Xie Qi: Bad girls goes to heaven too
Gu Zhenqing
Good girls goes to heaven, bad girls goes everywhere. This sentence was originally name of a best seller by … and is now a catch phrase on the net. Xie Qi lives alone and paints in an apartment near the north fourth ring road in Beijing. She is an independent artist, either in the sense of her ideology or in the sense of her lifestyle. She supports and entertains herself. She has a character and clear. Sometimes she has too much confidence; sometimes she grows love for no reason, or hatred with her strong evidence. Her painting go for her feeling and her brush produces magic. Xie Qi should be categorized as a talented painter. Painting excites her rich imagination and let her imagination nerve grow like weeds. At the same time, by painting, she indulged herself into her exuberant world of the self. Xie Qi never hides or taboo on secretive sex or sexual organs in her creation. She speaks out what is in her mind and creates many rebellious figures and images. In her paintings, she employs unique expression and strokes to emphasis spasm, excitement, struggles of muscles and misty souls. She is not a realistic painter; neither does she possess absolute expressionism spirit. The abstract strokes and details that fill up her paintings have revealed the possibility of her multiple pursues of logic advancement. Xie Qi enjoys creating a new style and then, to overpass it. By doing this, she experiences the pleasure of self-revolution and inspiration. Inside Xie Qi, is a strong and relentless world. Her wild happiness and tranquility can be found similar in other’s painting by eyes, but not by heart. Right till now, the technique that Xie Qi employs on her paintings are getting more and more mature and delicate. She starts and ends her emotions and all her enthusiasm, which makes audience feel hard to find the clue.
Good girls always have misleading area in their thoughts because good girls are results of Emile education. Bad girls prefer to grow by themselves because bad girls precious themselves. They respect themselves; therefore, they try successfully realizing their own values. Xie Qi is a bad girl in this sense, but she owns one treasure. She holds fast to self-revolution in her art and by doing this, she is filled with talents. Xie Qi connects with each of her works and her works follows her witty steps, advance gradually. With years of growth and accumulation, Xie Qi’s character can be seen from her painting with clue.
Xie Qi indulges her daily life into her paintings, tries, and practices her voyage from here to there. Bad girls do not go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere, heaven too.
Dialogue between Monica Dematté and Xie Qi
Edited by: Xie Qi
Lao Mo (Monica Dematté), a well-known character in China, lives in a not so well-known village of North Italy – Vigolo Vattaro.
During the few weeks of my stay there, we watered the plants, mowed the lawn, climbed mountains and sang songs… but never did we mention anything about art, even less about my exhibition. We purposely didn’t even try to deepen the understanding of each other. Most of the time was spent walking in silence and waiting for rain to stop, which never lasts long enough. I know that at that time, the similarity of our personalities was sometimes blocking our communication.
The day before my departure, the will to acquire mutual recognition let us roll away the beautiful memories of our sightseeing and farming, and finally begin our talk about art.
Scenery of face X: Some of these are self portraits.
M: Can not tell…
X: They are, face sceneries, views of emotion.
M: What has driven you to make these paintings? Emotion?
X: Yes. This facial expression was done when I was very emotional, anxious and upset. The strength given by stability was missing during that part of my life. But the whole process of painting was completed in a relatively peaceful and ordered way, and I searched for a relation again and again.
M: What kind of relation?
X: The relation between color and emotion.
M: I can tell that you are very interested in color.
X: Yes, and I find that horny people are all very sensitive to color.
M: Are they? Er, I didn’t know about this. I feel that it is not very easy to get into your painting. You applied many layers and they are of large scale. It makes it difficult to identify them.
X: It is kind of a game; you need to spend time in front of them. Viewers may get to know them after finishing their cup of tea.
M: Did you try to be special when you were painting?
X: Yes, that was once in my mind but didn’t stay for long. It was like when we are climbing mountains, we constantly look for gaps between stones to step on. This repeating action always makes me feel passive and uneasy. It is not what I like, I like simply going forward and looking ahead.
Stories of others M: Do you ever try using other people’s story to express yourself and avoid pushing yourself to the front? And sometimes you get into other people’s story by doing so?
X: Dramatic things cannot happen to me. Stories have their own hero. The frequency of events happening in my life is very low. Due to the limits of my personality, the things that happened in my life can always be diluted. Actually, I don’t really care about what really happened.
M: What do you think is the most interesting part in your life?
X: My feelings, maybe. Some people may have experienced a lot but never did they think out of the box and ponder. For me, what I saw, heard, dreamed of and felt are part of the experience. I may feel deeper the story of someone else than the person concerned.
M: What do you expect the most to happen in your life?
X: An encounter or happy things, etc..
M: No big wishes?
X: I never think hard on this. Life will bring them on.
M: Don’t you ever feel unhappy that time flies away and you haven’t done anything? Are you always so calm?
X: I’m not calm, never have been. I just don’t like to show it. Tranquility is as embarrassing as the vision of garbage spreading randomly outside.
M: What is the reason of this restlessness?
X: Maybe too much desire and complication. I don’t have the ability to communicate and reach out.
M: Have you thought of letting some desires go?
X: I simply don’t want to be that restful. The status of being restless is quite interesting.
M: You calm yourself down when things are restless, and you get bored when things around you are too quiet.
X: We can put it this way: life is quiet but the self is not.
M: What did you want to get when you came here?
X: Never thought about it concretely. Maybe because here it is a totally strange place to me, and I don’t speak the language. It is a trip without a specific goal. You being here is a turning point for me, otherwise I wouldn’t have considered coming. I enjoy making plans, but almost all my decisions are made in hurry and quite randomly.
M: Take what comes.
X: Anyway, we will encounter different things and this is enough.
M: Those cute boys aren’t made for this trip.
X: Yep. They are on bike or motorcycle and never stop for a while. Those who do stop are already middle aged and got fat.
M: Hah, yes, they are.
Landscape of the body M: Let’s move on to your body series.
X: I like putting bodies in a home atmosphere, which includes randomly displayed underwear. It’s not like those pure, exaggerated, narcissistic bodies with squeezed out expressions; it is more like randomly picked bodies, also randomly displayed in a daily setting. They are in their solo dance. Lashed and disturbed by speckles of various kinds, they have endowed themselves with an affected sense of drama.
I like working on ordinary material, things as dull as daily life.
M: Why do you still have such important relationship with your parents, although you have been away from home for so long?
X: There are not so many important things in my life, not so many people either. The importance of somebody gets lost in time. I’m obsessed with their age. They are complicated enough, discomfited and they enjoy the happiness of their own. The body series gives expression to daytime – the male, and nighttime – the female. But the age has neutralized the influence of gender and reflects the up and down of power and its evolution.
M: Is light important to you?
X: Yes, light has tricks and does it please or not, cannot be ignored.
People living outside of my life M: How big is this?
X: 190×150cm, as big as a double bed. It is a deserted bed board. This is a beggar on the bridge, whom I pass by everyday.
M: Have you taken any pictures?
X: Yes. One day I paid her some money to take a picture of her. She knows nothing about taking pictures because she never took one. She has a small face and you can’t tell her age. You can’t tell if she is slow or what. Very polite woman, hometown must be in the north, maybe right in Beijing. The reason why she caught my eyes was her outfit. Yellow hat, green soldier suit, red shoes, such a good combination of colors. She put a Chinese jar next to her, and didn’t beg. She always looked down from the bridge when she woke up.
I’ve heard one saying – “Con Artist”, liar, beggar, night owl, cross-dresser… They actively use their wisdom (or simply take off the responsibility of a role), and increase the variety of society beside the restraint of order and moral.
M: What do you want to get from painting them?
X: Power, strengthen by soul. With the help of this power, I can get rid of some of the appeals of the outside world.
M: It seems that you are very interested in expressions. You enjoy observing others expressions.
X: Basically I find every face and every expression interesting.
M: Are you trying to make them see what they never thought of seeing by your creation?
X: Actually I don’t want to know what they are thinking by observing their expression. I have no intention. I very often just stare blankly. However, appearance and expressions are a such generous soil which automatically feeds our hungry root and they are like the film playing in the background, murmuring, but not eager to tell you anything.
M: Is this your self-portrait?
X: Maybe. This is a special friend, who makes a living in fashion, cures the self by cross-dressing every Tuesday. He is 180cm, wears a huge wig, and stands on high heels of 20cm, a giant from Aladdin. During his performance, those evil nasty words interweave with his heart breaking Big Art. Perhaps it was the connection between us two, we easily became friends. His pure desire, obsession to be extremely controversial in life, strong self expression and his black tears all over his face… everything of him excites me and lead to my series “ The Queen Fan”.
(Before I finishing sort out the conversations we heard the tragic news that she past away…my muse, is it just some sort of joke of yours? Now those pictures were so lonely and depressed…we only can see the shine, but can’t see the shadow.)
Melancholic Sex M: Why did you start drawing those small pictures?
X: Small size pictures and cheap productions can make me survive the economical depression.
M: What is it about?
X: Sex and depression.
M: Do you think that the Chinese audience and buyers can really accept that kind of stuff?
X: They couldn’t resist!
M: Maybe you could make it a little bit simpler so they could understand a little bit better.
X: But I think the simplicity should come forward naturally, I’m not in a hurry at all. I like it that way, I will always rather put my ideas at the first place and release them.
M: I agree with you, what I mean is that you are still waiting, but waiting is a long process.
X: Artworks should have hesitation, narrow ways and torture, but I love the way I’ve been tortured and I believe in keeping it real. It’s just what human should do..
M: No matter what people you meet, or what happens in your life, it should be all in your possibilities; if there is anything out of your possibility, it’s just none of your business.
X: The fact you don’t have to worry about all kinds of problems is pretty interesting, -you like your life to be clean and all you have to do is just trying to subtract things?
M: Yes.
X: But you don’t really look like you’ve been subtracting, you look pretty fancy though..
M: No I ‘m not! I think spiritual things are more important.
X: What kind of art do you really care about?
M: None, I do not care about any kind of art.
X: Then what do you care about?
M: I care about humankind…I am not a psychologist, what is inside is too painful to watch, I just want to learn more about the meaning of our lives.
X: I am a contradictory person; still I do not want to fall into the traps of our lives.
M: I’m always talking about subtraction, I’m still very curious, I do not want to leave anything behind, I like to enjoy every possibilities of my life.
X: So you do not want to put yourself under the bright light?
M: I’m just trying to express myself through other people.
X: I express myself by painting their portrait.
Monica put herself in the background during the conversation, but to be cautious, I don’t want it to be very “excited”, but I browned my skin and having a great adventure back there; walking on a very dark road under the moonshine, chewing chocolate on a altitude of 2430meteres, listening to the Dante’s inferno for 2hours (I didn’t fall asleep, but I don't understand any of it…).
像谈论一张画一样谈论钞票
程晓牧
我相信谢其对于这个世界既定的意义感到厌倦。玫瑰不只是带刺的植物,它须是爱情之花。“十八岁”这个年龄数,必须指向青春与憧憬,一种令安静者难堪的亢奋。所指不断引申,凝固,沉积在每个词语之上,如同一层浑浊之物。意指系统把每一个人强迫性地纳入其中,它构建着共同的认知与想象。与此同时,个别的、特殊的敏感日渐凋零。
线条、颜色、形象……所有与词语相类的符号,无不沉积着浑浊之物。艺术家用它去意指,却被它所意指。他想驯服这劳作的对象,却时时冒着被奴役的危险。他挣扎、扭转,和每一个符号较劲,尝试不同的言说,打上作者的烙印。风格即人,个体必须显现。然而这不断生长的意义系统始终追踪他,围困他,指认、回收他煞费苦心的尝试。一个粗暴的命名,荆浩的皴法,伦勃朗的光,一旦成立,即被收编。他不得不以既有的符号创作,无非捏扁摁圆、加黑提亮、虚化拉远,让那些言未尽意的缝隙透出微光,以稍稍偏离的方式引入那些原本就属于我们感知世界的事物。
这过程多少令人厌倦,它允诺自由,更限定自由。若他没有感到过创作的厌倦,就不是艺术家。他或许是教师,法官,政客或商人,却不是艺术家。
厌倦渐浓,幸而他发现那浑浊之物并非符号所固有。符号本“象”与“意”之偶然结合,约定俗成终成法则,它可以被分解、剥离。沉积之物如同附着的粘液,尽管阻力重重,仍能尽力把它铲除。—--还符号以意指的自由,是可能的。比如,“钞票”,是指一幅画,一幅叠加着前景、中景、后景,多少带有戏剧性的版画。画一张钞票,是临摹、写生另一张画。
在第三人称叙述中,我们使用泛指代词“他”,而我的具体所指是她。好在“他”或“她”在此并不重要。谢其的绘画在我看来,无需注明“女性”去加以阐释。
钱,钞票。人民币。除了一张瑞士法郎。
刚开始画这批画时,一个朋友似乎难以接受,又说不清原因,只是坦率直言道:“干吗画钱呢?”
“不能画钱吗?”谢其答。
这近乎空白的一问一答给我留下深刻的印象。
还有比“钱”被附加了更多意义的对象物吗?如同“灵魂”、“劳动”、“性”或“爱”一样,它描述着人的基本存在。纯粹物质符号本身是精神的辩证对立,与之相应的是意志、欲望、梦想或罪恶。 “钱”比其他概念更为确定而具体。它当下的形象是一张纸币,聚满政权与地理标志,意识形态与习俗洋溢其中,文化和语言镌刻其上。钞票,塞满密不透风的意指,烂熟的形象。 玩弄一个涵义过于直白的题材?无论讽刺或象征之意都直白到庸俗。这是提问者的疑虑吗?
回答者的思考似乎漂浮在另一层面,无从交锋。“画钞票”、“画风景”、“画人物”或“画一幅画”相互之间有什么区别?—--还钞票以意指的自由,是可能的。
她说,跟这批画直接有关联的,是之前的意大利之行所看到的大量博物馆古典艺术,于是萌发了想画特别充分的画面的想法。“作为对绘画本身的赞美,也是羞辱。”赞美在于手法上的模仿,模仿古典绘画灿烂而神秘的光,表面的迷人美感,由圣洁的天使和庄严的史诗画面烘托的崇高。然而这些手法被用来画粗鄙的钞票。她甚至提到的达芬奇,这种关联多少令人意外。
“人物和风景都是我喜欢的题材,钞票从一个特殊的角度把这两者结合到了一起。题材上其实没有过渡,气息是延续的。”
神奇之处在于,初看平常的画面,再看会让人跌入意想不到多维空间。桂林山水和长江三峡,被不可思议的光和混沌氤氲截断、笼罩,精细的纹路映透其中,如毛细血管的排布,组织着某种循环和呼吸。流淌的痕迹幻化为体液。隐约的锈迹般的暖色在青灰的调子中显现,“花花绿绿”,切合主题,又如同冷色肌体中的一片淤红。山水与人体混同,与宇宙相接,再次汇入作者强烈的个人风格之中。那是谢其式的性感。在这一点上,那怪诞魅惑的易装癖樊女王(谢其之前创作的以樊其辉为模特的肖像系列)和毛像或许并无差别。
我们每天接触的最熟悉的物件从来没有如此陌生。一种目光起了作用。我似乎理解了她对达 · 芬奇的兴趣。她总能从更古典的绘画中思考绘画本身。绘画许诺了哪怕到今天都未曾挖掘殆尽的自由。天生的画家对此心领神会。在他们那里,绘画永远不会失去魅力。不必转向装置、观念。观念层面的深刻体悟并没有让她放弃架上,因为哪怕像钞票这样的刺手题材,她仍能赋纯粹绘画的自由与美。在她笔下,既有的意义冻结碎落。如同亚当受上帝的旨意给万物命名,命名的乐趣,这是游戏的初始。而重新命名,从已有的意指符号中突围,意味着更为艰难的摧毁与重建。制定自己的规则,去这样使用色彩,特别是她喜爱的各种调子的绿色,在浓浓的油彩中隐没造型,让它随着距离一点点现身。多么自由,随自由释放的不只是情感,还有让画面的每一寸都恰当而准确的理性。
自由,我相信这与绘画一样,是谢其最乐于效力的事业。在短暂的自由时刻,她可以成为自己的上帝。
那幅黄紫相接的毛像和五十元的布达拉宫是在一个朋友的画室完成的。乘一个多小时的公交车来到的那间摆满植物,喂养着三只猫的画室。她画得很慢。如果每天去看,几乎看不出画面的变化。隔一段时间再去看,毛像的面容似乎变老了,表情显出更多的痛苦。它隐含着画家的困境和艰难。最难的是决定什么时候停下。多和少如何确定,什么时候画完,下一步怎么画 ?具象的肖像相对容易决定,因为清晰明确,而当肖像以独特的混沌手法呈现时则无比困难。
其他时候,她在自己的寓所兼画室工作。十九楼朝西的客厅,如果没有雾霾,能看到夕阳下的西山、地铁和楼群。室内是暗色的调子,家具不多,有不少古怪的装饰和小玩意。她不需要太大的空间画画,也不会摆出铺张的摊子,画室有一种少有的整洁。重新命名既定的符号,这项工作几乎向着不可能性进发,孤独验证了它的艰苦。独自一人,她能体会其中的分量。她说,一次午睡醒来,觉得压在自己身上的胳膊不是自己的,是谁的胳膊?很沉,抬不起来。
两只猫无声地出没,有时让画室更加孤独。她曾有一份稳定的艺术院校的教职,后来义无反顾地辞去了。这份工作与画画矛盾吗?或许对她而言是的,如果艺术基于一种绝对的独立。
她敏感于换喻和游离的意义。不仅是绘画,在思维和情感中,在自身存在的各个方面,都表现出一种摆脱既定意义的勇气,这使得她与一切保持着距离。理解这种距离,才能理解她的冷酷与温暖。
艺术家属于那个最古老的家族,纯正的血缘和精神的传承自有其隐秘的线索。在任何时代,他们都是罕见的。幸或不幸,谢其是这家族的一员。