Duan Yifan’s solo exhibition at Tong Gallery+Projects, Boundless, will open on March 8, 2024 and run through April 7, 2024. This exhibition will present newly created artworks by artists using lacquer as a medium, along with installation pieces that encapsulate ready-made products under industrial production, presenting a contemporary interpretation of traditional materials.
Art, taken literally, seems to have little to do with the body. when viewed from the perspective of creation, even if only as a conceptual notion, it cannot escape the labor required to manifest it. In such contemplation, creation becomes a product of the fusion of mind and body. For example, in painting, except for very few images that discuss the body, most creations do not care about the artist's physical condition, and the study of painting is basically based on the image and experience, which is the basis for research and discussion. However, with sculpture, installations, and even printmaking, labor, even if concealed, inevitably becomes intertwined with the creative process. In the process of creation, the body must exert greater effort and endure more hardships, making it an indispensable part of the artwork. From this perspective, when examining Duan Yifan's lacquer works, one can discover that physical labor itself is a part of the creative process. Despite its concealment, it still forms an inseparable connection and entanglement with his final works.
To achieve solidification, lacquer need to be painted repeatedly. Through physical exertion and manipulation, the laborer transforms the liquid substance into a solid state. Once the labor is complete and the lacquer becomes a finished product, it becomes highly resistant to external environmental factors, capable of enduring for millennia without decay. As a naturally occurring viscous fluid, lacquer attains an exceptional level of stability upon solidification, shedding its initial fragility. This stability appears to defy the passage of time, presenting a resistance against entropy. Moreover, it suggests that human labor can defy the potential for decay and deterioration. In this way, lacquer, as a finished product of human labor, symbolizes the indomitable spirit of Sisyphus, transforming human insignificance into immortality and pushing towards the boundaries of freedom.
Immersed in the repetitive painting of lacquer, the monotonous labor brings about a bittersweet beauty for Duan Yifan. With each successive coat, the lacquer becomes increasingly resilient and radiant, evoking a sense of inner fulfillment. In the realm of lacquer artistry, the act of brushing, though seemingly mundane and devoid of inherent meaning, serves as the foundational element. Whether applied to objects or paintings, every piece of Duan’s work necessitates the repetition of this seemingly mundane task, without which, no fruition can be achieved. It is through this understated and steadfast labor that Duan discovers the essence of artistic pursuit.
The convergence of purpose and process is essential, where the signifier and the signified inherently differ.This inherent distinction makes lacquer work susceptible to being reduced to craftsmanship and commodification, creating what seems to be an insurmountable gap between the objective craftsmanship and the subjective independence of art. Although lacquer painting has existed for many years, it has struggled to transcend its craft nature, limiting the freedom of artistic expression. Consequently, this craft often becomes subordinate to other arts, such as Buddhist statues, lacquerware, and even many traditional lacquer paintings. However, when Duan confronts his creative endeavors, he bids farewell to past traditions. He liberates lacquer from its conventional constraints as mere material and instead allows it to become the autonomous subject of creation, gradually becoming the focal point of his contemplations.
With such a determined attitude, Duan experimented with different creative methods. For instance, he experimented with hundreds or even thousands of uniformly sized panels, each subject to repetitive, similar, or vastly different actions. While each panel could be perceived as an independent entity, they still maintained a close interconnection. After undergoing countless iterations of labor, the abstract images formed by these panels were once again pieced together into large-scale planes, suspended as minimalist abstract works. Simultaneously, during the creative process, the consideration and judgment of traditional craftsmanship ceased to remain static, yielding to the creative process, where the content of the work began to take precedence over form. In contrast to the enduring nature of traditional lacquer, Duan's works embody the unique qualities distinct from tradition, akin to vibrant life forms. Throughout the production process, the simple repetitive labor of painting remained unchanged. It could even be argued that the unseen labor within the process, as the lacquer underwent transformations, brought forth new meaning into consciousness and perception, where the latent labor illuminated the lacquer with a fresh significance. The rigid traditional completion transformed into results that evolved with external influences, making continuous labor an integral part of the creative process. As a result, the presentation of modernist abstraction in the images also opened the relationship with the body.
In addition to abstract paintings, Duan also coated fresh apples and bananas with lacquer. Initially, he preserved the most perfect apples in lacquer and linen, continuously applying and repairing their appearance, and finally gilding the surface to create a perfect golden apple. Under the hard and unchanging shell, the real apple inside continued to decay. In contrast to the eternal consistency outside the shell, this contrast created a metaphysical paradox, turning the difference between signifier and signified into an explicit concept with metaphysical implications. Subsequently, he was not content with this and found bananas in different states; according to their condition at the time, he coated them with lacquer. Some remained in perfect condition throughout, while others gradually wilted, even collapsing and distorting. From an external perspective, the bananas were undergoing external changes, visually displaying the complete process of life from freshness to decay, vividly illustrating the gradual decay of life. This juxtaposition of vitality and the sturdy texture of lacquer collided once again in his works. The softness and hardness of life became visible in his works. At the same time, he transformed moments from the past that were impossible to preserve into eternity on his artworks, expanding the metaphysical level of contemplation once again. This creative approach aligns well with the fundamental principles of modernist abstraction, which using artworks to complete metaphysical contemplation and philosophical speculation, transforming pure abstraction into tangible reality.
Wrapping objects with lacquer marked the onset of a new phase for Duan Yifan. As a traditional craft, lacquer inherently serves a distinct purpose, which yield results of permanence. However, in contemporary context, the significance of achieving a finished product is not a concern from a creative standpoint. The process of employing materials and the forms themselves resonate more closely with the content embedded in the artist's experience, offering a more pertinent and sensory-rich connection. For Duan, lacquer is a familiar element, akin to a hand he is accustomed to, inseparable from his daily creative process. As for the outcome, whether displayed on a shelf or enveloping specific objects, it lacks decisive significance. With each action and passage of time in the process of lacquer work, the resulting artifact embodies not only what is visible to us, but also encompasses dimensions of time and space that elude linguistic expression.
For a long time, lacquer, as a material of metaphysical nature, served as an external element in architecture and ancient sculptures. Through his own artistic endeavors, Duan expanded its potential beyond these traditional uses. Throughout the process, there was no deviation from the fundamental labor of painting, maintaining consistency in technique. By persistently engaging in continuous labor, artist transformed the thoughts he wanted to express into tangible works, advancing them step by step.
Lacquer, an Oriental material, takes on a modernity that transcends tradition in the hands of Duan Yifan. While his methods of work may be heavily influenced by Western practices, the direction of his works extends beyond the confines of modernism and industrialization, incorporating elements of Eastern tradition. His artistic direction consistently embodies the essence of Eastern thought, emphasizing the unity of mind, body, and material, wherein lies the unity of intention and experience, but the outcome is not merely a finished product. It is a reconstitution of the essence of experiential labor itself. This creative spirit does not represent a contradiction, but rather a unity of artistic reflection. Within the craft of lacquer art, the abstract nature inherent in the continuous physical labor and the spiritual essence of his works are fundamentally inseparable. It could even be said that upon viewing his works, one can intuitively sense the energy they encapsulate, even without textual explanation. Perhaps this forms the very foundation of his artistry.
