Shi Guorui
Rebirth
July 15 - September 2, 2011
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L&M Arts is proud to present Rebirth, an exhibition of unique camera obscura photographs by
Beijing based artist Shi Guorui. This will be Shi’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.
In 1998, Shi was the only passenger unharmed in a tragic car accident. This life-changing event became a catalyst for his work, and introduced him to the process of camera obscura. By nature, a camera obscura captures a series of moments over an extended period of time, rather than a single photographic instant. The introduction of time as a variable in this process merges Shi’s personal
interests with his newly adopted professional method: removing all of the minutiae of daily life to create a timeless, enduring image.
Although Shi’s relationship to his technique is highly personal, the series Rebirth documents internationally recognizable and historically significant landmarks, particularly focusing on architectural sites associated with economic prosperity in both the United States and China. These photographs also illuminate the dynamic relationship between American hegemony and China’s burgeoning development, alluding to the American dream not only as it exists in the United States,
but also in the new urban capitals of China. Shi offers these images at this time, against the backdrop of an increasingly complex global community.
Shi was born in China in 1964, graduated from Nanjing Normal University in 1992 and currently lives and works in Beijing. As one of China’s foremost photographers, Shi’s work is frequently exhibited in international museums and institutions, including The de Young Museum of San Francisco; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Royal Ontario Museum of Canada; the Groninger Museum, The Netherlands, and the National Art Museum of China, Beijing.
A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Britta Erickson, noted scholar and lecturer in the field of contemporary Chinese art, will be published to accompany the exhibition. It is the first complete monograph on the work of Shi Guouri.
