Liu Xiaodong

Image 1 shows Liu Xiaodong's diary from August 2012, when while preparing his project for Parkett 91 he got for the first time the idea to overpaint photographs. Image 2 shows the artist in his studio completing the Parkett project.

"...My heart was too overjoyed because while painting, I decided something: I don't have to paint this small oil painting because the frame is just 15 x 25cm. It's too small and there's no way to paint that much detail. I prefer to print some 40 x 50cm photos and paint on them. I should remove the useless detail. To me, retaining details that cannot be conveyed in a painting is an excitingly,unfamiliar thing. Like this, I can paint many of these kinds of photographic paintings. In desperation, strokes are suddenly forced out." (from Liu Xiaodong's Hotan diary, August 18, 2012)

Liu Xiaodong’s edition
Parkett Vol. 91