LI-LAN, Correspondence: Between The Lines, Taipei
Essay by Helen A. Harrison: Filling In Between the Artist’s Lines
Lung Men Art Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
May 1993
12 Pages
8 Illustrations

In addition to being extremely familiar, the stamp is a kind of cultural icon that reflects aspects of national identity and values.  Yet, however resonant each individual image may be, stamps, when seen in unbroken sheets, take on an abstract character that is reinforced by the repetition of identical units and the grid created by perforations.

To emphasize this dichotomy, Li-lan renders fragments of the total image in a kind of visual shorthand, leaving many blanks for the viewer’s imagination.  In addition, she often tinkers with the color scheme, number and other standard elements, introducing subtle variations to the uniformity inherent in stamp printing.

Helen A. Harrison
1993

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