A Section of Space-Time
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Gao Xiang is a humble and dedicated artist. He is from distant Yunnan, which is anything but an uncivilized wilderness area as far as contemporary Chinese art is concerned. Artists such as Zhang Xiaogang and Mao Xuhui grew up there, and Yunnan artists were recognized for their sincere expression of burning emotion in the artistic movements of the mid-1980s. As part of the art community, a painter has to pay attention to the state of art around him, listen to outside opinions, and attempt to understand the direction in which the world is heading. This innate motivation is what drove Gao to leave Yunnan and establish himself in Beijing—the center of contemporary Chinese art. As a Ph.D. student in painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Gao Xiang has a lot to do. In addition to his daily tasks of painting and writing his thesis, he must organize his thoughts and clarify his thinking. In some of his works, fantasies exist within restraint, and seemingly tranquil works harbor deep agitation. Gao Xiang seems to be searching for authentic artistic experience within contradictory circumstances. In his works, the artist creates layers of camouflage through subtle, low-profile techniques, or by deliberately employing the classical and traditional painting practices. When examined closely, these qualities can be found in Gao Xiang’s works, setting them apart from current fashions.
Xiang had begun to consider the possibility of combining two- dimensional painting with three-dimensional forms. He painted on glass, placing the resulting installation in a different space. These installations eventually became a key series in his early work. Since then, Gao has progressed in his thinking; he no longer considers this to be the combination of painting and space or the elevation of painting through this spatial possibility. This LVEHFDXVHKHQRORQJHUFDUHVDERXWSDLQWLQJRUVSDFHVSHFL¿FDOO\ he wants to create a section of space and time that is related to both painting and space by making good use of the transparent properties of glass. For artists like Gao Xiang, time has made its mark on their artistic lives. This may have been why Gao wanted to publish this book. In other words, it is time for this group of artists to clarify their thinking. ͺֵ ڙ ቧព ࡘ Ὃˋ᜴ႆङὋ ݗ லᬅὋ ގ (BP9JBOHTXPSL QBSUPG'BJSZ5BMFTPG5PNPSSPX %POH9JHBMMFSZJO0TMP /PSXBZ
Zhao Li Professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts September 2007, Beijing
Fantasy can result in bold thinking. While still in Yunnan, Gao
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