A Dance of Landscapes and Civilisation /
Alisan Fine Arts (Central) /
Hong Kong /
Sep 19 – Dec 9, 2023 /
The first solo presentation of Lin Guocheng’s work at Alisan Fine Arts showcased two series by the Hong Kong-based, mainland Chinese artist. Having studied at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, the artist merges a foundation in Chinese art with his knowledge of Renaissance art and modern technology, playing with perspectives, proportions and compositional elements. Examining the relationship between nature, humans and the evolving world, the resulting presentation celebrates a shared history and pays homage to cultural heritage.
Lin’s first monochromatic Landscape series echoes the spirit of Renaissance etchings and drawings, with volume and depth masterfully captured by his clever application and manipulation of lines. The influences of masters such as Albrecht Dürer and Michelangelo can be seen in the rendering of movement and fluidity, except that Lin’s subject matter of landscapes could not be more different. His portrayals of Chinese shanshui appear to take on lives of their own, flourishing organically and rhizomatically without order or structure. They overflow from the physical brims that contain them – the inside frames of the box that the artist has created – alluding to linear perspective, another innovative Renaissance technique.
In Along the Riverbank – A Variation (2020), the artist references the Tang dynasty painting by Dong Yuan (934-962), who revolutionised Chinese painting during that era. Gazing upon the monumental diptych, it is impossible not to be drawn in closer. With its tapestry of details documenting every knotted tree branch, water ripple and coastline crag, it teems with life and energy, and invites deeper introspection and contemplation typical of Song dynasty literati paintings.
In his Civilisation series, Lin examines remnants of the past and takes a deep dive into Chinese history by exploring the bronze age culture specific to Sanxingdui, an archaeological site in modern Sichuan province that dates to the 12th century BC. In Three Star Mound (2022), the artist recreates an ancient character gazing at an archaic bird, based on the bronze masks and relics excavated from the site. The exhibition is well timed, with the exhibition Sanxingdui currently ongoing at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.
In the two Star River and Totem (2023) paintings, he portrays auspicious Chinese animals, such as a leaping deer, a prancing qilin and harping peacocks, as well as soaring dragons. The animals are intricately drawn, and are set against colourful mosaic backgrounds that recall pixelated computer screens, swelling and swirling organically in tandem with the animals’ movements. The effect is to call into question the growing influence of technology on our world.
Lin is a masterful storyteller. He not only reinterprets Chinese historical subject matter from a western perspective, but also combines analogue with digital, and past with present. Armed with ink, markers and signing pens, his dreamscapes transport us to a different era. In reconciling the old with the new, his works are a celebration of our shared history, and also reminders that in order for us to move towards a sustainable future, we must honour our past while embracing the present.
Featured image: Three Star Mound by Lin Guocheng / 161 x 126cm | Chinese ink, colour & pen on watercolour paper, 2022. Courtesy Alisan Fine Art Hong Kong.
⼭⽔與⽂明共舞
藝倡畫廊|
香港
2023年9⽉19⽇⾄12⽉9⽇
駐香港的中國藝術家林國成在藝倡畫廊的首次個展中帶來了兩個作品系列。這位畢業於四川美術學院的藝術家將中國藝術底蘊與其所理解的文藝復興時期藝術和現代技藝融為一體，並在其中玩味透視、比例和構圖元素。在最終的藝術呈現中，他通過審視自然、人類與變化中的世界這三者間的關係，頌揚共同的歷史並向文化遺產致敬。
首個單色風景畫系列與文藝復興時期的蝕刻畫和繪畫遙遙相應，林氏通過對線條的巧妙運用和處理，高明地展現出體積和深度。畫作在動態和流動性的表現上可以瞥見諸如阿爾佈雷特·丟勒和米開朗基羅等大師的影響，撇除這點之外，林氏風景畫的題材可謂獨樹一幟。他描繪下的中國山水彷彿具有自己的生命力，它們有機地、呈根莖般地蓬勃生長，沒有秩序和結構的束縛；它們從自身裹挾的邊緣漫出——那是藝術家創作的盒子的內框，暗指線性透視，也是文藝復興時期的一種創新技藝。
在《變體岸溪圖》（2020年）中，藝術家參照了唐朝董源（934年至962年）的畫作，後者在當代徹底改變了中國繪畫。凝視這幅碩大的雙聯畫，你禁不住走近它。畫中的每一根打結的樹枝、每一條水波紋和每一塊海岸峭壁，在細緻的描繪下都充滿了生命力和能量，如典型宋代文人畫般引發更深層的內省和沉思。
林氏在「⽂明系列」裡通過探索三星堆（位於現四川省的考古遺址，歷史可追溯至西元前12世紀）特有的青銅時代文化，審視過往遺跡並深入探究中國歷史。在作品《三星堆》（2022年）中，藝術家依照現場出土的青銅面具和文物，再現了一個凝視古鳥的古代人物。當下三星堆文物正在香港故宮文化博物館展出，因而是次畫展恰逢其時。
在《銀河舞蹈》（2023年）的兩幅畫作中，他描繪了諸如雄鹿飛躍、麒麟歡騰、孔雀吟奏、巨龍騰翔等中國吉祥獸形象。此些祥獸的畫工細緻入微，作為其背景的彩色馬賽克圖案，讓人想到圖元化的電腦螢幕，似在膨脹、旋轉與祥獸的動作合鳴。作品旨在叩問技術對我們世界日益增長的影響。
林氏是位講故事高手，他不僅從西方視角來重新解讀中國的歷史題材，此外還將模擬與數碼、過去與現在交織在一起。他憑藉水墨、記號筆和簽字筆所描繪的夢境，將我們帶入一個不同的時代。他的作品在新與舊的調和中，頌揚了我們共同的歷史，同時也提醒我們，須致敬過去並擁抱當下，如此方能邁向可持續的未來。