“Îcon priznts ɖ frst YC sôlo šo v wrcs bî C̣riyn ātist Li Bl. Ɖs srve v ŕli drōñz, studiz, sculpčṛl pìsz n ambišs insṭlešnz – includñ a ny cmišn md ispešli fr Îcon – šôcesz ɖ vižli cmpelñ n inṭlcčli šāp wrcs ẇč hv istablišt Li Bl az wn v ɖ most impwtnt ātists v hr jeṇrešn.
Born in 1964, undr ɖ militri dictetršp v Sâʈ C̣rīa, Li Bl grajuetd in sculpčr fṛm Hongic Ynivrṣti jrñ ɖ lêt 1980z. Hr wrcs bcem priokpîd wɖ poḷtics, delvñ intu ɖ mni fwmz v îdiylizm ɖt prmiet âr sivlîzešnz, n fṛm ɖ bginñ š crietd wrcs ɖt crost žãṛz n diṣplinz in pṛvoc̣tv wez. Ŕli strītpfwmns-bêst pìsz sw Li Bl werñ flbodi soft sculpčrz ẇč wr bʈ alurñ n gṛtesc. Hr lêtr fīmel Sîbwg sculpčrz v ɖ 1990z dru upn āthistri, critcl ʈiyri, saynsfiẋn n popylr imajinešn t xplor añzaytiz arîzñ ât v dsfunẋnl tecṇlojicl advansz, ẇlst simlteňsli hācñ bac t îconz v clasicl sculpčr.
Li Bl’z mr rīsnt wrcs hv similrli dyl cnsrnz; at wns fwd-lcñ yt retṛspctv, sductv bt sjstv v ruin. Sculpčrz sspndd lîc šanḍliyrz, ilabṛt asmblijz ɖt glimr wɖ cristl bīdz, čênz n mirrz, pýňntli ivoc caslz in ɖ er. Ɖ sculpčrz rflct ytopịn ācitcčṛl scīmz v ɖ ŕli twentiiʈ senčri az wel az imijz v ttalitẹrı̣nizm fṛm Li Bl’z ŕly xpirı̣nsz. Mõ grã resīt: Wīp intu stônz… (2005), wɖ its mântṇs tpogṛfi, z reminisnt v scîscreprz dscrîbd bî Hy Feris in hiz bc Ɖ Mtroṗlis v Tmro (1929). Scafldñ ṣpwts svṛl scêlmodl strucčrz: a lūpñ hîwe md v bent plîwŭd, a tîni Tatlin’z Monymnt, a moḍnist sterces ɖt fīčrz in Ḟlīni’z La Dolče Vīta, n an uptrnd croșẋn v ɖ Hagia Ṣfīa.
Alñsd ɖz seminl wrcs z a ny cmišn md psbl ʈru ɖ Ātfund Inṭnašnl scīm in c̣laḅrešn wɖ Brmñm Myziym n Ātgaḷri n Ɖ Ny Ātgaḷri Wōlswl. Aftr Brūno Tât (Dvošn t Drift) aludz t ɖ ācitect Brūno Tât (1880–1938), a grt inflụns on Li Bl’z wrcs. Ɖ sspndd sculpčr, dripñ wɖ an xes v crisṭlîn šêps n glasbīdz, refṛnsz ɖ xṗnnšl grôʈ n unssteṇbiḷti v ɖ modn wrld. Unlîc Tât’s ŕli twentiiʈ-senčri optimizm, Li Bl cunjrz p bytifl drīmz š nz w’nt cm tru.”
ẆT Đ PÊPRZ SE
Jaci Vŭlšlāgr, Đ FNANŠL TÎMZ, 5 Septmbr 2014
Êdrı̣n Srl, Đ GĀDỊN, 11 Septmbr 2014
