"Swatter," 2007 Gilt brass Signed and editioned: AI / Edition for Parkett 81 / No. XXI-XXV .25" H x 21.25" W x 4.375" D Provenance: Sale: Parkett Art Editions, New York, NY, June 11, 2014 The Blake Byrne Collection Notes: Contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, Chinese) has been referred to as China's most dangerous man because of his openly controversial opinions of the Chinese government. In 2011 the police arrested Ai Weiwei on questionable charges of tax evasion. His wife and several staff members were also placed in temporary custody and the computers and hard drives in his studio were confiscated by no less than 50 officers. After 3 months of being detained and international protests made on his behalf, the artist was finally released. Ai Weiwei learned at a very early age the power of art and how it can shape new ways of thinking from his father, Ai Qing, who was a famous Chinese poet. Despite his arrest, he continues to use his practice to challenge the Chinese government and to call attention to human rights issues in his country. Ai Weiwei's work falls into the category of Excessivism, a relatively new art movement that refers to pieces made with a deep consideration of every facet of life, often focused on a person's desire for more than what is necessary. It is also represented in the excessive use of resources in an embellished way as seen in Swatter, a fly swatter made of 14k gold.