爱？爱！
——陆玫个展序
策展人：卜冕
2014年，艺术家陆梅从美国纽约回到中国北京。她
成立个人工作室，将探索与艺术生涯转向中国
整整10年。在过去的10年里，她的创作过程从一个
无法控制的实验激情般的灵感，一系列的精神自我
discipline with minimalism. From the sprawling footprints-like mountains to the
hesitation before steep cliffs break, her creation and life are like Ulysses searching for
truth on the vast sea. Therefore, I report her selected representative works of the past
10 years as"Love? Love!", symbolizing the artist's gentle emotions and unwavering
pursuit of the essence of art.
The rich cultural resources of the United States and China, as well as her circle of
friends, have been transformed into a language source for personal exploration
through learning and in-depth communication. From June 2014 to December 2015,
she received training at Wei Ligang's Shuxiang Academy, she learned Jiang Caiping
Gongbi Research Class of Mineral Color Painting at CAFA and the Central Academy
of Arts and Crafts. This, as well as her visual reading experience in the United States,
enabled her to transition from the classic forms to the path of exploring contemporary
art painting. In 2017, she returned to New York and established her own studio at EFA
Studios on West 39th Street in Manhattan, near Times Square, starting an international
professional artist working model. At the same time, in 2018, she studied sculpture at
the New York Art Student League under the renowned sculpture masters Leonid
Lerman (born in Odessa, Russia, studying painting and sculpture at the Odessa
Academy of Arts and the Mosaic and Woodcarving School). This renowned art school
has produced many masters, such as Jackson Pollock, O'Keeffe, Laushenberg, Rosko,
and Ai Weiwei, who have all studied and trained here. Today, they are shining stars
shining on the top of human civilization. The sentence is: Here, artist feel the free and
open atmosphere of New York Art, deeply nurtured in the cradle of masters. At the
same time, she maintained uninterrupted communication with Mr. Chai Zhongjian, an
outstanding Chinese philosopher and art critic, like a family member; Collaborating
with Italy's most famous curator, humanist scholar Sandro Orlandi, for the exhibition,
these mentors and friends are undoubtedly the high mountains she must climb on her
exploration journey and the enormous spiritual mentors. Regarding the works of Lu
Mei over the past 10 years, Mr. Chai Zhongjian used Maurice Merleau- Ponty's
concept of "eyes and heart" to experience Lu Mei's artistic path as a visual journey.
Therefore, allow me to quote Mr. Chai Zhongjian's art review: "Lu Mei's art works
have new expansions in three aspects: firstly, the development of ‘imagery’
Secondly, ‘conceptual’ activities. Thirdly, the expression of 'heart nature'. Lu Mei's
recent works are related to unconscious writing, which involves separating her inner
activities from thoughts and ideas, and placing her in a state of pure and natural
expression of her mind. Her energy is becoming more stronger, and the things that her works can contain are becoming more richer. She uses overlapping circles and squares
as the basic elements, and finally, the image of overlapping circles is like the
manifestation of chaos, starry sky, and mystery; The square overlay forms the
structure of the Babel Tower. This is clearly her mental images."
In recent years, with the restrictions of the epidemic, artist Lu Mei has stayed more
time in her Beijing studio to create. She has revisited all the key art works of artists
she loves in art history, such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Mark Rothko, and has come to
understand every aspect of the modernist tradition that continues to thrive. Especially
O'Keeffe's personal charming and strong spiritual power have attracted Lu Mei's
footsteps.
Afterwards, the artist truly began her work. Starting from the Salute series, these
masters pointed out the true spiritual path for her, but their role was also limited.
Therefore, like Cézanne, she "worked to advance her career". The new series of works
that have never been exhibited in recent years in the exhibition reveal the artist's
emotions and the order and scale she relies on. The rich colors she brings, The sense
of wonder along the way: a golden mountain, a chandelier, the Tower of Babel, a
rainbow, and a romantic moon...
"Love? Love!", Exhibition, looking back and pointing towards the future.
Mian Bu
July 2024 at Being 3 gallery in Beijing
