35-year-old Liu Bolin, from Shandong, China, manages to camouflage himself in any surroundings, no matter how difficult they might be.
Liu works on a single photo for up to 10 hours at a time, to make sure he gets it just right, but he achieves the right effect: sometimes passers-by don’t even realize he is there until he moves.
The talented Liu Bolin says his art is a protest against the actions of the Government, who shut down his art studio in 2005 and persecutes artists. It’s about not fitting into modern society. Despite problems with Chinese authorities, Liu’s works are appreciated at an international level.
Photos by CATERS NEWS and Liu Bolin
via Telegraph.co.uk
Wow! That’s amazing!
Brilliant!!
嗯呢，有点意思
It’s cooooool
Simply amazing! Thanks Vinay Jain for sharing.
is this real ? photoshop ? white paint on the face and body №12 ?????
It’s an absolutely amazing talent Liu Bolin displays in these photographs ….
someone has way to much free time get a real life buddy
很不错哦！哈哈！我喜欢天安门那张
photo super!
What’s so good about this? I just don’t see it myself
贝洛，布拉沃，看不见的。 saluti达威尼斯
WOW! thats so creative
i love it allllllllllllllll thats a good way to hide though we could use it once or twice haha
Wow, he looks just like a ghost. Kind of creepy!
That is too funny. I especially like the one where he is standing in front of the poster of the Ruler & his face blends in completely.
TOO COOL!!!
It took me a couple photos to figure out that he is Asian. I was thinking only a Brit would do something like this.
Surprise.
Though his work is wonderful, it might be good to give a head-nod to his progenitors. Veruschka and Holger Trulzsch did this exact same thing (sans the political landscape) in 1986 for a book/project called “Transfigurations.” Their work is stunning.
Here is one of the images:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HighKRPni94/Sa8xr363qoI/AAAAAAAAAUw/ii_vGHlM9PQ/s400/t_veruschka_115.jpg
And here for the youtube ‘behind the scenes’ on the project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iEqGtMD2uc
I don’t think the book is in print any longer but many libraries have it – worth checking out!
Pfttt. Mayeb his art is his life? I was i was this passioante about something that i was willing to show this much dedication into it. It is incredible, you are a complete inspiration
Says the man who just commented on an article on a website, thus wasting his own free time.
He is an innovator, give him that.
This is just like what the psycho guy did in the movie When A Stranger Calls Back (1993). He was a ventriloquist, mime and master of disguise. He paints himself from head to toe to blend into the wall or whatever background there is and hide in plain sight. The creepiest scene of all is at the end of the film – it’s on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEbZmT347cM. There’s also a scene in the movie House of Cards where an autistic girl does the same. I am fascinated by this practice/talent.
I realize the clip I posted above was quite long, so if you want to skip to the relevant bit go to minute 5:20.
IS it odd that they are all the same position??? Like, uhm, it could be the same picture edited over and over again…..
Vids or it didnt happen!
wow..
Awesome!!!
Hmmm… this should work well when the landlord shows up, and I haven’t got quite all the rent money.
SHIT!! SO AWESOME!! 1 word: BRILLIANT.. hmm, not only one word can describe it.. TALENTED, AWESOME, SPECTACULAR, JAW-DROPPING!! WOW! *bow*
Great work, man! Keep on fighting. Big up from Polska.
Fudido o chinei.
Thirth picture counted from bottom doesn’t look ‘real’. You can see paint on his clothes xD
Rest is amazing!!
This man deserves a prize…
What a patience!!!
Great stuff! I’ll be looking at this a lot. lowell
very neat!!!!
Interestiung case.
Intellectual property theft.
A Chinese artists steals an idea of a French artist. Ironically the essential idea of this art work is about copy imitation and getting invisible.
Bottom line: nothing new under the sun
(Stephen Jay Gould)
i would very much like to communicate with you, i dont speak chinese but can use translator unless you speak english……great pleasure in seeing your art for the first time today, contact me if you like, gallo
invisible man you did a great job on those paintings. they ROCK!!!!
all that time and hard work paid off!
I saw an exhibition of his work last summer in Shanghai and was blown away. That show was one of the first ones I saw there, but it’s still my favorite. Kudos to him for being able to keep that exhibition up for so long without being shut down by the government.
There’s a British artist who did something similar. See my post at http://worddreams.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/metamaterials-and-an-invisibility-cloak/. Is this a new genre of art?
Wow… this guy is incredible!
I don’t understand these pics. These are just pics of various places in China. Is Liu Bolin the security guard (6th pic up) the one that took these shots?
If he’s ever in Oregon, I would love to interview him for my daily YouTube posting someday. It would be best for the right day.
Amazing and wonderful. Talented and skillfull, Better and creative way of protest.
The real invisible person is coming soon.The United States army is experimenting with a camo suit with tiny cameras on it that projects your surroundings onto you like on Predator or the James Bond car from Die Another Day.
What a brilliant work of art, protest and self-expression by self-erasure
IMRAN
Look all of u who are insulting this first of all learn how to spell then if u can do better than this then speak
otherwise i wouldn’t be talking
hello!
Do you know where i can get his contact?
1. Liu Bolin returns to New York for his second solo exhibition, ON FIRE, at ELI KLEIN FINE ART NEW YORK
Opening April 30th
Private Reception with the artist: 6-9 PM
462 West Broadway
New York, NY 10012
Eli Klein Fine Art is proud to present Liu Bolin’s second solo exhibition at the gallery; this show features his new photography and sculpture. Since Liu Bolin was first exhibited at Eli Klein Fine Art in 2007, the artist’s popularity has exploded on the international arena. His message of political protest is understood throughout the world and bridges gaps in language and culture. His works have been communicated via emails, blogs, magazines and journals on a massive scale. Liu Bolin’s earlier Hiding in the City photography series, in which he paints himself into the urban landscape, was inspired by the Chinese government’s demolition of the Suo Jiacun Artist Village in Beijing in 2006. He drew attention to great landmarks in China, both old and modern, while highlighting the lack of recognition which was paid to the citizens that built them. He portrayed the tragedy of the increasing insignificance of the individual in China as the government focused on presenting a modern commercial and industrial image. Rather than trying to fight, people attempted to hide and adapt to these forced changes.
Conversely, Liu Bolin’s newest sculptures rejoice in the new hope he has for humanity. His Burning Man and Burning Man Obama represent people’s anger and the subsequent desire for change in society. He celebrates people like President Obama who are “on fire,” unwilling to accept the world as it is today and trying to stand up for the true needs and concerns of the people.
Born in China’s Shandong province in 1973, Liu Bolin earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Shandong College of Arts and his Master of Fine Arts from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. His work has been exhibited throughout the world, including at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, the Museum on the Seam in Israel, the Berkshire Museum in Massachusetts, the Seoul Art Museum in Korea, and the Chicago Cultural Center in the United States.
1. Liu Bolin returns to New York for his second solo exhibition, ON FIRE, at ELI KLEIN FINE ART NEW YORK
Opening April 30th
Private Reception with the artist: 6-9 PM
462 West Broadway
New York, NY 10012
Eli Klein Fine Art is proud to present Liu Bolin’s second solo exhibition at the gallery; this show features his new photography and sculpture. Since Liu Bolin was first exhibited at Eli Klein Fine Art in 2007, the artist’s popularity has exploded on the international arena. His message of political protest is understood throughout the world and bridges gaps in language and culture. His works have been communicated via emails, blogs, magazines and journals on a massive scale. Liu Bolin’s earlier Hiding in the City photography series, in which he paints himself into the urban landscape, was inspired by the Chinese government’s demolition of the Suo Jiacun Artist Village in Beijing in 2006. He drew attention to great landmarks in China, both old and modern, while highlighting the lack of recognition which was paid to the citizens that built them. He portrayed the tragedy of the increasing insignificance of the individual in China as the government focused on presenting a modern commercial and industrial image. Rather than trying to fight, people attempted to hide and adapt to these forced changes.
Conversely, Liu Bolin’s newest sculptures rejoice in the new hope he has for humanity. His Burning Man and Burning Man Obama represent people’s anger and the subsequent desire for change in society. He celebrates people like President Obama who are “on fire,” unwilling to accept the world as it is today and trying to stand up for the true needs and concerns of the people.
Born in China’s Shandong province in 1973, Liu Bolin earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Shandong College of Arts and his Master of Fine Arts from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. His work has been exhibited throughout the world, including at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, the Museum on the Seam in Israel, the Berkshire Museum in Massachusetts, the Seoul Art Museum in Korea, and the Chicago Cultural Center in the United States.
this is stupid i can see him