| Gong Jian: You’ve had many interesting experiences in life. Li Hong-Jun: My experiences are perhaps quite different from average people. I lived in the country until I was 20 years old. Then I was transferred to the county cultural center, and was in charge of public education about prints, traditional paintings, and oil paintings. I had to know a little bit about everything. After I got a steady job, my parents and wife remained in the country. Later on I had an opportunity to study at an art academy, and gradually came in contact with contemporary art. It slowly came to me that I had become a person with two personalities—a peasant and an artist. I’m always going between the countryside and the city. During these intersections, I realized that the differences between the center (meaning the city) and its periphery (the countryside), and the resulting contradictions could be a big problem. They left a deep impression on me, and naturally became the source of my art. |
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Artist Li Hong-Jun interviewed by Gong Jian
Li Hong-Jun, Self, 2008. Paper, 180 x 120 x 51 cm. Courtesy of Pifo New Art Studios.
Gong Jian: You’ve had many interesting experiences in life.
Li Hong-Jun: My experiences are perhaps quite different from average people. I lived in the country until I was 20 years old. Then I was transferred to the county cultural center, and was in charge of public education about prints, traditional paintings, and oil paintings. I had to know a little bit about everything. After I got a steady job, my parents and wife remained in the country. Later on I had an opportunity to study at an art academy, and gradually came in contact with contemporary art. It slowly came to me that I had become a person with two personalities—a peasant and an artist. I’m always going between the countryside and the city. During these intersections, I realized that the differences between the center (meaning the city) and its periphery (the countryside), and the resulting contradictions could be a big problem. They left a deep impression on me, and naturally became the source of my art.
GJ: How did you begin doing papercuts?
LHJ: I grew up in an environment where papercuts were everywhere. In the country, papercuts are used for holidays, weddings, funerals, temple fairs, and even for magic tricks. But the first time I started to learn the art of paper cutting was at the academy. It was also through papercuts that I began to transform my attitude toward traditional folk arts. It was at that moment that I began to research folk arts, and I’m still researching them. Through researching the ideas behind papercuts, shadow puppets, and embroidery, I’ve come to understand more about traditional Chinese art.
GJ: We could say that papercuts have influenced your art.
LHJ: Yes, including the folk arts concepts behind papercuts. They have changed how I look at art. Methods of handling materials and concepts of artistic expression from traditional Chinese art are all resources for modes of expression in the contemporary realm. At the same time, traditional folk arts have opened, for me, a path to understanding Western modern art. I use papercuts in my works. There are also other materials, but I am rather familiar with papercuts. Actually, it’s not important what kind of materials I use. What is the most important is how precisely the material expresses what I want to say, and what issues and concepts the work is able to project.
GJ: What issues and concepts are the most important to you?
LHJ: Backgrounds and knowledge differ from artist to artist, and their concerns are not necessarily the same. I can only search within my scope of vision, experiences, and knowledge for a means of expression, especially from my current stance, where I focus on issues of our spiritual condition. A lot of people are in the same phase; that is, we need to face the arising hopes and confusions as China is transforming from a traditional society to a modern one. I hope my works can help define, for viewers, the relationship between nature and society, enable them to reflect on their personal thoughts and actions, and in the end, to find peace between their desire and anxiety.
GJ: It sounds like you are acting on some kind of social responsibility.
LHJ: The way I choose to express myself is: say what you need to. I never use provocative, rebellious ways to express my intentions. I just use my works to talk reason, gently but to the point. A little like a tranquillizer, to calm down the audience and myself, to help us think rationally, examine our actions, and put ourselves in the right position. This is the essence of my work. As for work titles, you don’t want to be limited by them. I can now understand why Western artists like to call their works “untitled”—to let viewers make the call and decide for themselves.
GJ: How long has it been since last time you worked with scissors?
LHJ: It’s been a long time. I think they are more suited for direct expression of a person’s emotions; they are unique in this way. But how you handle your materials is related to your needs. If you need to use cutting, burning, or dyeing, you should choose the appropriate method. This is a technical issue. I don’t think it’s that important. The most important thing is that it lives up to your artistic needs.
