VIEWING FROM AFAR 
 
 

The charm of Chinese contemporary art stems in large part from the life experiences of the artists, who having been immersed in China’s and its culture, also witnesesd, the dramatic changes of modern Chinese society in recent years. With their sensitive perception, they not only sought to capture and interpret the changes, upheaval and developments that have occurred in each every stage of China’s modern history, their influence on Chinese society has been like “ dripping water wearing through a rock”, steadily and deeply affecting public discourse about modern culture,  society and aesthetic judgment. 
 

I am very privileged, in this inaugural exhibition of The Oriental Vista Art Collection, to be able to gather  trailblazing works from a group of remarkable, courageous and pioneering Chinese contemporary artists  from Yunnan Province, a border province in southwest China.  Yunan is situated between Tibet to the North and the Golden Triangle of Laos, Burma and Vietnam to the South. Their exploration into new uncharted areas in Chinese contemporary art began during the early part of the 20th century, and their works have extremly enriched Chinese contemporary art. 
 

Yunnan’s unique geography and topography, with close proximity to diverse cultures of hill tribes in the neigborring countries while remote from the Eastern coastal mega cities, has allowed a wide variety of distinct ethnic groups, religions and cultures to develop and thrive.  As China’s dramatic modernization over the past two decades has resulted in great development of Yunnan’s transportation and communications, bringing these distinct cultures into increasing direct contact.  Yet these cultural groups have continued to survive, develop and coexist in relative peace.   
 

With such rich and plural human resources to draw from, the  imagination and thought of these Yunnan artists are unconstrained. Yunnan’s extreme topography and remote geography allowed it to maintain its unique diversity, during the several decades when China completely isolated itself and the Chinese people were left to “ amuse themselves internally”, through China’s open door policy and rapid modernization.  China’s dramatic political, economic, and cultural upheaval affected Yunnan and its people, of course, but the effects of this upheaval has been relatively filtered and indirect.  Time and distance from the center of the Chinese political and business world enabled Yunnan artists to develop a unique and original perspective on Chinese culture and society, in a relatively relaxed and uncontrolled atmosphere, maintaining their true and unhesitant vision and voice.   
 

The memories of the political movements and upheavals in the sixties and seventies affects these artists’ works, but is not the overriding symbol and background. Instead, the Yunnan artists’ world is multi-dimensional, condensing the strokes and different modes of expressions of the artists.  Their works embody their own strong sense of independent vision, honesty, self disipline and deep reflection about the larger world.

 

The ongoing influence of western art on contemporary Chinese artists is obvious and completely natural, both technically and conceptually, especially western post-modernism.  Yet, in the body of works of the leading Yunnan contemporary artists that are in this collection, the western influence is not mimicked, but rather digested by these Chinese contemporary artists in a sensible and discerning manner, without undermining the artists’ fierce independence, deep reflection of their own world and experiences, and sense of personal exploration.  These workds convincingly express the artists’ feeling of unique existence.

 

The works of these artists reflects the artists’ own experiences and honest views of the dramatic changes in Chinese modern society.  Although differing in styles, subject and presentation, the works naturally manifest their every day life experiences and thoughts, as active and uniquely sensitive members of society. 
 

“ Viewing From The Afar” is the inauguration page of Oriental Vista Art Collection.  Our hope is that through this opening page, Oriental Vista Art Collection, and the artists involved, will reflect and represent for the discerning public the constant struggle between the reality and idealism inherent in Chinese society and modern history.

Lingling Huang

OV Gallery Art Director