understanding. Therefore, Gao’s work is nothing like the accessible Pop Surrealism that is so popular now. Instead, his painting language is dignified and dense, and in addition to the visual implications of his work, he hopes to use painting to say something deeper. From the perspective of Chinese aesthetics, the pursuit of an H[WUHPHLVHDV\EXWWKHGLI¿FXOWSDUWLV¿QGLQJDEDODQFHEHWZHHQ extremes. Because no standards dictate the nature of balance, the mastery of balance is entirely reliant on our perceptions of proportion. Gao Xiang is the kind of painter who places himself ZLWKLQFRQÀLFWVDQGHQWDQJOHPHQWVWKHQKDQGOHVWKHVHFRQÀLFWLQJ elements in his own way. Thus, each of his works can be seen as a decision or a solution.
Peng Feng Professor of Aesthetics at Peking University China Pavilion Curator for the 54th Venice Biennale Written from Weixiu Garden, Peking University 16 September 2014
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker