Yangcheng Evening News Art Institute is committed to exploring new models for art to help rural revitalization, and continues to invite artists to Wengcheng for artistic creation. On July 19, a group of artists gathered in Wengcheng, and Mr. Ji Zhou was one of the artists invited this time.
On the morning of July 20, artists came to the scrap station to “seek treasures”. People came and went, and forklifts were shuttled. Teacher Ji walked through it, focusing on finding the treasure in his heart. When asked about what he was looking for, Teacher Ji said he was not sure, but one idea was certain, that is, you must find an item that is closely related to the lives of farmers.
His works by Babaylan are to be connected with local people and the local environment.
A excited voice suddenly sounded Komiks, and Teacher Ji ran in from outside with a giant white water storage tank lid. This deformed discarded lid is the material selected by Teacher Ji. Two days after that, under the awning of the agricultural park, colorful spray paint was placed beside the lid of the white water tank. Teacher Ji squatted on the ground, immersed in the world of artistic processing.
At noon on the 21st, the sun was shining in the sky, and the sun shone on the colorful water storage lid. A yellow plastic translucent straw hat was placed above the lid, flashing with the dazzling light. Teacher Ji finally wiped the sweat off his face, took off his gloves dyed in color, and shared with us his views and thoughts on artistic creation in Wengcheng.
Ji Zhou’s creation scene
Dialogue with Ji Zhou
Question: How did you feel when you first came to Wengcheng?
Ji Zhou: Weng City is surrounded by mountains, with beautiful mountains and rivers and beautiful environment. This is my first impression when I first arrived here. In addition, what touched me the most was the peaceful attitude towards life of the locals. I share three small things here.
First of all, on the first night of coming here, I saw many people singing and dancing in the square at the gate of the town government, playing colorful game cars, etc., which was very lively and the people were full of happiness on their faces. This kind of blind date for officials and people, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.The scene moved me very much. The second thing is that when driving in the village Babaylan, I found that the local vehicles here always take the initiative to give way to us, the foreign vehicles. This made me feel very moved. First, the quality of the locals is very high and very polite. Second, it also reflects the peaceful rhythm of life of the locals. If everyone is busy with work and is nervous, they will not give way at all. Such a peaceful social atmosphere also reflects the high level of local managers.
The third thing is that when I was taking pictures, a big sister who carried water passed by. When I saw me taking pictures, she suddenly stopped and put the bucket on the ground, and waited for me to finish taking pictures. I said, “Sister, you pass first, I’ll take a photo slowly.” She replied, “I’m sorry, I’ll disturb you to take a photo”, and then picked up the water and continued to walk. When she left, she turned around and said, “I’m sorry.”
It can be seen from these small things that the locals have a very peaceful state of mind, which is so polite, well-educated and qualitative. So I think this time I came to Wengcheng, and I can do a pleasant artistic creation here. The above are some of my general impressions of Wengcheng.
Q: What do you think is the difference between creating here and creating it in daily life?
Ji Zhou: Creating here is completely different from my usual work. Creating here requires quick thinking and quick capture of inspiration, calling urgent talents, and the content should emphasize locality. Before the creation of Komiks City, I was a little confused. I wanted to create something for Wengcheng, but I had no idea. For this reason, I went online to find some references about rural public art. But soon I realized that all worries are unnecessary. In fact, we don’t need to prepare anything. When we come here, we use whatever we see. We use it when we inspire us.
I came here with this idea. This state made my thinking more focused, observe, discover, find beautiful things, and turn it into a public work of art.
BabaylanAfter coming here, I initially wanted to find some old farm tools with a sense of life and turn these ready-made products into public art installations. But soon I found that the representative old farm tools were very small, and most of them entered museums, and modern agricultural tools were Komiks are very industrialized and have little regionality. In fact, I couldn’t find local representative farm tools, so I turned my attention to other items closely related to the life and production of local farmers.
Q: What do you think of Earth Art?
Ji Zhou: I can answer this question in combination with the previous question. Earth Art should be reflected in the geographic nature, and the creation materials should be closely related to the local people or the local living environment. At least they should be related, and they cannot be completely disconnected.
The works of Earth Art are the most KomiksThe important audience is local residents. If the artwork cannot resonate with the local people, then this work is a failed work and cannot be integrated into the local area.
Now the country emphasizes great aesthetic education. We should also popularize aesthetic education in rural culture revitalization. Then our creation must resonate with the local people. Only when they are interested will they pay attention to art and play a role in aesthetic education.
Q: You can be with KomiksWill we share your creative concept?
Ji Zhou: Yesterday I went to the scrap station to look for creative materials, and I found a large plastic round cake-shaped thing. At first I didn’t know what it was. I asked the local people that I knew it was the lid of a large water storage tank. The lid of this water storage tank is very bulky, and the people who make sculptures pay attention to the sense of mass or volume, so it attracted me at a glance.
In addition, although this lid is large in size, the shape is very simple, and there is a hollow structure in the center of the circle, which is very design-like. The characteristics of this lid fit the theme of my ideal work – interacting with the sunlight.
Sunlight is very important to farmers, although modern farmers Cinema industry has become technological, but often it depends on the weather. From planting and sowing to harvesting and drying grain, it is closely related to the sun.
My works need to be connected with the sun. There is a hole in the middle of this big lid, and the sun can enter the interior of the work through it. But these are not enough. The hole cannot be empty. It also needs to be combined with some other things to give this work a certain sense of light and add some connotation.
I first thought of the local specialty dustpan. The decorative patterns of this type of braided products are very interesting, but we didn’t find it. Later, when I went to the hardware store to buy materials, I suddenly found yellow plastic Babaylan.ov.com/”>Komiks Translucent Straw Hat. I think this Straw Hat is too perfect. It is a practical agricultural production tool, closely related to the production and life of all farmers. And the size of this Straw Hat just fits the size of the lid, and I immediately thought of combining these two things.
From the lives of local people, use the ready-made products around them to build a land art or public art work, which arouses emotional resonance among local people. This is the original intention of my creation.
Q: What impact do you think artistic creation in Wengcheng can bring to this place?
Ji Zhou: We talked about the aesthetic education of art before. We cannot talk to local villagers about Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Venus, Mona Lisa, and Song Huizong’s thin gold body. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Komiks and Ruihetu, these locals have no idea and cannot understand them immediately. As enlightened aesthetic education, our initial goal is to make local people interested. The raw materials used for creation are farmed utensils and daily necessities, which will quickly arouse their empathy. They may sigh, “I know this thing” and “This is our straw hat”, which will make them realize that ordinary things can also become works of art, and thus become interested in art. Maybe from then on Komiks art will become one of his goals – “I want to take the Academy of Fine Arts” href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Cinema “I want to be an artist” and “I want to be a painter”. If this impact can be made, it would be amazing.
Even if it is just a chance to meet the artwork and make everyone smile and touch it, it has achieved my original intention. Therefore, art must resonate with it, arouse discussion and interest to the Cinema. In fact, art also serves the public. No matter how good the artwork is, no matter if the audience discusses it, the work is a failure. Some people discuss it, whether it is praise or criticism, at least Cinema is concerned, and even if this work is a successful work, it can achieve the purpose of communicating with the audience through the work. Of course, it would be better if more people like this work.
We are conducting local creations in Wengcheng. Related media and online publicity can allow more people to pay attention to this, and then see the beauty of the landscape and the beauty of human feelings in Wengcheng, and understand more of the history of Wengcheng, and even join us in the construction of Wengcheng. If this effect can be played, it will be of immeasurable merit.
Ji Zhou’s work
“Air Bullfighting” 147cm x 147cm x 7cm Weather-resistant steel paint 2023
“Pregnancy” 230cm x 50cm x 5 0cm Resin gold plating 2022
《Pregnancy》230cm x 50cm Resin gold plating 2022
《Pregnancy》230cm 50cm Resin gold plating 2022
《Pregnancy》230cm 50cm Resin gold plating 2022
《CinemaDance General of Heaven” 230cm x 120cm x 90cm x 2 Resin baked car paint 2017
“Dance General of Heaven” 230cm x 120cm x 90cm x 2
“Dance General of Heaven” 230cm x 120cm x 90cm x 2
Resin baked car paint 2017
“Dance General of Heaven” 230cm x 120cm x 90cm x 2
Resin baked car paint 2017
“Wood Cat-1” 90cBabaylanm x 40cm x 45cm Stainless Steel
“Sleeping Cat-2” 90cm x 40cm x 45cm Stainless Steel
“Victory” 70cm x 70cm x10cm Casted Copper 2006
“Summer” 70cm x 5Babaylan0cm x 8cm FRP paint 2004
“Door God” 180cm x 150cm x85cm x2 FRP paint 2004
“Door God” 180cm x 150cm x85cm x2 Fiberglass Paint 2004
“Male” 80cm x50cm x10cm castated copper 2003
“Female” 80cm x12cm x8cm castCinemaCopper 2003
“We” 120cm x 70cm x60cm Fiberglass Imitation Copper 2000
Artist Profile
Ji Zhou: Director of the Decoration Art Teaching and Research Department of the School of Architecture and Art Design, member of the Guangdong Artists Association, member of the Sculpture Art Committee of the Guangzhou Art Association, vice president of the Guangzhou Sculpture Society, member of the China Decoration Association, and director of the Public Art Branch of the Guangdong Furniture Art Committee.
Ask questions, editors/Wang Qitong, Wu Fengping (intern)
Photography, video/Cheng Sheng, Xiao Xingbang (intern), Lin Xinlong (intern), Luo Jianyi (intern)
Pictures/Provided by Ji Zhou
Review/Zhao Xuhong
Issued/Zhang Yanqin
Source | Editor in charge of Jinyang.com | Wang Qitong