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拍品专文
Currently based in Shanghai, Zhang Enli was born in the province of Jilin in 1965. What sets him apart from his contemporaries is that Zhang Enli is not concerned with political subjects or symbolic elements. The core of his practice is centred on the nature and the process of painting itself. His artistic output has always retained a distinctive sense of independence.
In Untitled (Lot 159), we can see the iconic palette that Zhang Enli has been using since the 1990s: ochre, vermilion, and b ack. These in tensely contrasting colours is inevitably associated with violence and gore. A grotesquely-shaped human figure fills this narrow canvas. This figure with bulging belly and thighs blows out a thick cloud of smoke – it is likened to a scene captured from a movie. The white outline around the figure projects a peculiar sense of space on top of the background in charcoal grey. The viewers standing on the opposite side of the picture plane cannot help but feel oppressed by the suffocating presence of this figure – this is precisely the kind of psychological power that Zhang Enli is pursuing. The spontaneous yet lyrical brushwork emphasises the cultivation of lines and vitality in the painting. His bold and decisive touch radiates a sense of briskness and determination. Combined with the tension created by the use of colours, this work demonstrates the artist's exceptional talent to conjure up powerful atmospheres.
In Untitled (Lot 159), we can see the iconic palette that Zhang Enli has been using since the 1990s: ochre, vermilion, and b ack. These in tensely contrasting colours is inevitably associated with violence and gore. A grotesquely-shaped human figure fills this narrow canvas. This figure with bulging belly and thighs blows out a thick cloud of smoke – it is likened to a scene captured from a movie. The white outline around the figure projects a peculiar sense of space on top of the background in charcoal grey. The viewers standing on the opposite side of the picture plane cannot help but feel oppressed by the suffocating presence of this figure – this is precisely the kind of psychological power that Zhang Enli is pursuing. The spontaneous yet lyrical brushwork emphasises the cultivation of lines and vitality in the painting. His bold and decisive touch radiates a sense of briskness and determination. Combined with the tension created by the use of colours, this work demonstrates the artist's exceptional talent to conjure up powerful atmospheres.