Guanyin or Avalokiteśvara, is the commonest god in China. She is usually figured as a woman offering blessing to people ubiquitously. She is consecrated by people overly and also possesses a flood of mercy in the folklore. In private she is a non-threshold god, thereby gains the most widely acceptability. From a certain perspective, she is no longer a specific god, but the generalization of compassion symbols and ready-made religious products.
XU Zhen shows the Guanyin in a colorful image in his new series NEW, which is completely different from the holy metaphor of pure and white color in the shrine. This sophisticated, computer-program-generated colorful gradient creates a statue of god of electronic industrial era. Its colorful gradient is a kind of industrialization and popularization of simulation applications of this natural wonder. It is both gorgeous and rigorously formatted. It is also most commonly found and overly used color effects of new media era.
The NEW series combines the color gradient effects and bizarre images of Guanyin to provide a new faith of pop and viewing experience. It involves religion, history, fashion and practical impact with the shape of a god who is keeping pace with the times. It is lush and machinery, with ancient and enduring folk vision, as well as fresh and repeated modern symbol, which create a kind of dual worship.
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