I’m making cast resin sculptures, about half-size, of poised figures. These figures form a small pantheon, through which I reflect, and reflect on, powers and forces in today’s world. These figures harness some of the world-historical currents which envelop us.
With these works, I aim to achieve an imitation of truth. The castings are formed from truths in this world, but they’re just imitations. You might think being an imitation would place it lower on the totem pole. But imitations and exaggerations and allegorizations can exceed their source. It’s like when, after hearing a good joke, you say, “That is so true.”
There is also truth in the postures and poses of these figures. The poses in medieval statuary tell us so much about the Christian mindset during the Middle Ages. In India and China in the 7th and 8th centuries, certain bodhisattva sculpture exhibit a surprising naturalism. In their very felt features and poses, down to the slouch of their hips, they sidestep a merely totemic presence, to pull the demigod into our world. My aim is the same — to use comportment to bring my bodhisattvas into our timeline.
Bio
Victor Liu is an American artist (born Taipei, Taiwan) who explores the latent mythologies and ideologies behind our ever-changing news cycles. His artwork marries traditional casting methods with newer technologies, to create charged forms which harness currents in today’s world. He earned an MFA from the Art Practice program at the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY. His previous education includes an MA from Yale University and a BA from the University of California at Berkeley. The artist has participated in exhibitions in the US, Europe, and Asia, including at the Museum of the Moving Image, Queens, NY, and in an upcoming two-person exhibition at PS 122 Gallery in New York this fall. He is the recipient of a NYFA fellowship, and work commissions from the Whitney Museum’s Artport and Turbulence.org. He lives and works in New York City.
Contact
[e] v@victorliu.art
[p] (917) 459-3596
[instagram] @victorliu.art