Today we’d like to introduce you to Yinan Du.
Hi Yinan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Back in high school, I was striving to become a scientist for I valued rational thinking and definite casual-effect relation. I only considered art making as a side gig or a rage room, through which I released my immense stress back in Chinese score-oriented education. However, it’s not until I started university and met a mentor who cracked my expectation towards science and ignited my interest in philosophical and critical thinking towards humanity. I realized the problematic sides of institution, military, media manipulation, where science were coopted into part of the problem instead of providing the solution. It’s by that time I started to make animations that speaks about my speculations towards surroundings, may it be gender fluidity, national arm race, nuclear threats, education hoax, etc. I wouldn’t say art does not exhibit the similar problematic sides when confronting institutions/corporations as science does; I could almost say art is more coopted as it is porous, open to interpretations, and therefore highly manipulative. However, I found I could have more flexibility when making art as art was more of a vessel that lure everything in. Before I knew it, I landed in LA and started pursuing my graduate study in Calarts.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It is mostly a smooth ride for I could see how my work could contribute to the discursive art field aesthetically, theoretically, or spiritually. However, I did struggle a lot in terms of finding meaning in art creation or simply, the way of living as an artist. I remembered watching a documentary about the status quo about contemporary art market where an artist complained about the high sale of his works in auction. He complained that once the artwork is sold to private buyer, the public would never be able to see it again. The privatization or inner circulation of artworks troubled me a lot. If it is always the same privileged crowd exhibiting their voyeuristic gaze to your works and decides whether to send it to a film festival, buy it, award it, hire you. I found what art initially encourage me to do (critical thinking) was then transformed into what chained me (money, popularity, or even green card). I am not an ethically determined person, for I could accept the status quo and continue the path with no problem, But I also don’t like to play it safe; I want to be more rebellious and problematic.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do a lot of thing in terms of art making, you may find I could do all the job categories in Fiverr (employ me haha!) But I am mainly an animator, fine artist, muralist, and filmmaker.
I like erotic contents and always ponder upon the flux between human’s mammalistic instincts and civilized nature. Erotic was always considered a restricted, cultish or marginalized theme in entertainment industry: even though we now see prevalence of pornos, b-rated film, R film. Sex was considered as more of a plot and less as a concept to pounder upon. I want to discuss erotic sex in their naked form without considering stimulating the audience or not.
I am currently making an animations about a female body’s self-examination in the context of bathroom.
I wouldn’t say there is anything that set me apart from others if we are talking about mammalistic instincts or civilized nature haha.
Any big plans?
I plan to continue pursuing my art career (what are the other options haha? I already have a huge a gap in science, and my neurons might not be generating in an efficient speed); I hope to travel around the globe or even outer space to continue my observations on humanity, ways of living and existence. Practically speaking, I am making an animated documentary about a collection of my wicked childdream and discuss how personal dreams subconsciously hinted on the bigger societal issues. I am the receptical of information and dream for me is an interesting mechanism that process it.
Pricing:
- 200 dollars for a digital self-portrait 🙂
- 300 dollars for my installation piece:)
- 150 dollars for a mural:)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://1192514712.wixsite.com/yinandu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duyinan3/
