Fingerprints – red ones, repeating bodies – spreading, filling the space – extremely simple technology, accidentally touches the seed of eternal life – assumed by the vitality of Eastern philosophy – political pact culture emerges layer upon layer, a layer of unchanging daily concept – over and over, reaching the designated zero point.

　　1.In order to discuss “Fingerprints”, we must first clarify the concept of “fingerprints” in the piece. Chinese people born before the 1960’s will likely associate fingerprints with the “pact culture” of the past. To many people, pacts represented rules that could not be transgressed and a trust so deep, it originated from the bottom of one’s heart. This is why people living in more remote regions of China continue the practice of pacts to this day. Indeed, it is a legally rooted form of expression that enabled people in the past to exercise trust and restriction in their interactions.

　　2.The meaning of a “pact” depends on the “fingerprint” of the person establishing the pact. Once the pact has been made, it cannot be changed. Because a fingerprint is related to the body, it implies the intimate link between a pact and life. Furthermore, the fingerprints are either red or black, emphasizing their importance, like the importance of a human life. Therefore, a pact represents a right and a fingerprint represents a symbol.

　　3.Speaking just on contemporary art, it is especially important to be able to broaden one’s method of existence and thinking. In particular, given the complex nature of today’s real world politics and economics, art’s importance is reflected within the realm of real life. Art also has greater possibilities to explore the relationships between the contemporary and historic, culture and art, spiritual and material, and thought and performance.

　　4.The reason for using fingerprints and the fingerprinting method was not to display the concept of fingerprints within the context of the traditional pact culture, but to address an art issue via a cultural issue. I wanted to express an artistic idea through the culturally loaded method and expression of fingerprints. Because the concept of fingerprints is related to the corporeal, it falls into the scope of sociology. So here a cultural resource is appropriated; the method itself becomes the concept.

　　5.Visual art methods have always accompanied the development of human civilization, appearing at the forefront of the cultural arts. Artists’ unique language consistently renders guiding the cultural spirit towards the core of ideas as its most important goal. Within temporal and spatial conceptuality, “Fingerprints” defines the cultural identity of fingerprints. Materially, I have chosen black ink for the piece. The decision represents both “pact culture” and “ink culture” as well as the link between culture and art, thus stating the significance of this kind of cultural identity, namely, the Chinese method of Chinese identity.

　　6.“Fingerprints” is executed by an extremely simple method involving a process of polar opposites (extremely few to very many): an inherent and rich space of imagination is achieved through visual reaction. In other words, by layering fingerprints, a process that involves pressing a print onto paper, one begets two, two begets three, three begets a myriad, until infinity. At the same time, it hints at a Chan Buddhist concept of transcending the individual and art, pushing towards spiritual limits. Even so, art’s intent undoubtedly exists within space-time. Therefore, the meaning of the fingerprints on paper rests in the clues provided by the act of fingerprinting, in broadening the concept of the visual through the “finger printing method”, and in creating a new visual space using this kind of purely Eastern method to show Chinese culture in the context of Chinese legality.

　　7.The visual effect of “Fingerprints” is the result of numerous red ink marks layered over one another. The paper’s malleable nature and the force of the fingerprint change the original structure of the paper. The paper surface becomes a nest shaped relief, while the play of natural light causes the fingerprint marks to lose their original meaning, revealing instead the visuality of the marks, namely: purity and simplicity. In addition, the visual space created by the visual tension of endless changes that touches the heart enlightens viewers to the materiality of the artwork.

　　On the one hand, the “fingerprint method” expands the art possibilities of the spiritual and material as well as the contemporary and historic. The “fingerprint method” is an artistic creation that surpasses concepts of painting and performance in contemporary art. On the other hand, its concern for the humanities sheds light on the possibility that even in this day and age of frenetic modern living, people can still pursue spiritual ways. It can transcend the hedonism of contemporary consumer culture. “Fingerprints” is like a partial documentation on the meditation of the everyday; while leaving behind natural and arbitrary marks, it exposes certain hidden meanings. Actually, throughout the ages, whether rich or poor, the highest aspiration of all people has been the same -- spirituality. It reflects the existence of “spirituality” and “beauty” in the space-time of the past, present, and future. “Fingerprints” ultimately surpasses form and concept.

July 6, 2002

作者：张羽