Capital Art Center
Art Central 2016

Tear Down ˙ Build Up - Liu Guo Song, York Hsiao
The modern and contemporary arts in Chinese communities chiefly show topics of politics, economy, social issues, unfairness of human rights, and problems in life. The artists, through different forms and media, attempt to break through the existing traditions or injustice. In the same time of presenting their ideas, they bring out the reflections and the many possibilities for life. Capital Art Center, established in 1984, will use the theme represented by the Chinese characters of “Tear Down” and “Set Up” to present the two artists in this show: Liu Guo Song and York Hsiao, with their artworks and ideas to define some of the possibilities of the Chinese modern and contemporary art.

Master Liu Guo Song, known as the “Father of Modern Chinese Ink Paintings”, broken his own auction record with his painting “Time in Hong Kong” in last year, has established an unshakable position in current art community. Master Liu is not only representing an important chapter in Chinese Art History. At the age of over 80 years, he still insists on creating new ideas tirelessly each and every day. He establishes the best role model for the people interested in art. His road through fine arts was rocky and tough. Two years after he founded the “Fifth Month Art Association”, he believed the traditional Chinese ink painting has been putting too much constrains on the expressions of artists, so he proposed to “Rebel against the tip of the brush” and “Rebel against the paint brush”. He used alternate ways to create the rocky surfaces in his painting and also by employing paper texture to break out from the use of paint brushes. Also by incorporating the views of the universe in his paintings to completely break free from traditional Chinese ink painting restrictions to establish and develop the basics of the modern Chinese ink painting. Even gathering many harsh critics from many people for “neglecting the honored traditions” and “neglecting the foundation of forefathers”, he perseveres, preaches, surpasses, and renovates. He is the perfect model for “Tear Down” and “Set Up”.

York Hsiao, a renowned Taiwan artist, has been participated in many international exhibitions. His background of professional designer brings him absolute accuracy of colors, composition, and structure in his works which are also highly imaginative and creative to present the underlining motif. His treatment of the subjects may seem harsh and sharp, but there is a delicate and sensitive side in the underlining ideas. The new series of works of “Paintings of Good Colors” showing in this exhibition, which had been in preparation for several years, employed abstract images, strong and forceful composition, and simple color blocks. Through the use of mainly Acrylic colors on canvas and mixing in multimedia to create the visual impacts, these works present the conflicts of love and lust between the male and female, in addition to the thirst and true meanings of “Erotic Worship” in the human nature.

Changing the angle of view, the symbols seem to show the abstract image of human bodies and reflect on the conflicts between the mainstream society and the art community. Ever since the classical period, the nude form of human body had been an unavoidable part of the art element. But, in the Chinese community, nudity is still being equated to vulgarity and sordidness, which is an extreme bias and injustice. Through York’s symbolism, the viewers are reminded to explore their own deepest thoughts in their own minds to “tear down” the deep gulch between the artworks and the ordinary society, and “build up” the search for the absolute beauty and the latest visual feast for the current contemporary art based on the basic human needs.