Li Jing
Guangxian’s works give out a feeling of low profile and restriction. But you can never forget them after the first glance. Those alien like little creatures created by his stroke contain a sense of sorrow, silence, stubborn and innocence. They are trying to draw the attention from those increasingly numbed people on the earth. They are telling stories, expressing emotions, reminding us those forever lost childhood which was once beautiful, blurry or obscure.
Conversation:Li Jing = Li
Zhang Guangxian = Zhang
Li:The title of this solo exhibition is “Tribute to Childhood”. Do you still hold the clear picture of your childhood? What is your strongest feeling of it?
Zhang:Just like every normal people, the older I became, the blurrier my memory of childhood will be. Few old photos and objects are the only trace I can ooccasionally grab. The childhood to me right now is both a feeling of unsatisfactory and a vain hope. I used to believe that there are still many things that I can start over again. Find some old friends and revisit some old haunts, go hike or swim… But it is nearly impossible. I can’t recover the old feelings from them anymore. We lost the bond in spirit, things have changed. To cherish the memory of childhood is even more a lost in spirit. I want to take this opportunity to honor the childhood, cause try to chase and recall its precious essence which meets the pursuit of this whole age.
Li:How your memory and experience affect our work?
Zhang:When I was young, I was short. So I always got ignored or bullied by other contemporaries. Gradually I developed an inferior and quiet character. Although I was a little bit solitary, but I don’t blame the world. Since my school record was not bad, and always won prizes, my parents thought high about me. I was spoiled, though our family was not rich, I could get nearly everything I want. I was happy in my heart. Now when I think back, I feel that a blank and innocent child can accept everything. The circumstance he grows in will eventually form his character and future and it applies me well. The plasticity of innocent children inspired me to use them as an enhanced symbol in my creation. Combined with the expression of reality, it forms a weird and paradoxical image which fascinates me a lot.
Li:You are a member of both 80’s and drifting generation. How the environment affects your life and work? What do you think about your predecessors? Have you learnt any thing from them?
Zhang:Perhaps due to the age, plus my marginalized occupation state, I hold a hopeless feeling of alienation toward the city I live. But I doubt that a bad thing, after all it won’t prevent me understanding the world more objectively through internet or other channels. As for the art, I am more concerned those intellectuals or artists who are welling to take the social responsibility, upholding freedom and human rights and not afraid to tell the truth. Such as Ai Weiwei, Han Han and Liang Wendao, from them, I feel the sincere attitude toward the world.
Li:Your major is traditional Chinese painting in the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Why you choose oil painting as your main creative method?
Zhang:Traditional Chinese painting was not my first choice. Because its admission score was much lower than the popular oil painting, I applied it as a guarantee. Otherwise oil painting is more convenient and much easier to learn, I learnt it all by myself during free time. I even rend a house out side the school, so I could paint more freely. In my third year, I already had a bunch of works. So I held a small solo exhibition in the school. I got lots of encouragements from my teachers and classmates, which strengthened my belief. I am always interested in new things, of course I won’t just stick to oil painting, I am also looking for the possibility of engraving, acrylic painting, sculpture and so on. Each different material has a lot of different knowledge worthy of study. From knowing its characteristic to making good use of it, this process is fascinating.
Li:As an artist, how do you balance the complicated reality and the calm state your need for artistic creation?
Zhang:I am also thinking about this lately. I was too perceptual toward this question before. I considered art only a small part of daily life, a spice which will naturally show up when in need, too simple, like a hobby. Then the problem arises. My casual attitude toward life affected its own quality, and directly made my creativity passive. There should be focus and goals in one’s life. I need to be more active and strategic, so can I realize higher pursuit of art, as my career and dream. The change from perceptual to rational benefits me a lot. I believe, to balance the relation between life and art is a basic quality of a mature artist, I am sill learning.
Li:The artistic creation is about freedom. But there are so many constraints and rules in one’s life. Do you feel the contradiction between them? How do you handle it?
Zhang:Sometimes it is pretty contradictory that you have to make the hard choice. You can’t attempt to pursue the ideal which uses art to guide one’s life but lose the meaning of life itself. Life and art can either complement or run counter to each other. When problem arises, I will follow my heart, relax myself and resolve it.
Li:What is the inspiration of your creation?
Zhang:Life. I believe no matter what kind of life you lead, as long as you feel it sincerely, there are always reason and opportunity for you to speak.
Li:Anything ever confused you in your art career?
Zhang:Most of my confusion comes from the practical life.
Li:What is your opinion toward criticisms and doubts?
Zhang:Criticisms and doubts are good. The history tells us they are the best medicine for social progress and self improvement. I am sincerely looking forward to hear more different voices in this exhibition which can help me to find my shortcomings in various angles.
Li:I understand that you are concerned about and criticize social problems, such as your "Hero ". But your painting is so cute and cartoony. How do you put these viewpoints and ideas into your work?
Zhang:There is no contradiction between cute cartoon and realistic criticism. Cartoon itself is the unique style of our young generation. Sometimes its irony and straightforwardness are more attractive and can easier trigger the young people to think about the reality. Actually I haven’t thought that much. For me, the criticism of art is usually powerless. A social problem can only be resolved inside the society. I just want to reflect the object reality using my own way. There are so many methods and channels for art to speak, I just picked cartoon spontaneously. “Hero” is a work in memory of Yang Jia. I always imagine him still alive, and his mental condition is so aggressive and disturbed toward the social reality.
Li:Most of the characters in your works do not look like human. Their skin are bluish, also their facial features are exaggerated, but seems that they have human behavior and expression. What kind of group they belong to? What idea you want to express to the audiences?
Zhang:The design of bluish skin and exaggerated facial features is to create a extreme sense of form. Apart from that, the most important reason is to acquire a mysterious sense of future. I am not trying to depict any special group. They are just symbols which assist me to transmit the information. To speak bluntly, I make them non-human to attract human’s attention, haha. But they won’t make you feel strange. The bluish skin is a real metaphor. I’m afraid the problem of environmental pollution will make blue no longer a representation of good exists. Before our sky became even darker, I would like use this symbol to remind us what we are going to lose.
Li:Please evaluate your own work. Which one you like the best?
Zhang:If full score is 100, I give myself 80. I like “Private Scenery” the best till now.
Li:What is the unique feature of your work?
Zhang:There may be some sort of strange sense caused by the combination of surreal appearance and real content.
Li:Are you satisfied with the current creative state? Why?\
Zhang:I am not so demanding toward life, so my freedom of creativity is pretty large. I am easy to be satisfied. There are some works with great consumption that I can’t do until now, I will have a try after this exhibition.
Li:I especially like your "light ", it used a cold tone but gives out a warm feeling, which makes me very comfortable. Are you telling stories in your works? What story are you telling in this piece of work?
Zhang:Perhaps most of my works are telling stories, about life, love and politics. "Light " portrayed a girl with a broken heart. She is a little shy toward the “shot”, a little bit timid but pretty stubborn. A warm light likes a burn hits in the face, implies the beauty and cruelty of youth.
Li:Who is your favorite artist? What kind of enlightenment have you received from him/her?
Zhang:Ai Weiwei, he is the representative of good intellectual, a brave man with highly unified mind and art practice. He revealed to me that as an ordinary citizen, one must fight against the reality for the basic rights of freedom and equality, for both oneself and others.
Li:What is your plan for the future? Your goals?
Zhang:I won’t think too far away, I hope next year I can focus my time and energy to create, mostly in sculpture and painting. My goal is to chase the excellence.
Li:Do you believe the prediction of 2012 doomsday? If you do, what you have to do before that day?
Zhang:I do not believe. If I do, I will spend my last minute with my family.
