Sound Artist China Blue Discusses Feng Shui, Language, and Memory in 2005 Interview
Sound artist China Blue recently showcased her work in solo exhibitions located in Dijon, France, and Tornio, Finland, with the latter concluding on April 3, 2005. In a conversation with art critic Jill Conner prior to her panel at the 2005 CAA conference, Blue elaborated on her creative process, which investigates the connections among words, objects, and memory. Motivated by her grandmother's battle with Alzheimer's, she began labeling items in her environment to associate touch with identification and phonetics. Incorporating feng shui concepts, Blue perceives space as energy shaped by its inhabitants, utilizing audio to craft pieces that reflect personal stories. She contrasts the Western 'white cube' gallery model with the Chinese tradition of historically significant spaces, mapping human energy through sound and language while steering clear of direct socio-political commentary.
Key facts
- China Blue had solo exhibitions in Dijon, France, and Tornio, Finland in fall 2004, with the Tornio show closing April 3, 2005.
- She chaired a panel at the 2005 CAA conference titled 'Contact: Works that Create a Community Through Physical, Virtual or Momentary Relationships.'
- Blue's work explores memory and language, influenced by her fear of Alzheimer's, leading to projects labeling objects to aid recall.
- She uses feng shui principles, viewing space as energy-filled and audio as 'energy made physical' in her sound-based pieces.
- Blue is of Chinese and Swiss descent, which shapes her holistic approach blending cultural elements like language, food, and art.
- She contrasts Western 'white cube' galleries with Chinese concepts of space as historically layered and socially inherited.
- Her drawings map sound and words to visualize energy flow in spaces, connecting physicality and sound seamlessly.
- Blue avoids literal socio-political commentary, focusing instead on border transcension and cultural hybridity, such as in CalMex culture.
Entities
Artists
- China Blue
- Jill Conner
- Andy Warhol
- Richard Serra
Institutions
- CAA
- Art & Language
Locations
- Dijon
- France
- Tornio
- Finland
- New York
- California
- Mexico
- Switzerland
- Chinatown
- Alps