The Poetic Meaning of Poverty
by Peng Feng
Dean of the School of Art at Peking University
Curator of China Pavilion of the 54th Venice Biennale
The styles in the art world are constantly changing. If art in the 19th century was beautiful, elegant, and exquisite, then art in the 20th century was ugly, vulgar, and crude. Pop art and poor art make no secret of their pursuit of vulgarity. Vulgarity not only expands the scope of taste, but also has an emphasis on rebellious spirit, especially the opposition to the dominant Bourgeoisian style of interest.
However, with the advent of the new century, both pop and poverty have become aimless due to the loss of critical targets. When the ugly, vulgar and rough become the "Political correctness" of the art world, the opposite of the beautiful, elegant and refined reflects the rebellious spirit. Therefore, today's "return of beauty" should not be understood as the maintenance of orthodox taste, but a mockery of "Political correctness".
Just like we cannot go back to the past, after experiencing the abuse of beauty, there can no longer be a true return of beauty. The art of the 21st century cannot return to the circle of "Art for art's sake" like the art of the 19th century. Art is not only the tempering of skills, but also the concern for society, the thinking of problems, and the choice of ideas, which have become the necessary lessons for today's artists. Perhaps, as Hegel said, the development of art has gone through a spiral rise. Today's art not only overcomes pop and poverty, but also digests them. In Hegelian terms, it means' sublation '.
Jiang Wanlin's art embodies this' sublation '. The experience of focusing on traditional Chinese painting during her student years has given Wan Lin a deep-rooted memory of her interest in elegance. To borrow Wang Guowei's term, Chinese art pursues neither beauty nor loftiness, but elegance. Guya is the "formal beauty of formal beauty" and the second form. Specifically, it manifests as a scholarly and elegant character, as well as a light realm. This kind of taste is incompatible with the critical and social nature of contemporary art. After the end of her student life, Wan Lin did not indulge in quaint tastes, but instead decided to become a contemporary artist, go into society, discover problems, and think about life. Due to female instincts and unique childhood experiences, Wan Lin has a particular fondness for denim clothing. She saw the rebellious spirit and impoverished taste reflected in denim clothing. However, she did not directly display ready-made products like poor artists, but instead created them into poetic and picturesque Chinese landscapes. Poverty and poetry, one originating from the West, one originating from the East, one existing in contemporary times, and one existing in ancient times, can actually join hands in Wan Lin's works. Wan Lin's works contain strong conflicts and dramatic reconciliation, perhaps this is a reflection of her inner state and the world around her.
