LI DAFANG
In Li Dafang’s view, in art there is little difference between progress and regression. The freedom in contemporary art is hypothetical, a “selfish” freedom that is fragile and vulnerable. Within today’s context, the artist is always overrated, yet the facts prove otherwise – creativity is relative, mediocrity is the original state. Beholding a humble attitude towards art, returning to an initial state in artistic practice—this is Li Dafang’s valuable intent.
Among many of Li Dafang’s works, his inseparable relationship with childhood memories and the environment where he grew up are found in the industrial areas and defunct factories seen in his images. Mesmerized by the old machinery housed in large factories and the defunct iron tools that for the artist represent a sense of absurdity and oppression, Li observes, “The beauty of the ruin dispersed through these factories and buildings of the past is what I appreciate until this day.” The figures among these images display strange poses and benumbed expressions, assigning a certain degree of narration and theatricality to his artworks, which even the audience might encounter with sense of confusion.
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