First, design the pattern of the artwork on computer, then use laser to carve such pattern on selected acrylics, finally spray baked paint repeatedly based on the traces and gullies produced by the laser -- this forms the complete process of Lv Miao’s creations. Regarding whether the artwork itself or its production process, Lv totally differs from most of his peers.

Obviously, Lu’s artwork involves two steps: design and production. With regard to production, his working style is similar to the process in today’s modern factory. Then why it is today’s modern factory? Because what he relies on is new technology and materials, ranging from computer, acrylics, laser to baked paint. Each related material and technique has its own history in their own functional area, but all unrelated to art.

But here under Lv’s hands, they are connected, composing as an art machine that has never appeared. Now the materials become each component of this art machine, changing their former definition with new meaning. Form example, acrylics has a history of 100 years and is widely used as wind shield, glasses, bathtub and sanitary equipment. But now, it becomes a media for visual images, acting like a new canvas, since the artist changes its former function. Or in other words, the artist creates a new meaning for the material. Here, each material and equipment has been re-invented, being re-valued and re-defined. While at the same time, these materials and technique also recreate the definition of art. The new application of the materials and technique causes an explosion for the existing concept and scope of art, extending the boundary and limits of materials and technique, which also extends the boundary and limits of art. In fact, one may ask “Does such creation have any connection with the traditional art production?” or “Is there any difference between art production and industrial production?” Perhaps, we could summarize all these questions into one, that is, today, what is the relation between art and technology?

Through Lv’s artworks, we can see that the invention of art merges with the invention of technology. Although these technologies have its own history, yet it is hard to imagine  “assembling” these technique and materials into an art machine a decade ago. But Lv acutely and immediately turns these technologies into an art machine. It has been widely known that artists always stubbornly want to use technology for almost a century, like how they used the media of photography, video and computer, as a result, the boundary of art has already be exploded by these non-hand-made machines. Today, the sundry production machines, not only the general media or the re-production machine, but also others have been introduced into art, indicating that art has been continuously “confiscating” with technology, and the boundary between art and technology has been disappeared. While at the same time, we also find another kind of art which totally ignored technology in the area of paintings. For centuries, artists paint on canvas or paper, sticking to the ancient tradition and retaining the purity of individuality and hand-made skill. They totally abandon technology and equipment in art. However performing art and some installation art pieces are totally different, as they neither follow the hand-made tradition, nor rely on machine and equipment. The materials they use are either their body movements or the re-arrangement of ordinary materials and objects, all familiar daily objects rather than production machine. Thus contemporary art has been divided into three sections: the ancient painting tradition, the performing and installation art, and the art machine using new materials and technology. Such division is not very strict, as many artworks often float among the three. Undoubtedly, Lv’s artwork is the art machine with new materials and technology, a good example for art “confiscating” technology. What he confiscates is the newest material and technology, which enables his artworks to fuse with a chic and fresh outlook. This could only be created in a modern time, a creation only for such moment and such place. The art trend always pursues the technology trend, or in other words, the technology trend continuously alters the art trend, which is reflected by Lv’s artwork. Thus such work is not loaded with the existing art pressures. Lacking the traditional boundary, it is free and relaxed. Based on the special trait of the material, they are shining, polished, clean and modern, meaning they are young, which also gives an impact with a juvenile air. What accompanied with these artworks is also a strong physical trait, the images and concepts are no longer in a dominant status as they are unable to overshadow the physical trait of the material itself and its production technology. These things don’t become silent as a background in the artwork. On the contrary, they also become the subject of the artwork. Different from paintings on canvas or paper, the physical trait as a media is also a unique part in the work.

Then what about visual images? What one sees are still visual images, different hued visual images? The contents of these visual images vary from figures, portrait to equipments, architectures and even the collage of a bustling city filled with figures, equipments and architectures. These visual images are plain and mediocre, which are the sources for all kinds of paintings. But here, these figures and portraits, such as cars, all share with its physical trait. The carving produced by the laser unwittingly fuses an industrial advertisement air on these figures without intricate outlines by brushstrokes, let alone any further exploration. It is the abstract symbol for figures rather than the detailed carving for figures. Such symbolic figures are akin to the production under a new epoch. Or in other words, these figures come out from a technology epoch, created both by industrial technology, the technological mechanism and technological civilization. Such figures can’t be endowed with individuality and depth. The same is true to these sundry cars, bizarre high-rises and unknown patterns of the monsters that share with a strong physical trait. They are doomed to be the production of this unpredictable gigantic industrial monster. On one hand, the colorful and bizarre tableau seems to echo with the present city or the present culture, but on the other hand, it also responds to the technology epoch and the materials it used. The air of the visual images matches with the trait of the material, while at the same time, the material trait echoes with the air wafted over the visual images.

Technology and material are decisive, following the existing factory production mode. The visual images become physical that are created through to the hues and arrangement on the computer, and they are no longer the self murmuring of an individual soul. In fact, it is different from the traditional creation. The artist tries its best to escape from his artwork, to make his technique and depth, temperament invisible, casting away the unique aura permeated in his art piece. The computer replaces the brain; the design replaces feelings; the baked paint replaces oil; the laser replaces hands and palette; the acrylics replaces canvas; the workshop replaces studio. Does this foretell a kind of new art form? Or, will this continuously extend the scope of art?

Text: Wang Min'an

What I create in "City" is not the stereo-typed city we can see in life, but city merged with my illusionary and the realistic city. The best mode of city is itself. The complexity and inconsistency of a modern city decide that we could obverse the rebirth of a city through almost any angle. Any expansion or collapse of a city has a deep impact on its living condition of its residents, while the vicissitudes of a city could also be revealed through the alteration of the action of its residents. I merely want to document the living condition of today’s people through my art.

My artworks are to be seen as paintings, but not in its traditional sense. They are computer processed and later printed on canvas. Digital printing is a new technology, which symbolizes new things resulted from the reforms in China. On the contrary, canvas, a traditional painting media, represents the Chinese traditional culture. But the digital printing on canvas is a collision and melting between the popular culture and traditional culture, the new things and traditional things in the developing society.

There are many high-rises appear in my paintings, which are quite similar whether in regard with its outlook or colors. It seems a simple repetition, but a cultural repetition rather than a repetition in forms. Like pirated DVDs, the different elements in a city have been simply copied and increased.

I have two series, one features landscape of a “Megacity” with architectures, billboards to mirror the empty and gigantic trait of a city. In a seemingly bustling city, there is no existence of human. The four panoramic paintings reflect the landscape of the city. Another series focuses on street and people, the four panoramic paintings with a chaotic scene reflect the impact of the city’s expansion on its residents.

My style is mainly of a cartoon style, a kind of new experiment. I try to reflect a realistic topic through a relaxed and simple way.