When Lao Zhao, the owner of Yibo Gallery told me for an intention to host a joint show featuring some Chinese west-southern artists, my first response on hearing these names was--“this exhibit really demonstrates something!” Its meaning not only lies in displaying the artworks with its charisma to the viewers, but also in presenting a chapter of Chinese contemporary art history through an artistic angle and attitude.

He Duoling, Zhou Chunya, Guo Wei, Guo Jin and Zhong Biao, are all from west-southern parts in China. However, their influences go far beyond their regions due to their contributions in different periods of Chinese contemporary art history. They form a good example for the followers.

He Duoling is one of the most acclaimed artists since China’s “Open Door Policy.” He rose fame through his stunning piece “When the breeze is awaken” in the early 1980s. This piece, whether in concept or technique, rendered a dynamic visual effect to the public. The chaotic and highly concentrated system during the “cultural revolution” made art almost a deserted scene. The stereo-typed “Red, Light and Brightness” totally buried the creativity and freedom of the artists. While long-term isolation also forbid the artists to absorb some outside fresh elements. Thus they had to express themselves depending on their own sensitivity. The limits and bondages on  artist’s concepts were obvious even before their creations. In my words, no matter whether their imagination or technique accuracy merely passed.

Following the growing traces of He, we could find that his most famed canvas is actually not his best one, while those paintings filled with his wisdom and talents are often ignored, which were resulted by a unique era. If we include He’s art in the teaching samples of Chinese contemporary art history, we would find how he struggled and moved forwards. Undoubtedly he is a man with responsibilities and believes in fatalism. The melting of these two powers often upset him, because he could neither treat life at his will nor abandon the seeking for freedom. Such condition when reflected on canvas reveals some perplexity, shivering and hesitance.

If we take a closer look on He’s past, we find that he painted the subject of minority for a while. I couldn’t help asking myself : “Is this the motivation that he demands for form or the remoteness in visual effect?”. True, minority subject inspired a group of artists, but it is only a temporary access at the turning of eras, a kind of solution for artists tortured by revolutions. It would be wrong if we evaluate the man on the subject or the concept expressed.

He traveled to the US in the middle 1980s and early 1990s. Unwittingly, the man benchmarked himself when encountering those original masterpieces in museums and galleries. He says in one of his catalogue, s “Although the canvas in this catalogue are limited in number, it transcend into a broader space, from 1980s to 1997, from mainland China to the US or back from US to mainland China, from the mysterious field in my heart to a realistic vulgar city.”

During the 1990s, He searched a kind of standard to define himself. He believed what he chose must coincide his talents and moods; otherwise it was a waste of his whole life. He says, “Some of my friends gave up paintings. They felt such limited mode binds their desire in searching the unlimited. But I will continue to paint and fare better.” At the same time, he also thinks “on-wall paintings are now regarded as an ancient occupation. But a single man is able to implement it, retaining its silence, elegance without any exclusion or assault, It doesn’t demand the process of drafting, approval, implementing and promotion. From the very beginning to the end, thanks God, it’s just me.” The sentimental romantic person has his own principal: never attack, exclude, but keep a pure individuality. Such pureness is akin to the salvation – to save the artists from any confusion.

I want to re-emphasize how technique is applied into He’s artworks. When mentioning technique, people tend to treat it as an unchanging thing or an inherited craftsmanship, but it’s too simple. Among all the excellent artists, the application of technique alters when condition changes, in other words, sometimes even technique acted like a habit for an artist, it also alters when his concept and taste change in different periods. He used “poem stops in language” to manifest the significance of technique. He later says “painting stops in technique.” He cited the overlapping of western oil as an example to reveal the observation mode of an artist is limited by cosmism, he compared the “writing” of traditional ink-wash painting to the joyfulness and passion in painting, But I believe, the technique in the hand of each artist is beyond words. No matter there exist how many metaphors or analogies, it only exists in the hand’s movement.

One thing is certain, He Duoling doesn’t prefer those complicated and brilliant color blocks, let alone the striking contrast between warm and cold hues. According to traditional standard, the sensitivity towards colors perfectly demonstrates the talents of an artist. The so called “colors” are the overlapping of a series of visual contents, ranging from profundity, complicatedness, contrast to texture. But He goes to an opposite direction. He decreases contrast, refuses complicatedness. His canvas is melted into a kind of purity. Especially his later pieces, colors are minimal zed. He is also quite reserved in his brushstroke and rarely uses wild and free brush. Perhaps that is one of his aesthetic tastes.

I know He Duoling for a long time. In my eyes, he is an orderly man. His thoughtfulness, sentimentality and passion are rooted in order. Only those self-controlled man has a clear target, preparing orderly and enough to realize his goal. I think that his talents perfectly match his knowledge. Besides painting, he accumulates profound knowledge in architecture, music and film. In a recent talk with him, I again felt the taste and moral standard from a contemporary intellectual. The way he sees society, political situation, human beings are more sincere and broad than those influential social elites. I couldn’t help respecting the man in front of me.

Zhou Chunya is an “evergreen tree” standing at the Chinese contemporary art stage. He is always passionate to deal with sundry vicissitudes of the outside world and realizes his art dream with confidence.

In his resume, we could clearly find how he walks to the top of the pyramid step by step. Like those who involved in the “85 New Wave Movement,” Zhou was once a member that swallowed by the trend. But fortunately he obtained an opportunity to go to the West, a priority that envied by his peers. In 1986, he furthered his study in Germany, an important twist and turn in his life. From the description from his friend Monica, we know “He arrived at Europe. He didn’t know well about the difference among the countries there. But he is knowledgeable in art history. He doesn’t need to practice a lot in painting technique. Zhou spent most of his time in learning language, visiting museums and galleries, observing and joining discussion. He hoped to have a detailed interpretation of German and its culture.”

Zhou was greatly moved by the artworks of the new German Expressionism. Georg Baselitz, A. R. Penck and Anselm Kiefer are his favorite artists. But during his first year in Germany, he didn’t paint anything. The art pieces “Red Horse” and “Blue Cow” created in 1988 inevitably make us to relate them with his later “Green Dog” series. These paintings reveal the influence of Expressionism and new Expressionism, permeated with some kind of German sensitivity.

Nearly a decade ago when I first encountered with Zhou Chunya, the man left a deep impression on me. Although he was involved in the contemporary art circle, yet he radiated a unique aura different from others. If judging from appearance, he doesn’t belong to the cynical and arrogant type, but equipped with a profound cultural background. Like those ancient Chinese intellectuals shouldered with moral responsibilities, Zhou is pride rather than arrogant in himself. Surrounded with the avant-garde trend, Zhou returned to his traditional “matrix.” Different from those who seek some superficial Chinese traditional cultural elements to express their identity, Zhou finds his own motivation in his creation through a bigger vision.

As we know, Zhou painted “Stone” series. These are precious artworks. Yin Shuangxi once comments “Zhou miraculously combines the imago of the traditional ink-wash painting of Song Dynasty with the Western framing painting technique. The transcendent aura beyond any geographic location, history and culture lead the viewers into a vast dreamy world. According to Zhou Chunya, “I don’t know why mountain and rocks are always a permanent subject for traditional Chinese ink-wash paintings. Perhaps mountains and rocks are the symbols of nature. The power and integrality of mountain and rocks not only enable the artists to fully manifest their spirit, but completely demonstrate their painting technique as well.”

Because of such unique style, Zhou formed his own distinguished dazzling image. Also due to such creativity, he established an irreplaceable position. If we take a closer look on Chinese and overseas art history, all those masters are irreplaceable, indicating his absence would be a missing chapter in Chinese contemporary art history.

Perhaps it is Zhou’s “Green Dog” that widely spread his fame in the public. We have to admit that the twist and turn came in Zhou’s career in 1994 when his friend gave him a collie. Zhou frequently talked about his dog to me. Each time when he mentioned his dog, he is passionate and touched. He says “Painting a face is akin to drawing a stone, because I consider much on its image and appearance. But painting my collie excites me.”

I want to point out that Zhou lacked his later purity at the beginning of his “Green Dog” series. For example, he added many symbolic meanings with narrative scenario. In other words, he wanted to reveal a common phenomenon through social pictures, such as the primitive animality of human beings and the weedy lust. Artists should have some social responsibilities, but they can’t give simple illustrations. I wrote in a small catalogue several years ago, “The metaphor of Zhou’s artworks reveal some affectations while some of the arrangement looks scrambled. Like a seesaw, the solution of a question is always followed by the emergence of another question. So I always think the real master leaves the questions for the other while he himself is perfect.”True, Zhou finally goes to a perfect direction. He painted his dog in green, and his simple and succinct brushstrokes amaze the viewers. It’s quite strange when he pursues profundity, his artworks appear mediocre. But while he started with succinct brushstrokes, he enriched our imagination to another level. The thin, exaggerated and twisted green dog under his brushstroke could so deeply move us. Nearly none would forget the green dog after seeing it.

Recently a new series of Zhou comes into our eyes -- pink peach blossom. I learned how people love his latest paintings through many compliments. I have seen some huge canvas featuring peach blossom. I am amazed at the vitality directly radiated from the canvas. I am excited by the dazzling fire hues. I don’t think that Zhou has gone to another level. No, peach blossom is only another attitude he has towards art and existence. Several years ago, when he painted his dog in green, Li Xianting accounted it for the reflection of his happy amour, an expression of optimistic mood. But I feel that the peach blossom series go beyond that. The happiness is filled into his act when he is painting. The wild and free brushstrokes give him a complete self -consummation.

The paintings by Guo Jin and Guo Wei are typically picturesque. When mentioning their names, we immediately link them with the visually striking images – certain fixed subjects, contents and technique. Among artists, some prefer changes even under different periods. Picasso is the leading representative in this category. He has his blue period, pink period and cubic period. But some shy away from changes whether in technique or subject, such as Meranti and Balthus who advanced in relatively fixed subject or technique. This is partly due to the educational and cultural background, or the artist’s personality.

Guo Wei says “I like painting and I am particularly keen on depicting kids. They are cute, naughty and energetic. Their condition interests me. They also play a role in my paintings. They are performing themselves, sometimes performing others, like adults, kids, good or bad guys. They play women or men. In general, they perform in my canvas. So “People” is the subject that fascinates me most.”

In fact, Guo’s artworks don’t lack of changes. On the contrary, he sets his changes at the balancing point of his inner heart, which is unbiased and mild. Based on this point, he is nearly cautious and confident. Guo Wei told me that he learned print at the beginning. Thus he retains a simple and clear-cut technique, refusing any complicatedness in brushstroke, color or texture. That’s right. But I found other hidden reasons, like his taste, the idealizing of his subject and the seeking for his spiritual path. Those who know Guo well consider him a down-to-earth man, rather than an aggressive or exaggerated one. When we talk about him or his work, we naturally feel respect for the man On the one hand, he grasps a “key” of Chinese contemporary art history, while on the other hand he is amiable and easy to approach. Frankly speaking, today there are not many artists like him.

As an important member in the contemporary art circle, Guo doesn’t treat his figures in an abstract way. He just mirrors them as the reflection in our real living conditions. In Li Xianting’s words, “Guo Wei belongs to the surrealistic style and is more keen on people and society.” Thus he is thoroughly realistic. This is a critical element as it separates him from those self-entertaining and jokes. His art pieces are filled with something that closely linked with us in this century.

If we analyze Guo’s technique, we could see another thoughtful meaning beyond his “meanings.” In other words, Guo’s technique is quite interesting. Like a critic comments “From his red series to his latest ones, one could see a mix of the artist’s fascination towards realistic technique and some purposive quit from it. Such contradictory psychology towards realistic technique is common among his peers. Like the words from Fischl, Guo’s most favorite American artist, sometimes to apply it and sometimes to throw it away. It is because of this pressure that makes his artworks dynamic and sensitive in technique. Mosquito, moth, little girl or man’s underwear, lines or texture are sometimes treated in details, an expression of technique.” Man’s ability to appreciate paintings alters when experience changes. Different from the exact realistic paintings in our concept, the realistic depiction of Guo Wei only lies in the surface of the objects. Compared with Jin Shangyi, Wang Yidong and Yang Feiyun, can Guo’s painting entitled realistic? Realistic or non realistic, parable or surrealistic, all these are the extension of the artist’s taste instead of the gist to judge a piece. In conclusion, Guo’s power comes from the opposite of technique rather than technique itself.

But I have to add that Guo’s work would appear plain if it lacks the existence of technique, this is also one of the common principals of the existence of contradictions in ancient philosophy. On the one hand, Guo obviously extends certain technique in traditional canvas or refers to those so called realistic painting skill, while on the other hand, he abandons to further such technique in his paintings. He perfectly grasps the balancing point between technique and non-technique. Maybe he doesn’t purposely set a balancing point, yet it shines with glamour.

Guo Wei is continuing his creations, just like how life goes on. We have all the reason to believe these creations to date are just at the experimental stage. After all, an artist like him fulfills our expectation towards the future. What is future? We can’t judge it now. But we could see the power driving him onwards. Such power is filled in his heart.

I found many critics’ comments on Guo Wei and Guo Jin are closely linked, indicating the brothers share a lot in common. But the particular trait in art still differs them. Li Xianting says “Compared with Guo Wei, Guo Jin treats his canvas with a more distant aura. The core in his language is the `rusting’ of figures. He deprives their vitality that appears a distant feeling. Or in other words, such rusting makes human beings free from the limits of time, becoming a permanent heavy object. Guo puts these objects in a floating condition in a mysterious universal space. The contradiction in his canvas is triggered by weightlessness and heaviness. The repetition of the child’s images represents the enigma of nature that accompanied Guo during his confused childhood. Perhaps child is a symbol of one’s childhood, while the “rusty” child becomes an imago -- an enigma of the present and the future.”True, if Guo Wei intends to summarize those images in life in echoing the popular social meanings, Guo Jin inclines to a more abstract and bizarre one, leading us to an imaginary world. Similar to Guo Wei, Guo jin doesn’t alter his subject or arrangement. For years, he laboriously pursues his art. Like what we often find: some artist tries every media while some just has one target. Different types of artists can’t be leveled with the same standard.

Like me, Guo Jin is a teacher at the university. I believe many of inspirations were obtained during his teaching career. When surrounded with generations of young students, there always happen some unexpected things. Based on my own experience, even the passing by those energetic young students, one easily gets moved, in particular when age goes on. Guo Jin “nestles” in campus for a long term, but his identity enables him to acquire a continuous driving power, at least reflected in his artworks.

When mentioning Guo Jin, I would first talk about his “child” subject. He once describes “I treat child as my main subject. But that doesn’t mean I try to mirror their life. But childhood life brings us a real and direct experience, providing a primitive retrospective view for the modern people. I put those different things in different spaces together in a hypothetical world that could well reflect the complicatedness in life and unacquainted tendency in it. This is tempting, which mutual functions different content of materials. As a result, the bizarre feelings that come from it is the actual reflection in the existence of life. Today’s life is more exciting than those of any previous century. Idealism is totally lost. The abundance in material life and the ennui in spiritual life spread like a modern disease. The value in life and the existence of human beings become blurred.” He further adds, “I don’t know whether we still remember a free imagination or believe a childhood dream could come true, providing a mirror in front of us. Although the mirror now looks so blurred, distant and hard to differentiate, we still see a long forgotten pure land through it. This is a half-awaken dream, a mixture of reality and dream, It becomes our own legend; It awakens the ignored freshness of being a man. Although it is only a fleeing moment, yet we are working hard to retain the beauty of idealism we once had, but never aware of.

When I first visited Guo Jin’s studio, I had a strong impression. Although his artworks were different from others, yet his concept and mood were permeated with the common trait of Chinese contemporary artists under a big environment. They struggle between freedom and bondage. They are keen on individual expression rather than universalism, thus it arises a contradiction between freedom and bondage. It’s not his contradiction, but the common contradiction among all. It is inevitable in a certain condition under a certain period.

True, Guo Jin’s arrangement in canvas is not so striking to surprise us, no matter the rusty treatment, the juxtaposition of different objects or metaphors and symbols. Guo put them all in a more mild extension, which I believe originated from the artist’s talent and personality. While on the other hand, this is the artist’s strategy and practice in certain surviving condition. We all live in reality instead of dreams. When we see Guo’s technique perfectly expresses his real concept towards painting, we have to admit that he contributes brilliantly to Chinese contemporary art. He provides one of the profundities that this century demands and implements it into a visual experience effective in reality.

Compared with the above artists, Zhong Biao obviously belongs to a younger generation.

I believe we share this: Zhong Biao’s painting is the result from a commercial era. What is art in a commercial era? I think this is not a practical question and need to be pending. It can’t be summarized through sensible analysis or reasonable conclusion. We are even harder to define it in general. It differs greatly from the art forms of any time. Thus, any artistic theory or aesthetic system is not effective, even some part that connected to it is merely a utilization of source. System is shattered, order is destroyed – Is it possible to re-establish system and order? Or in other words, is it feasible to establish a standard to identify “great art” among the chaotic and disorderly existence?

Zhong Biao comes out and points out three conditions:

“Great art shall have three conditions: accuracy, sincerity and freedom. Among all Chinese and overseas artistic theories, if we search the sundry explanations and requirements of art, we find that those standard or mode to be set up could only be relied on abstract language. I believe accuracy, sincerity and freedom could be interpreted and treated differently among different artists. Thus, the written things are not important at all.”

Zhong Biao has another more interesting sentence “I have only one dream : let the figures under my brushstrokes in their chaotic world to witness the people in the future on behalf of me many years later.”

This is exactly an attitude differs from common sense. In general, I hope that my paintings would record my living experience in this world. The people of the future would know the traces of their predecessors. But Zhong hopes that the figures could visit the people of future on behalf of him after he passes. He is confident that the figures in his paintings are remained and inherited.”Zhang Kaiqi describes Zhong’s works “His interest in borrowing the visual materials is nearly insane. Coca cola, Marlborough cigarettes, Karaoke, property, shopping mall, hotels, tonics, the advertisement of the return of Hong Kong, the slogan of open door policy, Tiananmen Square, Persian carpet, telephone booth, bus station, bicycle, computer, television, telephone, lamp, airplane, corbie, crane, Beijing opera mask, soldiers, hero, popular singer, movie actor, political leader, all in the stretch of the eyes could be picked up by Zhong and juxtaposed in his visual world,” Zhang says, “All these insane images have a distinguished trait : they can’t escape the intrusion of certain Chinese symbols on canvas. From 1991 to 2004, his style alters in the past 13 years. The Beijing opera mask, monk, terra-cotta warrior, Ming and Qing furniture, traditional costume, colored pottery, dragon and phoenix patterns, Zhong’s popular visual images in chic are always permeated with the traditional cultural aura,” Zhang concludes, “The reflection of these traditional symbols among many of his paintings obviously manifests Zhong’s identity as a Chinese contemporary artist.”

True, sometimes Zhong’s paintings are like a documentary recording on our world, varying from 911 attack to a wandering dog on the street. What he records is through a Chinese contemporary artist’s angle, but this is not because Chinese figures dominate his canvas to reflect the Chinese living condition. No, what Zhong records is not the factual narration. I don’t know whether accuracy and sincerity he listed are like these. But I have reason to believe that the joy in expressing the accuracy and sincerity through his direct interpretation as a Chinese contemporary artist is accurate and sincere. In fact, there is no external accuracy or sincerity, because the two are inevitably related with the freedom listed by Zhong.

Most of Zhong’s paintings look simple not only due to its documentary trait in subject, but also his particular painting language. Zhong add light or strong colors on the background sketches in many of his artworks, this is his trademark that could be differentiated in any circumstance with a mere glance. Such technique could easily results in simplicity or stereo-typed. Many artists have used the technique for practice and drafts before. But Zhong furthers this technique and makes it an important visual source in the mainstream. This is his contribution. But if on closer inspection, we find that his basic attitude in painting is still traditional, reflected in his careful depiction on figures, prop and backdrop. His strong technique enables him to release his joy in painting. Arrangement, brushstrokes and color blocks all appear in harmony. The percentage, light and brushstrokes in depicting figures all satisfy those basic academic trainings, but only he dares to extend a simple tree into a forest and condense the forest into a tree.

Zhong never forgets his motto and hopes to implement it in his creation, he says “No matter from Chongqing to Hangzhou, from New York to Paris, from city to countryside, from other places to hometown, what we face is the same globe, only through different angles. Perhaps it is closer to access reality via continuous moving.”