Fantasy, Somnambulism and Games in Liu Ye＇s Paintings

LIU Ye‘s paintings are a surrealistic blend of fantasy and reality. His canvases are a conglomeration of images of happy childhood and of catastrophic events unrelated to daily life. They combine to express a dread of reality. Liu beckons his viewers to join in the games of this visionary world,playing whatever roles they see fit. A girl and boy dressed in sailor suits look bemused, and two youths that magnetize the viewer‘s attention are in an obscure relationship. Spears, pistols, telescopes, pictures and books are all life‘s toys to Liu, the kind of life envisioned by postmodern artists and espoused by French philosopher Derrida.