PROVENANCE:

Private Collection, Asia

The generation born in 1970's China has been considered as the one that is most deeply attached to Heroism. The dramatic circumstances towards the end of Chinese Revolution have become the unforgettable mark of their lives. However, since this generation never directly witnessed this passionate era, it created the possibility for artists to detach from passing any political judgments. The historical events became incredibly attractive to the artists. Even though they could only piece together the romantic memories and sensations of the Cultural Revolution in their minds. Though gone with the revolution and youth, the sincere worship towards heroes and idols has been rooted deeply in their conscious. The1970's generation all experienced a kind of sadness. They are adults with elements of adolescent ideology. The lack of idol after 1960's made it into a lonesome generation.

Yin Zhaoyang is the emblem of artists from this 1970's generation. There is no typical spoiled urban youth figure in his work. The artist doesn't over embellish common themes like Tiananmen, Mao Zedong or revolutionists in his works. All the emotions came from Yin Zhaoyang's reminiscing of history and the fleeting youth. The absolute optimism as an artist gave his work a realistic sense of the long gone heroism. Like many artists of this generation, Yin Zhaoyang was trained classically. Realism naturally became his creative method of choice. The difference in Yin Zhaoyang's work is that everything about revolution has become transcendental and highly idealized. In the "Mythology" series, Yin Zhaoyang uses the myth of "Sisyphus" in order to further elaborate on the evolution from individual idealism and historical responsibility to a highly possessive sense towards nobleness and therefore created an irrepressible personal energy. The artist has been shaken by the gloriously tragic force of the hero and therefore instinctively developed a temperament of heroism of his own.