Серия "Маски" 

Editor: Here we have Zeng Fanzhi's "\u0421\u0435\u0440\u0438\u044f \"\u041c\u0430\u0441\u043a\u0438\"," or "Masks" series, in oil paint. The juxtaposition of the figure and the branded vodka bottles creates a kind of unease. How would you interpret this work? Curator: For me, the interesting thing to unpack here is the materiality itself. We see the blending of high art techniques – oil painting, portraiture – with symbols of mass consumption. The "Absolut Vodka" is clearly placed within the painting and what this suggests to me is not an endorsement of this consumer item but the introduction of commerce into a supposedly higher realm. Editor: That makes sense. The mask itself is also so prominent. Is it simply a portrait, or something more? Curator: Well, look closely at how that mask is rendered. It’s almost crude, seemingly mass produced. Zeng seems to be commenting on the adoption, if not commodification, of identity itself. Do you notice the layering, the tension between the "real" and the constructed face, both depicted through the very tactile medium of oil? Editor: I hadn't considered the layered aspect that deeply. I was so caught up in the visual element and less focused on the physical implications. Curator: Exactly. And that’s key. Think about the labour involved, the physical act of layering paint to create these competing surfaces, to represent mass-produced imagery as it is produced. How does that inform our reading? Editor: It almost feels like he's using the act of painting to critique both consumer culture and the performance of identity, turning those criticisms back onto themselves. I appreciate the reminder to consider both the artistic materials and the process! Curator: Precisely! Considering the materials and production allows a greater depth into works of art such as these.