Amazing Laughter details by the amazing photographer, Dan Fairchild.

Yue Minjun’s incredible figurative installation entitled Amazing laughter has inspired some great responses from photographers.

Dan Fairchild, the official photographer of the Vancouver Biennale, has taken some of the finest shots of these pieces.

Here he’s playing with light on some of the detail shots of these individual pieces.

If you like what you see here please check out Dan’s amazing Flickr stream and stay tuned for more of his excellent work showcased here in the future.

Amazing Laughter Details by the amazing photogrpaher, Dan Fairchild.

Love this shot of the two hands folded in back to back.  So elegant.  Great lighting.

More about this sculpture:

Amazing Laughter Patinated bronze Yue Minjun (China)

Yue Minjun uses his own iconic face in a state of hysterical laughter as a signature trademark. Recognized universally as a sign of happiness, the smile raises questions of intent and interpretation. One of the most influential contemporary artists in China, Yue Minjun represents the new wave of Chinese artistic freedom. Amazing Laughter marks Yue MOnjun’s Canadian debut.

In Amazing Laughter Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun depicts his own iconic laughing image, with gaping grins and closed eyes in a state of hysterical laughter.  These laughing figures are the signature trademark of the artist. They are not a conventional self-portrait, as they tell us little about the person portrayed or of the reason they are laughing so hysterically. The longer you look at these cast bronze figures, the more the contradiction of the silent, frozen form of sculpture begins to intrude.  We see, but do not hear the laughter.  The contorted poses of the figure suggest animation and a cartoon form of an anonymous person. The laughter appears to be convulsive, intense, and manic, but also insincere and forced. The scale is “un-naturally” large –exaggerated and excessive like the laughter.

Yue Minjun was a leading figure in what became to be known in the 1990’s as Cynical Realism, an artistic movement that emerged in China after the 1989 student demonstrations in Tiananmen and the suppression of artistic expression.  Humor, cynicism, repetition and an emphasis on the individual are common characteristics of this artistic movement.  Yue Minjun was one of the first artists to translate this new ironic view of contemporary life, one that is expressed in the nihilistic hilarity at a time when little was funny.

For more information visit www.yueminjun.com

Amazing Laughter Details by the amazing photogrpaher, Dan Fairchild.

Installing Amazing Laughter at Morton Triangle. Photo by Dan Fairchild.

It was a gorgeous September day when Yue Minjun’s super-popular figurative sculpture was unpacked from the boxes that it had been shipped across the Pacific in.

A giant crane plucked the figures from the boxes and raised them into the sky.  Still wrapped in plastic, glistening in the sunlight.

The crane put the figures gently down into Morton Triangle where they were put in place and quickly became the most popular pieces of the first part of the Vancouver Biennale Exhibition 2009 – 2011.

Installing Amazing Laughter at Morton Triangle. Photo by Dan Fairchild.

Patinated bronze Yue Minjun (China)

Yue Minjun uses his own iconic face in a state of hysterical laughter as a signature trademark.

Recognized universally as a sign of happiness, the smile raises questions of intent and interpretation.

One of the most influential contemporary artists in China, Yue Minjun represents the new wave of Chinese artistic freedom. Amazing Laughter marks Yue MOnjun’s Canadian debut.

In Amazing Laughter Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun depicts his own iconic laughing image, with gaping grins and closed eyes in a state of hysterical laughter.

These laughing figures are the signature trademark of the artist. They are not a conventional self-portrait, as they tell us little about the person portrayed or of the reason they are laughing so hysterically.

The longer you look at these cast bronze figures, the more the contradiction of the silent, frozen form of sculpture begins to intrude.  We see, but do not hear the laughter.

The contorted poses of the figure suggest animation and a cartoon form of an anonymous person. The laughter appears to be convulsive, intense, and manic, but also insincere and forced. The scale is “un-naturally” large –exaggerated and excessive like the laughter.

Yue Minjun was a leading figure in what became to be known in the 1990’s as Cynical Realism, an artistic movement that emerged in China after the 1989 student demonstrations in Tiananmen and the suppression of artistic expression.

Humor, cynicism, repetition and an emphasis on the individual are common characteristics of this artistic movement.  Yue Minjun was one of the first artists to translate this new ironic view of contemporary life, one that is expressed in the nihilistic hilarity at a time when little was funny.

For more information visit www.yueminjun.com

Installing Amazing Laughter at Morton Triangle. Photo by Dan Fairchild.

Check out this awesome video featuring Intrepid Vespa Riding Erin Ireland as she tries to find out “How Do You Pronounce Biennale“?

Shot a few weeks ago at Yue Minjun’s A-Mazing Laughter installation at Morton Triangle near English Bay, Erin has a lot of fun with people enjoying the sculpture as well as some random local celebrities who happen to be passing by.

It was one last blast of sunshine and warm weather – a perfect weekend for late-September.

The clear and sunny skies brought people out into the parks of Vancouver and thousands of people had a little fun on their way to English Bay with Yue Minjun’s hugely popular A-Mazing Laughter installation.

Intrepid photographer Dan Fairchild caught some of the action with his camera.  Looks like everybody was having a good time.

Getting a little fresh with the artwork!  Photo by Dan Fairchild.

Yue Minjun uses his own iconic face in a state of hysterical laughter as a signature trademark. Recognized universally as a sign of happiness, the smile raises questions of intent and interpretation. One of the most influential contemporary artists in China, Yue Minjun represents the new wave of Chinese artistic freedom.

A-Mazing Laughter marks Yue Minjun’s Canadian debut.

Faces are flowers soaking up the sun.  Photo by Dan Fairchild.

In A-Mazing Laughter Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun depicts his own iconic laughing image, with gaping grins and closed eyes in a state of hysterical laughter.  These laughing figures are the signature trademark of the artist. They are not a conventional self-portrait, as they tell us little about the person portrayed or of the reason they are laughing so hysterically.

The longer you look at these cast bronze figures, the more the contradiction of the silent, frozen form of sculpture begins to intrude.  We see, but do not hear the laughter.  The contorted poses of the figure suggest animation and a cartoon form of an anonymous person. The laughter appears to be convulsive, intense, and manic, but also insincere and forced.

The scale is “un-naturally” large –exaggerated and excessive like the laughter.

The poses are infectious.  Photo by Dan Fairchild.

Yue Minjun was a leading figure in what became to be known in the 1990’s as Cynical Realism, an artistic movement that emerged in China after the 1989 student demonstrations in Tiananmen and the suppression of artistic expression.  Humor, cynicism, repetition and an emphasis on the individual are common characteristics of this artistic movement.

Yue Minjun was one of the first artists to translate this new ironic view of contemporary life, one that is expressed in the nihilistic hilarity at a time when little was funny.

You gotta keep your head up around these guys.  Photo by Dan Fairchild.

For more information about Yue Minjun’s incredible work please visit www.yueminjun.com.

For more information about Dan Fairchild’s great camera work please check out his Flickr Photostream.