Desire

Abstract

Artist's statement: "This painting is based on a construction that I made with clay and painted with acrylic. Based on the foundation of the sculpture, this painting is mainly an exploration of transforming visual elements from a still life sculpture to a two dimensional canvas. I asked myself questions like how much information to take from the pre-existed sculpture and how much to elaborate it with additional resources. Through the use of various marks and contrastive patterns, I intend to remove from the clear and static special relationship suggested by the sculpture and create an ambiguous space. In this painting, I also try to explore different effects and impact of colors on transferring the message and on the viewers. By using complimentary colors and linear patterns, I try to create an eye-assaulting effect that will strike the viewers and leave strong visual impact. The impetus of this painting lies on Chinese people’s augmenting desire for fame, status, and financial success in the shifting social values in China. However, this painting does not seem to effectively deliver and communicate the message, but instead turns into a work that focuses more on formal decision. This unresolved problem drives me to think about different ways to deliver the message more effectively in my artistic language."

This is a digital photograph of Lily Huo's still life painting. It was submitted as an assignment in the spring 2016 Intermediate/Advanced Painting class taught by Professor Erin Harmon.