May 10, 2016 interview with xu bing on chinese contemporary art in the 1980s, by asia art archive duration. He moved to the united states in 1990 but returned to china in 2008 to teach at his alma mater. The epithet was hurled at xu bing by viewers who found book of the sky incomprehensible. Tianshu is the title of a book produced by chinese artist xu bing in the style of fine editions from the song and ming dynasties, but filled entirely with meaningless glyphs designed to resemble traditional chinese characters. For most critics and scholars, however, book from the sky is a clever contradiction and manifestation of xu bings long preoccupation with text and language.
Sep 28, 2016 xu came to the us in 1990 as a visiting artist and eventually established a studio in brooklyn, ny. A book without words, recounting a day in the life of an office worker, told completely in the symbols, icons, and logos of modern life. Xu bings a book from the sky 1988 chinese printmaker xu bing is a teacher at beijings prestigious central academy of fine arts and a respected practitioner of the official social realist style. Installation view at blanton museum of art, the university of texas at austin, 2016. Following his classic work book from the sky, the chinese artist xu bing presents a new graphic novel. A book from the sky is the piece that made the artist famous. See highlighted works from the asian art collection. Book from the sky, a monumental installation by celebrated chinese artist xu bing. Users can enter words either in english or in chinese. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of twentieth century chinese art, book from the sky ushered in the avantgarde movement in postmao era china. See available prints and multiples, works on paper, and installation for sale and learn about the artist.
Bid now on book from the sky xi shi jian by xu bing. Its absurd that such an elaborate text cant be read, making the books and scrolls meaningless to the reader. Xu bing was born in chongqing, in the newlyformed communist peoples republic of china, in 1955. The woodblock printed characters are printed in four fascicles with threadstitched binding, blue paper covers, and ink and paper titleslips. May 01, 2012 now i have created book from the ground, a book that anyone can read. Xu bing spent seven years gathering materials, experimenting, revising, and arranging thousands of pictograms to construct the narrative of book from the. Mar 02, 2015 volumes of xu bings book from the sky 19871991 will be displayed alongside a new commission by cai guoqiang and a recent video work by yang fudong. Xu bing spent seven years gathering materials, experimenting, revising, and arranging thousands of pictograms to construct the narrative of book from the ground. Summary of a book from the sky by xu bing 1002 words.
According to the artist, these have been arranged rhythmically across and within the four volumes. A book from the sky is the title of a book produced by chinese artist xu bing in the style of fine editions from the song and ming dynasties, but filled entirely with. View a wide variety of artworks by xu bing, now available for sale on artnet auctions. Xu bings studio also made a character database software that corresponds to the language of the book. See timelines presenting important historical periods and events relevant to the asian art collection. It also won xu bing international recognition, including the prestigious macarthur foundation genius. Growing up during the cultural revolution, xu was exposed to communist propaganda and its ability to shift and manipulate language. Inside each volume there is a cornucopia of traditional chinese bookdesign features often modelled on specific rare books which xu bing consulted but formally altered or subverted. Inside each volume there is a cornucopia of traditional chinese book design features often modelled on specific rare books which xu bing consulted but formally altered or subverted. The third of five children, he spent his childhood years growing up in beijing, where his parents moved to work at peking university when he was two years old. To xu bing, however, the cultural revolution stripped china of its historical and cultural context, leaving chinas language meaningless and its connotations ambiguous. Book from the sky has yet to be shown again in china. Courtesy of the university art museum, state university of new york at albany.
The written word and meaning in book from the sky by xu. Chinese characters are above us, theyre below us, and theyre on either side of us. A book from the sky tianshu is an installation work by xu bing, first exhibited in 1988. Four months after chinaavantgarde came the tiananmen square protests.
The british museum has a set of four handprinted books that come in a walnut box, which are known by the name book from the sky, which also applies to the art installations xu bing has created using printed volumes like these. Regarded as one of the masterpieces of twentiethcentury chinese art, book from the sky ushered in the avantgarde movement in postmao era china. Installation of books and scrolls printed from carved wood types of invented characters, ink on paper, dimensions variable. This magnificent installation symbolises aspects of the old and the emerging china.
Book from the sky and other projects have brought him considerable international renown. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Book from the sky, a monumental installation by celebrated chinese artist xu. Xu bingfollowing his classic work book from the sky, the chinese artist xu bing presents a new graphic novelone composed entirely of symbols and icons that are universally understood.
The first display of book from the sky was in beijing in 1988. Xu bing book from the sky, 19871991, installation of handprinted books and ceiling and wall scrolls printed from wood letterpress type, ink. Interview with xu bing on chinese contemporary art in the 1980s, by asia art archive duration. Book from the sky 1987 made up of 4,000 handcarved and printed characters, book from the sky remains xu bings most iconic work to date. Your snapshot is a basic, researchbased method of collecting information about a selected work of art to gain an understanding of the big. In lewis carrolls through the looking glass 1872, the heroine alice holds a mirror to the inverted words of jabberwocky and realizes she has entered a mirror world. Xu bing following his classic work book from the sky, the chinese artist xu bing presents a new graphic novel one composed entirely of symbols and icons that are universally understood. Xu bings a book from the sky displeased chinese authorities in 1989. Xu came to the us in 1990 as a visiting artist and eventually established a studio in brooklyn, ny. It consists of three hanging scrolls vertically draping across the ceiling, hovering over columns and rows of books systematically arranged on the floor, surrounded by walls covered with similar scrolls. Xu bing had no quarrel with this criticism, and used it as the title of this worka play on words, as the word for build can also mean pound. Austin, txapril 14, 2016the blanton museum of art at the university of texas at austin presents xu bing. Mar 12, 2020 is xu bing referencing manipulation during mao zedongs reign. From point to point can be purchased from various bookstores and websites.
At first glance, and to anyone who cannot read chinese script, the pages appear simply as an elegant example of traditional chinese calligraphy, evoking the richness and sophistication of chinas long literary history. Xu bing is a contemporary chinese installation artist and one of chinas bestknown creative figures. Summary of a book from the sky by xu bing 1002 words bartleby. This work evolved from the regular script in chinese calligraphy. What is xu bings impressive book from the sky all about. Chinese printmaker xu bing is a teacher at beijings prestigious central. Twenty years ago i made book from the sky, a book of illegible chinese characters that no one could read. Pages containing columns and columns of chinese text are surrounding us on the walls, hanging from the ceiling, and also on the floor in the open book pages from volumes that he has hand bound in the form of traditional chinese book art. While the medium and technique are traditionally chinese, the scale and intent of the work align it with contemporary artistic practice. The written word and meaning in book from the sky by xu bing.
Book from the sky is composed of some 4,000 invented characters that have the appearance of chinese characters but are totally unreadable. Xu reassembled chinese radicals, designing and carving squareblock characters that look. The book from the sky is one of the most intriguing chinese art installations of the century, and the nifty work of none other than the celebrated. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Born in sichuan province, xu bing studied printmaking at the central academy of fine arts in beijing. Jun 23, 2016 xu bing book from the sky 198791 installation of books and scrolls printed from carved wood types of invented characters. This installation comprises a set of 4 handprinted books, as well as wall and ceiling scrolls printed in the style of a wood letterpress.
If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Book from the sky with painstaking attention to traditional methods of printing and. Book from the sky 1987 made up of 4,000 handcarved and printed characters, book from the sky remains xu bing s most iconic work to date. Were in an installation by the chinese artist, xu bing, called book from the sky. The blanton museum of art at the university of texas at austin presents xu bing.
For the book fom the ground installation, xu bing recreated his studios working environment and brought some materials to the exhibition space, implying that this. A book from the sky, xu bing, 1988, mixed media, installation view. Xu bing is best known for his stunningly beautiful yet pessimistic 1988 installation tianshu the book of the sky. In response to his own book from the sky, a work dated 30 years earlier whose language is illegible to anyone, book from the ground is legible to all. Xu reassembled chinese radicals, designing and carving squareblock characters that look very similar to traditional chinese logographs but are entirely meaningless in terms of linguistic function. An internationally acclaimed chinese contemporary artist, xu enrolled in the central academy of fine arts in beijing and received a master of fine arts degree in printmaking in 1987. The critics began to write about an emergent xu bing phenomenon. Book from the sky to book from the ground xu bing on. From the metropolitan museum of art, xu bing, book from the sky ca. The book from the sky is one of the most intriguing chinese art installations of the century, and the nifty work of none other than the celebrated chinese artist xu bing. Bings a book from the sky module 8 all works 229 bings a book from the sky module 8. Mixedmedia installation your snapshot will help you understand how a specific work of art connects to the ap art history frameworks three big ideas and three essential questions.
Jan 31, 2017 to xu bing, however, the cultural revolution stripped china of its historical and cultural context, leaving chinas language meaningless and its connotations ambiguous. The largescale installation by contemporary chinese artist xu bing is on view in the blanton galleries until jan. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. It was shown as an installation at the national art museum of china in 1989, covering the entirety of a large hall together with a piece in the form of a scroll entitled an analysed reflection of the world. Even so, this work challenges our very approach to language because of the unique nature of the text written on the paper. Xu bings work evidences an ongoing preoccupation with language and text.
Materials of the future asia art archive 7,854 views. Born in sichuan in 1955, xu bing is widely considered to be among the most important chinese artists working today. Xu bings tianshu book from the sky is a large installation featuring precisely laid out rows of books and hanging scrolls with written chinese texts. The galleries will also include stunning examples of traditional chinese sculpture and painting. The quote also serves as an entry point to the blanton museums upcoming exhibition of book from the.
When xu bing 1955 first exhibited his book from the sky in beijing in 1988, the chinese were, understandably, shocked. It is an expression of xu bing s longstanding vision of a universal language. Volumes of xu bings book from the sky 19871991 will be displayed alongside a new commission by cai guoqiang and a recent video work by yang fudong. Now i have created book from the ground, a book that anyone can read. The result is a readable story without words, an account of twentyfour hours in the life of mr. Xu bing s a book from the sky displeased chinese authorities in 1989. At that time, this kind of expression was daring and new, but most startling of all were the meaningless chinese characters. Eighteen years later in 2008, xu returned to beijing where he now serves as the vice president at his alma mater.
1680 758 1672 652 1493 1653 1204 442 1500 812 1478 932 814 1581 1677 117 255 1534 63 1046 1203 577 1020 418 1532 153 361 674 312 1208 652 28 363 1243 983 176 1428 1447