Under the Same Sky
2023 (re-edition 2020)
23 x 23 x 1.5 inch
Screenprint on BFK Rives paper, Laval Bookcloth
*The original book was made in 2020 and is ONE OF A KIND. Re-editioned in 2023, and the edition size is 3.
Looking up at the stars is a habit of people since ancient times. This artist’s book intends to imitate the star trails’ rise and fall to give the audience a sense of tranquility.
In 1811, a giant comet dragged a tail of 18 million kilometers to visit the solar system for a long 3000 years. It was clearly visible in the sky for 260 days that year. What a magnificent sight was that? Perhaps only people of that era can know. But no matter where we are, or when we are, or how far away, when we look up at the starry sky, we will share the same sky with millions of people. At that moment, everyone’s spiritual world transcends all boundaries such as race, language, gender, etc., and is connected through this sky.
The planet refracts the light of the star and can pretend that it is also a light source. This kind of starlight is more or less a little compromise and unwilling, shining without confidence. This kind of road is not easy. From beginning to end, you must circle around other stars and can't fully control your own destiny.
Most of the people who are obsessed with the falling Icarus are very envious and even jealous of his courage to fly. This courage does not refer to the hopelessness of a challenge, but to the long-cherished wish of emptying blood and burning life without hesitation. Such impulsive self-sacrifice, such as a supernova explosion, illuminates the whole galaxy only once in a lifetime before the end of the known eternal black hole, announcing traces of its existence-to-existence hundreds of millions of light-years away.
This reckless overdraft is unimaginable for natural people living in a social order that has not collapsed. We can only give its infinite analogy to illusory stories, and just peeping at such a destructive corner of emotions is enough to hit the night sky of reason and logic.
For me, this is true of the meteorite that is tempted by gravity to run to the earth, and so is the great comet that goes back for thousands of years. In this world, there is such an ancient existence. It travels thousands of miles away, abandoning the soft ice and hard core, just to say, "I haven't seen you for a long time, and goodbye." I was so moved by this.
1811 年，一颗巨大的彗星拖着长达 1800 万公里的尾巴造访太阳系，历时 3000 年之久。那一年，它在天空中清晰可见的时间长达 260 天。那是何等壮观的景象？也许只有那个时代的人才能知晓。但无论我们身处何地、何时、多远，当我们仰望星空时，都会与千万人共享同一片星空。那一刻，每个人的精神世界都超越了种族、语言、性别等一切界限，通过这片天空连接在一起。
行星折射了恒星的光芒，可以假装自己也是光源了。这种星光多少带着点妥协与不甘心，没有底气地闪烁着。这种道路也并非轻松，从始至终得围着别的星体转圈，无法充分掌控自己的命运。
痴迷于坠落的伊卡洛斯的人，大多十分羡慕甚至嫉妒他飞行的勇气。这个勇气并不是指挑战一样希望渺茫的事，而是指义无反顾地掏空血液燃烧生命奔赴毫无结果的夙愿。如此冲动的自我牺牲譬如超新星爆发，在已知的永恒黑洞结局之前一生仅一次地照亮整个星系，向几亿光年外的存在宣告其存在的痕迹。
如此不计后果的透支是生活在尚未崩坏的社会秩序中的自然人不可想象的，我们只能将其无限类比赋予在虚幻的故事上，而仅仅只是窥视了如此毁天灭地情感的一角就足以冲击理智与逻辑的夜空。
于我而言，受地心引力诱惑一心一意奔向地球的陨石是如此，千年回溯的大彗星也是如此。在这世间，有这么一个亘古的存在，它跋涉千里，舍弃了柔软的冰面与坚硬的内核，就为了来说一句，“好久不见，以及，再见”。我对此感动到无以复加。
今生一别，千古如尘，我心慕君，如星不歇。