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DING Yi, <Appearance of Crosses 1989-7>, Acrylic on canvas, 100x120cm, 1989
DING Yi, <Appearance of Crosses 1989-11>, Acrylic on canvas, 100x160cm, 1989
DING Yi, <Appearance of Crosses 1991-1>, Acrylic on canvas, 120x140cm, 1991
[China] DING Yi Appearance of Crosses 1989-7 Appearance of Crosses 1989-11 Appearance of Crosses 1991-1
As a pioneer in experimenting with abstraction in China, Ding Yi departed from the narrative in the 1980s to embark on a path of abstraction. Appearance of the Crosses series began in 1988, as the “cross” represented the unimaginable terminology and symbol in the printing industry. Ding Yi aimed to filter out all traces of reality in order to allow painting to return to its essence of form and spirit. His “cross” and the derivation of “x”, a meaningless symbol, are representations of structure and reason on the image that reflect the essence of the subject matter. Ding integrates common artistic mediums, transferring the “cross” direct onto the canvas that establishes different perspective and visual effects. The densely distributed “crosses” explore a spatial relationship of the image from a rational approach. The orderly distribution replaces the brushstroke while suggesting a habitual yet oppressed experience. Colorful lines or shapes scattered throughout the space on canvas, engendering rich yet arbitrariness within its inner logic. All of Ding Yi’s works are entitled Appearance of the Crosses followed by the year of creation and a serial number, documenting the urban transformation of Chinese industrialization in the post-socialist era, as well as to serve as an analogy of the mutual relationship between the universe and human order. |
