Southwest Artists Group 西南群体
From ArtSpeak China (ASC) Wiki
The Southwestern Artists Group, officially so named in August 1986, was made up of Mao Xuhui, Zhang Xiaogang, Ye Yongqing and Pan Dehai. The group's “Neo-image Exhibitions" were held in Shanghai, Nanjing and Kunming. According to Mao Xuhui, “neo-image” is defined as the “image of [the] heart and image of [the] soul.”
The participating artists emphasized expression of the soul, the subconscious and the internal life, attaching importance to the effects of intuition, instinct, local consciousness and pursuing bold, strong and plain painterly styles. This approach can be contrasted with that of the contemporaneous Northern Artists Group, whose works made a strong visual impact on the viewer. In 1988, under the advice of Mao Xuhui, Zhang Xiaogang and some other artists, the “Neo-image Exhibition” was renamed the “1988 Southwestern Modern Art Exhibition.” Artists from Yunnan, Hunan and Guizhou participated the show.[1]
