回复： [08.05]Wang Qingsong
Artist statement
As economic development has taken top priority in national policies, China has changed. Its people have changed even more. Everyone is satisfied with and proud of the achievements of reform and rapid development, as epitomized in the slogan, "One change a year, one big change in three years, and one unidentifiable transformation in five years". It seems that the future will be much brighter as long as we keep to the road of "socialism with Chinese characteristics". Take a look at our cities overflowing with skyscrapers, shopping plazas, Karaoke, discos, bars, clubs and so on. This overabundance of foreign things has "popularized" our agricultural country. But this popularity is somewhat funny, somewhat contradictory, and somewhat wild [$iexcl][$shy] Traditional and elite culture have been weakened. Their vitality has been negated, only to be discarded into garbage bins. This is the new century and the new China. I should pay "tribute" to this contemporary China that helps me find source of artistic inspiration and points at which to enter and explore contemporary society. In order to eulogize this glorious life which is sweeter than honey and brought over by economic reform, I use stage theatrics and make the camera narrate true and understandable contemporary stories.
It is well known that McDonald's and Pizza Hut are just fast-food stores in Europe and America, similar to Baozi and noodle restaurants in China, nothing more than convenience. However, when McDonald's and Pizza Hut entered China, they became the top cuisine. They are as hot of a rendezvous spot as a "five-star hotel" where people have parties, invite friends, celebrate birthdays and meet lovers. Wherever it is noisy and prosperous, there are McDonald's and Pizza Hut. They have become important "scenic spots" in Chinese metropolises. There are a lot of such "hot buttons", for example, Coca-Cola, Motorola, etc. These famous foreign commodities are very much appreciated like great grandparents for us who are worthy of high respect. On the surface, this phenomenon represents an ideal for Euro-American material life. But in such an era of globalization, does this ideal also represent worship that can create a ridiculous contradiction? With this thinking, I created many photographic works including "Thinker" (1998), "Prisoner" (1998), "Catcher" (1998), "Requesting Buddha series" (1999), "Can I Cooperate with You? " (2000), "Look Up! Look Up!" (2000), "Bath House" (2000), "Forum" (2001), and "Beggar" (2001).
As the quintessence of Chinese traditional culture, Buddhism has accompanied Chinese civilization for thousands of years. It brings comfort and fortune to the people, inspires their soul and enlightens a responsibility for having good relations with the others. Bodhisattva (Guanshiyin) is the first Buddha in China. This Buddha sets its goal to save the suffering through self-devotion. Whenever you meet difficulties, as long as you speak the name of Bodhisattva, calling for help in sincerity, Bodhisattva will hear your voice and arrive disguised as an incarnation to save you out of troubled water. Free of charge, it will also help you to fulfill your dreams. However, in the current commercial society, the respectable Bodhisattva has also been changed. There is no such thing as "free of charge" anymore. It reaches out its hands insatiably for money and material goods towards every troubled person. What a pity that it has only one thousand hands! If it had ten thousand hands, it would become a billionaire on the earth whose assets surpass those of Bill Gates. The "Requesting Buddha" Series (1999[$pound][$copy]is the faithful representation of such a phenomenon, overflowing with desires, hypocrisy and exaggeration, which can be also found in "New Women", "Bath House" and "Finding Fun" in 2000.
Along the same line of artistic creativity, I have been rethinking what changes China has been experiencing since the last two decades after China launched its economic strive. We do see city landscape dramatically changed and many foreign companies sneaked through into China with big ransom. I think everything has double-sided edges. "Another Battle" Series is influenced by the snapshots of patriotism and heroism extolled in the old movies talking about safeguarding the motherland that I watched in childhood. I still distinctly remember the scenes when heroes gave their lives for the liberation of new China in such movies as "Landmine War", "Guerrilla War", "Three Liberation Wars", etc. One text in high school written by Wei Wei, a popular writer, praised such heroes as the Most Beloved of Men. I used to dream about becoming a soldier, a beloved man. Up until now, this dream has not been realized. Nowadays economic reform and modern reconstruction are like a war that progresses and changes so rapidly and intensely. In this war, we have to face contradictions from both Chinese ancient civilization and modern western civilization. In my works, I call these contradictions Another Battle. In this battle of "defending our country", though without fire and gunshots, I portray myself as a defeated commander. "Finally" I become a beloved man who, however, will never be written into history.
To keep track of my reflection upon our past, consideration of our present and depiction of our future, I find the urban sculpture best reveals our history and ideal. However, I pose some doubts on what we have achieved and what we are expecting. With such "doubt", I portray myself as a bystander in the triptych work entitled "Past, Present, and Future" (2001). Models are smeared with mud, silver and golden powder hinting at the changes in time from the revolutionary times, to the modernization age, and onto the future we are aspiring. The postures of the models imitate those on the monumental Communist sculptures still found in some cities in China. I hope this work achieves the effect of reflecting upon the history of the past, reconstruction of the present and beauty of the future.
Another battle series no.6,2001
Over the last several years, my creation has been focusing upon the rapid changes of modernization that China has been undergoing and destruction the cities have experienced, in other words, upon what we have been doing so far. I find it very contradictory that we want to modernize our country while we keep negating our own traditions. In 2002, I photographed two new triptychs called "PreIncarnation" and "Incarnation". Continuing the idea of reflection upon our destruction of traditional culture, the gigantic models portrayed by three real persons, one man and two women, tell humorously how we pretend to protect the precious past though unconsciously we are damaging the history.
Moreover, I find it very different from what my generation that children in the present time are much geared towards obtaining popular goods and fashionable stuff. Their tastes are influenced from the very beginning of their life. So in my scroll-photo "Knickknack Peddler" and "Preschool", I portrayed as a peddler that sells all sorts of foreign goods and an old man that nurtures new beliefs in the minds of children.
sentry post, 2002
My latest piece in the summer of 2002 try to give my stronger feeling towards the changes that China has experienced since 1980s. Both in art and economic fields, we see so much impact from foreign culture and residual influence from our own traditions. In "Art Express Bus", under the direction of so many famous international art biennales, people are in great conflict to get on this Express Bus. Clearly visible on the panel, one finds Venice Biennale, Documenta, Sao Paulo Bienal, Istanbul Biennial and etc. I create Qingsong Biennale, Songzhuang Biennale (Songzhuang is the central gathering place for artists in Beijing), Biennale of Hell and Biennale of Heaven. In "Port ", I shot the photograph with many people standing on or by the huge boat. There are a red flag, banner of the United Nations on the pole and many triangle banners with famous international commercial brands hinting at the victory of conquest. People look ahead while being surrounded by heavy dark smoke portending an unpredicatable future. Another story is put on in "Sentry Post" where "refugees" try to push through the sentry post made of all famous foreign brand cans where I guard on close alert holding a coke can as a grenade.
In my most recent photographs in 2003, I created a series of "false flowers" series. There are five works, three vertical and two horizonal. The flower I chose is peony. It is symbolic of national brilliance and prosperity since it is the national flower in China. However I made the petals of peonies out of fresh veggie, lamb and beef chips. I shot one set when they are fresh. I reshot them after five days when the peonies are frosted in the cooling house. This gives a transition from prosperity to poverty, from brilliance to decay or forever, whatever any one may interpret.
Overall, I hope my photographic works witness and emulate a variety of social phenomena in the course of the modern construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics. By putting on stories in my photographs, readers find clearly my attitude towards social phenomena in the current times. If my works can provide further reflections for other people, I will be even happier.
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