ART CITIES:Paris-Ding Yi
Since the end of the 1980s, Ding Yi has devoted himself exclusively to working with the theme of the cross (+) and ex (x), which he exploits to its maximum potential. All his works are the result of these small signs repeated according to a systematic principle. Devoid of narrative or symbolic significance, this approach to painting does not seek any sort of emotional expression, but instead is reduced to its minimal state.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Galerie Karsten Greve Archive
Ding Yi in his solo exhibition “Highlight” presents twenty works set either on wood or on handmade paper, are on display, including “Appearance of Crosses 2020-13”, created during the coronavirus lockdown in the spring of 2020. In order to give a greater perspective of Ding Yi’s artistic research, the gallery is also presenting a number of earlier works by the artist. Ding Yi’s palette is dominated by nuances of bright lime and lemon chrome, interspersed with black, light grey and white speckles of color. At first glance, the surface, entirely covered with crosses, appears as if it is either a two-dimensional computer-generated print, a stitched composition or a color screen. The artist’s latest works are increasingly characterized by the use of particular types of color such as neon color or glitter pigment. Through these color combinations, Ding Yi explores the depiction of light and the unfamiliar optical effects created by neon signs, head and taillights, lines of vehicles and billboards. The harsh contour of the crosses functions as a fluorescent aureole and vibrates, as would reflected light or gleaming light. In the early 1980s, Ding Yi developed his first series of works with a multitude of variations and different colors of crosses. In Ding Yi’s paintings the sign + is stripped of all semantic references, having been selected for its simplicity and universality. In China, the cross is in fact associated with a wide range of non-religious connotations. Since time immemorial, the cross has been used as a decorative pattern on porcelain and fabrics; today, the cross is a ubiquitous sign appearing in different contexts of everyday life. In 1988, Ding Yi painted his first pieces as part of the “Appearances of Crosses” series. The pictures are made through the repetition of the same symbol, a + or a x, manually applied over the entire surface. Several layers of paint and conglomerations of superimposed shapes are the basis from which the artist can develop infinite combinations of color nuances and spatial depths. In his earliest pieces, Ding Yi sought to eliminate any trace of the painter’s subjectivity and to reduce any visible trace of his gesture to a bare minimum. By using a ruler, he erased any perceptible residue of his own physical involvement in the piece. From 1990, the artist further liberated his creative process by painting freehand. Shortly thereafter, he started to include unusual materials such as tartan and corrugated cardboard and, more recently, to paint on wood using a wedging technique. The painting surface is incised by hand with an all-over grid. Lines of different widths and shapes uncover layers of pigment, texture, and shades of color. This manual creation process appears to be the exact opposite of the artwork’s appearance. Ding Yi’s panels are interactive in that the viewer can perceive the depth of the piece in its entirety whilst also being invited to scrutinize the work to explore its incised surface and the mapping of imaginary cities.
Photo: Ding Yi, Appearance of Crosses 2020-13, 2020, Mixed media on wood, 120 x 120 cm (47 1/4 x 47 1/4 in), Recto lower right signed and dated: “Ding Yi 2020”, © Ding Yi, Courtesy the artist and Galerie Karsten Greve
Info: Galerie Karsten Greve, 5 rue Debelleyme, Paris, Duration: 21/1-20/3/2021, Days & Hours: Tue-Sat 10:00-18:00, https://galerie-karsten-greve.com
