PRINTCatalogue Note:
THE PAINTING OF PEACH BLOSSOMS IS NOT ABOUT THE FLOWERS, AND SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT BE CONSIDERED A FLORAL OR ANDSCAPE PAINTING, AS IT WOULD NOT HAVE SIGNIFICANT MEANING. PAINTINGS OF PEACH BLOSSOMS MUST REVEAL THE BEAUTY OF LIFE. – ZHOU CHUNYA PEACH BLOSSOMS
ZHOU CHUNYA
Born in 1955, Zhou Chunya now holds the status of a respected within the Chinese contemporary art scene. His successful fusion of Western and Chinese styles, combined with his unique mode of expression, has made him one of the most influential contemporary artists working in China today. Precisely because Zhou's style is so distinctive, he was for many years seen as being outside the ma instream of contemporary art, but he has always remained popular with both private collectors and art museums, and his work has been a favorite topic of discussion for art critics. He ranks the top 5 according to the most influential Contemporary Art Market index published in Artprice in early 2013. In the early 1980s, when rural realism and scar art were the dominant styles, Zhou Chunya chose to travel to Tibet, where he used Impressionist approach to depict the daily lives of ordinary people living on the Tibetan Plateau. In these paintings, Zhou sought to identify the different for ms taken by the human spirit. In the mid-1980s, Zhou left home again to go and study in Ger many, where he studied the techniques and artistic philosophy of modern Western styles such as impressionism, cubism, and neo-expressionism. Zhou's return to China coincided with the Tiananmen demonstrations and the subsequent massacre; this was a time when many artists were starting to focus on serious issues relating to social change and human destiny. Zhou kept apart from this trend, instead dedicating himself to a process of artistic exploration in which he produced a series of portraits and abstract paintings of human figures that were highly experimental in nature. The art market's response to Zhou's work from this period was very favorable. Zhou went on to produce a number of masterpieces that successfully fused Chinese and Western aesthetic concepts, including his Flower, Stone and Red Stone series. The appearance of the Red Man series marked a dramatic break with Zhou's previous artistic style; the bright red flesh and erotic postures of the figures shown in these paintings exude a strong feeling of sexual desire. The concept behind the earliest paintings of peach blossoms was to express the beauty of life rather than a simple expression of love.
In traditional Chinese literati painting, one of the most fr equent themes is the “Four Gentlemen,” plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum. Besides the actual depiction of the flowers and plants themselves, these paintings were also used as a means of symbolically exploring or portraying the literati artist’s own character. However, peach blossom was not part of the subject matter for paintings of this type. Where peach blossom does appear in traditional Chinese culture is as a symbol or metaphor in love poems. Zhou Chunya is on record as saying that love had a major impact on the Peach Blossoms series. The gorgeous scenes with their red petals are often accompanied by a red human figure, symbolizing passion. As the art critic Lu Peng put it, “The peach blossom represents Zhou Chunya’s feelings; in the world he depicts, where the peach blossom and branches are constantly growing and unfolding, his heart is also opening out. The great artists of the past used their paintings to remind later generations of the majesty of the natural world, and of the freedom of the spirit that their brushstrokes embodied. Life today teaches artists the importance of being true to oneself … Zhou’s peach blossom does not belong to the material world; it reflects the impermanence and flux that characterizes China today. Zhou Chunya often starts work on several canvases all at the same time. There is no timetable, only a spur to action; there is no plan, but there are results. Everything that is represented in these paintings derives from the freedom of the artist’s own soul .” Zhou uses his own unique method to engage in dialog with the painters of the past through the medium of peach blossom painted in oils on canvas.
Looking back on the inspiration on this series, it was in the spring in 2005, while on holiday at Longquanshan near Chengdu, Zhou started to notice the peach blossoms that covered the hills. He found himself deeply attracted by the wild, gaudy aspect of the peach blossom, and as a result was inspired to begin work on the Peach Blossoms series. It just so happened that around this time, Zhou came across a calligraphy scroll attributed to the Late Qing calligrapher Gong Yourong (who had been born in the same region as Zhou). The characters on the scroll read: The lake smiles at the distant mountain scenery, while the breeze blows up little peach blossoms on the water surface. The romantic style of this couplet reflects the refined taste of the literati of the past, while at the same time the lines have slightly erotic overtones; the scroll thus seems to echo the theme underpinning Zhou's Peach Blossoms series. The works in this series represent a continuation of the use of gaudy, tantalizing colors seen in Zhou's Red Man series; they represent a shift away from Chinese literati painting's traditional emphasis on depicting the Four Gentlemen (orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and plum blossom), and an injection of erotic passion into the restraint and elevated sentiments with which literati painting is associated.In 2005, Zhou embarked on a new process of experimentation, seeking to combine the Red Man and Peach Blossoms images. Bringing these two series together created a peculiar chemical reaction. The gorgeous peach blossoms and the human figures engaged in sexual congress beneath them became fused; basic human instinct, both concealed and illuminated by the peach blossom, acquired a sense of dynamic integrity, while the red figures were simplified to become symbols of desire. The rough red lines sprawled wantonly across the canvas, filling the work with a feeling of vitality and energy. In describing this series, Zhou Chunya said that Amidst a swirling mood of color, the paintings give release to fantasy that has its source in the sincerity of instinct; within a vast background, the natural aspect of the human being is thoroughly liberated and allowed to ‘explode' – a gentle explosion!
From 2007 onwards, this series began to change. The depiction of the red people became more concrete, and the peach blossom became more realistic; there was also a more complete fusion of the human figures into the environment. The mood became gentler and calmer; the dazzling peach color gradually faded, the previously naked red people became clothed, and new symbolic elements – such as skeletons – began to be incorporated into the scene . Gentle violence was transformed into reserved and subtle tenderness. “Peach Blossoms” is one of Zhou Chunya’s masterpieces in recent year. It depicts beautiful scenery with the branches of peach blossoms trembling in the air. The big flowers take up the main space on the left part of canvas, the branches leaded us deep into the far backgr ound, there we can see the peach forest in green and pink. The lines of curving branches make the scenery full of rhythm and movement. The arrangement on the blossoms is also very smart : more in the foreground, less in the middle, all in order, the composition is pr etty good.
ZHOU CHUNYA
Born in 1955, Zhou Chunya now holds the status of a respected within the Chinese contemporary art scene. His successful fusion of Western and Chinese styles, combined with his unique mode of expression, has made him one of the most influential contemporary artists working in China today. Precisely because Zhou's style is so distinctive, he was for many years seen as being outside the ma instream of contemporary art, but he has always remained popular with both private collectors and art museums, and his work has been a favorite topic of discussion for art critics. He ranks the top 5 according to the most influential Contemporary Art Market index published in Artprice in early 2013. In the early 1980s, when rural realism and scar art were the dominant styles, Zhou Chunya chose to travel to Tibet, where he used Impressionist approach to depict the daily lives of ordinary people living on the Tibetan Plateau. In these paintings, Zhou sought to identify the different for ms taken by the human spirit. In the mid-1980s, Zhou left home again to go and study in Ger many, where he studied the techniques and artistic philosophy of modern Western styles such as impressionism, cubism, and neo-expressionism. Zhou's return to China coincided with the Tiananmen demonstrations and the subsequent massacre; this was a time when many artists were starting to focus on serious issues relating to social change and human destiny. Zhou kept apart from this trend, instead dedicating himself to a process of artistic exploration in which he produced a series of portraits and abstract paintings of human figures that were highly experimental in nature. The art market's response to Zhou's work from this period was very favorable. Zhou went on to produce a number of masterpieces that successfully fused Chinese and Western aesthetic concepts, including his Flower, Stone and Red Stone series. The appearance of the Red Man series marked a dramatic break with Zhou's previous artistic style; the bright red flesh and erotic postures of the figures shown in these paintings exude a strong feeling of sexual desire. The concept behind the earliest paintings of peach blossoms was to express the beauty of life rather than a simple expression of love.
In traditional Chinese literati painting, one of the most fr equent themes is the “Four Gentlemen,” plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum. Besides the actual depiction of the flowers and plants themselves, these paintings were also used as a means of symbolically exploring or portraying the literati artist’s own character. However, peach blossom was not part of the subject matter for paintings of this type. Where peach blossom does appear in traditional Chinese culture is as a symbol or metaphor in love poems. Zhou Chunya is on record as saying that love had a major impact on the Peach Blossoms series. The gorgeous scenes with their red petals are often accompanied by a red human figure, symbolizing passion. As the art critic Lu Peng put it, “The peach blossom represents Zhou Chunya’s feelings; in the world he depicts, where the peach blossom and branches are constantly growing and unfolding, his heart is also opening out. The great artists of the past used their paintings to remind later generations of the majesty of the natural world, and of the freedom of the spirit that their brushstrokes embodied. Life today teaches artists the importance of being true to oneself … Zhou’s peach blossom does not belong to the material world; it reflects the impermanence and flux that characterizes China today. Zhou Chunya often starts work on several canvases all at the same time. There is no timetable, only a spur to action; there is no plan, but there are results. Everything that is represented in these paintings derives from the freedom of the artist’s own soul .” Zhou uses his own unique method to engage in dialog with the painters of the past through the medium of peach blossom painted in oils on canvas.
Looking back on the inspiration on this series, it was in the spring in 2005, while on holiday at Longquanshan near Chengdu, Zhou started to notice the peach blossoms that covered the hills. He found himself deeply attracted by the wild, gaudy aspect of the peach blossom, and as a result was inspired to begin work on the Peach Blossoms series. It just so happened that around this time, Zhou came across a calligraphy scroll attributed to the Late Qing calligrapher Gong Yourong (who had been born in the same region as Zhou). The characters on the scroll read: The lake smiles at the distant mountain scenery, while the breeze blows up little peach blossoms on the water surface. The romantic style of this couplet reflects the refined taste of the literati of the past, while at the same time the lines have slightly erotic overtones; the scroll thus seems to echo the theme underpinning Zhou's Peach Blossoms series. The works in this series represent a continuation of the use of gaudy, tantalizing colors seen in Zhou's Red Man series; they represent a shift away from Chinese literati painting's traditional emphasis on depicting the Four Gentlemen (orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and plum blossom), and an injection of erotic passion into the restraint and elevated sentiments with which literati painting is associated.In 2005, Zhou embarked on a new process of experimentation, seeking to combine the Red Man and Peach Blossoms images. Bringing these two series together created a peculiar chemical reaction. The gorgeous peach blossoms and the human figures engaged in sexual congress beneath them became fused; basic human instinct, both concealed and illuminated by the peach blossom, acquired a sense of dynamic integrity, while the red figures were simplified to become symbols of desire. The rough red lines sprawled wantonly across the canvas, filling the work with a feeling of vitality and energy. In describing this series, Zhou Chunya said that Amidst a swirling mood of color, the paintings give release to fantasy that has its source in the sincerity of instinct; within a vast background, the natural aspect of the human being is thoroughly liberated and allowed to ‘explode' – a gentle explosion!
From 2007 onwards, this series began to change. The depiction of the red people became more concrete, and the peach blossom became more realistic; there was also a more complete fusion of the human figures into the environment. The mood became gentler and calmer; the dazzling peach color gradually faded, the previously naked red people became clothed, and new symbolic elements – such as skeletons – began to be incorporated into the scene . Gentle violence was transformed into reserved and subtle tenderness. “Peach Blossoms” is one of Zhou Chunya’s masterpieces in recent year. It depicts beautiful scenery with the branches of peach blossoms trembling in the air. The big flowers take up the main space on the left part of canvas, the branches leaded us deep into the far backgr ound, there we can see the peach forest in green and pink. The lines of curving branches make the scenery full of rhythm and movement. The arrangement on the blossoms is also very smart : more in the foreground, less in the middle, all in order, the composition is pr etty good.