|
Ding Cong Dat |
|
Most of the time ants go unnoticed. They are not graceful, charming creatures like swans, nor prized like ornamental fish. Ants are humble. I wonder if Dinh Cong Dat came to the same conclusion after spending ten years playing with ants. While his ants are not real, they certainly appear lifelike. Dat’s ants are very big, with steel bones and shell that are painted in red and enameled in gold. They are heavier than they appear. Looking at these fragile ants allows viewers to consider many seemingly insignificant things that reveal nature’s beauty. Contemplating Dat’s gold ants one may reflect upon the meaning of life – not just bugs. It’s true that men’s lives sometimes resemble those of ants, who save and collect things from the start of their careers until they draw their last breath. Both man and ants must rely on their fellows to form teams, not only to complete their duties but also to survive.
Dinh Cong Dat does not just make ants. Born in 1966, this artist also uses fiberglass shells to create locusts, grasshoppers and snails. While the designs seem simple they took years to refine. Gold-painted fiberglass covers fit over frames of steel bars. The ants are colored like royal objects but shaped like Children’s toys. Surely everyone has disturbed an ants’ nest with a stick and watched the ants swarm out. Looking at Dat’s ants, view’s thoughts can drift back to their childhoods and their souls – so consumed by the reality of their competitive lives – can be refilled with the pure joy of childhood.
Perhaps this is why Dat’s ants wander everywhere, from small gardens to big cities, from one person’s home to another, and even overseas, inspiring both light and heavy emotions in those who see them. |
|
|
|
|
|