Zhang Xiaotao
Zhang Xiaotao was born on 1970 in Hechuan, Chongqing,
China, he lives and works in Beijing and Chengdu, China. He is an artist full of
enthusiasm and good at argument. He is so talkatively repelling that no one
could plunge himself into the conversation You could also be able to read his
articles about the paintings (See his article "The antibody of Paintings----,
issued on the 4th edition of "Art Contemporary" of 2006), or retrieve on his
internet bokee which keeps down his art thinking as well to detect out his idea
activities and the clear logic of his language. That he thinks so deeply makes
us writers who do writing as our profession feels ashamed. He is very
conservative, low-pitched and introspective.
This kind of contrasting impression makes me often recall some scenes and
situations within the circle of fine arts of the 80's last century in which
artists were striving for their art with stubborn impulse. At that age, any some
ones could talk over a cup of tea, a bottle of wine, several cigarettes all
night the subjects of art, life, future or anything grandiose or expecting.
Spleen of materials as the spirit, the 80's saw him a realistic choice for
idealism in a matter of fact. However, with the flying of time, when we confront
ourselves once again with the din of the age 20 years later we find that the
context in which we were exists no longer. This makes a remarkable contrast to
the present reality of today where one tries hard to be his own master, to
search for the collective consciousness of self realization and to search for
his or her interests in all his or her pursuit.
Zhang Xiaotao extends still the "feeling" of the 80's which stands not for the
individual entanglement of his psyche or emotion, but for the inner longings he
sensed. This longing is the direct projection and reflection of the "reality "of
an artist doggedly stuck to his art, and he confides that the modernism could
envisage the real of life and the reality itself. This is closely linked with
the social crisis which the modern history of China faces and also stands for
indispensability in the history of China and the one of the features of time in
China. What we called the issue consciousness of Zhang Xiaotao is to me the
reflection exerted on the historical trend of the modern art and an artist's
sensitiveness and his reflection, expression and ardent on the changes of
reality and conflicts. That is to say, his artistic activities tend to be of
some concrete aims on reality----on the social issues happening during the time
of society transformation and changes ass well as his experiencing and being at
this process. This is the main clue for interpreting Zhang's art.
However, Zhang's art concerns itself no longer merely with the involvement or
reflection of certain aspects of the social reality in China, but keep a
attitude of a real artist should have a in a conscious way, an attitude of
"being a margin", a distance away from pleasing the powerful and flattering
vulgarness in the art circle. This "marginal stand" is actually his holding-on
the position of a system of a more or less one, a system standing outside the
tendency of social culture. It is of a different structure to the social
mainstream consciousness and it is of a criticizing position against the social
mainstream ideology and the flattering phenomenon out it, a natural thing for
him to stand aside and to be an opposite. In an other word, due to the
development of market economy, riding of the commercial trends, cultural
globalization as well as the extension of mass media and visual culture because
of the progress of science and technology, the culture and art are becoming
vulgar and popular. While at the same time, with the speed-up of the life
rhythm, consumer's behavior makes men more practical and instant also weakened
constantly this kind of ardor facing against the social reality.
At this context, Zhang's art in fact constitutes an individual verbalism similar
to the circumstance of the present day's cultural reality but also of a
criticizing capacity. Or the aiming of his artistic activities are all ignited
by his real existence circumstance or drained from it. This feature is both of
his free selection of being a margin and wandering-about, and also of his
rebellion against tradition and the doubts about reality and worries. His works
is not for a taste of the aesthetic culture in prevailing, but a wrestle between
the social forces pro and against the social reality which is fighting hard, and
that is the real charm of his art.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS-
2006 * Beautiful Imbroglio, He xiangning Art Museum Shenzhen China
2005 * Dreamscapes Foundation3, 14 Bergen ,Norway * Dreamscapes M.K.Ciulionis
Nat. Museum of Art, Kaunas, Lithuania
2004 * Dream Factory-Rubbish heap Beijing Tokyo Art Projects Beijing
2003 * Materialistic Decay Gallery Akie Aricchi Art Contemporary Paris France
2002 * Desire Kunst Akademie Muenster Germany
2001 * Flowers in the Dream Tokyo Gallery Japan
Conclusions: Zhang Xiaotao had already established his own style and the impact
of the work had won him a strong reputation in Chinese art circles.
About the Author:
View Zhang Xiaotao paintings, biography, solo exhibitions, group exhibitions
and resource of Zhang Xiaotao. View art online at The Saatchi Gallery - London
contemporary art gallery.
Zhang
Xiaotao.