠倒。在这组整体视觉上被加强了的废墟感的纪念碑群中,谁能不朽,历史将往何处去……精神性艺术表达往往激发人们展开一些至关重要的价值反思。

要理解任何一个时期的艺术,关键是要了解这个时期的精神史。要理解一个人的艺术,同样要了解这个人的精神史。在经历了前现代革命与后现代困境之后,艺术家作为人,如何重新抓住生活的意义?我们所经历的自相矛盾的一切究竟意味着什么?这些追问或将伴随艺术家一生。而雷燕选择在她个人与历史的遗留物中,在已然逝去的观念和正在萌发的精神诉求中继续剥离,直到看见不朽。所谓精神性的艺术表达,就是对不朽和必朽做出回应。

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕《圣物》2016

雷燕的作品流露出她对已然逝去的人、物、观念和时光的伤感,对细致入微手工劳作的热爱,以及对精神性表达的探寻。这些作品在中国当代艺术景观中作为一个细微的局部,我们可以看到中国艺术家在价值废墟现实中的自我审视与精神探寻。

因着雷燕个人艺术语言的提炼和精神转向,这些《圣物》不再是历史遗留的残片,也不是宗教或政治意义上不可侵犯的主权象征,而是从个人生活、历史残片和后现代多元文化视野中蜕化出来的精神性样本。因此,与其说那些纸做的《圣物》是雕塑,是对原物的模仿,不如说它们是从原物中蜕下来的一层皮。原物早已不在此处。语言与它所指事物的脱离,如同狡猾的蛇从自身的皮蜕离一样。现实已经逃脱,我们能抓住的,只是它一层一层的皮。历史也已蜕去,我们能抓住的,只是其中留下的脆弱的精神寓意,又被命名为《圣物》。那么,当我们说“圣物”的时候,我们究竟是在说什么?

2016年9月5日 昆明

leiyan-poster400

桥梁:一个连接瑞典和中国艺术家的项目

桥梁

一个连接瑞典和中国艺术家的项目
……日常事件、运动模式、生命线……

展览简介:
“桥梁”让你想到什么?连接、互通、交叉、传输、跨界、互动、彼此了解、信任、没有阻碍……我们希望让一切有障碍的、被遗忘的事物和人能够连接在一起。

2010年10月8日,国庆收假的第一个周末,昆明创库TCG诺地卡画廊将为大家带来一个名为“桥梁”的艺术展,展览源于一个名为“桥梁”的艺术项目,由四位瑞典艺术家发起,与居住在云南的七位中国艺术家共同合作的艺术项目,旨在通过艺术方式为不同文化、记忆和国度的人群搭建相互认识、沟通和信任的桥梁。(更多项目详情附后)

参展艺术家出生于不同的时代和国家,有上世纪40年代50年代的中坚力量,也有70后80后的新生代群体,因为艺术相遇在一起,寻求互信与合作,在一起创作展出。此次展览包含一件以中国艺术家与瑞典艺术家共同合作完成的关于彼此国家印象的集体装置作品,也包括了每位艺术家以“桥梁”为主题的个人作品,它们有关童年记忆、个人经历、信仰、民族、文化以及当下发生的公共事件,展出作品囊括了装置艺术、录像艺术、互联网艺术、行为艺术等新兴艺术样式,也包括绘画、摄影、雕塑等传统艺术样式。此次展览将是今年云南艺术群体与国际艺术家合作展出的重要事件,也是近年来云南本土展览中艺术样式最为丰富的一次展览。而此次在昆明创库TCG诺地卡画廊的展览只是“桥梁”项目的第一站,该项目将会在明年夏天于瑞典乌普萨拉博物馆艺术家们合作创作的另一部分。值得我们期待!

项目协调人(瑞典):
Kajsa Haglund
Anders Rönnlund
Sanne Sihm
Johan Fremling

展览策展人:罗菲

参展艺术家:Kajsa Haglund, Anders Rönnlund, Sanne Sihm, Johan Fremling, 和丽斌, 郭鹏, 程良春, 苏亚碧,孙国娟, 雷燕, 罗菲

展览开幕酒会: 2010年10月8日(周五)晚上8点
展览档期:2010年10月8日——10月30日

展览地址:昆明创库TCG诺地卡画廊(昆明西坝路10号)
电话:0871-4114692
网址:http://www.tcgnordica.com

桥梁

孟安娜,Arts Nordica(www.artsnordica.com)国际文化协调员,2007年春天与乌普萨拉Kajsa Haglund取得联系。孟安娜长期工作和居住在昆明,同吴月蓉女士共同建立了一个北欧—中国文化中心——TCG诺地卡。今天这个文化中心正在由吴月蓉女士、中国艺术家以及TCG诺地卡共同带领着。

以下的艺术家已经收到由TCG诺地卡画廊总监罗菲(同时也是策展人、艺术家)发出的正式邀请。展览开幕式定在2010年 10月 8日。

瑞典受邀到艺术家是:
Kajsa Haglund
Anders Rönnlund
Sanne Sihm
Johan Fremling
所有瑞典参展艺术家均是专职艺术家,KRO(瑞典国家艺术家组织)的成员。

中国参展的艺术家是:
和丽斌 艺术家/云南艺术学院教师
郭鹏 艺术家
程良春  艺术家,文化协调人
孙国娟 艺术家
苏亚碧 艺术家/大理艺术学院教师
雷燕 艺术家
罗菲 策展人/艺术家

项目宗旨:

随艺术活动的展开,我们将测试和分析如何深入发展两种文化间的合作,以及建立互信。我们希望改变态度,找出交点,通过画展和两国孩子的教育工作为共同探讨创造机会。这个艺术事件将同中国艺术家合作,最后促成在中国和瑞典举办的两次展览。作为艺术家的我们能否通过创作来贡献一种更好的理解方式?我们希望通过对话,使用或不使用词语,来达到反思。通过艺术项目有没有可能达到态度的转换和开启其他感官?我们的目标是用积极的对话来搭建跨界的桥梁。

实现:

基础方案已经设定;瑞典艺术家将会到昆明TCG诺地卡同中国艺术家共同完成主题为:“日常事件、运动模式、生命轨迹”的展览。之后,2011年的秋天,中国艺术家到瑞典举办同样主题的展览。

已取得联系的展览机构有:画廊1(乌普萨拉,艺术家俱乐部),Theatre画廊,Bror Hjorths博物馆,乌普萨拉艺术博物馆以及图书馆。

在学校举办的工作成果展示将在昆明和瑞典的乌普萨拉进行。教育方面的作品将由儿童作品组成,以“生活中的一天”为主题,以系列直观的形式呈现。

推进:

孟安娜和罗菲挑选了合作的艺术家。初步行程是瑞典艺术家2010年在中国做展览,开幕式定于10月8日,中国艺术家于2011年到瑞典做展览。准确时间会在与相关机构的合作中确定。

目标群体:

我们希望通过展览和工作展示关注两国的孩子、学生以及生存在郊区和边远地区的人。我们将用相同的方式来管理中国的工作展示。

预期成果:

在两个国家、两国人民之间建立积极的对话。我们期待一次中瑞文化间的积极交流和创造性对话。希望能通过“桥梁”这个项目找到两个国家之间的共同点。通过聚焦共同点我们将为对话、互相了解和包容差异创造更多机会。我们将通过展览、会议、工作展示和指南册传播信息、经验及成果。

BRIDGES

An art project between Swedish and Chinese artists
… everyday events, movement patterns, lifelines …

Project Coordinators:
Kajsa Haglund
Anders Rönnlund
Sanne Sihm
Johan Fremling

Exhibition Curator:
Luo Fei

Artists:
Kajsa Haglund, Anders Rönnlund, Sanne Sihm, Johan Fremling, He Libin, GuoPeng, Cheng Liangchun, Su Yabi, Sun Guojuan, Lei Yan, Luo Fei

Exhibition Opening: 20:00, 8th of Oct, 2010
Duration: 8th of Oct — 30th of Oct, 2010

Address: TCG Nordica Gallery, Chuangku, xibalu 101, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Tel: 0871-4114692
Web: http://www.tcgnordica.com

BRIDGES

Anna Mellergård, Cultural Coordinator at Arts Nordica, www.artsnordica.com, took in the spring of 2007 contact with Kajsa Haglund in Uppsala. Anna Mellergård which for a long period of time, has lived and worked in Kunming, China founded together with Wu Yue Rong TCG Nordica, a Nordic-Chinese Culture center. Today the cultural centre leads by Wu Yue Rong with the Chinese artists ‘ Corps and TCG Nordica.The following artists have now received an official invitation from Luo Fei, curator and artist and cultural Coordinator at TCG Nordica, Kunming, China.The opening of the exhibition will be on 8/10/2010.

The invited artists from Sweden are:
Kajsa Haglund
Anders Rönnlund
Sanne Sihm
Johan Fremling

All Swedish artists are professional artists and members of the KRO, artists ‘ National organization. The Chinese artists participating in the project are:
He Libin, teacher at art school
Guo Peng, artist
Cheng Liangchun, artist, cultural Coordinator
Su Yabi, artist, teacher at Dali Art college
Sun Guojuan, artist
Lei Yan, artist
Luo Fei, curator, artist

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

by means of artistic processes, examine and analyze how a cooperation between the two cultures can be developed, as well as create understanding. We want to change attitudes, find out what unites and create conditions for meetings through our art exhibitions and through the educational work with children in both countries. The artistic process is carried out in cooperation with the Chinese artists, resulting in two joint exhibitions, in China and Sweden. Can we as artists through our jobs offer a contribution to a better understanding? We wish to work with dialog, with or without words, in order to reach the reflection and reflection. Can we as artists through our jobs, to play with a bet for better understanding? We wish to work with dialog, with or without words, in order to reach reflection. Is it possible to change attitudes and open other senses through artistic projects? Our desire is to build bridges across borders by creating a creative dialogue.

IMPLEMENTING

A common concept has been developed; the Swedish artists will travel to TCG Nordica In Kunming and together with the Chinese artists organize an exhibition on the theme: everyday events, movement patterns, lifelines. Later, in the fall of 2011, when the Chinese artists come to Sweden we will set up a joint exhibition of the same theme.Contact has been taken with the following institutions for an exhibition: Gallery 1 (Uppsala, the artists ‘ Club), Theatre Gallery, Bror Hjorths Museum, Uppsala Art Museum and libraries across the County.Workshops in schools will take place both in Kunming and in Uppsala County, Sweden. The educational work will consist of the childrens work in serialized visualized form: “A day in my life.”An image story without words. The Swedish report is read from left to right, and the Chinese from right to left. In the middle of the book there will be a meeting and a bridge has been built.

APPROACH

Anna Mellergård and Luo Fei contributes with their Chinese contacts and has selected the Chinese artists that we cooperate with. Preliminary schedule is that the Swedish artists exhibit in China by 2010, with opening 8/10, and that the Chinese artists come to Sweden for an exhibition in 2011. Exact date will be determined in cooperation with the relevant institutions.

THE TARGET GROUP

We want through exhibitions and workshops turn to children, students, people in rural and urban areas in both countries. We will conduct workshops in China as well as in Sweden.

THE EXPECTED RESULTS

To create a positive dialogue between our two countries and people and countries in General. We expect an active Exchange and a creative dialogue between Chinese and Swedish culture. We hope through the project BRIDGES found similarities between our countries. By focusing on what unites, we create greater opportunities for conversations and, therefore, understanding and more tolerance for differences. We will disseminate information, experiences and results through exhibition, meetings, workshops, and directory.

革命浪漫主义考古与迷彩的隐喻

革命浪漫主义考古与迷彩的隐喻
——读雷燕近作有感

在解读雷燕的近期两组作品《冰冻系列》和《迷彩布造》之前,需要了解有两个相关背景知识,一是雷燕作为有着30年从军生涯的女兵(1970—2001),退伍之后进驻昆明当代艺术社区“创库”建立其工作室,她经历了从传统美术手法创作部队题材转入使用图片、装置、录像等媒材进行当代艺术创作的过程,而军旅生涯里的任何物品和事件都足以构成她当下创作的主要素材。二是,中国当代艺术家对毛泽东时代(主要指上个世纪50—70年代)的追忆与反思从未停息,毛及其时代的符号与形象在每个时期都会在艺术家的述说方式中出现,这既是在信仰缺席的年代艺术家无法回避的“激情燃烧的岁月”史实,也是一种对未来的追问。在了解了这些背景之后,我们便可以展开对雷燕近作的解读。

雷燕,冰冻青春系列,2007

《冰冻系列》:革命浪漫主义考古

雷燕的《冰冻系列》是把一些部队物品以及毛时代的典型物件冰冻起来,如袖徽、领袖像、红宝书、红卫兵肩章、军装、红旗、女兵照片等,然后给冰下隐约可见的上述物品拍照。艺术家通过对特殊年代典型符号与物件的冰冻封存,在若隐若现的距离中凝视历史样本,流露出淡淡的忧伤,以此勾起人们对那段岁月的追忆与反思。

在《冰冻系列》里有两条线索我们可以看到,一条是《冰冻红色》系列,以毛时代典型物件与部队物品等素材作为叙述主体,就是那些袖徽、领袖像、红宝书、红卫兵标附、军装、红旗等等,它们不仅是一些标识或配饰,也是那个年代的精神素材,作为在共产主义信念下有理想有激情、以集体荣誉感为个人价值观的人,手里必须具备这些素材与文本,它们是那个年代人们政治生活的一个缩影,一个激情燃烧岁月的缩影,也是雷燕30年军旅生涯的一个缩影。然而这些物件在雷燕所搁置的冰体之中,由于折射、距离,还有温度,呈现出十分陌生的历史质感与形态,局部的变形扭曲、模糊黯淡,在冰层的隔离下寒冷而不可触摸,仿佛前世的信物,还有在冰下封存所带来考古般地联想,这一切都营造出一种对革命激情年代的伤感,还有对精神光辉远逝的缅怀。

另一组是《冰冻青春》,叙述主体是一些女兵照片,其中有个人肖像、半身像,有的是雷燕自己,大多是她的战友,那些正值青春的少女们,个个含情脉脉,有的显得稍沉郁,有的只是茫茫然,有的则站着那个年代的经典姿势,肩上挎着布包或手握机枪,昂首挺胸,一腔热血的面孔,站在柳树底下英姿飒爽。其中也有几张是部队集体合影,那些清纯的眸子里都流露着青春女性的理想和憧憬,微微笑,脉脉含情,对未来没有半点迟疑,典型的革命浪漫主义表情。而这些各色的表情与精神状态,还有经典的姿势,都被凝固在冷峻的冰块里,被强制降温,同样寒冷而不可触摸,满腔激情与清纯的理想在冷酷的冰块中骤然远去,它们俨然是一批毛时代的考古样本展示在世人面前。

上述被冰冻的物件都是雷燕在军旅生涯里存留下来的,大多保存完好,这些物件和照片于我们大多数人而言只是某个时期概念化的图象记忆,而那些具体的面孔和温度,更像外婆床底下某个箱子里的家当,是母亲为女儿存下来的。当这些物件和照片以冰冻的方式呈现的时候,它们被赋予了新的观念,那就是从一个女兵的私人记忆与情愫里展开了对公共图象和历史的记忆,以及对这片土地上的信念、精神光辉等终极问题的缅怀。

如果说政治波普艺术是“借助西方消费文化在中国产生的冲击波,把毛时代的‘神圣式政治’变成大众化的反讽式的政治思潮”(栗宪庭语),并且在今天政治波普艺术在商业中媚态化地走向末路的时候,那么像雷燕这样的艺术家对毛时代进行个体化的诗学情境叙述则是回到艺术与心灵的起点:让个人真实的感动以个性化的语言叙述出来,而非追随既定的群体风格,这是对政治波普风格的回应与超越。

雷燕,迷彩布造,2007

《迷彩布造》:有关迷彩的隐喻

如果说《冰冻系列》是对过去毛时代及其精神光辉的缅怀与伤感,那么《迷彩布造》则是对当下日常情境的具体干预。雷燕同样继续采用部队物品作为素材,这些素材对于一个有着30年从军生涯的人来说再熟悉不过了。只是在这个系列里对部队素材的使用显然与《冰冻系列》有所区别,部队素材在《冰冻系列》中属于挪用的范畴,直接把现成品镶入冰块中使其产生观念语境和视觉质感上的变化,而《迷彩布造》则是对部队迷彩军服图案的转化与延伸。

这个系列雷燕采用迷彩布料手工缝纫一些物件和场景,物件如:相机、电脑、茶壶、花瓶、杯子、托盘、电话、高跟鞋、五角星等等,只是身边信手拈来之物,通过比较概括的体块归纳出物体的基本造型,缝纫出来的物体可塑性较强,有一定的伸缩度,由于手工缝纫与塑型等工序,这组作品近似于手工艺品与雕塑之间。加之迷彩图案本身所具备的符号性特征,使得那些被重新塑造之后的日常物品像是被迷彩附体,具备了攻击性与迷惑性的观念特征。

而在一组迷彩场景中,有关迷彩观念的隐喻则更加突出。雷燕在迷彩布面上用迷彩布料缝纫出一幅普通家庭场景:一张方桌、板凳、花瓶、相框里模糊的两个人、一只趴着的猫。另外一幅是梳妆台的场景。这两幅画面塑造得近似于浮雕,这些场景只是我们平凡日子里的任何一天,并没有戏剧性的瞬间。人/物/景,都被迷彩附体,在迷彩图案背景下,被塑造的人/物/景完全融入迷彩之中,它们也因此赋予迷彩本身的含义和隐喻,所有人/物/景的形象边缘线都被迷彩图案干扰、消解、诱导,它们变得不易识别、没有特征、没有个性、没有话语权……于此可以展开一场有关迷彩的隐喻,有关女性身份与家庭以及自怜情结的隐喻。女性在繁琐冗杂的家庭事务中如何活出自身的独特生命力?女性如何脱离闺阁更开放地走向社会?这是雷燕有关《迷彩布造》的隐喻和思考。

迷彩作为符号性极强的军事图案被女性艺术家纳入观念艺术素材,如果不是雷燕自身对其军旅生涯的深刻体验,她是无法产生如此深刻的观念性反思的。正是由于这样的经历,我们在《迷彩布造》中看到那些被塑造物体消失在迷彩环境中所产生的双重隐喻,除了上述外部力量对其干扰和消解以外,也指向了被塑主体的内部危机:一个人,被赋予迷彩的含义,她(他)在具备迷惑性与防守性的同时,也在某种程度上具备了被异化的风险,极易丧失自我个性和独特生命力,这或许是雷燕对军人身份以及人性伪装行为的思考。而作为女性艺术家的雷燕,并未在这场异化力量中被消解,反而从中获得独特视野和创造力,在和雷燕的交谈中她说到:“无论我们在哪里,我们都要为自己心灵留一扇窗户,朝着内心最真实的地方,以便自己与心灵对话,守住心里那份清纯与激情”。而她所经历过的革命激情岁月对精神光辉的仰望,和军旅生涯里对集体及他人的关注,不仅成为她艺术创作的素材和观念泉源,也拓展了她的生命体验,她并没有停留在那些素材和手工缝纫情结之中,而在是艺术体验里创造出更加深邃的世界。

罗菲
2007年10月

雷燕,冰冻红色系列,2006

An Archaeological Tour of Revolutionary Romanticism and the Metaphor of Camouflage
— My views on Ms. Lei Yan’s latest works

text: Luo Fei

Before the interpretations of the two groups of recent works by Ms. Lei Yan – “Frozen Series” and “Camouflage Cloth-making”, we should know of two relevant background factors. One is that she was a female soldier in the army for 30 years (1970-2001); after retiring from the army, she joined the Kunming contemporary art community “Chuangku” to set up her own studio. Lei Yan has experienced a transformation from the traditional art practices of creation of military art subjects to the use of pictures, equipment, video and other mediums for the creation of contemporary art works; each article and event could sufficiently constitute the main raw material for her current artwork. Secondly, the retrospection and reflection on the Mao Zedong era (from the 1950s-1970s) by Chinese contemporary artists has never ceased. In each period, Mao and his era’s symbols and images appeared in these artists’ narrating methods, which not only is the historical fact of the” Passion Burning Years” that the artists cannot be avoided when the faith got lost, but also a kind of inquiry about the future. After knowing about this background, we can better understand the interpretations of the latest works by Lei Yan.

“Frozen Series”: An Archaeological Tour of Revolutionary Romanticism

In Lei Yan’s “Frozen Series,” the artist has literally frozen some typical military articles and items of the Mao era, such as sleeve emblems, leader badges, Little Red Books, Red Guards shoulder badges, military uniforms, red flags, and female soldiers’ photographs. These items have been photographed and can be seen dimly under the ice. By freezing the typical symbols and items of those special years, the artist is staring at the historical samples from a nebulous distance with a tinge of desolation, and arousing people’s retrospection and reflection on that period of time.

As we can see, there are two main ideas in the “Frozen Series.” One is the “Frozen Reds,” which uses military articles and items typical of the Mao era as the narrating subjects (I would delete that list because you just spelled it out in the previous paragraph). These items are not only merely logos or decorations, but also the faith of that era. As someone who was filled with ideals and passions collective honors as his/her own values under the belief in communism, he/she had to possess these materials and contents, which represent a miniature of the people’s political life in that period of time, a miniature of the “Passion Burning Years”, and also a miniature of Lei Yan’s 30 years of military life. However, because of the factors of refraction, distance, and temperature, the items, which were frozen in ice by Lei Yan, display a learner of historical texture and shape. The partial deformation and distortion, blurring and dimness, chilliness and isolation caused by the ice layer, the seeming keepsakes from preexistence, and the archaeological-like association of ideas inspired by the sealing under ice, all have built a sort of longing for the time of revolutionary passions, and a reminiscence of the vanished spirits and resplendency.

The other is “Frozen Youth,” whose narrating subjects are photographs of female soldiers including personal portraits and busts. Some are of Lei Yan herself, but most of them are her comrades-in-arms. These tender girls of youthful spirit exude different emotions, from depression to loneliness. Some stand in a pose that was typical during that period of time, with a bag on shoulder or a machine gun in hand, head held high and standing erect; their faces show a passion of soldier. Among these photographs are several of military groups, showing pure eyes filled with the young girls’ ideals and longings, smiles with tenderness and without the slightest hesitation for the future. This was the typical expression of revolutionary romanticism. However, all of these various expressions and spirit states, with the addition of the classic pose, have been frozen into the cold ice and forced to drop temperature down, cold as well as out-of-reach, the high enthusiasm and innocent ideals are suddenly disappearing far away in the cold ice, which contains the memories of Mao era.

Most of the above-mentioned frozen objects, which were collected during Lei Yan’s military career, were well kept by her. To most of us, these items and photographs are merely conceptualized images, memories of a certain period, but those specific faces and that temperature are more like family belongings in some box underneath grandmother’s bed, which are kept by a mother for her daughter. When these objects and photographs are displayed in this way, frozen in ice, they have been endowed with new conceptions: the memory of the public images, the history belonging to a female soldier from her private memory and feelings, and the reminiscence of ultimate issues such as faith to the land, spirits and resplendency.

If political pop art is “using the shock waves made by the western consumption culture in China, and turning the ‘sacred politics’ of Mao era into a popular and ironic political idea”(Li Xianting), and current political pop art is walking downward to its dead end via commercial obsequiousness, then artists including Lei Yan are going back to the starting point for art and soul by using a personal and poetic feeling to narrate the Mao era: let the real impression be explained via personal language instead of following the established group’s style; it is a response to and surpassing of political pop art.

“Camouflage Cloth-making”: The Metaphors Related to Camouflage

If the “Frozen Series” is the reminiscence and sadness of the bygone Mao era and its spirits and resplendency, then “Camouflage Cloth-making” is the specific intervention to the current daily situation. Just like before, Lei Yan uses military goods as subjects, which are very familiar to a person who had a 30 year military career. However, the use of military goods in this series is different from the use in the “Frozen Series.” The military goods in the “Frozen Series” belong to the section of borrowing, directly embedding the goods into ice to bring out the changes of conception, context and visual texture, but “Camouflage Cloth-making” is the conversion and extension of military camouflage uniforms and patterns.

In this series, Lei Yan uses camouflage fabric to make hand-sewn items and scenes such as cameras, computers, teapots, vases, cups, trays, telephones, high heels, five-pointed stars and so on, reflecting daily materials at hand. Setting up the items’ basic models by using the more outlines, the sewn items have more plasticity and some flexibility. Considering of the procedures of hand-sewing and modeling, this series of works has features of both handicrafts and sculpture. What is more, the symbolic features owned by the camouflage patterns themselves, make the remodeled daily goods look more like attached by the camouflage with the features of aggression and delusion.

In one group of camouflage scenes, the metaphor related to the camouflage concept is more obvious. In the camouflage cloth, Lei Yan has sewn camouflage material into an ordinary family scene: a square table, a bench, a vase, two blurring persons in the picture frame and a crouching dog. Another one is the scene of a dressing table. These two scenes are modeled like reliefs, which merely present any day in our ordinary life without any dramatic moment. Persons, goods and scenes are attached to the camouflage; the persons, goods and scenes that are modeled have completely mixed into the camouflage, and therefore they are endowed with the meaning and metaphor of camouflage itself. The edge lines of all persons, goods and scenes are interfered, thawed and guided by camouflage patterns and become undistinguishable, characterless, without personality and liberty of speech… so a metaphor related to camouflage, related to women’s identity and family and self-pity, is begun. How should women live on their own unique vitality out of the trivial and various household affairs? How should women be more open from their bedrooms into the society? And this is the metaphor and reflection of “Camouflage Cloth-making” made by Lei Yan.

As a strong symbol of the military patterns, camouflage has been absorbed into the conception art materials by the female artist. Lei Yan would never had have such a profound reflection of concept if she hadn’t had her own deep experience in her military career. It is precisely because of this experience that we have seen the double metaphors generated from the modeled objects disappearing into the camouflage environment. In addition to the interfering and thawing from external forces, it also points at the internal crisis of the modeled object: a person, bestowed with the camouflage meaning, while she (he) has the delusive and defensive edges, in some extent she (he) also faces the risk of dissimilation, of being prone to lose her/his personality and unique vitality. Maybe that is Lei Yan’s pondering of the military status and the behaviors of human camouflage. However, as a female artist, Lei Yan has not been thawed by the power of dissimilation; on the contrary, she has gained a unique vision and creativity from these. During a talking with Lei Yan she said: “wherever we are, we should leave a window for our soul, facing the most real place of heart to talk with your own soul and hold on the innocence and passion under there.” And her experience during the years of revolutionary enthusiasm and the attention to the people around during her military career, not only becomes the source of material and concept for art creation, but also expands her life experience; she does not rest on the complex of these material and hand-sewing, but creates a more abstruse world in the art experience.

Luo Fei, 2007