Saturday, May 14, 2011

Understanding Chang Yu (常玉)



I having following this art critic website:
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/ailleurs-art/article?mid=35&prev=42&l=f&fid=5
He has strongly claimed that this Chinese artist, resided in France, is among the 15 greatest artists in the last 100 years, surpassing Picasso. Although I respect this blogger's integrity, I am not sure about this claim. So, in addition to the last exercise of painting a monk using his "lonely planet" style, I just painted this nude in his style. The purpose is trying to understand what are the essence of his art.

Again, it took me only a couple hours on my computer using Artrage software. Even though the cited blog wants to rate the artists' work mainly on the merit of moving (emotionally, spiritually,...), I am still not convinced that he is better than Picasso. I just saw Picasso's show in Seattle Art Museum. There are quite a few pieces that I was very moved. To name a few: "The Shadow" and some of the blue period work. I was also very moved by a small piece of abstracted guitar, in the tone of beautiful muddy ocher, white and black. I can not remember the title of that little Picasso. But, I was moved the same way as when I look at a good Morandi.

After I have a deeper understanding of Chang Yu's art, I would write an analysis of his work. The only drawback, perhaps a big one, is that I only have access to his work through internet. As we all know, nothing can substitute the original paintings.

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