LIU KANG Flashcards
keywords: nanyang style (and how to describe it), chinese, western and southeast asian influence, post-impressionism, lyrical, fluid,
influences (part 1)
china: china philosophy and art
he is concerned with his spiritual link with chinese culture and its artistic charm. the breadth, depth, inner strength, lofty ideas and contemplative mental preparation that typify chinese art
his work bears characteristics from traditional chinese art: figurative; representational but not realistic, artist’s subjectivity; personal feeling and interpretation infused, and having deciding the subject matter and composition for his works before transferring the simple sketch in broad simple lines on the canvas
influences (part 2)
european/western art
he was influenced by impressionism, with the light and colour, cubism by picasso - the abbreviation of form and structure, dark lines and methods of reorganising forms. van gogh - intensive colours and bold strokes, matisse - approach to line and planes,** lyrical quality of rhythmic line work** and harmonious colours to form decorative motifs
influences (part 3)
south east asian
reflective of his time and experience; his work captures a sense of time, ethnicity, place and character that is reflective of his experience. he shows this with his choice of subject matter - south east asians. he believes that artists shouldn’t worry about losing their individuality through cultural exchanges
he uses nanyang style as an expression of his sense of time, place and ethnicity
what is nanyang style?
it refers to the pioneer chinese artists’ work that had rooted in both western schools of paris (post-impressionism and cubism), as well as chinese traditional paintings
what are the 3 aspects of nanyang style?
the theme of the artwork - rustic and lyrical. southeast asians’ tradition, landscape and customs.
the painting style - expressive, spontaneous and broad-sweeping
the tone of the painting - bright, light, delightful, relaxed and solid. combined with relaxed but steady brushstrokes and lines to reflect the thoughts and feelings of the people in the tropics
Life by the River
subject matter
village scene with busy human activity. yellow, gentley curving bridge on the left, echoes the blue river on the right. this also leads the viewer’s attention to the houses in the distance. rows of houses in stilts are neatly arranged.
Life by the River
composition of the artwork
achieved more by the arrangement of shapes rather than the perspective, which suggests an illustration sensitivity in tune with chinese landscape tradition. the symmetry is also achieved in the composition, making the artwork pleasing to viewers’ eyes. figures in painting are “fluid” with carefully recorded gestures.
Life by the River
colours and tones
brisk tone and naivete; other wordliness, spontaneous and uneven application of colours on the figures, the imagery has an amorphous feel about it, like ancient murals. flat colours are also applied boldly in large areas - influence of post-impressionism. colours are bright and non-naturalistic - pure blue of river waters, purplish browns of the grpund etc. evokes in viewers a happy, free, native and cheerful feeling capturing the essence of rural life
Life by the River
figures and objects in the painting
figures and objects are simplified and reduced to its bare essensials so that minimal details can be seen. faces of villagers are merely a patch of beige, unable to identify their features such as their eyes, nose, mouth. greenary around the villagers are just patches of green with a few strokes of light brownto suggest the branches of the trees.
Life by the River
analysis
this artwork could show the simplicity of living in a village, with the harmonious people gathered together and the smooth flow of the river, which suggests calm and stillness
Artist and Model
context
reflection on balinese culture and tradition. sexism and double standard towards women; woman serves tea to the man, woman sits on stool while man sits on a chair. from 1950-1960, women did not have equal rights as man and couldn’t work in the industry. women were seen as objects (often the subjects in the paintings)
Artist and Model
influence
post-impressionism - outlined form, solid and visible brushstrokes. van gogh - expressive use of strong colours, vigorous brushstrokes that impart dynamism and strength. batik - bold and intense colours, basic forms of flat perspectives, white jagged outline. western tools and materials but style and substance are chinese, oriental realm in paintings. his own interpretation of nanyang style - nanyang subject matter, expressive and broad sweeping painting style, bright and light tone of painting
Artist and Model
analysis
draws attention to artist and process of making art as a subject matter or critical exploration in and of themselves. highlights importance that he accords to outdoor painting, when one is directly in front of subject matter as apposed to being closed off in studio painting
his strokes
brisk and decorative touch; casual yet decorative strokes. strong lines and flattened surfaces, special attention to certain details, at the expense of perspective or lighting effect
