The Modernity of Lacquer – On Wang tianliang’s art
By YU ding
PHD of Art History,
Vice Chief of College of Arts and Science,Center Academy of Fine Arts

We need to only express our respectation towards a man who persist creation in lacquer painting for over 40 years.What’s the quality of lacquer which attract a man to admire it intensely for over 40 years? Or, what kind of man can devote his whole life in one thing? I try to find the anwers in Wang’s art.

Although I never met Wang before, but his fame in lacquer painting yes.Although my knowledge of lacquer painting is only from the chapter of ancient lacquer utensil and painting in the fine art history, but I’m surprised by the enthusiasm held towards the traditional crafts and techniques from the contemporary.Among today’s contemoprary arts which persue more and newer materials,Wang’s art holds a unique attraction.

Wang is extraordinarily diligent,concentrated and open-minded.Thanks to his diligent, his works are countless.The complex crafts and procedure of lacquer absorb much time and energy of Wang,they demand hard working and updating innovation and wisdom,even the physical pain brought by the lacquer material.He’s open-minded on the usage of different art forms:painting,sculpture,furniture and even coffin, he manage these variety of forms quite well to express different subjects.But a variety of forms and subjects don’t influence his concentration on lacquer,is the same of some contemporary artists who focus on the transformation of conception, expression of new media and description of a specific subject, Wang focuses on the contemporary interpretation of a traditional material.

A particular note for a unique modernity of his works brought from the concentrations we mentioned towards lacquer, especially Chinese traditional lacquer.His works are magical combination of modernism elements with Chinese traditional crafts:subject,form,symbol,structure of graphic color,language,brush stroke and texture……all the elements of Modernism came in Wang’s works,but meticulously follow the traditional lacquer crafts and procedure.Inevitably the material can conflict with ideology during the creation,and this confict is exactly what Wang need to face constantly.Whether he’satisfied with his works or not, largely depend on a proper resolution dealing with the relationship inbetween the form and material.

In fact,the discussion about modernity is a key topic not only in Chinese contempoary arts,but internationaly as well,because it links to the so-called ccontemporary.After experiencing the tides of Chinese contemporary art market,we have been cross over the limits set by the Western modernity,and to discuss further the modernity of China.We are against the saying that modernity is only from the West,but to emphasize a Chinese characteristic modernity.Wang’s art reveals to us the discovery of modernity which rooted in tradition and region,which becomes a way to understand the features of modernity, a way of interpreting contemporary art.

Wang’s work can be read,observed,taste and meditated.If you just simply pass the gallery, what you will see is only the technicolor on the surface,the strong emotions,the polished surface or the rough texture.While you would feel quite differently if you stay longer in front of his works-inbetween black and white,popular and elegant,bright and dark,smooth and rough-the particular charm of lacquer brings a brand new contemporary experience,it is like the other experiences we can gain from the contemporary arts, to become an important chapter in the culture scenery today.

July 25th ,2011 in Pudong,Shanghai