小心子彈!——關于小米的《雇傭軍》系列
——砰!砰!
——小心!
照片中飛來子彈,美麗的女戰(zhàn)士瞄準了你,手中握槍。她們強健而迷人的身姿無處不在,無論是城市還是鄉(xiāng)村,都是她們正待占領的地方。由快餐文化哺育的一代,是真的英姿颯爽,還是外強中干?在藝術家充滿動感的圖象中,細致地流露出她們眼中閃過的一絲脆弱和迷惘。然而,侵略已成慣性,文化戰(zhàn)爭就如同日常游戲,激烈的戰(zhàn)況剝奪了她們反思的時光。她們已經登陸,她們正破窗而出。進攻已經發(fā)起,任何人都無法逃離戰(zhàn)場。子彈已經上膛,每個人都面臨艱難抉擇,是束手就擒還是奮力抵抗?
小米的《雇傭軍》系列,正像迎著觀眾而來的一顆子彈,以強烈的視覺張力擊中了我們。由下而上的視點突出了雇傭軍們充滿活力的肢體和動作,對陰影的有意消除使得畫面顯得明亮飽滿,照片中自然流露出一股震懾人心的氣勢。然而仔細看看這剛強有力的畫面,又會發(fā)覺另一種復雜的層次,那是美麗之下的一絲憂傷。請仔細凝視她們的眼睛,硬朗的肌肉下會找到她們內心的虛弱和不安。也許沒有人是真正愿意站在這戰(zhàn)場上的,只是一股強大的文化慣性使然。以一種女藝術家特有的細膩和對生命深度的體會,小米使她的雇傭軍們在全金屬外殼下蕩漾著動人的情感波瀾,同時也給予了她們還有放下武器、改變立場的可能性和內心力量。陽剛之氣的勃發(fā)和脆弱憂郁的柔情被巧妙地糅合在了同一個畫面中,正是這微妙而豐富的層次感使得觀眾不由自主地卷入其中,心甘情愿地做它的俘虜。
很難回避藝術家向我們射來的這顆子彈。因為在這似真似幻的超現實畫面中,卻反映了我們生活的深層現實。隨著全球化大生產的加速,伴隨著跨國資本運作而來的各種文化宣傳無孔不入。為了獲取更大的商業(yè)利益,跨國資本正在利用文化進行更為隱蔽的推銷。在現代社會,很大程度上人們是通過所消費的物品來定義自身的。因此,當那些商品與一種生活方式的選擇緊密聯(lián)系在一起時,我們也就會頻繁地一直消費下去。而以漢堡薯條為象征物的快餐文化,在不知不覺中已經成為了新一代的精神食糧。沒有硝煙的文化之戰(zhàn)每天上演,雇傭軍的槍林彈雨織成了密不透風的網,下一個中彈的是你還是他?藝術家敏銳地質疑著我們生存的這一困境,進而對人們提出問題:如何勇敢面向這挑戰(zhàn),重新出發(fā)去創(chuàng)造我們的新文化?這凌厲的追問如同子彈一樣直擊每個人的內心深處,引發(fā)一陣陣思考的波瀾。
頗有意味地是,藝術家選擇了影像這一方式來進行表達,盡情釋放她內心的激情和深刻的反思。這固然與她在美術學院學習攝影專業(yè)有關,但更多地是因為她敏銳地察覺到了她所表達的主題與攝影這種媒介之間有一種渾然天成的契合。我們今天所處的高度商業(yè)化的時代,同時也是一個訊息萬變的圖象時代。或者,借用法國哲學家鮑德里亞的術語,是一個“擬像”時代。吸引和影響了消費者的,往往不是商品本身,而是關于物的圖象。在各種媒體上,每天都有海量的視覺圖象沖刷過我們的大腦,進行種種心理暗示,從而改變著我們的行為方式和思維結構。影像,因為其看似真實的特性成為快餐文化推行其文化策略的最重要手段。但是,我們不能忘記的是在冰冷的單眼機器背后,仍然有人類的眼睛和心靈,正是我們看待事物的目光決定了影像呈現出何種模樣。在這種意義上,小米正是以其看似荒誕的藝術影像作為子彈,來對抗和揭露消費文化中那種看似真實的虛偽影像。事實上,已經有越來越多的藝術家關注影像這種表達方式,并借此進行創(chuàng)作。因為針對我們所處的圖象時代,影像是最易被接受的表達方式,同是也是一種最尖銳的批判武器。打開電視或其它媒體,人們往往覺得自己就掌握了整個真實世界。但藝術家的影像提醒我們,那不過是種錯覺。透過藝術家的鏡頭,它引導人們關注那些被大眾媒體刻意隱瞞的黑暗角落,那光鮮亮麗背后還有殘酷的一面;同時以刻意制造的荒誕效果對看似真實的影像進行反諷,從而到達了一種真正的深層現實。
每個不認識小米的人都會感到驚訝,在她溫和的外表之下,居然創(chuàng)作出了如此生猛有力的照片。與時下那些瑣碎、感傷的個人自白式的作品有所不同,她的《雇傭軍》系列不僅蘊含著深刻的社會批判,而且洋溢著一股青年人特有的蓬勃朝氣,一種創(chuàng)造未來的信心,一種勇往直前的沖勁。無論觀眾對身旁的文化危機作何態(tài)度,藝術家已經以明朗的姿態(tài)大聲做出自己的回答。那就是不盲從,不屈服,走自己的路,獨立做自己的判斷,用自己的雙手創(chuàng)造出一種充滿生機的青年文化與之對抗。照片中的戰(zhàn)爭沒有終結的跡象,而生活中的戰(zhàn)斗正要開始。藝術家自信地微笑著,要以她的藝術為子彈,顛覆快餐文化的統(tǒng)治,并以她充滿張力的圖像喚起一陣久違的青春狂想,在觀眾心中蕩漾。因此,如果你將去看米玉明的作品展,請小心子彈!
曳白
2008年3月
The bullets! Be careful!--about the series of Employ Army by Xiaomi
——Peng! Peng!
——be careful!
There flies bullets from the pictures and the beautiful women soldiers target you with guns in their hands. Everywhere are their strong and charming figures, from the city to the villages, where they want to occupy. The generation brought up by the mass culture is really strong or just seemingly strong? A sense of weakness and confusion is vividly revealed in the dynamic pictures by the artists. However, invasion has been an inertial force, and cultural wars happen like daily games, what is more, intense war has deprived them of the time of reflection.The soldiers of mass culture have landed, or they are breaking through the window. The war has started and nobody is able to escape from the battle field. As the bullet has been installed, everybody must make their own decision, whether to yield or to resist.
The series of Employ Army by Xiaomi, like a bullet, hit us through the strongly visual effects. The viewpoints from the bottom to the top highlight the body and gesture of the employ army and the erasing of the shadows make the whole picture brighter and fuller, naturally providing a feeling of overwhelming for the picture. Nevertheless, looking into the unyielding pictures, another perplexing sense can be found that is a little of sadness under the beauty. Stare at their eyes, please.And you will find out inner weakness and uneasiness under the fit muscle. Maybe noone is willing to be in the battle field, and it is just the power of custom. Through the particular fine sense and the understanding of life depth, Xiaomi reveals the moving emotion behind the mental covering and meanwhile, offers them the possibility and strength to dismantle the weapons and change their attitudes. The virility and week and gloomy sentiment gentleness are technically integrated into one picture; it is which that makes the audience attracted, willing to be captured by the pictures.
You will be shot by the shootsi of Xiaomi, because that the seemingly super real pictures actually reflect the deep reality of our life. As the acceleration of the globalization, various kinds of culture penetrate due to the international capital cooperation. In order to achieve the biggest profit, the international capitals conduct a more secret promotion in the name of culture. In modern society, to a great sense, people define themselves in accordance to the goods they consume. Therefore, when the goods are closely connected with one living way, we will frequently and continuously consume them. The mass culture, mainly characterized by hamburgers has become the spiritual food of the new generation before we took notice of it. In the cultural war without smoke, we can not tell who will be attacked by the employed army. Artists sensitively doubt the dilemma and put forward such a question: how to confront such a challenge and restart to create our new culture? The intensive question comes like a bullet into everybody’s deep heart, arousing a thinking storm.
What is interesting is the artists choose cameras to express their enthusiasms and profound reflection. The reason why she chooses camera is not only because she majored in camera department in the school of fine arts, but also because she sensitively senses the similarity between the theme she wants to express and the camera as a medium. We are in a highly commercial society which is also filled with changing pictures. Or rather, it is a society of “Simulations”, an item by French philosopher Boddalia. What attract consumers often are the pictures about the goods rather than the goods themselves. Everyday, there are a sea of pictures come into our mind, give us psychological hints, which thereafter changes our way of behavior and thinking pattern. Pictures, due to their seemingly real characteristic, become the most important way to promote the fast culture. However, we shall never forget that behind the one-eye camera, there are people’s eyes and minds, which are critical in deciding the appearance of the pictures in our mind. In this sense, Xiaomi takes the illusive art pictures as bullets to confront and reveal the illusive pictures in the seemingly real pictures. In fact, a large number of the artists pay more attention to and adopt cameras as an express medium on the increase. That is because in this pictoral time, images are the easiest way to be accepted and the sharpest weapon for criticism. When people turn on the TV or other media, they feel they have entered the real world, but the artists warn us that this is just an illusion. Through the camera of the artists, we notice the dark corner intensely hidden by the mass media and the cruel side behind the colorful side. At the same time, they intend to create the effect of absurdity to cast irony on the seemingly real pictures, therefore to achieve the deep reality.
People unfamiliar with Xiaomi will all be astounded by her violent picture, a total opposition to her gentle appearance. Different from the current writings that are concentrated in personal trivial and sensitiveness, her series of Employed Army not only embodies a profound criticism on the society but also denotes young people’s unique vagueness, confidence in creating a bright future, and momentum. The artists have gestured to speak out their answer loudly no matter what responds people make to the cultural crisis. That is, not to follow blindly, not to yield, but to wage through our own way, judge independently, and create a vigorous youth culture to fight against it. There seems no hind of ending of the wars in the pictures while the battle of life is beginning soon. The artist smiles with confidence, who want to make arts as the bullets to turn over the rule of fast culture and use the pictures to arouse a thinking storm in the audience. Therefore, if you want to go to the display of Mi Yuming, be careful of the bullets!
Ye Bai
March, 2008
就是SPACE
就是SPACE——藝術家聯(lián)盟俱樂部,通過與各方美術館、藝術機構、藝術學院和收藏機構的合作,從而得以在北京798藝術區(qū)展示來自中國本土及海外藝術家、特別是新銳藝術家的作品。
我們不拘泥于特定的藝術風格,每年定期組織六到八個個人展覽,并在每年歲末舉辦就是SPACE畫廊藝術家聯(lián)展。我們除定期對外推出展覽外,還承擔了一些中外文化交流活動的中介職能,學術與經營兼顧。通過不定期地邀請知名策劃人在我們畫廊策劃專題藝術活動,進行視角獨特的高水準交學術流,來向海內外觀眾、藏家介紹當代藝術。這個藝術空間坐落在聚集了眾多藝術家工作室、知名畫廊、俱樂部的北京東北部798大山子藝術區(qū)。
#8503, Dashanzi798,No.4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang Dst.,Beijing 100015, P.R. China
北京市朝陽區(qū)大山子酒仙橋路4號,798藝術區(qū)中一街D區(qū)(北京8503信箱)郵編: 100015
Ph. 電話:8610-8456 0467
Fax 傳真:8610-8456 2987
E-mail: 94space@163.com
開放時間:星期二-星期五12pm - 5:30pm星期六-星期日10 am – 6pm
Gallery Open Time: Tuesday –Friday,12pm - 5:30pm Saturday –Sunday, 10 am– 6pm
"JIU SHI SPACE" GALLERY
JIU SHI SPACE - Artist Union club, cooperate with art gallery ,art institution and art academy, to show local chinese and overseas artis' works,especially for the pioneering artists.
We obtain different art styles .There will be six or eight solo exhibitions each year organized by us. In gallery we will inaugurate a group show of JIU SHI SPACE artists at the end of the year . This gallery,besides providing regular exhibition, plays the role of the agency for China and foreign's cultural communication activities, who pays attention to both learning and running. We aperiodically invites well-known masterminders to mastermind kinds of feature art activities to make academical communication from unique perspective,and introduces contemporary art to the viewers at China and abroad, collectors .This art space situated at 798 Dashanzi region of Chaoyang District in the northeast of Beijing, where is a pool of many artists' studios、well-known galleries、clubs .
現代帝國的軍糧
我感謝上帝讓我穿上了藝術的衣裝
我可以選擇我的軍糧
我可以獨自上路,握緊相機當是我的機槍
在路上
可以邊聽音樂邊對著建筑物跳舞
也可以記下夢魘時刻的色彩來裝扮我的戎裝
人類社會從粗鄙的原始邁向文明有序
是大生產的車輪在奔馳推進
地球也悄然間換上了繽紛絢爛的新衣
每個現代帝國的居民在此攻堅防守!
從前文人墨客筆下的超然以結實的碾在社會大潮的輪下
當然“這不是悲劇,也不是世界末日”(塞巴斯蒂安.夏爾)
快來參加現代帝國的大戰(zhàn)吧!
戰(zhàn)況緊鑼密鼓
帝國的戰(zhàn)士已出生,長大
他們奮戰(zhàn)于各行各業(yè)
他們獨舞強勁!
搖曳的身姿是令人羨慕的肌肉
或是煩惱不堪的肥胖身軀
但每個戰(zhàn)士的血液里流淌的是驚人相似的合成的油脂
人本是何?已無所知!
他們否定前人!對未來卻并不樂觀!
現代帝國強大?!繁榮!?日新月異?!
2008 我們出走,尋找軍糧!
“干物女,御宅族,第三性別人……”都休息一下吧
我們的戰(zhàn)役需要重新整裝待發(fā)
脫下藝術的衣裝
我不甘茍同,不愿沉思
有時糊涂過活,倒是可以閑暇一下疲倦的自己!
“閑暇是為了歡娛”(某設計師語)
歡娛乃人之本-本能之本,本位之本!
小米
Military Provision of Modern Empire
Thank God for dressing art garment to me
Freely, I can choose the military provision for me
Alone, I start off, holding tightly the camera as my gun
On the way, I
May listen to the music while dance to the buildings
May adorn the military dress with the colors of nightmare moment
Human society enter orderly civilization from boorish barbarism
Rumble, rumble, here move ahead the wheel of production
Quietly, the earth changes into the splendid new dress
Firmly, every inhabitant safeguards and assaults here for modern empire
The detachment under the pen of the former men of letters rolled solidly over the wheel of social tides
Surely, “It is not a tragedy, neither the end of the world” (Sebstine. Sharle)
Come on! Be in the battle of modern empire!
The battle hardens as the drum sounds higher and higher.
The soldiers of the empire have been born, grown up…
They fight in all walks of life
Sole-dancing vigorously!
Shaking bodies are the enviable muscles
Or the annoying fat figures
However, there flowing the astonishingly similar synthetic greasy in everyone soldiers’ blood
What is man? No feature known!
They deny those who have gone, while dishonor the future!
Is modern empire powerful?! Prosperous?! Developing all the time?!
In 2008, we decide to go and look for the military provision!
“Those women without sentiments, men of noble birth, people with the third sex……”, please all come to be the normal
Our battle requires new equipments to move on
Undress the art garment
I am unwilling to follow the foot of others as well as to reflect
Sometimes seemingly confused is able to relax our tired bodies!
“Leisure is for entertainment” (by a designer)
Entertainment is the essence of human beings---the essence of instinct, the essence of ego!
Xiaomi
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