ZENG JIANYONG
ZENG JIANYONG’S DISPLACED CREATURES Carol Cheh The Header series, a recent group of paintings by Zeng Jianyong, refers to a term used in the People’s Republic of China to denote the head of the class—the top pupil, a child who not only earns good grades, but respects his or her elders and gets along well with others. The “header,” held up as an example of all-around excellence, is something that Chinese children eagerly aspire to be. At the same time, the existence of this lauded position highlights how much cultural pressure there is to excel in both scholastic and social environments—pressure that can at times become harmful and oppressive. In more extreme cases, this pressure has led to depression and even suicide. Zeng’s paintings depict a single child or group of children in ordinary dress against an empty, neutral background. An armband bearing three horizontal stripes and a prominent black scarf worn about the shoulders identifies the header. Intended as emblems or caricatures rather than realistic portraits, Zeng’s children, while discernible from one another, all have a certain trademark look— ruddy marks on their skin that could be blood stains, overly large heads, tiny noses and mouths, and startling silver-grey eyes that look like shattered marbles.
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Like Margaret Keane, whose paintings of big-eyed children became an American pop-culture phenomenon in the 1960s, Zeng uses his children’s remarkable eyes to fix both the viewer and the subject, providing a focal point for tension and interaction. We look into the children’s eyes to see what they see, and to see ourselves reflected. Unlike Keane’s children, however,
whose eyes are so large and clear that they seem to take the whole world in at once, Zeng’s children seem to be saddled with malfunctioning glass eyes, perhaps introduced into their bodies following some kind of trauma, and now dooming them to forever see the world in a skewed fashion. One wonders, what went wrong here? The splintered eyes seem to be the origin for an entirely splintered sensibility, which reveals itself in the bloody vein-like markings spreading across the children’s faces and arms. Zeng has said that as an artist, he “treasures the weaknesses of human nature, such as irrationality and fragility,” and tries to tap into these qualities when making his art. The Header series was partially inspired by Zeng’s young son, whose current experiences in primary school are reminding the artist of his own upbringing. Stylistically, Zeng cites the influence of Western contemporary sources. In addition to Keane, his work can be linked to the whacked-out portraiture of Lisa Yuskavage, John Currin, or Egon Schiele. It also has something in common with the social criticisms of Honoré Daumier and George Grosz. Zeng himself cites the simplicity and modest charms, and perhaps the color palette, of Italian still-life painter Giorgio Morandi as an abiding influence. Zeng uses materials that are associated with traditional Chinese painting and watercolor—handmade paper, inks, and watercolors. However, the technique that he employs in the Header series, as well as in the Spare Time series (discussed later in this book), is his own. Using two sheets of handmade paper, Zeng adheres one sheet to a board, then takes the second sheet and paints the image on the surface. Once the image is dry, he flips it over and adheres it to the first sheet on the board.
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Thus, the image is sandwiched between the two sheets, which have the delicate translucence of rice paper, and the viewer sees the image through the paper. The result is that the paintings have a luminously faded look—a look of faraway urgency. While there is a mild obscuring of the image, its intensity still shimmers through, sometimes accented by extra layers of ink added to the top surface. Zeng’s unique and absorbing work is the product of a wide variety of influences and training, both Eastern and Western. In the artist’s own words, “If my art is considered a mix of Eastern and Western styles, I prefer to view it as a natural result. During my student time of artistic training, I had training in both Chinese and Western art skills, and I studied the histories of both. I have tried many different methods, such as Chinese traditional painting, oil painting, printmaking, illustration, mixed media, and 3D animation. All these experiences naturally improved my style. It is possible to elaborate on the Eastern elements and Western elements in my art, or, to deny that my art belongs to any style. I always follow my intuitions.”
Carol Cheh is a writer and curator based in Los Angeles.
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The Header No.19 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144.3 x72 cm (56 3/4 x 28 1/4 in) 2007
The Header No.20 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144.3 x72 cm (56 3/4 x 28 1/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.49 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144.3 x72 cm (56 3/4 x 28 1/4 in) 2007
The Header No.51 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144.3 x72 cm (56 3/4 x 28 1/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.50 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144.3 x72 cm (56 3/4 x 28 1/4 in) 2007
The Header No.48 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144.3 x72 cm (56 3/4 x 28 1/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.53 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 72 x 144.3 cm (28 1/4 x 56 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.38 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 72 x 144.3 cm (28 1/4 x 56 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.52 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 72 x 144.3 cm (28 1/4 x 56 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.54 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 72 x 144.3 cm (28 1/4 x 56 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.55 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 72 x 144.3 cm (28 1/4 x 56 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.58 Mineral pigment on hand-made paper 144 x 144 cm (56 3/4 x 56 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.73 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.57 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144 x 144 cm (56 3/4 x 56 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.46 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.26 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.69 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.44 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.71 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.67 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.70 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.68 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.74 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.72 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
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The Header No.65 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.66 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
The Header No.64 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
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There is a strong element of psychological displacement in Zeng Jianyong’s character studies, which serves to question our usual social perspectives. The Spare Time series, which is something of a companion to the Header series, utilizes the same formal framework but takes animals as its protagonists instead of children. The faces of cats, dogs, horses, and other creatures are portrayed as though they are human, some with doleful or angry looks, some with apparent tears streaming down their faces. Like classic works of caricature, these studies become mirrors of our adult behaviors. Their expressive personalities are even more striking when viewed next to the “headers,� who have a shell-shocked, zombie-like look. Just as the children are missing their wide-eyed curiosity, the animals have lost their pure animal nature by reflecting our own demands back to us. - Carol Cheh
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Spare Time 24 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
Spare Time 22 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
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Spare Time 27 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
Spare Time 21 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
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Spare Time 26 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
Spare Time 20 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
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Spare Time 23 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
Spare Time 25 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 52 x 52 cm (20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in) 2007
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Spare Time 19 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
Spare Time 17 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4in) 2007
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Spare Time 16 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
Spare Time 18 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
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Spare Time 15 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4 in) 2007
Spare Time 14 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90.2 x 73.4 cm (35 1/2 x 28 3/4in) 2007
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Happy Life Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90 x 90 cm (35 1/2 x 35 1/2 in) 2007
To the Apple Orchard Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 144.3 x72 cm (56 3/4 x 28 1/4 in) 2007
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Spare Time 1 Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 90 x 90 cm (35 1/2 x 35 1/2 in) 2007
Sunny day Ink and watercolor on hand-made paper 140 x 140 cm (55 x 55 in) 2007
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ZENG JIANYONG 1971, Born in Chenghai, Guangdong Graduated from Chinese Painting Department, Huaqiao University Graduated from Printmaking Department, Central Academy of Fine Arts Currently a professional artist living and working in Beijing and Shenzhen Solo Exhibitions 2007 Works of Zeng Jianyong, Jiushi Space 798, Beijing 2007 The Header--Works of Zeng Jianyong, Times Space, 798, Beijing 2008 Heather James Art, Palm Desert, CA USA 2008 Rohrer Fine Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA USA Selected Group Exhibitions 1994 China Art Student Annual Art Awards, Shenyang 2002 China Computer Graphics Festival 2002, Beijing 2003 China Computer Graphics Festival 2003, Beijing 2007 Outside Exhibition of “Art Beijing 2007”, Beijing 2007 No Livingroom at that time, Beijing 2007 Institute of Traditional Chinese Fine Art Painting, Beijing 2008 2007 Chinese Contemporary Art Document, Beijing Publications Drawing Book “Sapiential Seed” Series, Beijing Publishing House Group Drawing Book “Interesting Experiment”, Beijing Publishing House Group Drawing Book “Learning Math with Albert”, Time Warner-Time Life ARTIST REPRESENTATION
346 North Coast Hwy. Laguna Beach, CA 800-949-5211 www.rohrerfineart.com
73-080 El Paseo No.5 Palm Desert, CA 760-346-8926 www.heatherjames.com
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Artist photos by Kathy Amerman, (c) 2007 Smile Production Catalog designed by Timothy Tompkins