It is often believed by people that social classes are political and economic segregations, neglecting that simultaneously they represent varied cultural groups. Given different financial and social status, people in one region can lead different lifestyles, and therefore generate different ideologies. The Book of Rites written by Confucius has once agreed that “Criminal law does not apply to senior officials and the etiquette does not apply to common people”, meaning people of different social roles should be given different forms of punishment and disciplines. It is also believed by the artist that specific standards should be applied to specific cultural groups, for equality is to accept diverse individualities as equally significant, instead of annihilating all differences to preserve ironically someone in power who superficially eulogizes “for all mankind”!
In this project, Lu addresses the subtle tensions among classes in social hierarchy. Pairs include a dog chasing a bone and a dog who doesn’t have a bone; a person laughing at a dog chasing a bone; a dog looking at a person laughing at a dog. These metaphysical groups explore relationships between the rich and the poor, and human and nature. When one tries to apply its principles to the other, conflicts happen. The artist set figures in fictional scenes where components are attached with symbolic meanings to create narratives. She also utilizes unconventional materials such as soil from the ground to create varied layers of visual sensations. The juxtaposition of absurd imageries and the methodical approach to painting is designed to leave a dumbfounded humor to the audience.


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Junyi Lu