Thursday Salute to Originals: Explosive Art
Art with a flare and goes out with a bang? Allow us to introduce you to painting with gunpowder. Gunpowder paintings are truly explosive and an exciting way to entertain an audience both during and after the process. The displays literally light up the artwork while it happens.
Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang uses this style to create two different genres of art. First, the art of entertainment. He creates an entire piece out of gunpowder, in which he gets the attention of the audience as they await excitedly before he ignites his work into a blazing fire. Second, the painting itself as a result of the explosions. Guo-Qiang’s way of painting is unconventional, appealing and intriguing. His audience loves it. The final outcome is a mesmerizing and often contradictory piece that leaves his viewers shocked. He knows no boundaries with his art, and each piece becomes more splendid in their presentation.
Guo-Qiang has certainly explored the realm of experimenting with uncommon art mediums; he claims that fear often drives us, and art is no exception. Although there was much trial and error when he first began painting with gunpowder, he now has the art down to a science.
This Thursday we salute Cai Guo-Qiang for showing us that art truly has no limitations, and we shouldn’t be afraid of exploring different mediums and channels to express ourselves. His powerful work undoubtedly leaves a lasting impression, both during and after the presentation.
Sources: Cai Guo-Qiang, CNN