薛耀军XUE美国个展《回忆芳庄》

The Memories of Fangzhuang

薛耀军XUE

中国艺术家薛耀军XUE,2018年10月12日在美国费城E-Moderne Gallery个展开幕。

　　薛耀军个展“回忆芳庄”将展出艺术家最新创作的系列油画。芳庄是艺术家的故乡,亦是作品的背景地,芳庄地处中国南部,具有江南水乡的气韵。薛耀军试图将他记忆中的芳庄与当下的现实结合,以超现实主义的叙事构建了一个魔幻又神秘的世界,这个世界原始、静谧,如同工业文明前的农耕文明,在这个缓慢、淳朴的自然世界里,艺术家尝试用似曾相识却被人遗忘的情节呼吁美好人性的回归。

　　中国社会在经历了快速的经济发展后,目前进入了问题暴露阶段,拜金主义、信仰缺失等等社会弊端使得人们的精神出现了污染。艺术家认为,他从大都市返回故乡,不仅仅是一种对于城市文明的背弃和逃离,更是一种对于业已逝去的旧时光的回归。乡村文明孕育了艺术家的人格气质和精神世界,亦是他内心情感的终极载体。薛耀军的这种回归精神,与高更近似。十分巧合的是,他画作中同样出现了皮肤黝黑健美的少女和向日葵等元素,与高更在大溪地描绘的非常同步。

　　从绘画语言上来看,薛耀军的作品融合了表现主义、具象主义等多重流派,毫不隐藏的 “德加式”大笔触体现出艺术家出众的绘画能力。“怀念芳庄”展览试图呈现的艺术图景超出了亚洲当代艺术的范畴,是一次普世的精神救赎和净化。

　　Xue Yaojun’s solo exhibition “The Memories of Fangzhuang” present the artist’s latest series of oil paintings. (Fangzhuang is located in the south of China and has the charm of the infamous Jiangnan Style.) The hometown of the artist, and the subjects of his new collection.

Background of the exhibition:

　　The artist saw the problem of rapid economic development in his country, exposed social ills such as money worshiping and lack of belief have polluted the society. Ultimately his decision is to abandon the suffocating metropolis as the only viable solution to replenished his artistic spirit. He long for the rejuvenation offered by the rural communities, hope it will nurture his temperament and cultivated him spiritually.

The inspiration of the Artworks:

　　Xue Yaojun's Fangzhuang is a primitive and quiet. A slow pace and a simple naturalistic world, just like the farming culture before the invasion of industrial civilization in China. Combining his memory with the present reality, Xue created a mysterious world with the surrealistic narrative. It is beautiful and magical. The artist wanted to hold on to this familiar but yet fast forgotten world, he hopes his viewers will slow down and return to the pure simple humanity for a short moment to share the magic through his artworks.

Critic’s Observation:

　　Xue had never encountered the work of French artist Paul Gauguin, coincidentally the longing to escape the society they shared. Gauguin over a century ago made an escape to the island of Tahiti. While Xue escapes to his hometown. The elements on their paintings such vigorous young natives, brilliant colored flowers, simplistic approach to the landscape can draw synchronized parallel to their works.

Artistic Style:

　　Xue Yaojun's works incorporate multiple disciplines such as expressionism, figurative, representational, impressionism. but no one dominant style represents it all. Besides the obvious Gauguin influences, the barely exposed Degas-like dark palette that bore the influence of Dutch painting gave way to the use of vivid colors and bold brushstrokes. Like a "snapshots," freezing moments of time to portray his subjects accurately, imparting a sense of movement. Reflect the Xue's extraordinary capacity regarding painting.

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