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Exhibit of artistic journey to Spain
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THIS weekend, a group of eight Shanghai-based artists will jointly hold an exhibition entitled “Hola Espana” at the Shanghai Peninsula Art Museum on the Bund.
Lu Xiangtai focuses on environment; Tan Weixing is the artistic designer at Simon Electric; Zhang Bingjian is a producer and film director; Ruan Zhong is an architect; Tan Ruoyu is an oil painter; and Su Xuefeng, Chen Yushan and Wang Lihua are professional artists.
They spent two weeks touring Spain where they wandered around villages, small towns and mountains, appreciating the great Spanish masters and savoring the life and culture of the people there.
The artists call their works a cross-field celebration of an “artistic journey to Spain.” Though each of them has drawn from their own perspective and experience, the works they have created are intended as an open communication with the public, rather than just an aesthetic discussion.
“For a fortnight, we traveled thousands of miles and visited nearly 10 museums in Spain, starting from Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, Lextar to Barcelona. Art occupies an amazing part of the Spanish life,” says Tan Weixing, whose works reflect the warm light and color of Spain in mid-May.
“During our stay at the Miro Museum in Barcelona, we met batches after batches of preschool children, who were led by their teachers. They sat quietly in front of the great works of the artists and listened attentively,” he says.
Lu Xiangtai, whose works feature a “crowded tranquility” from the vernacular dwellings in Foleygeeleanna, says, “We lingered among the works of Greco, Goya, Velazquez, Miro, Picasso and Tapias. As our eyes were full, our mind was sick with poor digestion. I kept asking myself how they, the masters, managed to put their ideas and emotions into paints.”
Foleygeeleanna, known as “the White City,” is close to the Mediterranean Sea. However, the food and people there differ greatly from the neighboring countries, such as Greece, Italy and France.
“You can see how different cultures integrated into the Spanish way of life in the layers of the bricks, or even from a purple gable wall of a village church in Putolapeiqie,” adds Lu.
“Many of the places we visited have still retained their original flavors. Even the buildings along the main streets have not been developed for commercial purposes. The life in the slow lane appeals to us for its healing, natural pace,” says Ruan Zhong, who used watercolors to highlight the joy of slow pace of living.
“Hola Espana”
Date: October 15-19, 9:30am-5:30pm
Venue: Shanghai Peninsula Art Museum, 809 Dongdaming Rd
Did you paint along the way?
Lu: We were always moving, so all the works are my impressions and recording of the moment on my drawing pad.
Like the ancient Chinese artists, who came back to paint on rice paper after their trips to the mountains, we followed a similar style. Abstract or realistic, those are my views.
Your students have all done very well in their own fields. How do you look at their career development?
Lu: I’m very proud of them. Award-winning painter Su Xuefeng and Zhang Bingjian used to be the youngest members of the China Artists Association, and now Zhang is a movie director who has won several nominations at international film festivals. Wang Lihua and Chen Yushan furthered their studies abroad. Their style of painting has changed a lot since their school years. Tan Weixing, Ruan Zhong and Su Xuefeng shifted to design and architecture. The training in painting has given them an eye for beauty.
As a teacher, will you comment on some of their works at the exhibition?
Lu: From different angles and personal characters, they have portrayed Spain with passion like those Spanish masters they admire. You will see and feel their emotions. Zhang Bingjian’s “Chaining Me” series is post-Modern, a pursuit of freedom of thought. Ruan Zhong’s “Meeting Toledo” shows the impression of architecture in the historical city in Spain.
What do you expect from visitors to the show?
Lu: Arts for arts sake. I wish visitors will like our work and be inspired to embark on their own personal journey of art.
How did you come together on this journey to Spain?
Tan: Forty years ago, we were all students of Lu Xiangtai, studying oil painting. We would go together to countryside, docks, woods and alleys to paint whatever impressed us. Now we work in different fields. Some are very active on the international stage. When opportunity knocked, we grabbed it as a sort of reunion and also as a way to understand Spanish artists that we always admired.
What’s your understanding of Spanish art?
Tan: Spain’s contribution to 20th-century art is enormous. Under the influence of the Italian Renaissance, many Spanish artists, starting from the 16th century, visited the neighboring country to acquire first-hand knowledge of the latest aesthetic and technical developments. It’s amazing to see how they flourished later in art, music, literature, architecture and films.
How was the trip? Any discoveries?
Tan: I liked the climate in the Catalonia region. The sun from the Mediterranean Sea gives the people lot of passion. People here are born to bull-fighting, the flamingo dance and football. More than once, as I stared at the works of the masters, I was moved by the simple stubbornness in action.
Whose work did you like most?
Tan: Gaudí’s works reflect an individualized and distinctive style. Most of them are located in Barcelona, including his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família. He considered every detail of his creations and integrated them into his works. He also introduced new techniques in the treatment of materials, such as trencadís which uses waste ceramic pieces.
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