三个单元计划｜李世公：中国式的波普更多是对社会日常意识形态的表现

[ 1 ] 

从摄影系毕业后是什么促使你转向绘画创作？

What prompted your transition to painting after graduated from the Photography Department?

主要是90年代当代艺术回潮，个人对绘画的当代性理解及自身对世界的表达，认知是摄影、绘画、装置、影像都是一个系统，绘画是一个立体的艺术体系的一部分。绘画的自由开放形式，在那一阶段更符合我内心对艺术语言的理解，当时的当代艺术观念标准更强调观念性，社会性。观念化的绘画形式在当时是我个人的一种现实的选择。

It was primarily due to the resurgence of contemporary art in the 1990s, personal understanding of the contemporaneity of painting, as well as your own expression and perception of the world. Photography, painting, installation and video are all part of an integrated system, with painting being a component of a three-dimensional art framework. The free and open form of painting during that period better aligned with my internal understanding of artistic language, and the conceptual standards of contemporary art at that time emphasized more on conceptuality and social engagement. The conceptual form of painting was a pragmatic choice for me at that time.

[ 2 ] 

在转变的过程中，你是如何找到自己的绘画风格和表达方式的？过去的摄影经验是否会影响你的绘画创作？

How did you develop your painting style and mode of expression during the process of transformation? Has your past experience in photography influenced your painting practice?

社会的开放、发展极快，多种观念、信息对作为个人的矛盾经验冲击很大，是个需要不断地纠结、承受、思考、理解的过程。我当时那批当代性绘画，多是从秩序到混乱反映个人对现实世界的理解过程。多是表达现实存在物质经过内心转换后呈现这些物质融化流淌的符号。更符合当时我内心世界的矛盾和对外界的思考。

我毕业后当了摄影记者，摄影语言也是有当代性语境表达之一，反映现实。这时接触观念摄影，观念摄影与当代绘画在表现形式背后有很多的共性。好的作品内在表达都是有哲学、观念背景的，是有一种巧妙的智慧转换的。让我在摄影的知识上的储备对艺术的认知更宽广了一些。

The rapid evolution of society and the overwhelming influx of diverse concepts greatly affect the individual's contradictory experiences. It is a process that requires constant grappling, endurance, reflection and comprehension. My contemporary paintings at that time primarily reflected my personal process of understanding the real world, moving from order to chaos. Most of my contemporary paintings depicted symbols of the melting and flowing substances representing reality as it was transformed within my heart. This approach resonated more with my internal conflicts and contemplations about the external world at that time.

After graduating, I became a photojournalist, and the language of photography is also a form of the contemporary expressions that reflect reality. At that time, I encountered conceptual photography, which has a lot in common with contemporary painting behind the expression forms. The inner expression of good works has a philosophical and conceptual background, involving a kind of clever intelligent transformation. This broadened both my understanding of photography and my knowledge of art.

[ 3 ] 

本次展出的是你近期创作的作品，与以往的作品风格有着鲜明差别，可否说明一下这个系列的创作背景，相较以往作品有何异同？

The works on display are from your recent series, which are distinctly different from your previous style. Could you explain the creative background of this series, and what are the similarities and differences compared to your previous works?

这次流动展这部分作品是我在疫情期间创作的。艺术的标准是随时代发展不断变化的。艺术与社会变革紧密联相关，而我在艺术上的表达呈现样式应该有这方面相对映特征才行。

这次的创作更松弛，自由，舍弃了一些过去的大的关注更注重个人视觉感受。接近我内心最初心的那部分，直觉的，反应一些对新奇表象的向往。我放下很多刻意的东西，更加突出独立的个人化的价值感知及经验，描绘潜时代的意识的图像。

The works on display in this exhibition were created during the pandemic. The standards of art are constantly changing with the development of the times. Art is closely related to social change, and my style of artistic expression should correspondingly reflect these dynamics. 

This time, my creation is more relaxed and freer. I have let go of some of the attention to the big themes in the past, instead paying more attention to my personal visual impressions. It is close to the original part of my heart—intuitive and responsive to novel appearances. I have released a lot of deliberate things and highlight more independent and personalized value perception and experience, depicting images of subconscious awareness.

[ 4 ] 

相对应的符号意象，它们对你来说有什么特殊的意义吗？可否举例的说明。

Do these symbolic images hold any special significance for you? Could you provide some examples?

绘画里的符号对我个人都是置身今天的文化环境，面对今天的中国现实，创作作品必然反映出今天的时代特征，因此整个画面体系还是表达个人与世界、人与社会的关系，人面对生活、爱、悲伤、喜悦的符号，呈现我对生命意义的理解和思考。它的背景更加接近今天社会的现实和价值观。

The symbols in my paintings are rooted in today's cultural environment, facing the reality of contemporary China, and creating works that inevitably reflect the characteristics of our times. Therefore, the entire system of imagery continues to expresses the relationship between the individual and the world, the individual and the society, and the symbols of human experiences—life, love, sorrow, and joy, as well as my understanding of and thoughts on the meaning of life. Its background is more closely aligned with the reality and values of today's society.

[ 5 ] 

你的作品也会让人想到“阿贝贝情结”，就是指对于个人使用过非常久的毛绒玩具等物品产生的强烈依恋感。有没有什么物件对你来说特别重要？

Your work brings to mind the ‘Abebe Complex’, which refers to a strong attachment to stuffed toys or other objects that have been in use by an individual for a very long time. Are there any objects that hold particular significance for you?

创作时，很多原始生命力的物质都会让我产生思考，然后去描绘形的反向及象征，无意识焦虑、孤独感的情绪及象征性的隐喻，我都努力突出表现这些感知。

When I paint, a lot of primordial life force objects make me think, and then I try to depict the inversion of forms and symbols, highlighting my perceptions of unconscious anxiety, loneliness, and symbolic metaphors.

[ 6 ] 

这些意象在你的作品中似乎又呈现出一种反叛的姿态，你怎样认为？

These images seem to convey a rebellious stance in your works, what do you think?

从美术史中艺术形式存在的角度上看，当代绘画存在的理由、特征更多的是对现代艺术的反向。从我个人的艺术经历看，这种艺术表现形式上的反向也是自身艺术经历发展中不断破除僵化的观念和特点。我认为这是艺术上的一种积极。

From the perspective of the existence of art forms in art history, contemporary painting and its characteristics often represent a reverse of modern art. From my personal art experience, this reversal in artistic expression is also the result of my continues efforts to break down rigid concepts and characteristics. I consider this a positive state of art.

[ 7 ] 

你作品的题目总是很有意思，你通常是怎样决定一件作品的题目？这些题目在你的创作中是否也扮演着某种艺术表达的角色？

The titles of your works are always intriguing. How do you usually decide on the title for a work? Do these titles also play a role of artistic expression in your creations?

90年代初我曾经喜欢诗歌，也写了一些。我的作品名称更多来自我曾经写过的诗句。在给作品起名字时除了按当时创作的心态、时间外，潜意识里或多或少带有些诗的特点。

文本有画面意像的成分，尽量充盈画面里自己对时间、空间、思考的表达，自由轻松，值得自己玩味即可。作品名称也是形成自己作品的特征之一，起名是很有乐趣的一件事。

I had a fondness for poetry and wrote some in the early 90s. The titles of my works are derived from the verses. When naming my works, apart from the mindset of creation at that time, I subconsciously incorporate some poetic qualities.

The text has visual imagery also, and I try to fill it with my own expression of time, space, and thought in a manner that is free and easy, and worthy of rumination. The name of the work is also one of the characteristics of the work. Naming is something I find particularly enjoyable.

[ 8 ] 

你曾经提到“中国式的波普更多是对社会日常意识形态的表现”，可以请你结合个人创作来展开谈谈这个观点吗？

You once mentioned that 'Chinese Pop art primarily reflects the daily ideologies of society.' Could you please discuss this viewpoint in relation to your personal creation?

在艺术创作中，波普艺术以其独特的风格和对日常生活的关注而闻名。在中国，波普艺术同样展现出对社会日常意识形态的深刻反映。我的个人创作，特别是我的版画也深受这种艺术形式的影响，试图通过作品探讨和表达当代中国社会的特征和人们的生活状态。

首先，中国式的波普艺术在表现手法上，往往融合了中国传统元素与现代流行文化。例如，在我的一些作品中，我会将传统的中国符号如玩具、有时代感特征的人、动漫角色、网络流行产品等相结合，形成一种堆积化的密集视觉感。这种结合不仅反映了中国社会的人口，城市化文化融合、变迁，也体现了年轻一代在传统与现代、东方与西方之间寻找自我认同的过程。

其次，中国式的波普艺术在内容上，常常关注社会现象和公众议题。在我的创作中，我会通过描绘日常生活中的场景和物品，如超市货架、手机屏幕、广告牌等，来反映消费文化对人们生活的影响。这些作品试图揭示在快速发展的社会中，人们对于物质追求和精神满足之间不断寻求平衡的现实。

此外，中国式的波普艺术在情感表达上，往往带有批判性和讽刺性。我的一些作品通过夸张和幽默的手法，对社会问题进行反思和批判。例如，我曾创作过一系列作品，通过描绘人们在社交媒体上的虚拟形象与现实生活中的差异，来探讨网络时代人们身份认同的困惑和焦虑。

总的来说，中国式的波普艺术不仅是对日常生活的再现，通过我的个人创作，我希望能够引发观众对于当代中国社会现象的思考，以及对于个人在社会中角色和价值的反思。这种艺术形式的魅力在于它能够以一种轻松的认知方式，促使人们在理解艺术的同时，也能够对生活有更深层次的认识和理解。

In art creation, Pop Art is famous for its unique style and attention to daily life. In China, Pop Art also offers a deep reflection on the daily ideology of society. My personal creations, especially my prints, are deeply influenced by this artistic form. I try to explore and express the characteristics of contemporary Chinese society and the conditions of people's lives through my works.

First of all, Chinese pop art often blends traditional Chinese elements with modern pop culture. For example, in some of my works, I combine traditional Chinese symbols, such as toys, figures with contemporary features, anime characters, and internet pop culture products, to form a stacked and dense visual experience. This combination not only reflects the population and urbanization trends in Chinese society, as well as the integration and change of culture, but also captures the young generation's quest for self-identity between tradition and modernity, East and West.

Secondly, in terms of content, Chinese Pop Art often focuses on social phenomena and public issues. In my creations, I reflect the impact of consumer culture on people's lives by depicting scenes and objects in daily life, such as supermarket shelves, mobile phone screens and billboards. These works aim to reveal the reality that, in a rapidly developing society, people are constantly seeking a balance between material pursuits and spiritual fulfilment.

In addition, Chinese-style pop art frequently employs critical and ironic emotional expression. Some of my works reflect and critique social issues through exaggeration and humor. For example, I created a series of works exploring the confusion and anxiety of people's identity in the Internet era by depicting the difference between their virtual personas on social media and in real life.

Overall, Chinese-style pop art is more than just a reproduction of everyday life. Through my personal creations, I aim to provoke viewers to think about contemporary Chinese social phenomena and reflect on the individual's role and value in society. The charm of this art form lies in its ability to prompt people to understand art in a relaxed cognitive way, while simultaneously deepening one's knowledge and comprehension of life.

[ 9 ] 

这次展览的主题是“流动的本能”，你怎样理解“流动”这种状态与你自身及创作的关系？

The theme of this exhibition is Flowing Instinct’, how do you perceive the relationship between the concept of ‘flowing’ , yourself and your creations?

流动、本能背后的哲学意义与我的创作过程密切相关。艺术创作对我而言，是一个不断探索和实验的过程。我追求在作品中捕捉那些瞬间的、变化的、直觉的，潜意识的甚至无意识的感觉和情感。在创作中，我喜欢放大错觉的瞬间，让我的作品呈现出一种本能的、动态的、不断变化的特质。这种流动演变性的探索，不仅体现在作品的视觉效果上，也体现在创作过程中的思考和感受上。

其次，流动与我的艺术理念相辅相成。我认为艺术应该反映生活的真实状态，而生活本身就是一个不断变化和流动的过程。我的作品试图捕捉这种变化。

最后，流动也是我与观众之间沟通的桥梁。我希望我的作品能够激发观众的想象力和情感，让他们在观看的过程中体验到一种流动的、变化的美。通过这种方式，艺术作品能够超越静态的物质形态，成为一种活生生的、能够与观众产生共鸣的存在。

“流动的本能”不仅体现在我的艺术实践中，也体现在我的艺术理念和与观众的互动中。通过流动性的探索和表达，我希望能够更深入地理解生命的意义，以及艺术在其中所扮演的角色。

The philosophical meaning behind flow and instinct is closely related to my creative process. For me, art creation is a process of continuous exploration and experiment. I seek to capture those fleeting, changing, intuitive, subconscious and even unconscious feelings and emotions in my works. In my creations, I enjoy amplifying moments of illusion, allowing my work to embody an instinctive, dynamic, and ever-changing quality. This exploration of the fluid nature of flow is not only reflected in the visual aspects of the works, but also in the thoughts and emotion experienced during the creative process.

Secondly, the concept of flow complements my artistic philosophy. I believe that art should reflect the authentic state of life, as life itself is a process of constant change and movement. That's what my works aim for.

Finally, flow serves a bridge between myself and my audience. I hope that my works will stimulate the imagination and emotions of the audience, so that they can experience a flowing and changing beauty during the viewing process. In this way, the artwork can transcend the static material form and become a living being that can resonate with the audience.

The 'Flowing Instinct' is not only reflected in my art practice, but also in my artistic philosophy and interactions with the audience. Through the exploration and expression of mobility, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of life and the role of art within it.