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拍品专文
Fang Lijun's artistic career was accompanied by the gradual opening up of China in the 1990s. Fang's works advocate the pursuit of spiritual freedom and reflect on the meaning of life in contemporary society. They question the absolute totalitarianism of the communist regime in China and reflect a general yearning for individual autonomy. Fang's painting style is frank and direct. He questions his predecessors' insistence on Realism and presents his own interpretation of "beauty" and "ugliness." He opens up new territory for Chinese oil painting by creating an independent artistic style.
In the late 1980s, the June 4th tragedy contributed to a widespread sense of unease in Chinese society. Artists who had enjoyed official support under the liberalization in the earlier part of decade now faced new constraints in their art creation. Ironically, this spurred artists to look for new ways to express their hopes and dissatisfaction. Fang's bald figures first appear in his works in the late 1980s. They became a fascinating icon for his resistance against oppression. The bald figures make a striking impression on the viewer, embodying a paradoxical contradiction. On one hand, tied to ideas of evilness, passivity, obedience and discipline, they call to mind the shaved heads of criminals, prisoners or soldiers and suggest a possibly threatening presence. On the other hand, they also resemble the appearance of monks, who renounce worldly pleasures in pursuit of a spiritual order. The bald-headed figures of Fang are therefore richly embedded with meaning. In both cases, irrespective of whether the bald figures are 'good' or 'evil', they are to a certain extent, outsiders who have been distanced from society. The artist uses these figures to point to his own revolutionary position against authoritative power.
In 2000.1.30 (Lot 41), Fang depicts ten bald children. The artist notes that "Although the appearance of a single bald figure might be striking, when they appear as a collective group, individuality will disappear. This was a compelling reason for me to depict them in a group. For people who have been brought up in our cultural background, there is a strong feeling that one has been neglected as an individual in society." In Golconde (Fig. 1), Magritte shows a number of figures in identical clothing, floating in the air like rain drops. Although they might have different identities in reality, in the group, their individuality has been absorbed. Taking into account the political context in China, Fang's bald figures are representative of all the people whose individuality has been blurred in an era of political dictatorship. The bright red skin tones found on all the figures produces a jarring visual effect on the viewer. It highlights the shared background and experiences of the figures which has perhaps even standardized their way of thinking and acting. While Magritte expresses this process of homogenization through the clothing, Fang makes an impression on the viewer through the similar skin textures of the figures.
Compositionally, there is an important difference between Fang's work and other works. Fang abandons the method of placing the main subject in the centre of the foreground. Instead he tries to give each of his figures equal importance. The figure with the largest mass is placed slightly off-centre on the left. Although the figures are placed in different positions and have a different rhythm, it is hard to determine the main subject. Underlying this composition Is a subtle criticism on paintings which sought to appease the authorities during the revolutionary era (Fig. 2). These paintings typically place heroes and leaders in exalted positions, portraying them with an impeccable, charismatic image. Fang's unique artistic voice offers a stark contrast to works from the revolutionary era. In 2000.1.30, the figures do not follow a single appointed leader, they are scattered around the canvas, free to pursue their own wishes.
This is expressive of Fang's longing for people to have true control over their own lives, as figures who are free to roam between the realms of heaven and earth, unbound by shackles of political ideology
Starting from the early 1990s, skies, clouds and water became important, architectural elements in Fang's creations. Bright flowers also appear frequently as stage-props for the bald figures. 2000.1.30 quintessentially demonstrates Fang's unique artistic vocabulary. The monumental size of the work lends it its striking power. The viewer has to come before it, and raise their heads to see the details of the painting and they have to step further away to see the whole painting. This orchestrated viewing experience mimics the experience one has when they are looking at religious frescoes in a Church. The skies occupy two-thirds of the painting, encapsulating the vastness and boundlessness of nature. Uninhibited by gravity, the ten bald children are adrift in mid-air, like balloons, in a state of complete freedom. These figures evoke the images of God, saints and angels in Renaissance oil paintings (Fig. 3). Fang suggests that they belong to a purer and freer realm. The vertical composition of the painting gives it a sense of majestic importance, similar to religious paintings. Although the artist does not directly represent Jesus as Judge or Saviour, as seen in scenes of the Last Judgement, the joyful expressions on the faces of the children indicate that they have been released from "life", an important theme in post- revolution Chinese society.
Psychologically, the intensely colourful, bright colours in 2000.1.30 evoke positive thoughts. Fang uses smooth brush strokes to delineate the skin textures of the figures. The fresh flowers are metaphoric for an other-worldly realm, superior to the human realm. Visually, these features are reminiscent of the "red, bright and shiny"(Fig. 4) aesthetics of the Cultural Revolution era. Fang states that "Starting from a young age, people try to show us only the good things, and hide or cover the bad. For me, it was a shocking revelation to discover what lay beneath the glittering surface." In Western religious paintings, we find contrasting images of salvation and descent, heavenly pleasures and human suffering. On the other hand, images from the cultural revolution completely conceal the negative side. The artless, innocent smiles of the figures recall the figures typical of state propaganda. Fang sees through the superficiality of these appearances, and is sensitive to the similarities between Western religious paintings and works produced during Chinese cultural revolution. In his works, Fang borrows the language of both Western religious paintings and cultural products from the Cultural Revolution, but gives it a contemporary flavor.
In the late 1980s, the June 4th tragedy contributed to a widespread sense of unease in Chinese society. Artists who had enjoyed official support under the liberalization in the earlier part of decade now faced new constraints in their art creation. Ironically, this spurred artists to look for new ways to express their hopes and dissatisfaction. Fang's bald figures first appear in his works in the late 1980s. They became a fascinating icon for his resistance against oppression. The bald figures make a striking impression on the viewer, embodying a paradoxical contradiction. On one hand, tied to ideas of evilness, passivity, obedience and discipline, they call to mind the shaved heads of criminals, prisoners or soldiers and suggest a possibly threatening presence. On the other hand, they also resemble the appearance of monks, who renounce worldly pleasures in pursuit of a spiritual order. The bald-headed figures of Fang are therefore richly embedded with meaning. In both cases, irrespective of whether the bald figures are 'good' or 'evil', they are to a certain extent, outsiders who have been distanced from society. The artist uses these figures to point to his own revolutionary position against authoritative power.
In 2000.1.30 (Lot 41), Fang depicts ten bald children. The artist notes that "Although the appearance of a single bald figure might be striking, when they appear as a collective group, individuality will disappear. This was a compelling reason for me to depict them in a group. For people who have been brought up in our cultural background, there is a strong feeling that one has been neglected as an individual in society." In Golconde (Fig. 1), Magritte shows a number of figures in identical clothing, floating in the air like rain drops. Although they might have different identities in reality, in the group, their individuality has been absorbed. Taking into account the political context in China, Fang's bald figures are representative of all the people whose individuality has been blurred in an era of political dictatorship. The bright red skin tones found on all the figures produces a jarring visual effect on the viewer. It highlights the shared background and experiences of the figures which has perhaps even standardized their way of thinking and acting. While Magritte expresses this process of homogenization through the clothing, Fang makes an impression on the viewer through the similar skin textures of the figures.
Compositionally, there is an important difference between Fang's work and other works. Fang abandons the method of placing the main subject in the centre of the foreground. Instead he tries to give each of his figures equal importance. The figure with the largest mass is placed slightly off-centre on the left. Although the figures are placed in different positions and have a different rhythm, it is hard to determine the main subject. Underlying this composition Is a subtle criticism on paintings which sought to appease the authorities during the revolutionary era (Fig. 2). These paintings typically place heroes and leaders in exalted positions, portraying them with an impeccable, charismatic image. Fang's unique artistic voice offers a stark contrast to works from the revolutionary era. In 2000.1.30, the figures do not follow a single appointed leader, they are scattered around the canvas, free to pursue their own wishes.
This is expressive of Fang's longing for people to have true control over their own lives, as figures who are free to roam between the realms of heaven and earth, unbound by shackles of political ideology
Starting from the early 1990s, skies, clouds and water became important, architectural elements in Fang's creations. Bright flowers also appear frequently as stage-props for the bald figures. 2000.1.30 quintessentially demonstrates Fang's unique artistic vocabulary. The monumental size of the work lends it its striking power. The viewer has to come before it, and raise their heads to see the details of the painting and they have to step further away to see the whole painting. This orchestrated viewing experience mimics the experience one has when they are looking at religious frescoes in a Church. The skies occupy two-thirds of the painting, encapsulating the vastness and boundlessness of nature. Uninhibited by gravity, the ten bald children are adrift in mid-air, like balloons, in a state of complete freedom. These figures evoke the images of God, saints and angels in Renaissance oil paintings (Fig. 3). Fang suggests that they belong to a purer and freer realm. The vertical composition of the painting gives it a sense of majestic importance, similar to religious paintings. Although the artist does not directly represent Jesus as Judge or Saviour, as seen in scenes of the Last Judgement, the joyful expressions on the faces of the children indicate that they have been released from "life", an important theme in post- revolution Chinese society.
Psychologically, the intensely colourful, bright colours in 2000.1.30 evoke positive thoughts. Fang uses smooth brush strokes to delineate the skin textures of the figures. The fresh flowers are metaphoric for an other-worldly realm, superior to the human realm. Visually, these features are reminiscent of the "red, bright and shiny"(Fig. 4) aesthetics of the Cultural Revolution era. Fang states that "Starting from a young age, people try to show us only the good things, and hide or cover the bad. For me, it was a shocking revelation to discover what lay beneath the glittering surface." In Western religious paintings, we find contrasting images of salvation and descent, heavenly pleasures and human suffering. On the other hand, images from the cultural revolution completely conceal the negative side. The artless, innocent smiles of the figures recall the figures typical of state propaganda. Fang sees through the superficiality of these appearances, and is sensitive to the similarities between Western religious paintings and works produced during Chinese cultural revolution. In his works, Fang borrows the language of both Western religious paintings and cultural products from the Cultural Revolution, but gives it a contemporary flavor.