Nanxi Jin

My work is dedicated to combining the aesthetics of East Asian art that I absorbed in childhood with the contemporary Western methods of making I have learned in my studies in the United States. Vases play a familiar role in my life. Vase forms are everywhere in my hometown: restaurant decorations, street shops, and urban sculpture, with different kinds of vases as tall as people everywhere in Jingdezhen. ​There are two types of vases in ancient China. One is called a "tribute vase," which is used to hold water and is an offering to Buddha and the ancestors. The other is called an "appreciating vase". As the name suggests, an emperor might reward a meritorious minister with the gift of an appreciating vase. The worthy minister would display the vessel at home to exhibit their status. It is also meant to bless everyone and keep them safe and sound.

The form of my work is inspired by the shape of the traditional Chinese vase, based on the function of holding water (tribute) by observing rows of vessels on display outside the shops in Jingdezhen (PRC). I found myself drawn to the negative space that the objects inadvertently create. When the containers of different shapes and sizes are gathered outside the shops, the light and viewing angles create layers and the illusion of an architectural space. The smooth curves of the vases, the edge of their shapes, and shadows are like brush lines painted in ink, drawing different gestures on the adjacent forms.

"Funcoration" is a blend of function and decoration. The form of the vessel not only serves a function (to hold water, to tribute) but also serves as a decoration, using the curve and capacity of the shape itself to decorate space. "Funcoration" is an architectural sculpture that consists of free-standing tiles, six feet in height and five feet long. This could be a single structure in a space, or represent a module that could occur in multiples. The massive structure of the work is animated by the positive space and negative space of the work, and in turn, the work itself animates the space it stands in. The total interior surface is divided into smaller areas by the positive and negative space of each tile. People on either side of the sculpture interact through the open and closed spaces

 

我的作品致力于将我童年时吸收的东亚艺术美学与我在美国学习时所学的西方现代制作方法相结合。花瓶在我的生活中扮演了一个熟悉的角色。在我的家乡，花瓶的造型随处可见：餐厅的装饰品、街边的小店、城市的雕塑，在景德镇，随处可见像人一样高大的花瓶，各式各样的花瓶随处可见。中国古代的花瓶有两种类型。一种叫 "贡瓶"，用来盛水，是供奉佛祖和祖先的祭品。另一种叫 "赏瓶"。顾名思义，皇帝可能会用赏花瓶来奖励有功的大臣。有功的大臣会把这个器皿摆在家里，以显示自己的地位。也是为了祝福大家，保佑大家平安无事。

我的作品形式的灵感来自于中国传统的花瓶的造型，是在观察景德镇（中国）商铺外陈列的一排排器皿，以盛水（贡品）的功能为基础。我发现自己被这些物品在不经意间创造的负空间所吸引。当不同形状和大小不一的器皿聚集在店外时，光线和观看角度都会产生层次感，产生建筑空间的错觉。花瓶的流畅曲线、造型的边缘和阴影就像用水墨画出的笔线，在相邻的花瓶形态上画出不同的姿态。

"Funcoration "是功能与装饰的融合。器皿的造型不仅有功能(盛水、贡品)，还可以起到装饰的作用，利用造型本身的曲线和容量来装饰空间。"装饰 "是一种建筑雕塑，由独立的瓷砖组成，高六尺，长五尺，是一种建筑雕塑。这可以是空间中的单一结构，也可以代表一个模块，可以是多个模块出现。作品的巨大结构被作品的正空间和负空间所激活，反过来，作品本身又反过来激活了它所站立的空间。总的内部表面被每块瓷砖的正负空间分割成更小的区域。雕塑两边的人通过开放空间和封闭空间进行互动。