Yun Bai is a contemporary artist born in Beijing, China. When she was six, she moved to Tallahassee, Florida. This fusion of culture has led Bai to call herself a "Southern Asian." She grew up in a traditional Chinese setting, and has experienced both Asian and American adolescent cultures. This is definitely something I can identify with. Furthermore, Bai's work, albeit this work is from 2005, is similar to large portion of my recent work. The work leading up to my thesis portfolio dealt with my sexual identity.
Click here to here see my Blow-doll series, or visit my website.
In these collages, Yun Bai takes from pornographic magazines - cropping genitalia, faces, mouths, and limbs - and illustrates a whimsical flower or delicate foliage. Her connection between flowers and females is not a new idea. But her approach - the attempt (and I think, her success) at creating a beautiful, non-threatening image of these severed pieces of women is very fresh and creative. After the initial "I Spy" moment one has when first viewing these pieces, the soon to follow moment always becomes why?
I think what Bai is trying to turn something "ugly" back into something beautiful. Pornography has removed the humanness from the woman - lifeless, grotesque, dismembered body parts used for gawk and pleasure. By re-purposing these images into a pleasing composition, she gives them life again - and they are still coveted, desired, and loved. Or maybe she is trying to support the idea of decoration. The body parts are "decorated" with trendy feminine palettes and graphic, arabesque line quality. By repositioning the body parts, the actual figure is demolished. There is no true recognition existing, but rather the parts become building blocks to a flower-like shape. Paintings of flowers recalls women artists all throughout history , i.e. Georgia O'Keefe.
What do you think?
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