| My process for deciding what to paint is very strict. I look for things with a very distinct sense. Things that I didn’t feel I could paint before are now being realized, as I gain more confidence in myself. I did not do this because I wanted to rescue those rough ideas. My attention really lies in the process through which the elements are processed. The first work in the Chair series, Danger, Keep Distance, is a situation from our daily lives, and it provided me with a chance to let it act as part of my artistic vocabulary. My intention is not to emphasize the object, but rather the method. The later works like Target or Chairs also have the same function, and all derive from the same method. The works are ordinary and beyond ordinary experience at the same time. |  |
Qin QI
My process for deciding what to paint is very strict. I look for things with a very distinct sense. Things that I didn’t feel I could paint before are now being realized, as I gain more confidence in myself. I did not do this because I wanted to rescue those rough ideas. My attention really lies in the process through which the elements are processed.
The first work in the Chair series, Danger, Keep Distance, is a situation from our daily lives, and it provided me with a chance to let it act as part of my artistic vocabulary. My intention is not to emphasize the object, but rather the method. The later works like Target or Chairs also have the same function, and all derive from the same method. The works are ordinary and beyond ordinary experience at the same time. This vocabulary could only give me a hint, and the changes are founded upon the accumulation of experiences.
In the early stage of my work, there seemed to be some influence of Surrealism. Later I refined the colors in my work, and the method I employed. For some time, the plot elements in my works were very obvious, and I focused on the storytelling. Due to personal curiosity, some ruptures in my works would arise, or an inclination toward chance, and I would feel passive at the selection. I do not mean to deny what I have done before; plot elements still appear in my works. The difference is that I do not rely on them for the foundation of my works anymore.
There are many plots in my work, but it is not suitable to say that they serve a storytelling purpose. Every object presents itself in different postures and in different situations. In reality, they do not serve the purpose of showing any specific meaning where there is none. What is happening is their inter-influence upon each other. They pose a coexistence, seemingly telling us that some links are there between them, and a storytelling effect is thus to be obtained.
Those images selected to remain in the picture all perform narrative tasks, like a yellowish sky could be a plot, too. The plots in my head can be combined, or they can be independent of each other, in such a way I can avoid being questioned with many whys in relation to a specific object. I am not sure whether my work will inspire specific thoughts or anything like that. If that were true, I would feel very stressed and incapable of doing anything. When it comes to the selection of a specific device, habits and the ability to command also play a role. I think I select images mostly out of instinct, and I usually go with something distinctive, even odd.
No matter what is left in my works at the end, most of them are made out of personal interests. I prefer looking for material in my surroundings. The items are often discovered in my daily life, and then I separate them from their previous contexts, and put them in my own system. My initial perspective is based on my interest, because it is easier for me to let out my emotions this way, and it helps me to be enthusiastic about work.
I have never considered the issue of time seriously. What is conveyed in my work is not a concept of time. Maybe sometimes it occurs to me subconsciously, with the help of memory and experience. The relationship between the object and device, as well as my individual viewpoint, together constitute an artist’s narrative structure. Naturally, this structure is different from any others, and has the artist’s own unique mark.
