Beiqing Net-Beijing Youth Weekly: (08/0515 23: 59)
On the last page of the album, Li Tingting wrote: The most exciting thing is to move a bench against the wall, look at the painting with a glass of water in his hand, and then be filled with joy. This afternoon, we were treated equally. Sitting in Li Tingting's shady hut, holding the lemonade she made for us, leaning against her big box, watching her paintings hang all over the room. The wind blew the rice paper covered with pink bottles and shoes, and the quiet and beautiful girl began to tell her story: "I was born in Pingyao, Shanxi, and my parents were teachers ..."
Do you know what children born in teachers' families need most? Li Tingting said, "Just pencils and notebooks. Too many, I can draw with a small notebook if I have nothing to do. " Later, she not only painted in her notebook, but also extended the layout to the wall. Things drawn with a pencil are easy to be erased, so this "artist" who realized that he must protect his works long ago discovered another thing that will never be lacking at home: ink. From Li Tingting's detailed description of ink color, it is not difficult to imagine her joy when she discovered this new material. Maybe that's why she is obsessed with ink painting.
Due to weak health, Li Tingting, an outstanding student in a key school, did not start a heavy high school struggle. Instead, he listened to his family's arrangement and entered Taigu Normal School. Naturally, he chose a key art class. In this campus, which is composed of the famous quadrangles in Kong Xiangxi, there is no pressure of college entrance examination. Only the beautiful back garden, old trees, lilacs all over the yard, singing tables and toilet doors are all carved with stones. Half-day class, half-day painting, doing nothing is to stay in the studio to write calligraphy and make small paper sculptures. Three years later, Li Tingting went to an "elegant girls' school" that she laughed at. The cardamom years are always very important for girls, so the quiet and relaxed life has a subtle influence on her later artistic creation.
It was not until he was admitted to Shanxi Normal University that Li Tingting really came into contact with the so-called formal art education. After learning a few basics at random, she entered the Chinese painting major.
In 2003, this girl came to Beijing for postgraduate study as she wished, and she met Huang Huasan by chance. This choice became an important turning point in my life. At that time, Li Tingting didn't know that Mr. Huang was a famous German artist and returned to China to teach in 2000. Miss Huang changed her view of art forever. "His view is that it doesn't matter whether you have a foundation or not. What matters is whether you like painting or not." Li Tingting said, "In the first class, the instructor took out Tapias' picture album and joked that you should have no burden when you become a master because this person's painting is so poor. Just draw casually, draw whatever you want, and use whatever materials. ".This made Tingting a little confused, and all the rules were forgotten. What she learned before is not important. What should I draw and how should I draw? Finally, turning this corner, Li Tingting found what he wanted to draw-a bottle. The bottle is full of paintings, which makes her fully realize the sense of accomplishment that painting can bring: "Everything is right, and it doesn't matter if it is wrong. If you tilt, you tilt, and if you tilt, you tilt. Unlike copying masters, there is always a sense of frustration. "It is these transparent, relaxed and leisurely bottles that encourage her: in February 2005, she won a special prize at the 20th" New Style "Art Exhibition in Korea. In August 2007, he won the gold medal in the nomination exhibition of contemporary art college students.
It took more than two years to draw a bottle, and I didn't draw enough for more than two years. Ask her if she has any complex about bottles. Not at first, but when she painted, she did. Now, when she sees a beautiful bottle, she will stop to look at it, and sometimes she can't help taking pictures. After the bottle, Tingting also painted high heels, skirts, bags, light bulbs and even melon seeds. In short, it is all kinds of things that often appear in her life and in our life.
Some critics interpret Li Tingting's works in this way: her choice of paper type, shape and size, daubing skills and sketching strokes are all faithful to the important tradition of China's painting ... But her works undoubtedly make a very cold declarative statement on the aesthetic concept of contemporary China: bottle caps and other modern industrial products appear repeatedly in her works, so as to interpret the aesthetic concept declared in her works.
There must be some idea behind a good work, but Li Tingting didn't deliberately pursue ideas. "I am most afraid that others will ask me: Why did you draw this? What is the meaning behind it? " I can only tell them that I just drew some bottles. "Today, Li Tingting never thought that he would become a professional artist, drawing for a living. Perhaps, it is precisely because of the lack of this "persistence" that she has today's casual painting and maintained her sincerity in painting in this commodity society.
Next I'm going to draw a zebra. Li Tingting looked at the picture of a zebra painted like a mule on the wall and said, "I think I want to draw a zebra when I see it. This is the first picture. There is not enough paper, so I draw it like this. " .
There is not enough paper, so the nose is short, but it is a little cute. In this way, Li Tingting continues her "elegant woman life" freely in this noisy big city. Painting is just a particularly important thing in her life.
You have been walking smoothly, but sometimes do you feel that you may not be able to get out and don't want to draw?
When I was in college, I never thought of becoming a professional painter. When I first started painting, I never thought that one day painting would become a particularly important thing in my life.
Your painting seems completely different from traditional Chinese painting except for the materials?
That's right. I seldom introduce myself to painting traditional Chinese painting, but they all say it's ink painting. And I have no requirements for materials. Others choose paper and pigments, which are very demanding. I didn't. My brushes are all bald. Tools will not directly affect my painting. The paintings are the same. If the bottle is crooked, let it be crooked, and the next picture will be better. People say I paint like I'm practicing Qigong.
Whose painting have you been looking at recently?
Keith haring, I like it very much. I think it is a natural state for art to achieve this goal, and it is not artificial at all. He was born to be such a person, and to make such an art, another is martial arts.
Did you choose to smoke bottles by accident or on purpose? Have you ever thought about finding your own symbol?
This is accidental. I didn't want to express anything specifically, unlike some artists who might paint the Cultural Revolution or something. I don't care about politics and war, so I find what I want to draw from this small circle where I live. Maybe one day I drew a bottle and thought it was good, so I drew it.
Luxury Guide is the name of your solo exhibition not long ago, right? Did you start it yourself?
In fact, I didn't want to express such a theme at first, but after they picked out the paintings, I found that all my paintings were like this, so I named them.
Why do you like to draw with one color?
In fact, ink was used at first, but later it was found that many colors could be used. I like pink. It looks good. It is a very feminine color, which always makes people feel beautiful, but there is always a crisis behind beauty. In fact, there is no pink in traditional ink pigments. I use eosin, which turns into this color after adding water. This feeling is very appropriate, right?
Others have a lot of comments on your paintings, which one do you like?
Hehe, there is nothing wrong with the comments, but at the exhibition site, I like the feeling that the audience is dumbfounded when they see my paintings. I think it would be nice if painting can shock people. Even if the post-earthquake evaluation is negative, it means that your painting has sound, which is quite good.
If one day you are not allowed to draw, or you can't draw, what are you going to do?
Be a teacher. Maybe it's also because of this complex. My parents are both teachers. I can have these exhibitions because I have a good tutor ... If teaching doesn't work ... then I will study for a PhD, continue, and be a housewife with the highest education!