The Existence Ways of Art in Our Life

Wu Hong

On the development track of China contemporary art,the art creative ways to connect individual sconsciousness were not the main focus in the art field.The issue needs to be analyzed from within the social background of the inchoation of the contemporary art.

Since the early 80’s of last century,along with the change of Chinese social structure,the ideology and social culture have been changing accordingly.In this great period,everyone,individually,was shocked by such historical change.Therefore,in the “faddish” art works of 1980’s,artists desperately released their shocks felt in hearts on their works,reflected their meditation of social phenomenon and history.

Their thinking and involvement in the social and historical subjects is the trait of  that time.In that period,any exploration aiming to find the meaning of individual life was melt,no doubt,into this vast social background,through its “typical meaning” to demonstrate it in the historical stream.Or,individual life was just a symbol in the abstract dialectic for its utmost value.After 90’s,due to the economic development and globalization of international funds injected to China,merchandise orientated concept overspread to all tiers of social structure.

As a consequence,together with the pressure derived from such commercial society,artists reflected their psychological retroaction in their art works.Due to the development imbalance in China economy,when involved in critics of the economic phenomena,our artists thought it in the way of “first impressions are strongest” concept.Beacause that the prevailing of social participation on the people focused issues,such concept revealed itself from the beginning of the trend.Especially from the mid of 90’s,the art market adjusted its orientation to meet the market needs,and the art works more and more showed their symbolization of the concept.

Firstly,the characteristic of creative art works in that period showed their “predeterminate” subjects that were influenced more by mainstream’s standard,instead of individual sense,feeling and taste.

Secondly,artists’ event involvement and expression ways showed their “conception” on their art works subjects,which was closely related to “predetermination”.In order to meet the mainstream requirement and prevailing social concepts,they had to involve in the “Hot Topics” of that time.Therefore,they had to give up their own idea and feeling and concede to “conception”.

Thirdly,closely related to above-mentioned two factors,the visual images’ “symbolization” represented another trend.In order to penetrate the market and keep their shares in the market,artists had to choose an easy way for art identification and communication.Meanwhile,they had to reinforce such easiness in the market process.

Regarding to this phenomena,I organized a photo exhibition named “Soliloquy” aiming to call for artists’ attitudes of art creative attitude based on their own living backgrounds,life experiences,knowledge learned and personalities.Unfortunately,in that time,most of artists exerted themselves on finding a market position and my proposal,no doubt,seemed too ideal in creative art orientation.After up and down in the market wave in current years,some ripe judgment artists begin to think about “independent” art expression.In consequence,two traits emerged in the cause.

One of them is the possibility of combining regional culture to the contemporary arts,and I prefer to call such way “placeimages”.I think this has its realistic meaning to current simplification caused by art globalization that can just meet the needs of our sensory perception.But the “placeimages” will meet the needs of the innermost being for “common historical memory”.In addition,during the process of marketization and faddism,merchandized art works more and more trend toward dissimilation of symbolization,flat expression and procedural processing.In the process of dissimilation, the “placeimages” can enrich the contemporary art with spiritual quality,culture logic,language style and image resources.

Another trait relates to artists’ ways of personal language and life experience.In the article written for the exhibition of  “JIANGNAN”(South of Yangtze River),I pointed out that,in category of contemporary art,the art creative ways of southern China artist group,they focus more on personal feelings on individual life as well as historical culture,than that of northern artist group,typically Beijing group(includeing southern artists moved to Beijing and have merged in Beijing culture background),who pay more attention on “Greater” subjects of political and culture conflict issues.The kind of expression,from the viewpoint of “fat”,may not be so “contemporary”.But in fact,in terms of fickleness and symbolization of the contemporary art,such personal feelings of life experience and art language,at least,inject another alternative to withered art subjects.Such statement here can also be used to explain the above conception and symbolization.

In the works of Mr. Luo Jie,he vividly rendered the feeling and understanding of his life,and such mode also guided the work processes from beginning to the end. In his works,the concept of home is a kind of Nolstalgia that entangled with life of modern metropolis.The profiles and lines of his works demonstrate the simplest way of feelings and experiences that have no beginning,nor end.

In addition,in his written articles,he happen coincided talked about that the painting processes have the effects of spiritual therapy,redemption and relief.

2006.8.20  At Beijing Tongzhou Wood Drying plant.