Rational Painting 理性主义绘画
From ArtSpeak China (ASC) Wiki
Rational Painting is an umbrella term used to describe a faction of artists' groups in Northern China, which began cropping up in the mid-1980s. Rationalists opted for naturalism and scholarly references in their work.
Contents |
[edit] Who
Wang Guangyi, Shu Qun, Ren Jian, Liu Yian, Zhang Peili, Geng Jianyi, Wang Qiang
[edit] When
1985-1990
[edit] Where
Predominantly Northern China
[edit] What
Representative of the Rationalists are the Northern Artists Group, the Pool Society, and the Red Brigade. The Northern Artists Group, founded in March in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province (the area formerly known as Manchuria), promotes a "Civilization of the North," which its artists--among them, Wang Guangyi, Shu Qun, Ren Jian, and Liu Yian--believe will surpass both western and traditional Chinese civilization. Emulating Surrealism, their paintings often feature landscape elements and abstract forms suggested by the glacial terrain of northern China.
Members of the Pool Society, based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, are notable for their biting sense of humor and absurdist spirit. Their first exhibition, New Space '85--which includes work from Zhang Peili, Geng Jianyi, and Wang Qiang--features "grey humor" paintings, performance works, and conceptual art.
The Red Brigade, established in 1987 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, consists of the principle organizers of the Jiangsu Art Week Modern Art Festival, an influential exhibition embracing all arts and media.[1]
