Chen Qi and Shen Qin, these two artists from Nanjing studied drawings from their days as students. They have been not just companions of art for many years, they also share a kind of ethereal, peaceful aesthetic taste though they vary in different art forms, Chen devotes himself to printmaking while Shen works on ink and wash paintings. Their solo exhibitions were held in April at the Asian Art Center, which drew much attention at that time. As the continuation of this exhibition, the dual exhibitions of “Chen Qi: The Plural Art of Digital Era” and “Shen Qin: At That Time •At This Time” was unveiled at Amy Li Gallery on November 15, 2015.
Chen Qi, who is the leader of Chinese woodblock printing, has his own system of techniques and concepts. Although he persists in promoting this traditional Chinese printmaking technique, he keeps himself sensitive to a variety of new techniques and news ideas while actively integrating himself in his own creative methodology, to make his creations full of freshness and vitality. Undoubtedly we now enter into the era of digital technology; Chen Qi started to try to paint with computer software when others made their draft with pencils. From the initial Photoshop 1.1 to present Photoshop CC, he can skillfully operate all of them. Now, from computer drawings to selections of wooden boards, engraving and the printmaking, he can skillfully handle them by himself. What is more important, Chen Qi began to ponder on his new theory with “The Plural Art of Digital Era” in his creative practices. What is plural art in the digital era? What kind of relationship is between the artists in the digital era and digital technologies? Also he put forward the idea that “impression” is the key to the most profound and essential features of languages in printmaking.
The exhibition entitled ”The Plural Art of Digital Era” features mainly his “Water Series”, “Cloud Series”, “Notations of Times Series”, enamel and filigree carved Ancient Qin (Guqin) devices, as well as his latest creation named “Scrap Gold”. “Water mark” and “moiré” are the usual themes in Chen’s creations, to manifest the profoundness of time, in his own words, “the performances of watermark are expressions of time, as well as the great river of history.” Ancient Qin (Guqin) and filigree enamel pot in his “Notations of Time” conveyed his conversion of expressions and forms on the same theme, from which we can tell that any kind of media can serve his ideas through technology. The large-scale painting “Scrap Gold” with 3.8m in length and 5.4m in width, was specially created according to the gallery space. The image is full of sparkling water but the waves are fragmented and the picture is so profound that it makes people feel enchanted with an indescribable feeling. This work, also known as the “Ninety-sixth Times of Printing” is based on the desired version of plates, logically designed in its modern version according to the technique of traditional Chinese watercolour block printing. Therefore, on the basis of existing, conventional, standard size of boards, it was divided into a version of ninety-six plates to complete this work; actually it needed ninety-six levels of printing.
Shen Qin, one of “85’s Ink Getters”, his paintings have a poetic temperament of chasing the ancient vision. Although it is far away from the traditions of Chinese paintings in form, it still conveys a kind of “scholar” spirit in essence, peaceful conception of Zen. In his own words, “these works are actually nostalgia; they express my longing for the Oriental ancient world.” With such creative clues it gradually develops towards the inner side, towards freedom. This exhibition is themed with “that moment” and “this moment” and it aims to combine works and documentary to find the expression of “self” in various periods.
This exhibition mainly showcases his rose red landscape “Highway I”, “Rural•Life” series, quintuplet work “Fishing Village in the Mist of Autumn”, “Black•Village” series, and his recent creation “Landscape Painting of Song Dynasty” series, “Sitting to Watch the Rise of Clouds”. In these works, the basic elements of points, lines and surfaces were transformed into an ink and wash space of mist, blooming smooth, even strokes with the touch of a brush, transformed from tradition, in a few brush strokes, the mood of Southern gardens is expressed. At the opening of the exhibition, Shen Qin talked about his habit of developing a free creative state, he created with interest, previous images of his painting were transferred from real landscapes, after his recent exhibition held in Suzhou Museum, he started to be more interested in the pattern of landscape in Song Dynasty, thus he devotes himself to exploring new interests and creative patterns from classics.
The exhibitions will remain on view till January 10, 2016.
Text and Photo by Zhang Wenzhi, translated and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO.
