XIA QINGYONG: FRESH PAINT
by Wang ChunchenIn the 5th issue of Art Observation this year, there was a discussion on the conceptual comparison between Chinese traditional painting and ink wash painting. The main goal of the discussion was to clarify the similarities and differences between the two concepts, so that people can have a better understanding of the two.
In fact, this has been an ongoing debate and exploration of the two art forms since the last century, and it has continued through today. Xia Qingyong, as a young artist, has been actively exploring his own artistic interpretation and presentation of the medium.
If we say that "Chinese traditional painting" and "ink wash painting" have two different specific meanings, then the combination of the two may imply a whole new possibility. It comes not only from the precipitation of Chinese traditional culture, but also from the inspiration of artistic creation, namely the artist’s correspondence to the times he lives in. What is important here is to have this concept expressed at a deeper level, which requires the practice and efforts of a new generation of artists. Xia Qingyong is precisely at such an inflection point. With the careful observations that he has been making throughout the years, he has shown great persistence and patience with his experimentation of ink wash painting.
Xia Qingyong’s artistic career benefits from his knowledge and conceptual understanding of art history, which had allowed him to quickly develop his own methods early on. Xia Qingyong crumpled xuan paper to allow it to take different shapes, then dipped it lightly in or brushed with ink before unfolding it, creating unexpected ink marks along the creases. These naturally formed patterns remind us of brushworks in Chinese painting, but with a certain kind of hardness that is not dull to look at. In his "Clean Heart" and "Folding" series, he not only experimented with ink but also different color pigments as well. The creases and traces of colors as a result of the folding and crumpling certainly cannot be created with brushworks alone, as one can easily appreciate the subtle changes of ink when observing carefully.
In addition, by wetting the stripped xuan paper and kneading it into uneven lines to form various shapes based on the toughness of the paper, this is a characteristic that a canvas does not possess. On the contrary, Italian artist Lucio Fontana could only slash the center of his canvases to create dramatic cuts, whereas Xia Qingyong was able to fully utilize the flexibility of his paper to create crease marks, a re-creation of the material that did not exist in art history. This is precisely the beauty of exploration and experimentation in contemporary art. As a contemporary artist, one is encouraged to explore untried methods instead of following the historical traditions of the medium, revealing the aesthetic significance of the material itself. Xia Qingyong did not only create aesthetically mesmerizing creases on xuan paper, but also infused various colors into the material. The interaction between the two has led to a strong contrasting effect. The creases refuse to be set on colors, while the color pigments require a flat surface to be accurately presented. This apparent violation of traditional color rules deconstructs and reconstructs our apprehension of the medium, which gives us a completely different view after being flattened. Here, we can surmise that Xia Qingyong first looked at Chinese ink wash painting with an innate love, but rather than leaning towards the conservative side, he boldly re-orientated our perception by borrowing ideas from contemporary art theory and the ideology of materialism.
Another important question is how the new generation of young artists shall demonstrate themselves in ways different from before. As Australian art critic and writer Nicholas Tsoutas said, artists shall look forward to the future rather than the past from today's perspective, and young artists in particular shall be adventurous and daring to provide new ideas. What we are facing today are the crises of anxiety about the future and the sustainability of our ecological space. Art has to be constantly renewed with fresh blood, and this source of power must come from the younger generation. Why shouldn’t ink wash painting be re-examined? In other words, the history of ink wash painting does not necessarily require continuous re-writing, as new history could be instantly generated with extensions of its materiality and breakthroughs of its solidified territory.
It’s certainly a very exciting thing to look forward to the future.
Wang Chunchen, September 10, 2019
Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing
Sep, 2019
RELATED
| Artists | Xia Qingyong |
|---|
-
All 2,834 authors; All 9,295 articles
- LATEST UPLOAD
- ABOUT | BY
- GENRES
20 MOST RECENT
- Foreword (critique, 1968)
Since 1932 the Whitney Museum has held a series of annual and biennial exhibitions surveying the field of contemporary American art. In the present exhibition, like its predecessors, the artists participate by invitation instead of submitting...
- Foreword (critique, 1969)
The Whitney Museum's Annual Exhibitions of Contemporary American Art have been held, in one form or another, since 1932. Work is selected by the Museum's staff and is invited, not juried. Following a tradition established by...
- Foreword (critique, 1970)
The Whitney Museum's Annual Exhibitions of Contemporary American Art have been held, in one form or another, since 1932. Work is selected by the Museum's staff and is invited, not juried. Following a tradition established by...
- Pixelating, Tearing Apart, and Regrouping Gu Qianfan (critique)
I. Spatial relationship has been a continuous thread in Han Bing’s painting practice. In works c. 2013, physical and architectural spaces bear the weight of the artist’s visual expression. In Bush (2013), an outdoor tree is inserted...
- Foreword (critique)
The 1975 Biennial Exhibition: Contemporary American Art presents a survey view of current work by artists from throughout the United States who have not become known through one-person shows in New York City or participation in...
- Video (critique)
During the past three decades, broadcast television has become a powertul economic, social, and cultural force and has provided the dominant, if not exclusive, definition of the television medium. The content and structure of network programming...
- Introduction (critique)
The tendency in the sixties for both artists and critics to consider art in terms ot movements and theoretical alliances has diminished in the seventies as the activity of making art has become increasingly a matter...
- Foreword (critique)
Forty-five years ago, the Whitney Museum began a series of exhibitions to survey the current state of American art. Now presented biennially, these exhibitions retain the original intent that they should be invitational and selected by...
- From Cleanness to Power Wang Minan (critique, 2019)
In 1979, Water-Sprinkling Festival-Extol Life, a mural painting by Chinese artist Yuan Yunsheng, was unveiled at the Beijing Capital International Airport. The well-known work proved to be a milestone in contemporary Chinese art, marking a beginning...
- Foreword by the Curators (critique, 1979)
The 1979 Biennial Exhibition at the Whitney Museum is an invitational survey of some of the most important and provocative American painting, drawing, sculpture, film, and video produced since 1977 by living artists. In formulating this...
- Preface by the Director (critique, 1979)
In 1932 Juliana Force organized the first Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting, presenting the work of 157 artists. Included in this exhibition were several paintings which have since become recognized masterworks of the period, among them...
- Monotony, Gloom, Practice, Progression, Concentration, Tools, Fabrication, Ideals, An Artistic Ensemble Zhang Yingying (critique, 2019)
Dedicated to the once radical, the now conventional and fashionable modernist manifesto. The relationship between the artist and the actual physical artwork today is different from the dynamic of last era in that artworks are more sentimentally...
- Preface by the Curators (critique, 1981)
Since their inception in 1932, the Whitney Museum Biennial Exhibitions have been among the most important surveys ol contemporary American art. These exhibitions have continuously assessed the wide spectrum of currenl art; they were originally conceived,...
- Foreword by the Director (critique, 1981)
The 1981 Biennial is the first exhibition to follow the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Whitney Museum of American Art. It reaffirms the dedication of the Museum to a tradition begun by its founder, Gertrude...
- GOODBYE: ArrowFactory Ho Rania, Wang Wei, Yao Pauline J. (miscellaneous, 2019)
Dearest Artists, Supporters, and Friends: After a remarkable eleven and a half years of running our experimental storefront art space Arrow Factory will close its doors at the end of this month, September 2019. It has been...
- Xia Qingyong: Fresh Paint Wang Chunchen (critique, 2019)
In the 5th issue of Art Observation this year, there was a discussion on the conceptual comparison between Chinese traditional painting and ink wash painting. The main goal of the discussion was to clarify the similarities...
- Jean Baudrillaurd's Sayings on Exhibit (miscellaneous, 2019)
Excess of information kills information; excess of meaning killls meaning, etc. But it seems that too much stupidity does not kill stupidity. Stupidity may be said, then, to be the only exponential phenomenon — one whtch...
- Whitney Biennial 2019 (critique, 2019)
Written by Mario Vasquez Note: This review was written before the 8 artists withdrew their works. Some works mentioned may no longer be on view. Upon exiting the elevator on the 5th floor of the Whitney Museum,...
- 2019 Whitney Biennial (critique, 2019)
By Alex Jen Curators Rujeko Hockley and Jane Panetta describe the 2019 Whitney Biennial as a “snapshot” of art making in the United States today. But “snapshot” carries particular meaning: not a posed portrait but something informal....
- Initial Thoughts and Highlights from the 2019 Whitney Biennial (critique, 2019)
Zachary Small The 2019 Whitney Biennial is about the state of American culture and how contemporary artists are responding to the conditions of living in a country with increasingly inequitable social stratifications. Curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley...
