-
-
The amazing pictures of an artist dangling horizontally out of a skyscraper
Dangling horizontally out of a skyscraper, this hovering figure looks set to fall to his doom.
But this 'jumper' hasn't just lost it all on a game of chance - this is performance art with a difference.
Chinese artist Li Wei has produced an unsettling series of self-portraits involving his face reflected in mirrors in public places, and photographs of himself crashing into walls and sidewalks.
His work is a mixture of performance art and photography that creates illusions of a sometimes dangerous reality.
Creating hair-raising performances to convey his continual sense of lost gravity, Wei has taken his work all over the world from Italy, Spain, Korea and the USA.
"My work and artistic experience are characterised by a unique specificity and particularity," says the 37-year-old artist from Beijing.
"My artistic language is universal and deals with themes about contemporary politics and society using symbols understood by everyone in every part of the world.
"I am fascinated by the unstable and dangerous sides of art and I hope my works reflect these aspects.
Wei's photos, which sell up to $8,000 (£4,200), depict him free falling from tall buildings-pictures that resemble the famous photograph of the French artist Yves Kline hurtling out a window.
"My favourite pieces are the 'Mirror' and the 'Li Wei falls...' series," he says.
"I began my career in the late 1990s, and is most like my Mirror 2000 series, which includes over 40 site-specific performance pieces.
"Using a large mirror, three feet square, with a hole in the centre large enough to accommodate my head and neck, I place my head through the hole and "project" my image onto various historical and urban environments.
"The philosophy that emerges from my work shows the independence of the spiritual values of Chinese artists and the internal peace of a culture."
The artist loves the reaction that his work evokes from people who pass it on the street.
He said: "The first reaction is astonishment. Some people think they are full of sense of humour. They are curious about how I did this.
"Sometimes I am in real danger - I have to hang myself high with steel wires and people do get a little worried for me - but I am fine."
Li Wei sees his art as both a mission to set the scene for the perfect photograph and a perfect performance.
"Each photograph lies with a performance", he said.
"For me, how to express myself and the process is more important. I don't care much about if that's performance or photography."
And he has no intention of letting up with his work and is aiming to go as high as possible.
Li said: "I'll continue creating works in high places.
"I incorporated gravity as one of my main elements. My work and artistic experience are characterised by a unique specificity and particularity.
"My artistic language is universal and deals with themes about contemporary politics and society using symbols understood by everyone in every part of the world.
"Li Wei falls to..' which has led my work to be recognised as the perfect metaphor for the Chinese conquest of the world.
"In these, my body crashes like a meteorite in different contexts." Dangling horizontally out of a skyscraper, this hovering figure looks set to fall to his doom. ... more -
Speechless: Dylan All Alone in Warhol’s Photobooth
Andy Warhol introduced the idea of the "movie self portrait" in the 1960s. Visitors to The Factory who were seen as potential "stars" were asked to sit in front of a camera that was mounted on a tripod. They were told not to blink while the camera ran, which was loaded with one minute of film.
Even though no one else was present in the room, the subject did not really have control. When we watch these one-minute "movie self portraits" waves of feelings, emotions and insecurities pass before our eyes. Something vulnerable is revealed. Here's the "movie self portrait" that was made by a clearly uncomfortable Bob Dylan.
Wonderful photographs, the video of Dylan's revealing "movie self portrait" and a great photo-gallery are included. Andy Warhol introduced the idea of the "movie self portrait" in the 1960s. Visitors to The Factory who were seen as potenti... more -
The Booth
Donald Whalen's "pretty legit" 2005 self portrait, documenting the mundane business of toll taking in a University parking ramp. A week after its production he fails his cinema course and drops out of school while the University continues to screen the work without proper permissions.
Donald is currently seeking employment to pay off his still-enormous debt to Academia and is not bitter so long as he can afford lots of delicious, numbing wine. He appreciates your melencholic company and reminds you, as always, that the system does not overlook anyone, and yet, it overlooks everyone. Donald Whalen's "pretty legit" 2005 self portrait, documenting the mundane business of toll taking in a University park... more -
Best Self Portrait Ever
Nothing says "Emo MySpace Profile Picture" like a self portrait in a mirror. Well, this astronaut has all you "30 Seconds to Mars" listening cry babies beat.
I wonder if this astronaut has some bad poetry he'd like to share with the world that just doesn't understand him. Nothing says "Emo MySpace Profile Picture" like a self portrait in a mirror. Well, this astronaut has all you "30 Seco... more -
Next Smithsonian exhibit may be portraits of museum executives doing "perp�...
Washingtonians - and others with big egos - have a portrait fetish that is obscene especially when it involves taxpayers money.
Even half that nealry 50 grand could have been significant funding for the non-profit Native American and environment projects I volunteer for in northern Michigan.
More comment after a few sentences of the article and a look at this portrait:
Portrait Cost Indian Museum $48,500: Senators, Trustees Question Spending By Former Director
By James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writer
W. Richard West Jr., the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, spent $48,500 in museum funds to commission a portrait of himself.
The portrait of West by New York artist Burton Silverman hangs in the patrons' lounge on the fourth floor of the flagship museum, which is dedicated to the arts and culture of American Indians.
Silverman said West picked him after he saw a portrait Silverman had done of former Smithsonian secretary Robert McCormick Adams.
The Adams portrait, completed about a decade earlier, was smaller and cost about half as much.
Rest of the Washington Post story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...
Portrait:
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2...
[IMG http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee225/YOOPERNEWSMAN/...[/IMG]
Native American on Native American crime - much like black on black crime - is especially insidious because so much good could have been done for First Nations peoples heritage with this wasted and misappropriated money.
It's also a crime against taxpayers and common decency.
Spending $48,500 on a self portrait is among the disgraceful financial crimes of W. Richard West Jr., the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
For this crime to occur in the hallowed halls of the Smithsonian shows again thievery knows no class boundaries - and should be treated just as severely as the poor man who sticks a gun into the face of a 7-11 clerk.
The Smithsonian needs to be thoroughly audited from top to bottom as this is at least the second huge scandal to tarnish its once respected reputation.
No doubt it's only the tip of the fiduciary iceberg that's tearing through the Smithsonian's highbrow richly-protected hull.
I do volunteer work for several Native American related non-profits whose budgets are much smaller than even the cost of that disgraceful portrait.
And the suggestion that it could not have been painted by an American Indian artist is as laughable as it is sickening with a hint of racism against one's own culture.
Even the portrait stance is borrowed and unoriginal, as a buttoned-down Mr. West gazes thoughtfully off to the east, his coat hanging on a crooked forefinger and tossed over suspenders with his soft thumb and the remaining fingers forming the "OK" sign.
The Washington ego commands that a portrait much be painted to prove one's importance.
No doubt many law offices, banking institutions and the halls of officialdom are plastered with the self-aggrandizing crafty art.
Prior to the Polaroid, a self-portrait may have been necessary to preserve one's historic legacy but in today's world it's merely a measure of one's self-importance that is more often scoffed at than admired by those it's meant to impress. Perhaps, a modern definition of irony.
Maybe the next exhibit at the Smithsonian will be portraits of former executives doing the proverbial "perp walk" - cuffed and stuffed for perp-etuity. Washingtonians - and others with big egos - have a portrait fetish that is obscene especially when it involves taxpayers money. ... more
-
related topics
self portrait
Contributors (19)
self portrait
