Glorious Life — Artist Statement
By Wang Qingsong, 2004
As economic development has taken top priority in national policies, China has changed. Its people have changed even more. Everyone is satisfied with and proud of the achievements of reform and rapid development, as epitomized in the slogan, "One change a year, one big change in three years, and one unidentifiable transformation in five years". Take a look at our cities overflowing with skyscrapers, shopping plazas, Karaoke, discos, bars, clubs and so on. This overabundance of foreign things has "popularized" our agricultural country. But this popularity is somewhat funny, somewhat contradictory, and somewhat wild … In order to eulogize this glorious life which is sweeter than honey, I use stage theatrics and make the camera narrate true and understandable contemporary stories.
It is well known that McDonald’s and Pizza Hut are just fast-food stores in Europe and America, similar to Baozi and noodle delicatessens in China. However, when they entered China, they became the top cuisine. They are as hot of a rendezvous spot as "five-star hotels" where people have parties, invite friends, celebrate birthdays and meet lovers. They have become important "scenic spots" in Chinese metropolises. But in such an era of globalization, does this ideal also represent worship that can create a ridiculous contradiction? With this thinking, I created many photographic works including "Thinker" (1998), "Requesting Buddha series" (1999), "Bath House" (2000) and etc.
To keep track of my reflection upon our past, consideration of our present and depiction of our future, I find the urban sculpture best reveals our history and ideal. However, I pose some doubts on what we have achieved and what we are expecting. With such "doubt", I portray myself as a bystander in the triptych work entitled "Past, Present, and Future" (2001). Models are smeared with mud, silver and golden powder hinting at the changes in time from the revolutionary times to the modernization age, and onto the future we are aspiring. The postures of the models imitate those on the monumental Communist sculptures still found in some cities in China. I hope this work achieves the effect of reflecting upon the history of the past, reconstruction of the present and beauty of the future.
In my recent photographs in 2003, I created a series of "false flowers" series. The flower I chose to depict is peony. As the national flowers, peony is symbolic of brilliance and prosperity. However I made the petals of peonies out of fresh veggie, lamb and beef slices. I shot the fresh "flowers" and then freeze them in the cooling house for a week to create frosts over the flowers. This gives a transition from prosperity to solidity, from brilliance to decay and allows for unrestrained imagination of what we have been experiencing in our history so far.
My latest works "China Mansion" and "Romantique" shot in Beijing Movie Studio in 2003 summarizes my perception into the Chinese social and cultural reality after opening up to the world. China has been much enthusiastic about inviting foreign experts in economy, technology, architecture and culture to give support and guidance in Chinese open-up program. These foreign specialists help create many opportunities and bring many advanced thoughts for China. However, they manufacture many uncertain and disturbing ideas. Due to such a quick inflow and outflow of advanced concepts, Chinese people are confused about what are right and what are wrong sometimes. This idea triggers my latest work in 2003.
"China Mansion" is a scroll photograph that situates the scene in a Chinese-styled home. In this five-scene photograph, I invite foreign guests including honorable figures in paintings by Ingres, Courbet, Manet, Gauguin, Yves Klein, Jones, Boucher, Rembrandt, Rubens, David, Renoir, Man Ray and etc. They are specially invited guests in my "Chinese family", epitomizing the current reality in China. I want to make them communicate each other across centuries and cultures and create certain relationships between themselves and with China.
In "Romantique", I mix scenes of heaven from western religions with pastoral gardens in Chinese idealistic philosophy. However, the setting is created which is full of cheap plastic trees, fruits, flowers and Styrofoam stones and shells. The little ponds in this paradise are enveloped in smoky low-lying clouds. A huge backdrop holds auspicious clouds and a distant forest. Viewers can imagine a place of fantastical happiness amidst the beauty of this man-made paradise. Models pose as figures in Western masterpieces of Massacio, Velasquez, Botticelli, Raphael, and Matisse, alongside a golden Chinese Buddha, a beautiful Qing-Dynasty Princess and livestock grazing. Besides these nymphs, there is a Western girl with a Chinese man and little baby, hinting at a potential real-life conflicts and cooperation. Everyone is seemingly happy, and peaceful and in need of little else. Like "China Mansion", the setting in "Romantique" is obviously fantastical and farcical, chaotic and confusing.
Overall, I hope my photographic works, like documentary photography, witness and emulate a variety of social phenomena in the course of the modern construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics. By putting on stories in my photographs, readers find relaxation in my stories and clearly my attitude towards varieties of social phenomena in the current times. If my works can illuminate on further reflections for viewers, I will be even happier.
