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DING Fang, <Polis: Meeting of Lonely Souls>, Oil on canvas, 80x117cm, 1991
[China] DING Fang Polis: Meeting of Lonely Souls
Ding Fang’s tragic rendition is an important highlight of “rational painting” from the ’85 Art New Wave Movement. Unlike making basic sketch, his landscape series depict the yellow earth of the highland and the northwestern wilderness, in attempt to represent a sacrilegious reflection and tragic spirit. The subject matter in Polis: Meeting of Lonely Souls is drawn from Ding Fang’s response to the countless ancient castles in ruin located on the shores of the Yellow River and in the vast Gobi Desert. These ancient castles act as ties to communicate with historical memories in the eyes of the artist. Thereon, the composition of objects and overall structure of the image gradually became rigorous and strong, filled with radical and unsettling components. The castles themselves are rigorous, complex, rich and luscious, as they encapsulate the suffering concealed in historical mysticism. Thus, Ding Fang has purposefully placed an enigmatic dim flicker at a distance in City: The Encounter of Lonely Ghosts to suggest the ultimate arrival of new transitions. He introduces heroic sense and tragic awareness into the image, by which to resist the 21st Century globalization and urban materialism. Until today, the subject matters, brushworks and use of colors have changed, while Ding Fang’s art practice continues to probe on the ultimate values and is concerned about healthy living. |
