Luo Weiguo, 1964
Luo Weibing, 1972
Born in Nanning, southern province of Guangxi, China, they graduated from the Guangxi Academy of Art, the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art and the Central Academy of Applied Arts respectively. The Luo Brothers have been living in Beijing since 1986, where they all work together.
Famous for creating iconic works from the oriental side of nature that loves bright lights and red lanterns adorning every restaurant and city during festive times, the Luo Brothers' works are in effect a conglomeration of what makes up the modern Chinese society today.
In their series 'Welcome Welcome!', most of the world's foreign consumer products have been held aloft by a Luo Brothers bouncing baby. When one thinks about it, the same mix can be found in other cultures around the world. However, whats so different and unique about the Chinese experience is the way it had happened so quickly. In the span of thirty years since the death of Chairman Mao, China had gone from a uniformly colorless society to one that makes our eyes and ears ache with the daily assaults of colors, lights and noise.... The Luo Brothers' works are a successful reflection to this explosion of vitality.
The cynic says this is a corruption of tradition, the corruption of things made serious by vile consumerism. They may have a point, there is certainly a lack of spirituality in the sugar and fat enriched cupcake-lands of the Luo Brothers' bouncy babies, but we must not forget that to many this is infinitely preferable compared to the drab and uni-colored 'Red (era)'. These works are fun, their visions very much embrace the 'new' China and they revel in it. Through the Luo Brothers' works, we are shown the exuberant and merry mature of choice in its truest form.
The Luo Brothers, renowned art critic and 'godfather' of Chinese Contemporary art Li Xianting, local art media and YANG GALLERY staffs during Luo Brothers' Solo Exhibition 'Welcome Welcome!' at YANG GALLERY Beijing 798
Specializing in various media such as Oil on Canvas, Wood Carving, Watercolors & Ink on Paper, Lacquer on Wood, Embroidery and Ceramic, Fiberglass & Bronze sculptures, the Luo Brothers' works are the powerful iconic representations of the elaborate 'Gaudy Art' style in Chinese Contemporary Art.
The Luo Brothers Public Collections:
Denver Art Museum
Fukuoka Art Museum
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain
Guy & Myriam Ullens, the Ullens collection
The Uli Sigg collection
The Kent & Vicki collection
No comments:
Post a Comment