(Hong Kong Gallery Guide June 2010)
Osage Kwun Tong
May 1 to June 27
The latest group show at Osage Kwun Tong, The Burden of Representation: Abstraction in Asia Today, aims at a broad question: the positions of abstract painting in Asia and in turns, its significance for cultural production against social and political invasion. The premise is a pointed one given the implication of burden in the curatorial conception. What is the boundary abstract painting seeking to illuminate and to transgress?
Illusion underlines the works of Chinese painters Yang Jiechang and Ding Yi, who focus on the transition of painting as a meditative act to its representation of reality. Yang departs from traditional Chinese ink painting in ‘100 Layers of Ink’, which alludes to the materiality of landscape and an opening in history that the audience must cross. Ding employs more playful motifs in ‘Appearance of Crosses’, though the work heightens the sense of collective expression rather than the subjectivity that is the starting point of the painting. If Yang and Ding have sought to transcend the representation of the real, their quest remains partially unanswered, as their works highlight the presence of cultural and social consciousness rather than its breakdown.
Japan-born Taiwanese artist Michael Lin examines s similar constraints through his floral motifs, traditional and aesthetic icons that turn into shallow denotations in contemporary society. Set against minimalist and contrasting design, the images represent the loss of meaning of abstraction and art amid the trends of today’s popular culture. In a similar vein Lee Kit reproduces images from mass media to signify the collapse between art and everyday life, though Lee’s effort lacks drive. Ambitious as they are, his narratives come across as a palette of somewhat diffused efforts than a concrete assembly of his ideas. Deconstruction also runs through the work of Milenko Prvacki, who dissects the visuality in painting in ‘Collection: The Ultimate Visual Dictionary’, which pinpoints the presence of reality in abstraction.
Prvacki’s lyricism is an attempt to define and defy the burden of representation that lies at the heart of the show, as it touches on the strength of artist’s subjectivity against larger cultural production. Yet Prvaki’s answer may be more ambiguous—and scattered—than succinct to audience that is unfamiliar with abstract art. Chinese artists Zhao Zhao and Gong Jian takes the exploration to their mindscape, where their brushstrokes are minute or repetitive transcribing of their response to the external world. Gong’s concern with the interaction between emotion, text and expression has a linear, simplistic flow, though there is a hint of deeper emotion that seems to be missing on the canvas. One wonders if the artist stops himself short in communicating his interiority to the audience, or if the creative impetus could gain fuller weight.
Liu Wei shows a different kind of restraint in ‘Yes, That’s All!’ and ‘Purple Air VI-15’. His color-field paintings are contemplation on the image-saturated nature of our society, of the surroundings we are confined by in everyday life. Disturbance is at last a stimulus in art, where people can decipher reality in freedom and isolation. ‘Yes, That’s All’ is one of the stand-out pieces in the show: it is sharp, coherent take on the conflict between representation and the real world. Masato Kobayashi chimes in the dialogue with his ‘Light Painting #9’, where objecthood takes on an illusive guise. The allusion to reality is inherent in the shaped monochrome painting that stresses the space and dimension of the art form.
If The Burden of Representation: Abstraction in Asia Today sets out to review the state of abstract art in Asia at present, it presents possibilities and hints while some of the selected artworks are rather weak in their emotional or visual impact. The question remains, though it is certainly a worthy direction to explore.
Showing posts with label asian artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asian artists. Show all posts
Friday, July 2, 2010
In Search of Voices
(Hong Kong Gallery Guide April 2010)
Amid heated debates over the term ‘post 80’s’ generation and its social and political connotations, a contemporary art show featuring young artists from across Asia seeks to be a new focal point of reflection, Nicolette Wong reports.
The term ‘post 80s’ bears many negative imprints by the media and public opinions, thanks to a series of controversial current affairs in Hong Kong in the last few years. Yet the spirits of a generation cannot be defined by a narrow focus on social issues and their repercussions; in art, post 80’s artists are depicting their response to the challenges they live, offering glimpses into their times and sensibilities.
As a stimulus to this dialogue, local curator Calvin Hui presents ‘Haven’t You Heard?’ Artists of the 80’s Contemporary Art Group Show at Contemporary by Angela Li. The impetus for the show lies in Hui’s belief in the language of art as the bridge between divergent views, through which the public can gain deeper comprehension of the young generation and the multiple facets of their experience.
In Hui’s understanding, ‘post 80’s’ is a broad topic of discussion that is set against the backdrop of globalization and urbanization. In the age of Internet where youths around the world consume the same doses of popular culture and mass branding, many post 80’s artists show a degree of synchronicity in their works despite their different backgrounds.
‘In Haven’t You Heard?, the artists come from various cultures and religions, but they all have a globalized outlook and deal with the issues of urbanization in their works,’ Hui noted. ‘My hope is to present an exchange of ideas through this art show, to expand on common perspectives of what “post 80’s” means.’
The two Hong Kong artists featured in Haven’t You Heard?, Li Tin Lun and Wong Chun Hei, are apt examples of the existence between virtuality and reality among the post 80’s generation. Both works are directly inspired by the virtual world such as online games, as they reflect on the subjects of identity and control.
In Wong’s paintings, ‘China Downtown 2’ and ‘London Clock Tower’, frozen frames of computer games pose as questions about one’s control of his or her own subjectivity. While the players indulge in virtuality for control over imaginary worlds, they are in fact manipulated by the rules and frameworks they seek to override.
The loss of identity puts on a more taunting take in the mixed media installations of Li Tin Lun. In ‘Amitabha’, an image reminiscent of Buddha stands gazing at the audience through many layers of colors and consciousness, like dissected shadows of those who engage in the virtual world.
Beyond such personal perspectives, Haven’t You Heard? showcases a broad range of interpretations on contemporary art by the young artists. Japanese artist Ikumi Nagasawa strikes a familiar note with the ‘kidult’ implications in her paintings, which unmask the surreal expression of sadness in the cute Japanese girl dolls.
Nagasawa’s compositions are remarkable in that she conveys a deep sense of certainty through her strokes: each line marks a conscious detachment from and critique on the subject. The audience is lured into a deceptively simple yet dark mindscape, where they must contemplate the emptiness that is drawn from their real, everyday life.
Such ambiguity runs through the works of Kim Yong Kwan, a third-generation Korean-Japanese artist. His series of ‘Deco Knife’ mark a strong feeling of nostalgia as well as confusion—the combination of glittery accessories recall the joys of bygone days, but also carries a blurring of Asian cultural motifs.
In comparison to these Hong Kong, Japanese and Korean artists, who focus on their personal space as the starting points in their works, mainland Chinese artists show a much keener sense of mission. ‘They emphasize a lot more on nation, history and race in their interpretations of contemporary art,’ Hui pinpoints.
Painter and mixed media artist Zhou Yilun gives a twist to classical literary imagination in his ‘Master. Don’t Go!’ and ‘The Most Important Thing Is Not Ready’. The paintings reinterpret two of the four great classical Chinese novels, Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber.
The electrifying kisses on canvas bring out the hidden sexual impulses in these tales of morality. They also stand in contrast with ‘Had Before’, which depicts a similar union of Deng Xiaoping and his Western counterpart. Together the paintings are a pointed play on the development of the country’s cultural and historical imagination.
Fellow Chinese artist Xu Di exhibits a broad social awareness in artworks that employ seafood as a common element. In her photo ‘Lure of the Body’, the salmon-clad sandal speaks of decay and abuse in contemporary society, and provokes in the viewers both fascination with and repulsion against the subject.
Filipino artist Joseph de Juras takes a more direct approach in his ‘BETAMAX’ series. The three paintings, titled ‘Rewind’, ‘Play’ and ‘Stop’, trace the nation’s progression from tribal history to current political instability, to the hope for autonomy for the people in the future—through struggle and violence.
For Hui, the diversity of subject matters and artistic expressions are proof that many ‘post 80’s’ youths strive for serious ideals. ‘Art is where we start to think about life and our society,’ he says. ‘In putting the show together, I went for a selection of regional young artists so there could be contrasting perspectives on the debate.
’
‘The truth is, each country and city has its unique set of problems, and I hope the show will reach the general public. Be it a curious art lover or just a passer-by who happens to take a look, they will see that the ‘post 80’s’ generation has a lot to share about the world we live in today.’
Hui believed that Haven’t You Heard? has been well-received. Some of the featured artworks were sold at the opening, which was a real encouragement for the young artists. The Western audience is particularly appreciative since many of the works are non-commercial and different from what they usually see in local galleries.
‘We also got some great exposure during Art Walk,’ Hui noted. ‘Many fellow artists, critics and collectors gave very positive feedback on the concept of the show. For me it’s important to have a serious, well-developed theme and to bring out new possibilities for critique.’
Amid heated debates over the term ‘post 80’s’ generation and its social and political connotations, a contemporary art show featuring young artists from across Asia seeks to be a new focal point of reflection, Nicolette Wong reports.
The term ‘post 80s’ bears many negative imprints by the media and public opinions, thanks to a series of controversial current affairs in Hong Kong in the last few years. Yet the spirits of a generation cannot be defined by a narrow focus on social issues and their repercussions; in art, post 80’s artists are depicting their response to the challenges they live, offering glimpses into their times and sensibilities.
As a stimulus to this dialogue, local curator Calvin Hui presents ‘Haven’t You Heard?’ Artists of the 80’s Contemporary Art Group Show at Contemporary by Angela Li. The impetus for the show lies in Hui’s belief in the language of art as the bridge between divergent views, through which the public can gain deeper comprehension of the young generation and the multiple facets of their experience.
In Hui’s understanding, ‘post 80’s’ is a broad topic of discussion that is set against the backdrop of globalization and urbanization. In the age of Internet where youths around the world consume the same doses of popular culture and mass branding, many post 80’s artists show a degree of synchronicity in their works despite their different backgrounds.
‘In Haven’t You Heard?, the artists come from various cultures and religions, but they all have a globalized outlook and deal with the issues of urbanization in their works,’ Hui noted. ‘My hope is to present an exchange of ideas through this art show, to expand on common perspectives of what “post 80’s” means.’
The two Hong Kong artists featured in Haven’t You Heard?, Li Tin Lun and Wong Chun Hei, are apt examples of the existence between virtuality and reality among the post 80’s generation. Both works are directly inspired by the virtual world such as online games, as they reflect on the subjects of identity and control.
In Wong’s paintings, ‘China Downtown 2’ and ‘London Clock Tower’, frozen frames of computer games pose as questions about one’s control of his or her own subjectivity. While the players indulge in virtuality for control over imaginary worlds, they are in fact manipulated by the rules and frameworks they seek to override.
The loss of identity puts on a more taunting take in the mixed media installations of Li Tin Lun. In ‘Amitabha’, an image reminiscent of Buddha stands gazing at the audience through many layers of colors and consciousness, like dissected shadows of those who engage in the virtual world.
Beyond such personal perspectives, Haven’t You Heard? showcases a broad range of interpretations on contemporary art by the young artists. Japanese artist Ikumi Nagasawa strikes a familiar note with the ‘kidult’ implications in her paintings, which unmask the surreal expression of sadness in the cute Japanese girl dolls.
Nagasawa’s compositions are remarkable in that she conveys a deep sense of certainty through her strokes: each line marks a conscious detachment from and critique on the subject. The audience is lured into a deceptively simple yet dark mindscape, where they must contemplate the emptiness that is drawn from their real, everyday life.
Such ambiguity runs through the works of Kim Yong Kwan, a third-generation Korean-Japanese artist. His series of ‘Deco Knife’ mark a strong feeling of nostalgia as well as confusion—the combination of glittery accessories recall the joys of bygone days, but also carries a blurring of Asian cultural motifs.
In comparison to these Hong Kong, Japanese and Korean artists, who focus on their personal space as the starting points in their works, mainland Chinese artists show a much keener sense of mission. ‘They emphasize a lot more on nation, history and race in their interpretations of contemporary art,’ Hui pinpoints.
Painter and mixed media artist Zhou Yilun gives a twist to classical literary imagination in his ‘Master. Don’t Go!’ and ‘The Most Important Thing Is Not Ready’. The paintings reinterpret two of the four great classical Chinese novels, Journey to the West and Dream of the Red Chamber.
The electrifying kisses on canvas bring out the hidden sexual impulses in these tales of morality. They also stand in contrast with ‘Had Before’, which depicts a similar union of Deng Xiaoping and his Western counterpart. Together the paintings are a pointed play on the development of the country’s cultural and historical imagination.
Fellow Chinese artist Xu Di exhibits a broad social awareness in artworks that employ seafood as a common element. In her photo ‘Lure of the Body’, the salmon-clad sandal speaks of decay and abuse in contemporary society, and provokes in the viewers both fascination with and repulsion against the subject.
Filipino artist Joseph de Juras takes a more direct approach in his ‘BETAMAX’ series. The three paintings, titled ‘Rewind’, ‘Play’ and ‘Stop’, trace the nation’s progression from tribal history to current political instability, to the hope for autonomy for the people in the future—through struggle and violence.
For Hui, the diversity of subject matters and artistic expressions are proof that many ‘post 80’s’ youths strive for serious ideals. ‘Art is where we start to think about life and our society,’ he says. ‘In putting the show together, I went for a selection of regional young artists so there could be contrasting perspectives on the debate.
’
‘The truth is, each country and city has its unique set of problems, and I hope the show will reach the general public. Be it a curious art lover or just a passer-by who happens to take a look, they will see that the ‘post 80’s’ generation has a lot to share about the world we live in today.’
Hui believed that Haven’t You Heard? has been well-received. Some of the featured artworks were sold at the opening, which was a real encouragement for the young artists. The Western audience is particularly appreciative since many of the works are non-commercial and different from what they usually see in local galleries.
‘We also got some great exposure during Art Walk,’ Hui noted. ‘Many fellow artists, critics and collectors gave very positive feedback on the concept of the show. For me it’s important to have a serious, well-developed theme and to bring out new possibilities for critique.’
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