Diary of a Pandemic Yuxi Lin Royal College of Art Ceramics & Glass 2021
Order from chaos
Artist Statement My work is based in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of self-isolation. When public affairs fell into chaos and disorder, I tried to rebuild my inner sense of order. I use the randomly ripped clays to overlap layer by layer. Working in a repetitive circular motion, I gained a sense of ritual like a practice of meditation, thereby rebuilding my inner sense of order. Just like Nietzsche's repetitive principle mentioned in the theory of eternal reincarnation of identity, I am also pursuing the love of life in such repetitive work. This group of works is displayed in a series. They are like a pandemic diary of ceramics, recording the lockdown period from the artist's personal perspective. My creativity has always been based on ceramic materials, exploring the materiality of the clay, and creating a sense of space with my works. In my works, the interaction between people and works is very important. The exquisitely sized works create a sense of depth and beauty of light and shadow in a large space. The viewer's line of sight is never limited to a fixed viewing angle, but follows the change of angle and light and shadow, maintaining a sense of curiosity to continuously explore.
Tibetan Buddhists put the scriptures in the prayer wheel and turn them with their hands. Each turn is equivalent to chanting the scriptures once, to express their devotion to the Buddha and pray for a better life. When I observe the process of silkworms spitting out silk and weaving pupae, they trap themselves in the pupae as they repeat the spinning day by day, and I am more like a person stuck in time.
Tibetan Buddists are spining the prayer wheel
When I observe the process of silkworms spitting out silk and weaving pupae, they trap themselves in the pupae as they repeat the spinning day by day, and I am more like a person stucked in time. As the clock turns, I initially drew circles on the paper and painted, and then I used randomly torn clay to stack it in circles and layers. This is a repetitive process of rotating motion like the Tibetan prayers turn their prayer wheels by their hands.
Pupae of silkworm
This repetitiveness is my own practice and exploration of Nietzsche’s repeated thoughts and philosophy. In this process, I repeat mechanically like the gears of a clock, and at the same time feel a kind of meditation-like meaning. I rebuild my inner sense of order in this repetitive circular motion, a meditation-like peace was obtained.
转 rotate
- Material Tests My explorations began with material tests, looking at ways to emphasise and exaggerate texture in the clay. During the experiment, I added pulp or grog to different clay to enhance the texture effect. I also tried to mix different clay and randomly change the proportion to get a new texture and marbled color. I like the texture of the torn clay after mixing with the pulp. this fragile random result can be remained in the work forever. They record and amplify the transience, and also show the organic repetitive, primitive, crude sense of power.
- Circle I chose the circle form for its simplicity, with nothing to distract from the contrast of the smooth and textured surfaces. The circle is interesting to me because there is no beginning or end. In these investigations I began to think about how I could artificially create a beginning and end within the circular form. Through the difference in height, the changing forms of these circles become richer. When they are arranged together, they are like notes in a sheet of music. Sometimes they open in a semi-concealed manner, and sometimes they remain in the high-pitched rhythm, with a melodious ending. As the line of sight wandered along their outline, a melody played in the heart.
- Contrasting Surface Initially, I wanted to highlight a contrast between smooth and textured surfaces. In a space of one color, the viewer's sight tends to focus more on the texture contrast of the work itself. Each work is a complete individual, although the interior is split into different languages, this is due to the materiality of the clay itself. Using the same material and different method can make them show different textures. So from the whole to part, it is harmonious and full of variability.
This strong and subtle visual contrast is like tearing apart a smooth and flat surface, and the rich hierarchical structure hidden inside is revealed. This is also a metaphor for the natural environment and geological structure, which constitutes various mountains and landform structures on the earth. These artworks express a tribute to nature through abstract ceramic language.
- Architectural Space When people use the architectural space, they will unconsciously carry out an emotional communication with the building, thereby obtaining different feelings, such as joy, anger, sorrow, and joy. This kind of communication occurs because of space. What Tadao Ando aspires to create is not just a simple architectural entity, but a kind of space creation. His space is elegant, deep and full of poetry.
HE museum | Tadao Ando
I seek a connection with architectural space in my works. Their sizes and materials are very different, but they are echoed remotely through spatial sensing. In this sense of spatial depth, the viewers can also feel like being in a poetic architectural space with changing light and shadow. As their line of sight flows in the work, feeling the breathing of the space, immersing in a sense of tranquillity. Craft Museum of China Acedemic of Art | Kengo Kuma
- White White is the purest meditation language that can magnify the beauty of subtle light and shadow. There is a sense of flow in the undulations on the surface. Watching this work is like visiting an architectural space. The changing light and shadow guide the viewer's eyes to follow the undulating flow and penetrate its various structures. So the audience is interacting with it while watching this work. The comparison of the size of the architectural space and the space in my work is very interesting，this in-depth and rich visiting process is completed in a work the size of which can be placed in the palm.
- Interaction In my works, I emphasize the interaction between people and works. The clay itself is a very kind material, it is closely related to our living environment. In the ceramic artwork, I retain the power of man's shaping of materials, as well as the result of the resistance and conformity of materials to shaping.
In this series of works, I processed their base into a smooth curved surface, like part of a sphere. When the work is placed on a flat surface, there is only a small contact area, which allows the base to present a better sense of space, and also leaves room for light to pass through, making the work seem to be floating. Showing a sense of lightness and agility.
Hold them in the palm of your hand, or place it on the table, and gently move it to rotate it. These are good ways for the audience to participate in the work. When watching it statically, the audience will not be limited to a fixed viewing angle, they can follow the structure of the work and the guidance of light and shadow, and follow their own curiosity to explore them freely. They are emotionally condensed the creator's viewing perspective of the world, and through interaction, they can draw closer the emotional connection between objects and people. For me, creation is recording and thinking about life, and then reconstructing the results in artistic language.
- Equilibrium In the process of repetitive work, I follow the rhythm of the clock, rotating and stacking. This process is the reconstruction of a sense of inner order from chaos. In this repetitive process with a sense of ritual, my heart gradually calms down, and my thoughts enter a state of meditation. I sensitively capture the breath of the wind and the rhythm of the clouds, watching the daylight being constantly adjusted to its brightness and color, and perceiving the change in the taste of the air after the weather changes.
Through this meditation, I was aware of the harmony between the existence of the individual and nature, and the sense of balance achieved in the expression of different individuals. The equilibrium symbolizes tolerance and broad-minded and is also the reconciliation within the self.
I incorporated this kind of thinking about seeking a sense of equilibrium in my works. Unlike a completely symmetrical form, I practice a sense of visual balance.
- Diary After the outbreak, I experienced a long-term self-isolation life. When a similar life was repeated every day, my perception of a specific time became chaotic. Instead, I was more sensitive to changes around me. Compared with the precise measurement method of the clock, the rising of the sun and the setting of the west are my more intuitive and appropriate perception of time. Looking out from my balcony, I was sensitive to changes in weather and time, then I sat in front of the balcony and started the initial conception of my work. Their development and changes record the stages of the pandemic and echo my feelings of isolation at each moment. Finally, I organized them into my isolated diary in the form of ceramic works.