There’s a man hiding in this photo – can you spot him? | CNN
Thank You!
Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much
appreciated.
Close
Ad Feedback
There’s a man hiding in this photo – can you spot him?
Guernica (2016) —
Liu Bolin is a master of disguise. The Chinese artist is known for painting himself onto different landscapes, and his most recent series, Art Hacker, is inspired by classic works of art. Here he uses his signature camouflage technique to recreate Picasso's 1937 "Guernica."
Liu often weaves social and political themes into his work. This image shows the traumatic impact of a factory explosion in Tianjin which killed 170 people in 2015.
Liu, who has worked on 'disappearing' since 2005, says he never tires of this technique. "I never thought to stop disappearing, instead I always think about other ideas to work on."
In China, it's a common sight to see advertisements like these plastered on walls. Liu has to stand, patiently for hours at a time, while his assistants paint him to match a chosen backdrop.
The artist work has evolved to include other people. In this piece, he paints 23 residents affected by one of China's infamous cancer villages. Chemical factories can be seen in the distance. "When I made this work about a cancer village, my art reflected human suffering through commemoration and grief."
One of the issues that Liu addresses in his work is consumerism. "I believe the development of modern society is generated by human desire," he opines.
In recent years, Liu's works have touched upon modern day technologies -- which he finds worrying. "In the modern era, everyone is just a piece of data, which is valued less and less everyday. Meanwhile technologies achieved by desire, or the possibilities of some sort of human development, is winning over the hearts of modern day people."
"After these 10 years of my creative career—as far as I come—when I'm creating a work, or just viewing one, or just trying to express my idea as an artist, the most important part about the work is my attitude towards reality," Liu says.
In earlier works, Liu would have to paint himself to 'melt' into backgrounds. As he became more famous, he enlisted the help of studio assistants to help with more intricate details.
This mural, which conceals both Liu Bolin and Bon Jovi, became the album cover for Bon Jovi's What About Now. The background mural was designed by Alex Haldi.
"When I pick a background and disappear, I've already expressed my attitude towards society, the future, and desire. It's a deep understanding that I bring to the audience," Liu says.
Liu has travelled the world for exhibitions. He has 'hid' in cities around the world. Of his progression, Liu says, "I think the imbalance of human development is embodied more and more in my works."
In an early work from 2006, Liu painted himself to match the background of 2008 Beijing Olympics mascots that began appearing throughout the city. Huge swaths of the city's old hutongs were torn down to make way for the event.
Liu found this blown-up photo depicting China's prosperity and might, on a billboard in the center of the city. "I am trying to dive much deeper into the issues of human development," Liu says, of his evolving body of work.
"The point of my Hacker Series is to question the relationship between a country and its people, the domination of a government's political power, as well as the rights to the photos themselves," says Liu.
Liu Bolin's first series, Hiding in the City, began in 2005. He camouflaged himself into the ruins of his demolished art studio as a form of silent protest. "After that," Liu says, "I shifted my focus to heated social issues."
