AN INVISIBLE PRESENCE
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| *Dragon Series Panel 1 of 9, 2010 |
The cuttlefish is a strange creature. It can shape-shift into almost anything. Color, shape, texture are no match for its remarkable abilities. It can, while camouflaged, hide from predators or lash out with lightening speed to catch prey. It is also considered among the brainiest animals in the ocean.
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| *Dragon Series Panel 3 of 9, 2010 |
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| *Dragon Series Panel 6 of 9, 201 |
Artist, Liu Bolin, has an uncanny ability to place himself into significant locations where, like the cuttlefish, he blends into the background. Solemnly standing and almost fully camouflaged, he appears as a sentinel - guarding his privacy or with a nod to cleverness, his freedom. I think of childhood fantasies of invisibility, quietly sitting off to the side in a room filled with friends, wondering if they will discuss my lack of athleticism or some other personal blemish.
According to a press release from Eli Klein Fine Art, Mr. Bolin incorporates political protest into his artwork, stating that in the artist's, "Hiding in the City" series, Lee Bolin, "...was inspired by the Chinese government's demolition of the Suo Jiacun Artist Village in Beijing in 2006. He drew attention to great landmarks in China, both old and modern, while highlighting the lack of recognition which was paid to the citizens who built them."
Physically, the artist symbolizes the people of China who have had to adapt to forced governmental changes - hiding, to protect themselves from harm.
Artists stand apart as observers of society - the truthsayers. They see beneath the surface of things and behind all that denies authenticity. Like a cuttlefish, Mr. Bolin's message, although hidden in an "invisible" image of the artist painted in situ, stands ready to pounce upon those who stand in the way of truth.
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| *Hiding in the City No. 89- Forbidden City, 2010 |
Liu Bolin was born in Shandong Province, 1973. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Shandong College of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing. Other series include, the Dragon Series, Hidden in Italy, Hiding in the City, and more recently, Hiding in New York. For more information about the artist, please visit:
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| *Hiding in the City No. 91- Great Wall, 2010 |
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| *Hiding in the City No. 94- In the Woods, 2010 |
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