Wu Jian'an & Infinite Paintings
Wu Jian’an’s work visually creates a heightened tension between physiology and culture, science and mythology. In his Infinite Paintings series, such a tension projects itself onto the visual sensory dimension represented by stimulating colors, odd shapes, elevated density and rhythm, catching the audiences’ eyes with its infinite details and holding their attention for a while. In terms of optical nerve, the paintings bear a resemblance to scientific images, such as color blindness test charts or Google’s DeepMind image generation. From the perspective of traditional aesthetics, the separated details that go beyond the whole structure appear to be fragmented, inorganic, inconsistent, non-structural, and as if in a state of existence having no end. All of his, perhaps, explains the reason for the naming of Infinite Paintings.
At the same time, the tension projects itself onto myths and psychological archetypes where monsters, heroes, killings, and fights take shape. Once these images coming into view, the audiences seek to sustain a balance between the nuances and the integrated whole, moving constantly between the visual nervous system and the visual thinking strategies and thus allowing their senses and sensibilities to challenge and confront each other. In this sense, Wu Jian’an’s work has opened up a place for debate, which enables the audiences to perceive the infinity of “eyes” and “hearts” in the process of constantly switching between vision and illusion.
Multiply !!!: Power in Numbers in Contemporary Chinese Art
Curator: Barbara Pollack
Duration: March 23- May 26, 2024
Venue: Modern Art Museum, Shanghai
