Daily Artsy Paintings Still Life

Making Seen the Unseen: Bannon Fu

The wind is howling outside. That’s the thing about desert storms. Not much in terms of rain, but holy cow the wind is enough to peel the paint off your house. Truly, I think that’s what happens to many of the little houses here in Joshua Tree! So as I was deciding on my artist for today, I came across the work of Chinese American artist Bannon Fu. Meant to be.

Fu_Skirts Dancing in the Wind

Skirts Dancing in the Wind

Two Ruffled Skirts in Wind by Bannon Fu

Two Ruffled Skirts in the Wind

Bannon Fu, deaf from the age of one year, chooses to paint the wind. So how do you paint what is not seen, but only experienced? By painting the effect of that force on the objects it touches.

Clothes Dancing in the Wind #8 by Bannon Fu

Clothes Dancing in the Wind #8

Dancing Clothes in Wind #9 by Bannon Fu

Dancing Clothes in Wind #9

For Fu, the beauty of the swelling and swaying of fabric in a breeze is a profound and moving sight. Wind carries with it energy, whether with the destructive force of a hurricane or the soft whisper of an summer breeze. We know its presence not because we see it, but because we feel its energy.

Sunlight on Clothes by Bannon Fu

Sunlight on Clothes

The artist is helping us to see what is unseen, we see what the motion of the fabric and know the force behind it. Mysterious yet obvious.

To see more of Bannon Fu’s work, please visit his Bannon Fu website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

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  • Zia Daugherty
    March 11, 2013 at 5:52 PM

    Wow, I really, really like these! You can really feel the wind when you look at these… Amazing!

    • Lesley
      March 11, 2013 at 6:07 PM

      I was really struck by their beautiful simplicity. Such a lovely subject to specialize in!