Xu Bing uses tobacco as both material and subject to convey a wide range of problems including global trade and the ironic factor of advertising a potential harmful substance. He is a bookmaker and the fascination he has with visual culture and packaging especially has influenced him to into the trilogy of work he has produced in reference to tobacco in recent years.
His projects involved physical cigarettes with an emotional link; An installation created in an abandoned tobacco plant near Duke included
a recorded voice reading the medical records of Xu Bing's father, who
died of lung cancer, conveying a personal connection to tobacco and
death. In exploring the complex connections between people and tobacco,
the project ultimately concerns fundamental issues of human culture and
of tobacco as a medium of social exchange.
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| a tiger-skin-pattern rug made from over half a million cigarettes standing on end, with either filter or tip up to make an alternating pattern of orange and white. |
I found this work interesting at this moment and time because the relationship being of both physical and mental links within the exhibition and project for Bing is fascinating and when looking at the images they look pretty and interesting but the background message is horrific, dark and doesn't necessarily have to completely be related to you for you be able to share the knowledge upon tobacco.
After smoking for three years he has now, quit for three weeks four days.
http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/Exhibitions/Xu-Bing/
