Bowl: From the Loss of the Body to the Loss of Dignity
Liu Sichuan
The first impression of Laurent LU’s Bowl series is a stark, chilling sense of despair. In the confined spaces of the paintings, nude human figures are curled up or sprawled, either approaching or distancing themselves from an empty bowl. Here, the empty bowl becomes the central image, standing out in isolation with a profound presence. The naked bodies, all turned away from the viewer without revealing any clear faces, exhibit a primal, animalistic, or even ghostly state.
This haunting series of works resembles a sequence of silent dramas. The distorted, faceless bodies, despite lacking language, create an intense emotional resonance through their postures and their spatial relationship with the empty bowl, evoking a deep sense of despair and sorrow in the viewer. The absence of facial features symbolizes the erasure of individual identity, and the lack of eyes raises a fundamental question: Do we truly possess “eyes” to see?
For the artist, imagery introduces uncertainty about identity, placing it within the infinite flow of time. The scenes created by these figures can traverse the past, present, and future, or be presented repeatedly. With the development of LU’s perception and representation of these images, an anticipatory irrational symbol emerges—the Acéphale (a headless figure, representing a rejection of authority and centralized leadership). Within Spengler’s cyclical view of history, are we as rational as we imagine? Do we truly possess a “head”, or are we like paramecia, blind and drifting aimlessly in the river of time? This notion somewhat echoes Georges Bataille’s perspectives.
From a chronological viewpoint, the Bowl series spans almost the entirety of Laurent LU’s creative output in 2023. Its themes, symbols, and the expansive narrative they convey reflect a transformative shift in the artist’s focus and philosophical stage. It signals a departure from LU’s earlier narratives about history, the collective, and the individual, moving towards a more instinctual existential inquiry. Through this series, an intangible force seems to draw us away from the layers of a superficial world and into a barren inner landscape.
Is this barren landscape that of the artist himself, or is it a reflection of our own inner void?
The Bowl and the Human Body: Crafting Symbols and Delving into Deeper Meanings
The core symbol in Laurent LU’s Bowl series is the bowl itself—an ordinary, everyday object that on LU’s canvas is imbued with immense symbolic significance. In these paintings, the bowl seems like a cold, indifferent presence. It is neither a traditional “vessel for food” nor a symbol of “abundance”. Instead, it stands empty and desolate, exuding a powerfully distilled symbolic force.
As the sole object in the composition, the bowl introduces a tension-filled space. The artist uses it to break the void, compelling the viewer to ponder its role within the entire scene. The naked bodies, devoid of any other points of reference in the space, seem to cling to the bowl as their only center, the sole object of purpose.
The Bowl and the Human Body: Crafting Symbols and Delving into Deeper Meanings
The core symbol in Laurent LU’s Bowl series is the bowl itself—an ordinary, everyday object that on LU’s canvas is imbued with immense symbolic significance. In these paintings, the bowl seems like a cold, indifferent presence. It is neither a traditional “vessel for food” nor a symbol of “abundance”. Instead, it stands empty and desolate, exuding a powerfully distilled symbolic force.
As the sole object in the composition, the bowl introduces a tension-filled space. The artist uses it to break the void, compelling the viewer to ponder its role within the entire scene. The naked bodies, devoid of any other points of reference in the space, seem to cling to the bowl as their only center, the sole object of purpose.
The spatial handling in Laurent LU’s Bowl series is another dimension worth exploring. The relationship between the figures, the bowl, and the space is not a straightforward three-dimensional one; instead, LU’s strategic composition evokes an indescribable sense of oppression and loneliness. The bowl is placed in a vast, featureless space, while the human figures crawl within the frame, appearing disconnected from the surrounding world. The entire scene is permeated with an atmosphere of isolation and detachment.
This vast emptiness symbolizes the isolation of individuals in modern society. Although both the figures and the bowl exist within the same canvas, they are separated by an invisible barrier. The distance and postures between the bodies and the bowl form a spatial relationship that measures not just physical space but the significance of existence itself. Here, the bowl as a symbol also becomes a “mirror”, reflecting the complex emotions and profound sense of lack humans experience in the face of their survival instincts and material needs.
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In the Bowl series, Laurent LU’s stylistic shift appears profound and introspective. This evolution is marked not only by a minimalist approach in form but also by a significant conceptual transformation. While LU’s earlier works were heavily influenced by Markus Lüpertz and Francis Bacon, his artistic language gradually began to incorporate elements reminiscent of Goya and Matisse. This shift moved his expression from direct and visceral to a deeper, solitary existential exploration.
In his early phase, LU’s creations bore the marks of Neo-Expressionism. Lüpertz’s manipulation of form and emotional tension provided LU with a new dimension for emotional articulation. Bacon’s impact is especially noticeable in the Bowl series, where the distorted human figures and the intense psychological atmosphere parallel Bacon’s portrayal of tormented existence. LU similarly employs the isolated relationship between the bowl and the figures to delve into the struggles of individual survival. His depiction of human forms is stripped down to their essence, employing symbolism to the extreme. Just as Bacon’s minimalist compositions convey inner tension, LU encapsulates a silent narrative within the symbolism of the bowl.
Moreover, LU draws from Goya’s dark and grotesque vision. Goya, known for his bizarre figures and deep social criticism, resonates with the relational dynamics between the bowl and the human figures in the Bowl series. Although LU does not adopt Goya’s concrete scenes or complex narratives, he uses a stark visual language to distill the tension between society and the individual into the confrontation between the bowl and the human figures.
Matisse’s influence is most evident in LU’s treatment of the human body. While Matisse conveyed a sense of vitality and rhythmic movement through color and pose, LU’s portrayal of the human form is starkly different—it is filled with pain and submission, reflecting a sense of helplessness and disorientation in the material world.
LU synthesizes the formal and philosophical elements from Goya and Matisse, pushing them further towards extremity in his own work. Where Goya’s grotesque imagery reflects the absurdity of society, LU distills these themes to their essence, portraying barren scenes and isolated figures to explore the relationship between humans and the material world. Each bowl becomes a silent focal point, with the figures positioned as counterpoints, drawing the viewer into a tension-laden relationship that evokes an inescapable sense of fate.
Matisse’s influence is most evident in LU’s treatment of the human body. While Matisse conveyed a sense of vitality and rhythmic movement through color and pose, LU’s portrayal of the human form is starkly different—it is filled with pain and submission, reflecting a sense of helplessness and disorientation in the material world.
LU synthesizes the formal and philosophical elements from Goya and Matisse, pushing them further towards extremity in his own work. Where Goya’s grotesque imagery reflects the absurdity of society, LU distills these themes to their essence, portraying barren scenes and isolated figures to explore the relationship between humans and the material world. Each bowl becomes a silent focal point, with the figures positioned as counterpoints, drawing the viewer into a tension-laden relationship that evokes an inescapable sense of fate.