Unit 2
The Flow (shown in figure 1) I depicted a scene in my bathroom, inspired by the scene in my daily bath, where the water from the shower sprinkles down, falls on my hand, and then flows away from my hand. This moment made me feel a little confused, I realized that there are many things in our life that cannot be preserved, such as time, life, flow, and so on. They will flow away like this water with the time go by. At this time, I began to think about a philosophical question, what can be eternal in this world? Maybe apart from God and time, everything in the world will disappear with the passage of time someday in the future, maybe a few years later, decades later, or hundreds or thousands of years later, human civilization It may also
In the study of unit2, I continued the theme of unit1, depicting the ordinary objects around me and the special moments that touched me in my life, but I had new exploration and thinking. As I mentioned in the artist's statement, in unit2, I often think about some philosophical issues, such as time, life, and the meaning of existence. So I painted a series of symbolic things and special moments in life, such as candles, hats, running water, birthdays, and so on.
I think everything in the world will disappear one day in the future, and the beautiful moments in life are also short-lived, temporary, and these things are not eternal. So I will use a special painting language to paint. As you can see in my painting, I used the scraper to destroy the boundaries between the objects, making the objects appear to be disappearing. This painting language will form a stage of my painting system. These philosophical questions run through my entire painting of unit2, and I will continue to explore these questions in my subsequent creations.
Figure 1，Wei Huang，Flow，2022, 80x60cm
Oil on Canvas
disappear. At that time, only time and God still exist, but time is only a concept of existence. Therefore, I use a special form of expression and painting language to paint, when I finish the painting I use a scraper and a brush to destroy the boundaries between the objects in the painting, including the background pattern, which looks like water In the flow away, everything in the picture seems to be disappearing, breaking a sense of calm in the picture. What I want the audience to feel is a state of flow like time in my pictures, not a state of stillness.
Figure 2，Wei Huang，Candle，2022, 20x20cm
Oil on Canvas
The Candle (As shown in figure 2) I painted a candle in my room was also an exploration of my depiction of ordinary objects around me, which no longer exists because it has burned out. When it was burning, I quickly painted it, and I watched it dwindle little by little until it disappeared. I think about the relationship between time, existence, and eternity. The candle symbolizes light in the darkness of life especially individual life, illlumination; it is the symbol of holy illumination of
the spirit of truth. Lit in times of death, they signify the light in the next world, and they represent Christ as the light . Purification and cleansing closely related.
Gerhard richter's candle (As shown in Figure 3) gave me some inspiration. His work candles have been used throughout art history as unforgettable souvenirs, the ephemeral reflections of their flames reflecting the ephemeral nature of all life, but also representing the ardent spiritual power of man. Although Richter has always considered himself an atheist and anti-thinker, this image is a perfect tribute to his continued affirmation of his art to "the highest form of hope." Perhaps importantly, Richter was only fifty years old when he created his first painting of a candle. At this moment in his life, a burning candle is a means of harmony over time.
Figure 3，Gerhard Richter，Candle，1982
Oil on Canvas
Next is Cheers, in this painting (shown in Figure 4) I drew two empty glasses and a glass full of red wine, and I think the placement of these very ordinary objects has a special connection. What I think about is the arrangement of the two glasses and their respective meanings. The glass on the left is for red wine, and the glass on the right is for beer. It is like two people with different identities are talking. I have personal thoughts and special interest in the function and placement of common objects, which is why I choose to explore common objects around me. Just like
Figure 3，Gerhard Richter, Two Candle，1982
Oil on Canvas
Figure 4，Wei Huang，Cheers，2022, 20x20cm
Oil on Canvas
the two chairs Green, Yellow (As shown in figure 5)I painted before, there is a storytelling that different audiences will interpret differently. Likewise, Gerhard' s wine bottle and apple (shown in Figure 6) gave me some thought and inspiration. The same two unremarkable still lifes placed together make the audience imagine.
Figure 5，Wei Huang，Green, Yellow，2021
Oil on Canvas
Figure 6，Gerhard Richter，wine and apples，1982
Oil on Canvas
Dish (As shown in picture 7) and Meal (as shown in picture 8) are both paintings I depict the food I eat, Dish I paint my leftover cake, Meal I paint the food I have eaten eating breakfast, the same between these two paintings is that I want to express the final state of food from being to non-existent, food from being cooked to being eaten by me, a kind of transition from existence to non-existence The state of demise is also a philosophical reflection on demise and existence. So I destroy the edges of the object to make it look like I'm depicting a state where the object is disappearing, so that people pay less attention to the object itself and more to the state of the thing, the state of the food that is disappearing.
Figure 7，Wei Huang，Dish，2022，20x20cm
Oil on Canvas
Figure 8，Wei Huang，Meals，2022， 50x40cm
Oil on Canvas
The White Hat(As shown in figure 9) is one of my hats. I love this hats very much and often go out with it. I want to symbolize myself with this hat. Likewise, I scraped the edge of my hat off with a scraper after I finished the painting. The hat and background are in a "broken" state, looking like a state of gradual blurring. What I think about is that I too am changing over time, getting old and dying. Just like this hat, it seems to be in a state of change and disappearance.
Figure 9，Wei Huang，White Hat，2022, 40x40cm
Oil on Canvas
Birthday Party by the Sea (As shown in figure 10)) This painting is a scene from my sister's birthday party at the seaside in 2017, where she sings a birthday song with her mouth wide open, like screaming. The famous Munch's Scream (figure 11) is a similar scene. The difference is that what I show is the cry of my sister's happiness, while Munch's cry is frightened. The main body of the picture is an extremely painful expression against the blood red background. The painting "The Scream", with the theme of Acura "Life, Love and Death",
Figure 11，Munch，Scream，1985, 91x73.5
uses symbols and metaphors to reveal the worries and fears of mankind at the "end of the century".
Figure 10，Wei Huang, Bithday Party by the Sea，2022, 150x120cm
Oil on Canvas
I blurred the objects in the scene, cakes, glasses, food, candlelight (as shown in the picture 12), etc, including the faces of the characters, to make these things appear to be disappearing A remembrance of unforgettable moments seen, but also a reflection on time, moment, eternity. We cannot preserve time, nor can we preserve unforgettable moments in life. Everything in the picture seems to be disappearing, a state of time. As a result, the viewer will have a sense of alienation from the passage of time and
Figure 13，Gerhard Richter，Rose，62 x 61.0 cm
Oil on Canvas
life like a dream in front of these "fuzzy" works. Richter's photographic paintings (pictured 13) have a similar feel and have also given me some inspiration. The difference is that Richter's photographic paintings are created with reference to photos that are not in good focus, while my creation method is created with reference to photos that are in good focus. Blur out the characters, such as using a scraper or brush to destroy their edge, making the objects appear virtual.
Figure 12，Detail of Bithday Party by the Sea
In the Birthday Party by the sea, there are also a lot of elements about the candles. Regarding the candles that appear in my picture, there is a certain symbolism. There are many elements in this picture that appear in my small paintings, such as candles, Cakes, glasses, etc. The series of small paintings I painted are all related to this larger painting.
Creative process of Birthday party by the sea
My paintings seem to be quiet because I often depict still lifes and figures, but in fact the objects in my paintings are in a moving state, as shown in the picture 13, these things seem to be disappearing, they are not in a static state. This is also my painting language. Including the colors in the picture, I have my own color system. I don't use bright colors, I like real but subjective colors, uniform tones, so that the whole picture is in one environment, which seems to have a certain mood, such as mystery.
Figure 13，Detail of Dinner
Speaking of mystery, I want to talk about an artist I very admire he is Borremans. The sense of mystery and alienation conveyed in his works is very attractive to me（Figure 14）. His unique painting technique combines skilled techniques with subjects that cannot be explained directly, the real and the false. Distinctions are often ambiguous, just as his complex and open-ended scenes are prone to conflicting emotions—they are nostalgic, darkly comical, disturbing, and grotesque.
Figure 14，Michaël Borremans，Devil's Dress
Oil on Canvas
Figure 15，Michaël Borremans，Weight，2005
Film
Figure 16，Michaël Borremans，Lying Man，
Oil on Canvas
Also similar in character to Borremans’ work are Richter's photo-paintings (Figure 17, 18), which also express concepts and characteristics of objects, mysticism and symbolism. This series of paintings has a unique mystical color, which is the point that attracts me, and my paintings have similarities with his "photo paintings". he does not want to accurately show the original appearance of the photo in the oil painting, but to create a certain characteristic in the work with a blurred image. The people and objects in the paintings were blurred to the point of abstraction. This blur is not virtual in the general sense, but the feeling that the photo is out of focus. However, when such photographic works are painted as oil paintings, they become very moving. This moving power comes not only from the painting skills, but also from the painter's choice of materials. As a result, the viewer will have a sense of alienation from time passing and life like a dream in front of these "fuzzy" works, which is exactly what I want to express in my creation.
Figure 17，Richter, Girl Reading a Newspaper，1994
oil on canvas
Figure 18, Gerhard Richter，Schmidt family, 1964
Oil on Canvas
In conclusion, in the study of unit 2, I have a good exploration and research on the subject I want to explore. For example, in unit 1, I have also added some expressions of ordinary objects and moments in my life that touch me. The effect of new thinking, research is more in-depth and successful than unit1，and the number of works is also more than Unit 1. I have deeper thinking and cognition of some daily objects, and I also try to express some of my cognition and thinking about objects in my paintings, such as the symbolism of objects, and I also put my emotion in my paintings. For example, for some objects and scenes I paint, I will choose the objects more rationally. Whether the objects I paint are related to the theme I want to express, whether they are directly related or indirectly related, they can all become my creative object. In the future, I will continue to explore this series of topics, but I will explore some new things, such as in the study of the unit 3, I plan to explore some spaces or landscapes, such as painting some spatial scenes, private or public, Such as bathrooms, bedrooms or some public areas such as churches, auditoriums, restaurants, swimming pools, etc. I think the exploration of Unit1 and Unit2 has laid a good foundation for me in terms of everyday objects and special scenes that move me in my life. In Unit 3, I will explore some specific spaces or landscapes to demonstrate their mystical and symbolic meaning. But the philosophical questions surrounding my time, life, meaning of existence, and questions about eternity are still reflected in my work.
Reference:
Gerhard Richter(1982) Candle [Oil on canvas]. Location of the work (Viewed: date).
Gerhard Richter(1982) Wine and Apple [Oil on canvas]. Location of the work (Viewed: date).
Munch(1985) Scream [Oil on canvas]. Munch Museum (Viewed: date).
Gerhard Richter(1985) Rose [Oil on canvas]. Location of the work (Viewed: date).
Michaël Borremans (1996) Devil's Dress [Oil on canvas]. Location of the work (Viewed: date).
Weight (2005) Directed by Michaël Borremans[Feature film]. Place of distribution: distribution company.
Michaël Borremans (1995) Lying Man [Oil on canvas]. Location of the work (Viewed: date).
Gerhard Richter (1994) Girl Reading a Newspaper [Oil on canvas]. Location of the work (Viewed: date).
Richter, G. (1964) Schmidt family, [Oil on Canvas]. Hamburger Kunsthalle，Hamburg