Gun Powder Explosion Events- Can Guo Qiang

Last week in my Modern Times class, which is facilitated by Dr. Cole we watched a film called Civilizations.  The reason I bring up this film is because towards the end there was an artist by the name of Cai Guo-Qiang, who is a Chinese artist who currently lives and works in New York City and New Jersey. Cai Guo-Qiang was exposed early on to western literature as well as traditional Chinese art forms due to his father Cai Ruiqin who was a calligrapher and traditional painter who worked in a bookstore. He grew up in a setting where explosions were common, whether they were the result of cannon blasts or celebratory fireworks. He also saw gunpowder used in both good and bad ways, in destruction and reconstruction. Cai channeled his experiences and memories through his numerous gunpowder drawings and explosion events.  Much of Cai’s works draws on Maoist/Socialist concepts for content, especially his gunpowder drawings, which strongly reflect Mao Zedong’s tenet “destroy nothing. Create nothing. “

Cai was among the first artists to contribute to discussions of Chinese art as a viable intellectual narrative with his own historical context and theoretical framework. Cai’s work is mainly inspired by traditional Chinese culture, and from political topics. He began working with gunpowder drawings and ephemeral sculptures to foster spontaneity and confront the suppressive, controlled artistic tradition and social climate in China.

I have attached photos below to show you Qiang’s “explosion event” which was in the film and shows three art pieces called Heaven Complex #1, Heaven Complex #2 and Heaven Complex #3.