The master of urban camouflage has returned, this time exhibiting his latest photographic wonders at the Galerie Paris-Beijing – as always, without the aid of Photoshop or any other post-editing processes.
This time, Liu Bolin slips into in a range of familiarly public contexts, in front of iconic buildings and street graffiti … but now also sometimes with companions, or in strangely commercial settings, blending in with store shelves of stuffed animals, fresh vegetables and cell phones. His art is evolving its message.
It is worth noting that his intention is not to fully vanish into his surroundings, but, instead, to let them encompass him – the trompe l’oeil is intentionally incomplete.
He is making visual statements about change, commercialization, and the sublimation of the individual to the role of context and process.