1987－1988

Field

Ziliudi (Farmland)

Moving Cloud

Life Pond

Black Pool

A Mountain Place

Black Tadpoles

A Big River

Dry Pond

Family Plots

Haystack

Medium: woodblock print

Dimensions: 22 x 28.5 in. per print

Edition: 50th

From 1986 to 1987, Xu Bing became intrigued with the concept of the print as an "indirect painting,” and its special quality of "multiplicity." Five Series of Repetitions, which he started in 1986, took multiplicity as its conceptual starting point. Xu released this work, along with the copperplate print Stone Series. Later in the same year, he gathered his thoughts and creative experiences on printing in the article, "New Explorations and re-recognition of Multiplicitous Painting."

In writing, Xu expresses how “multiple, standardized copies are the key characteristic that sets printing apart from other forms of painting.” According to Xu, by following this thread, one can discover the unique qualities of print art. In his essay, he analyzes Western contemporary art, offering critiques of artists such as Andy Warhol (1928-1987). He believes that printing has a stronger connection to modern art than other painting categories, characterized by its intimacy and directness. Printing, with its replicability, embodies a modern aesthetic.