Back to Beijing, and to one of my favourite exhibitions that I came across during my Courtauld trip in December. Ye Nan is an artist I had never heard of, but upon entering the Chambers Fine Art gallery in the Caochangdi district, I was instantly enamoured by the works. Ye Nan's employment of red phosphorous was innovative and completely original.
In a separate room from the main gallery is the artist's workspace, where we could see a work in progress...
An installation in the middle of the gallery, presumably showing the used matches that were used to create the pieces.
According to the press release, the title Like moths to a flame references the artist's musings on the phenomenon of moths flying into flames, with the insect's built-in celestial navigation causing the moths to be attracted and fly towards artificial light sources. The phenomenon, from a scientific perspective, is purely instinctual, however it also provides a dichotomizing meaning to the moths' life cycle. Whilst at once, it may seem to be a stupid suicidal act, the moths' immolation perpetuates the species' phototropism, which could be just the meaning of living for moths.
Ye Nan creates the works by covering the canvas surface with red phosphorous, transforming it from a canvas into essentially a large matchbox striker. He then strikes the surface with a match, with the resulting spark creating a light in the dark, and the energy leaving its trace behind. In Ye's mind, the process is likened to producing an artificial light to attract moths. It is the embodiment of the spirit of moths, with the capturing of the pivotal moment as the flame turns into ashes.
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