Li Songsong's "We Have Betrayed the Revolution"
(Ground Floor Gallery, 6 Burlington Gardens)
This was an amazing visit, best I've seen in a while.
First, isn't Songsong such a cool last name?
Li Songsong is a Chinese Artist. This is his first solo exhibition in London and I'm am sure it won't be his last.
This exhibition provides a comprehensive view of Songsong's art and focuses on the essence of his technique and painting process.
These pieces of work portray historical figures and events that happened in China.
What i truly loved about his work was the process. the way he painted.
Doesn't this look like a Bruce Lee modelling for Calvin Klein Underwear?
Songsong began with found images sourced from a media such as newspapers, magazines, or the internet.
He reconstructs the image square by square building layers of paint. He uses oil paint in his paintings, he must have mastered his technique during his BFA in Oil Painting from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
People interacted with the pieces in 3 different ways.
1. From a distance to see the overall image.
2. Up close to see the smaller details.
3. Even closer to see the mix combinations created within the oil paints.
The oil was so thick it made me slightly light headed, seeing the heavy usage of oil paint being built up on top of each other made me feel heavier....inside, like subconsciously.
There was so much oil, i doubt that they were dry. I have tried using oil before and it was only a small piece but that took weeks of drying plus hours of using a hair dryer.
Which begs me to a point, whilst viewing these pieces of art, the temptation to touch it is indescribable. Maybe it's just me but it was dragging me into it.
In a painting, i look for the brushstrokes, i try to find the smallest amount of details made by a brush.
In this, the strokes were so wide, so big, there was hardly any marks made delicately but as you stand back, you can somehow see more than expected. It was like a deception of perspective.
Li Songsong said
" Everyone knows the story. The important thing is the way that you tell it. The way depends on your attitude, and attitude changes with time. As society changes, attitude changes accordingly."
Bright vibrant colours mixed together upon layers and layers.
Unlimited amounts of texture. Nothing is ever the same in any part of the panting.
This is called " Zhong Nan Hai"
Oil on Canvas
This is a bird's eye view of a location based in China. It looks really detailedly drawn, but as you get closer and closer, it doesn't seem as if the artist put in a vast amount to time in applying these details, or it may just be the process.
Its like playing with my mind.
I was so drawn to these pieces that i was considering buying one.....or all.
Then i realised that requires money, money i know i don't have
:(
I also like the fact that he adds in different colours, he adds in energising colours to liven up the situation painted.
So far, this was my most enjoyable visit to a gallery in London. The space was near perfect.
Ceilings high.
Pieces fitted on the walls well, wasn't surrounded by large empty spaces.
Enough space for you to walk back and view from a distance.
Not all paintings were painted on canvas. 3 out of the 12 paintings were painted on Aluminium panels. This was an interesting contrast in material usage.
The aluminium was a much thicker material, which stuck out of the painting much more. This created shadows which created images within the image painted on.
Definitely a show or artist to see. I am sure he will continue surprising me with his work
Someday i will have one of his pieces up on my wall!
On till 9th November
