Where Is Liu Bolin? (All Photos By Gail)
In the above photo, Hiding in California No. 1 – TED, you probably can’t see artist Liu Bolin, because he is hiding, literally, in plain sight. Let me give you hint of where he is:
Holy Chinese Lanterns! There he is!
Also known as “The Invisible Man,” the Chinese-born Bolin’s most popular works are from his Hiding in the City series; photographic works that began as performance art in 2005. New photos from Hiding in Hollywood and Hiding in New York appear as part of Mask, Bolin’s latest solo exhibit at Eli Klein in Soho,
Hiding in California No. 2 – Hollywood, 2013
Bolin is able to hide within his photographs by donning a suit of clothes painted to resemble the background and then simply inserting himself into the frame. Find him above by looking for the top of his head in the “W” of the Hollywood Sign.
Hiding in the City – Mobile Phone, 2012
This shot is a close up, so you can sort of easily see him among a wall of smart phones.
Here he is in front of the Intrepid, NYC, 2012
In the gallery they also had on display the suit worn in a photo (not part of this exhibit) where Bolin blends into a wall of shelved cereal boxes. Very Cool!
Hiding in the City – Beijing Graffiti No. 2, 2012
Here’s another good one!
Since the exhibit is called Mask, it makes sense that there is also a selection of works inspired by traditional Peking Opera masks. The masks above incorporate the design and slogans of snack food packaging.
According to the exhibit’s press release, these masks “are symbolic reflections of Chinese society and its values. By recreating these masks using the advertising and labeling of popular food and drink products seen throughout China, Liu Bolin addresses the rapidly changing, highly commercialized values of Chinese society. By adding a necessary layer to these works — welding masks — Liu Bolin speaks to the dangers Chinese face in their contemporary society. With constant risk of food and drink contamination, living in China can feel as dangerous as working with molten hot metal.” So yeah, heavy.
Mask by Liu Bolin is a fantastic show and you should head on over to Eli Klein, located at 462 West Broadway (between Prince and Houston) New York, NY 10012 before it ends on July 21st, 2013!
