Natural and Manmade: Art Beyond Design by Le Xi
In all my works, there is a common starting point: observing things through the lens of minimalism. I look at familiar everyday phenomena from different distances and angles, trying to find the extraordinary within the ordinary. I'm not trying to solve big issues or make a splash because I think art should transcend our designs and add a layer of mystery. For example, I break conventional thinking by moving in completely opposite directions, exploring the contrast between mysterious forces from distant horizons and the artificial world, and considering whether this can enhance our perception of surreal existence.
Le Xi, Black Car on White Backgrounde, 01:08 (Loop), video, dimensions variable, 2023
My work "Black Car on White Snow" is a concrete reflection of this thinking. Snow, as a natural color formed by water crystals, symbolizes the purity and mystery of nature, while white is a fundamental color in color theory, representing visual simplicity. This piece began with my anticipation of snowflakes, using drifting snow to depict the silhouette of a black car. After eight hours of waiting, the snow left a deep imprint of the car on the ground. When I removed the car, a black silhouette remained against the white snow. To share the blending of the mysterious snowflakes with the outline of the car, I documented this process through images. To overcome the limitations of physical existence and allow this natural representation of a man-made object to be shared, I used computer technology to convert the snow background into white in the RGB color model, creating a vector image of the black car on a white background. This type of image can be scaled up 1:1 without distortion and shared online, helping us experience the tension between the natural and digital worlds.
By contrasting the snow with the white background, I hope to experience the manufacturing process of the black car and its consumption in time and space from a natural perspective. The black car is not just a physical object; It represents our conquest over nature, reflecting our dependence on and impact on it. Through this work, I aim to compare the natural and the artificial, feel their differences and similarities, and uncover the hidden secrets within. This exploration encourages the audience to reflect on their relationship with nature and enhances their ability to perceive new dimensions, revealing extraordinary experiences hidden in ordinary things.
I explore the complexity of familiar things in simple ways, affirming the material qualities of mysterious forces, which helps us transcend our daily habits and experience a sense of freedom. This state allows us to go beyond conventional thinking, expand our cognitive boundaries, and open up new possibilities. In this ever-changing world, each of us may find our own sense of freedom.
