Dimension

yingyinglu qu

Society imposes burdens on people in terms of the roles they play and how they are expected to behave. Because of this, people struggle with discovering and expressing their genuine self. Modern society exists at odds with the self. The modern individual is assigned multiple distinct roles—student, daughter, friend, sister—and is beset by an implicit responsibility to behave in accordance with the rules of each. What does freedom look like if it must follow the rules and roles imposed by society? While browsing social media and perusing modern art, I have come to realize that this question is connected to widespread social phenomena. As we are shaped by our cultures and social backgrounds, we become limited in the perspectives from which we can interpret what is around us. How do we creatively challenge the system of rules we inherit? 

My artwork explores this conflict through the study of dimension, surfaces, color, and materiality. My work, back to back, uses paper to explore the possibilities of a single homogenous material. In these pieces the flatness of a blank sheet was a provocation. Paper is primarily considered as a surface material for drawing and painting. Serving as a surface is what we consider its dominant role to be. However, in my work I show how paper can break free—bringing out its dimensionality and challenging the idea of the material as a passive surface. I also wanted to challenge the paper's assumed whiteness. Studying variations in the shades, hues, and dimensions of white paper inspired me to further explore other flat materials such as painted wood which allows me to explore my own relationship with the color white and its societal associations. From my personal experience white is a powerful symbol in many cultures. Worn to represent purity in American weddings, it can also represent the soul and the oblivion of death at Chinese funerals. Combining the contradicting meaning of these two elements and realizing these differing interpretations fascinate me. So when the knowledge we absorb about something as simple as the color white is limited by contextual constraints, how can we understand diverging views about much more complex topics? 

I challenged myself to break through the stereotypical understanding of white and surface. So by viewing my artwork and understanding how materials can transform from two to three dimensions, viewers can reflect, find a moment of peace and serenity, be inspired to uncover repressed dimensions, and then express these genuine aspects of themselves.

Yingyinglu (Luna) Qu, comes from Shenzhen China. She has attended Interlochen Art Academy for four years. Her works received 5 gold keys and 1 silver key in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Her artwork explores the burdens that society imposes on people in terms of social norms and expected behaviors through the study of dimension, surfaces, color, and materiality. Paper and wood serving as a surface is what we consider its dominant role to be. However, in her work she shows how paper can break free—bringing out its dimensionality and challenging the idea of the material as a passive surface. Understanding how materials can transform from two to three dimensions, viewers can reflect, find a moment of peace and serenity, be inspired to uncover repressed dimensions, and then express these genuine aspects of themselves. Her piece “100 Surfaces” is the cover for our current issue.