One reason I chose gunpowder is that I had the good luck in my environment to be exposed to gunpowder. The other reason is I was always looking for a visual language that goes beyond the boundary of nations, and so I found gunpowder. Cai Guo-Qiang More Quotes by Cai Guo-Qiang More Quotes From Cai Guo-Qiang My work is like a dialogue between me and unseen powers, like alchemy. Cai Guo-Qiang alchemyunseendialogue When I was young, I didn't want to do traditional painting and calligraphy. I deliberately wanted to separate from my father so I could feel I existed myself. Cai Guo-Qiang calligraphywantfather Be Careful Of Books. Be Careful With Books. Be Careful Or One Can Become A Weapon-Wielder. Be Careful Or One Can Become The Victim. Cai Guo-Qiang weaponsvictimbook For me it's really important that the work here displays an aesthetic of decay along with the sunken boat with the broken ceramic pieces. They form a unity in showing the power of destruction, the beauty of destruction, whether it's from nature - because the boat has sunk - or through other forces. It's really the beauty of decay and death that holds a power here. Cai Guo-Qiang unityimportantbroken For an artist, a good place to be is you have some kind of influence and power to get things done, but in your essence you remain a nomad or a soldier facing a difficulty to be overcome. Cai Guo-Qiang influence-and-powerartistessence In any country, in any city, there will be political influence on what is said, what kind of images are to be projected and, yes, of course artists can be and are influenced by politicians. Cai Guo-Qiang artistcitiescountry Even though Chinese society was really closed, there were two windows for me to explore the world. One was from my mother and grandmother, the unseen and invisible world. Another window was brought from my father's side, those classic and Western books. Cai Guo-Qiang motherfatherbook Computer animation is one way to liberate people from their circumstantial gravity, and it is one way to give them mental freedom. Cai Guo-Qiang givingpeopleway I have always been a coward as a child. I am not very brave. I am very aware of the fact that I am not very gutsy. Cai Guo-Qiang cowardbravechildren Everyone has their moments of solitude, difficulties, and vulnerability. Cai Guo-Qiang difficultiessolitudemoments Only an idiot would open an exhibition saying, 'Look at my awesome work.' Cai Guo-Qiang sayinglookidiotwork Many artists, when they are creating art, are searching for a vehicle that can manifest a feeling they have inside of themselves. Cai Guo-Qiang insidefeelingmanifestart For my art, there is a common theme most of the time: it is using the things we can see to search for the world we cannot see. Cai Guo-Qiang searchtimeworldart Only individual creativity can bring about real social development. Cai Guo-Qiang bringcreativitydevelopmentreal When I was young, the constraints of Chinese society and my personal timid and cautious nature both drove me to seek a means to go against control. Gunpowder has an inherent uncertainty and uncontrollability and is an important means for me to relieve myself of constraint. Cai Guo-Qiang myselfmesocietynature The boyhood dream of becoming a painter stays important to me. Cai Guo-Qiang mepainterimportantdream I lived in Japan for eight years before moving to New York, but I was looking forward to a place like America to change my opinion on things and force me to come up with new perspectives. Cai Guo-Qiang lookingmelooking-forwardchange Using gunpowder as a medium became a way to liberate myself. Cai Guo-Qiang liberatemediummyselfway Through art, through people working together and building relationships and trust, people can overcome the problems of politics. Cai Guo-Qiang trustpoliticspeopleart Art should not be a tool of politics, but sometimes art can help make the political climate more open and help society become more free. Cai Guo-Qiang societypoliticssometimesart
