The Land of Reversal
The concept of inverse contrast originated in Europe in the 19th century to describe a unique style of Type design. The characteristic of inverse contrast lies in exaggerating the traditional writing style in completely opposite forms, such as turning the originally thick strokes into extremely thin strokes and the thin strokes into extremely thick strokes. This straightforward contrast creates a highly impactful visual effect and a strange and eerie feeling. By using the abstract concept of inverse contrast to understand Zhang Yong's animal sculptures, we can feel the excitement brought by this strong contrast. From the appearance of these small animals, it is not difficult to see that they were supposed to be cute, soft, warm, and innocent. Our childhood memories still clearly retain a sense of touch towards them. But in Zhang Yong's works, they are sharp, cold, and dazzling. This visual combination is so unfamiliar and contradictory, so rebellious from the paradise of memories, that the viewer experiences a sense of confusion that is difficult to adapt to in the strong contrast.
When the eyes touch these edges and corners, they not only have a visual experience, but also a tactile experience that is connected to them. The reason why this tactile visual experience can touch emotions is because during the process of synesthesia, the viewer's body serves as a bridge that spans time and space, connecting his/her past and present worlds. On this flowing bridge, the teddy bear in its tender embrace, the teddy bear discarded in the corner of the storage room, and the shining golden bear in front of it overlap. Their temperature, smell, and touch are intertwined, tightly intertwined with emotions, memories, conversations, and silhouettes. Entering this exhibition is like walking into an amusement park in a mirror. Reality and memories, reality and fantasy, all scattered and melted into a golden light. Imagine embracing this spiky golden bear. Is the experience joyful or sad? Is it beautiful or painful? Is it lingering or numb and sorrowful? In the mirror that everyone sees, these dazzling little animals are different. Some people see sweetness, while others see bitterness. The contrast between innocence and cruelty makes it unclear for a moment whether this is a childlike world or an adult world.
Zhang Yong's animal sculptures achieve the strongest collision with the simplest form, and the charming simplicity and sharp contrast endow these small animals with unexpected power. They have more or less the shadow of every viewer on them, and in this outward contradiction, we realize that each individual is plump and multifaceted. In the eyes of children, the image of a teddy bear is a flattened and beautiful thing, but in the eyes of adults, it is indeed so complex and beautiful. Appreciating Zhang Yong's animal sculptures, we are not looking at our own individuals through them, watching the edges and corners left by life, smiling and crying.
