Liu Ye: The Book Paintings

The Chinese artist Liu YeÆs meticulous, colorful canvases convey his love of literature in the first publication dedicated to his paintings of books.

The Beijing-based artist Liu Ye is known for his precise, deftly rendered representational paintings. Drawn equally from contemporary culture and old master painting, LiuÆs wide-ranging visual touchstones include Piet Mondrian, Miffy the Bunny, and Prada advertisements. In this new publication devoted to his book paintings, the artist examines the book as both a physical object and cultural totem. Playing with geometry and perspective, Liu creates extraordinary and disorienting portraits of this most familiar subject.

LiuÆs Book Painting series, begun in 2013, depicts close-up views of books that are turned open to reveal empty pages, an approach that emphasizes the objectÆs form over its content. Rendering booksÆ material structureùendpapers, binding, spineùin sensual detail, these paintings indicate an obsession with the book as an