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M+, Hong Kong, © Xu Lei
Xu Lei 徐累
Fission 裂變
1987
This large-scale monotype print depicts a field of cracks. The bottom edge is bound by a red-and-white strip, suggesting a traffic pole. A red seal, in the form of a manhole cover, is printed in the bottom right corner. Xu Lei produced Fission early in his career, and it was included in the China/Avant-Garde exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing in 1989. At the time, Xu worked primarily with oil paints and prints, influenced by artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Robert Rauschenberg. The work is a transfer from asphalt and reveals the cracks and grainy texture of the road. Xu’s unique artistic language, integrating ideas from the West and from Chinese culture, is evident here. The cracks in the asphalt recall the textures of traditional ink painting. Printed on Xuan paper, which is typically used for traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, and bearing a red seal, the work resembles a scroll. Following Fission, Xu began to work primarily with ink, producing surrealistic paintings of landscapes and interior spaces.
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