In Lu’s obsessively meticulous paintings of aerial views of cities on Google Earth, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Napa Valley and Monterey, among other places in California, Lu reconfigures architecture, landscape, human activities and infrastructure to short yet exclamatory lines, circles and squares, that are woven into continuous and colossal networks. The lively colors that are applied to these motifs generate explosive rhythms and energy against the monochromic background. City DNA San Diego, 2011, employs the color of aqua blue as the metaphorical background to reflect beaches and the surfing culture that San Diego is famous for. The vivid colors of white, yellow and fuchsia of the motifs are derived from the colors on the flag of San Diego. Circles and curvy lines symbolize nature; straight lines and squares imply man-made structures.
Lu eliminates the painting elements of perspective, light and depth; relies on color, lines and composition to fulfill his painterly vision and his interpretation of urban planning in the context of globalization and homogenization. The technique of masking adds precision to his artistic vocabulary. Lu’s abstract approach to topography decodes the places that we are familiar with. The recognizable landmarks of our environment are reduced and transformed into geometry. Only upon closer scrutiny, the viewer can discover each city’s characteristics through colors and the arrangement of the lines and shapes.
2011 City DNA II, CIGE 2011, Beijing, China
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