When
looking for an artist in the same kind of field as Lei Yixin, I found Japanese
granite sculptor Masayuki Nagase. His work has been featured all
over the world including many works right here in the United States. Both of
these artists do a lot of sculpture work, especially with granite. While they
use similar mediums, Nagase seems to do more work with nature forms such as
earth, wind, water and other natural elements. On the other hand, the subjects
of Yixin’s sculptures are typically people or human form. Even though they tend
to sculpt different things I still think that they are trying to represent
various forms of like here on earth.
(A bust of Barack Obama. Source:
The piece that I picked for Yixin was a bust he did
of current President Barack Obama. This bust appears to be done in a copper
colored granite and is on display in this picture at Yixin’s home in Changsha,
China.
The
piece that I picked for Nagase was a work called “Where the Tree is Born.” It
includes a pieced granite circle that looks like tree limbs and then in the
center is a granite stone that starts out like the rooting of a tree. This work
is located in San Jose, California at a library and on the center piece there
are inspirational quotes and hand prints. According to the artists website the
piece, “This artwork was made for the neighborhood library that expressed the
strengths and diversity of the community. The artist conducted a series of
workshops with the local community including gathering handprints. The central
piece is an abstract form of a tree root represents the community's creative
energy and spirit. The history of the library's founding is carved on the top
of the sculpture and the handprints are carved on the outside.”
(Where the Tree is Born)
http://www.mnagase.com/earth/where_tree_d2.html
I
think that both of these pieces are alike because they represent life, just in
different forms. The iconic bust of a human shows a living person while the
tree piece shows the growing of a plant form and speaks about growth of a
community.
Interesting thoughts on the similarities in thematic context between two pieces that are in many ways very different. The focus on diversity and community also seems to be a connection; many (not all) of the images you've found and posted of work by Yixin seem to be sculptures that honor individuals who have worked to develop communities - from Mao to King to Obama - a focus on the "great individual" which Nagase's piece is more about the "invisible individuals" who together make a community...interesting to think about, what makes a community able to "happen' -- are leaders necessary? Can a great leader lead without the consent of hte people? Fantastic the trains of thought art can lead us to...
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