Artwork Appreciation
The shape of Between VII comprises a tapered closed container that has an extended intersection with a plane. The artist, Ou Li-Ting, places various contrasting elements in her work, such as closed and open forms, straight lines and curves, as well as metal works that may seem heavy but are actually very light, so that her works generally express the feeling of inner and outer forces pulling at each other, constantly seeking balance. Ou Li-Ting welds her works together. She first uses 3D software to draw their models, then makes continuous revisions to the paper models, then welds the thin steel plates into shape, and finally does the surface treatment with rust staining, chemical dyeing, and sealing wax. She believes that her creative process is like building a house, and through the repeatedly physical labor processes involved, she learns more about herself and injects emotions into her works. In the end, the spatial sense and instability of Between VII is comparable to everyone’s personality—it is always three-dimensional, but only a few different aspects are visible.