2012, Hung Liu, Star Family
From the museum label:
In Star Family, the "Chinese nuclear family" is posed together in an ambiguous space and represented with a series of repetitions, echoes, and oppositions. The abstracted weave on the left column of the painting, created by allowing wet paint to drip down and across the canvas, is in opposition with the clean lines and cartoon features of the figures. Liu repeats colors, with the purple and blue drips resembling those in the mother and father's clothing.
The three metal stars hanging on the abstract panel mirror the positions of the father, mother, and child. The double-entendre present in stars' symbolism — referencing the star in the Chinese flag and the idea of a star pupil — reminds us of Liu's elite education in China during a time of revolution. Even as she critiques Chinese politics and propaganda, she explores memories of her family and the ideals that shaped her upbringing.
2012, Hung Liu, Star Family
From the museum label:
In Star Family, the "Chinese nuclear family" is posed together in an ambiguous space and represented with a series of repetitions, echoes, and oppositions. The abstracted weave on the left column of the painting, created by allowing wet paint to drip down and across the canvas, is in opposition with the clean lines and cartoon features of the figures. Liu repeats colors, with the purple and blue drips resembling those in the mother and father's clothing.
The three metal stars hanging on the abstract panel mirror the positions of the father, mother, and child. The double-entendre present in stars' symbolism — referencing the star in the Chinese flag and the idea of a star pupil — reminds us of Liu's elite education in China during a time of revolution. Even as she critiques Chinese politics and propaganda, she explores memories of her family and the ideals that shaped her upbringing.