RedLine's exhibit, “A New Attitude: CHEN Man's Provocative Interpretations of Contemporary Chinese Women,” has been curated by Julie Seagraves, executive director of the Asian Coordinating Council in Denver.
The Chinese artist's first exhibit in the U.S. will include 32 images and will run March 1 to April 27 at RedLine. It is the second part of a yearlong series focusing on female artists called “She Crossed the Line.”
“CHEN Man's work has evolved since her first “Vision Magazine” cover in 2003. But the interaction of the real and imaginary, everyday and ideal, commercial art and Avant-garde art all continue to impact her photographs,” said Seagraves.
CHEN Man was born in Beijing in 1980 and was drawing at a very early age. Her mother enrolled her in art classes and in a special arts high school, followed by graphics study at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
While still a student, she produced covers for “Vision Magazine,” described as a progressive Chinese art and fashion magazine, using post-production digital techniques that were new to China at the time.
She also contributes regularly to Chinese editions of “Vogue,” “Elle,” “Harper's Bazaar,” “Cosmopolitan” and “Esquire” and had a large exhibition of her work exhibited at the Chinese Culture Center in Manchester, UK in 2012.
She writes of her interpretation of Chinese culture, adapted by western techniques … a mix of Oriental and Western, “tacky and elegant…” and said she is influenced by Beijing street culture. Photoshop is an important tool and her computerized 3-D techniques are distinctive.
She is currently married and has two young children.
RedLine is a contemporary art center, located in Denver's Historic Five Points, which also offers residency space to a rotating number of artists and encourages community participation in the arts. Readers interested in contemporary art will want to visit if they are not familiar with its influence in the local scene.
If you go:
“A New Attitude: CHEN Man's Provocative Interpretations of Contemporary Chinese Women” runs from March 1 to April 27 at RedLine, 2350 Arapahoe St., Denver. Admission is free. For schedule, see www.redlineart.org or call 303-296-4448.
Subsequent shows in the “She Crossed the Line” series will be: “Senga Nengudi: The Performing Body” from June 6-July 20; “Harmony Hammond: Becoming/Unbecoming Monochrome” from Aug. 2 to Sept. 28; and “Surveying Judy Chicago” from Oct. 17 to Dec. 28.
