Jianan Li
2023
200x60x50 cm
Brainwave collection module, stm32 chip, stepper motor, 304 stainless steel, wooden easel, ink, brush.
According to Clement Greenberg’s modernism theory, art naturally evolves to new phases with the advancement of ‘self-critique’. In this broader historical context, how can contemporary art incorporate innovative practices? In my recent explorations, particularly in “Lucid Dream” (2023), I’ve experimented with a painting installation equipped with a brainwave collector. This installation translates the audience’s spontaneous thought-induced brainwave fluctuations into visual patterns. Our bodies become canvases where external influences and societal norms are internalised, influencing our psychological and cognitive processes. In this piece, I step back from the conventional creator role and instead shape the artwork through an indirect approach to painting, thus embarking on a meaningful exploration of the artist’s identity and role. This raises a critical Greenbergian inquiry: similar to Pollock’s ‘drip painting’ technique, do these artworks fundamentally represent art or non-art, beyond their initial shock and novelty?
2023 90×60 cm oil on canvas，wood and mirrors
