[Meeting the Intellectuals in the Spring Hills] Tim Yip: Inspiration for the New-Orientalism Aesthetics

Talk丨Inspiration for the New-Orientalism Aesthetics

Lecturer丨Tim Yip

Time丨10 November Sat. 19:00 -20:30

Venue丨Room 201, Teaching B

Language丨Chinese

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► He is Tim Yip

A renowned visual artist, film and stage art director and costume designer, Tim Yip has been promoting his aesthetic view of "New-Orientalism" to illustrate how ancient culture inspires the future. His work has continued to be multidisciplinary, encompassing television, commercials, fashion and installation art as well as films and the stage. He is best known for his work on the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which in 2001 he won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design for the film's costume design. It was the first time for a Chinese artist to be honored the two awards.

► Interlude

During the filming of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, there was a scene that Jen Yu (acted by Zhang Ziyi) should get into a room from the Governor's garden to steal the sword - Green Destiny. The martial arts choreographer suggested a single shot – jumping into the room through the window – which was objected by the art director, claiming that in the north China, this scene would never exist as only a ceiling window was able to open outwards due to the windy and dusty climate. Upon this, the irritated martial arts choreographer and a crowd of crew went off in a huff. The Director Ang Lee asked the art director for the confirmation of his words and walked away in silence, leaving the art director alone at the filming site. He was Tim Yip.

This story was first told in an interview of Tim Yip. Regardless of the bling-bling of the Academy Awards, it is more impressive of this debating scene, making us understand one of his believes "to focus on the 'tiny little things' alone is enough to recall an age". The real beauty is to base on the respect for the history, details and truth.

► Dreams of the Red Chamber

As one of the first few people to advocate the "New-Orientalism" aesthetics, Tim Yip said, "the art is the life given by nature, is the endless self-reproduction and duplication". He demonstrated the meaning of this statement and answered the question "why aesthetics matters" by his two-time working experiences with the Dreams of the Red Chamber.

There were thousands of interpretation of the novel "Dreams of the Red Chamber". Tim Yip seeks to infuse his visuals with emotion, spirituality and philosophy, and to find a new way to express tradition. In the TV drama version, he insisted on the "half virtual-half real" method and in the opera version, he conveyed the subtle messages contained within the staging and created a dreamlike effect with the sets. It's true when it comes to writing, as our imagination and expectation have effects on the outputs.

► Inspiration

As people were restoring facts of the history, he went further to create on the historical foundation. Instead of simply coping with appearance and installations, he tried to reshape Cao Xueqin's concepts which during that time had already broken the boundaries of history. The "New Orientalism" concept is rooted in true history and artistic tastes.

Compared with adding individual interests and thoughts on ones works, Tim Yip however, deemphasizes the self-consciousness by fully respecting the original laws of art. He sees through the conflicts, the relationships among the roles and the beauty in between. He refuses to the banal, the lockstep and the irresolution. He inspires a brighter future for art.

[Meeting the Intellectuals in the Spring Hills]

“Meeting the Intellectuals in the Spring Hills” is one of the University's lecture series where the University will invite social elites in such fields as culture and arts to share with our students in form of salon or lecture to promote a discussion of thought-provoking issues or soul-searching experiences. During the lectures, everyone will have a chance to listen and respond on their world views, their aspirations, and intellectual taste in life.

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