In the remote universe, how human beings ascertain their existence in the heaven and earth with time passing by?

The answer exists in the concrete relationship.

In many versions of Chinese translation of Bible, an important sentence in Luke gospel has been mistranslated as: “the land of promise is in your heart” for many years. In fact the original meaning is “the promised land is in your midst”. The former leads people to a misconception of self-improvement rather than revealing the true meaning of Bible—“the land of promise is established upon the harmonious relationship among people.”

The French great depth psychologist J. Leconrad told us in his famous “mirror stage” theory: when a infant is pleasantly surprised to see his or her face in the mirror, the first self- ascertain begins. The reflection in the mirror prompts the formation of the infant’s psychological “self concept”. Even though this is only a virtual image reflected by a two-dimensional substance, it bears no less truth and evidence than the “self image” of an adult. One parlance I approve is that: our self- image is formed in the process of self-identification with another integrated object. In other word, “Men are a kink in the world” (according to San Auxubury) .We ascertain our existence through our relationship with the entire world around us. Therefore, this kind of relationship not only incarnates the value of our life but also is the root cause of any impulse for artistic expression.

Pangyongjie named his painting volume created in 1990’s and published in early 2000 which in it self contains the effect after the established relationship between men and other things. It also tells us that the special relationship entering the painter’s sense had already existed in his paintings. Not mention the painter’s artistic attitude that emphasizes on keeping his distance from “conservatism, eager for quick success and instant benefit and conceptual art”, what he focus on and touch with his heart is just the relationship between human beings ourselves, and between men and other things.

In his oil paintings created in late 1990’s, Chinese classical drama characters wearing masks and some unknown contemporary figures were juxtaposed in one picture as an emphasis on historical touch. Or he would employ some typical symbols of Chinese ancient classical architecture as the background of his paintings once in a while, such as The Temple of Heaven. In this type of his works, the drama figures are generally in tidy clothing; even their hats or headwears were portrayed in details. In contrast, though appearing in the same painting the contemporary figures are naked yet with quite calm and peaceful expression that is quite different from that of the drama characters. In this scene,

the strain, the conflict and the traditional odour of the drama character contradistinguish with the wateriness and the indifferent expression of contemporary figures thus forms an internal tension. If we take a closer look we will find that although the two groups of people were put in the same setting but their line of sight are not blended. That is to say, there seems no communication between them but full of indifference and vagueness in their relationship. Perhaps we could tell that just this external alienation closely bonds them together in nature. From this perspective in his paintings we can learn the painter’s complicated feelings and his point of view towards the relationship between tradition and modern, history and culture.

In other oil paintings created at about the same period of time, he handled his figures in a more lucid manner and gradually formed his unique individual style: round heads, chubby limbs, very gentle and in an intimate state. In many of his works we could find intimate even erotic scene: the figures embrace or kiss each other tenderly deeply immersed in their own world enjoying the soul and flesh of each other as if there is no one else present but themselves. As one of the strongest human desire- -ardor always goes with oppression, anxiety, abruption and internal violence. Even in the process of releasing the lust, this tension would last till the end. Generally speaking, lust is called desire when it is kept in one’s heart and will be satisfied when given vent to. Then the desire is replaced by boundless emptiness. That’s why those untempered carnalists would end up losing their desire. Further more, as the most important interpersonal relation—love is so ephemeral and uncertain always getting us into a helpless circumstance because there’s no promise for long-term commitment to comfort our lonely and passing life. Everything is written in water and in vain. We can say that interpersonal anxiety is the root cause of modern neurosis. The above-mentioned severe tension and abruption, emptiness and desperation are found everywhere in the contemporary artist’s expression for human desire and interpersonal relationship. It truly reflected the state of human dissimilation under various stress. Yet those figures in Pangyongjie’s work are generally free and peaceful, like newborn babies ignorance of any agony and anxiety. Their entangled bodies, gentle comportment, peaceful gesture distinguish Pang’s works from the excitement, tremble and uncontrolled emotion even torture, desperation and bloody scene generally adopted in this kind of theme. In some works with many figures, his figures are always naked without taking any precaution or cover no matter what settings they are placed— bathing, playing music instruments, reading, talking or sex scene. Moreover, everybody is in a quiet and slovenly state no matter as a participant or a stander-by, as if they live in Xanadu, a paradise without the lure of the snake, a peaceful time without national conflict, war and chaos, no men being enslaved by money and desire. Under his brush, all the gulfs between people are removed, people trust each other, and the tranquility and sweetness permeate the whole picture demonstrating his genuine belief in pure and positive relationship between people. If super-modern art expresses th desperation for human destination and chaos of the world, interprets some mendacious loftiness and canting ideology, destroys the money oriented torii established on mendacity then we can be assure that Pang’s works is a endeavor to reconstruct the belief of human kindness and Pang employs a brand new artistic language providing a unique model for contemporary painting. 　In many of Pang’s works created since the end of last century, a profile of an artistic image becomes more and clear; this image is born out of many characters he has drawn. Once in a while, it comes out of the leisurely self-sufficient body as well as the painting frame and quietly approaches us and our real life—

In the deep and serene forest, at the quiet midday

The Sun sheds light on various plants, the lackadaisical wild flowers quietly enjoy the light and warmth coming from this star far away and by their unfolding petals and leafstalks they echo the arrangement of the universal order.

A clear creek is trickling, there comes a blast; the cloud is floating in the sky high above… Suddenly a nameless force harshly drew our eyes to a half-man half-animal creature. Sometimes it lurks in the grass, and sometimes roams at a brook or in a jungle. Instantly, we would have a strong feeling that the world around us is much different from just now.

This sculpture created by Pantyongjie has a plumpy breast and round hip as well as robust limbs

as strong as that of polar bear’s. When people see it walking on four limbs, they cannot help but

laughing amusively, as it looks silly and funny. Its lucid sculpts and cartoon style bring easy and happy atmosphere. However, after careful observation, you would be surprised at its broad back and robust limbs, on the commanding big head there’s no eyes or hairs, alone with its steel like neck invariably shows a formidable force.

What is interesting is that in fact this impression is not trustworthy, as anytime you may overthrow your judgment made one minute earlier. You may later find it funny instead of frightening: what a tame and docile, easy and comfortable”half-man half beast” it is.

As far as I’m concerned, facing this almost bisexual artistic image, all my feeling was in a constant change. The only unaltered feeling is the upset towards that human like creature that grovels on the ground quietly which contains both the humanity and beastliness, has both peaceful and unpredictable dangerous elements. It haunts in the light of the day like a ghost, or suddenly appears in the forest, at the bank even on the crowded street. They roam alone or in groups, pass through the zebra crossing in apple-pie order, or walk beside the galloping taxi, get alone with travelers, loiter around 　near the red wall of the Imperial Palace, even stand in front of a big billboard or on the smooth office floor of a sky-scraper. In these astonishing scenes, we may notice that most people in the photos including citizens, travelers pay no attention to one or a group of this oddities beside them. Except for the artist himself, only in two or three places, it arouses curiosity: a child touches it on the grass， an old women watches it when walking in the lane. The child puts his hands on its big belly, yet his eyes sight was attracted by something else, and he was looking at the same direction with an old man beside him. Then could we say that this sculpture did not surprise them, just like a person or an animal you could find anywhere? Though the old woman showed surprise expression in her eyes, obviously, she approached it without dodging. In Pangyongjie’s “grass series”, a group of adults standing in a line played the game “eagle capture chickens”, as if they were young again. Yet, behind them you can see a group of those astonishing busters were walking through the grass in a line.

“Half human half-beast” – as a sculpture, its background and the audience are indispensable part of it, and the three constitute a profound relationship.

In Pangyongjie’s work, his figures have their own manner and they are in complete harmony. Both the standers-by in the painting and the viewers were assimilated by the magical power of the painting demonstrating a kind of self-identification without estrangement. Here, no matter the figures in the painting or the viewers are in complete harmony, and they are easy and free. However, compared to his paintings, Pang’s scenery sculptures bring about much more complicate feelings. The sculptures are both compatible and estrange with the environment and the viewers in the photos. Furthermore, the sculpture brings a tense, eerie, mysterious and uncertain feeling impacting the audience’s senses at first sight. We cannot help but asking what on earth does this unnatural oddity bring to this world?

An important America modern poet Wallace Stevenson once describing a symbolic crock in his famous poem” An anecdote of a crock”:

I put a round crock

on the top of mountain Tennessee.

The disordered wildness

surrounded the mountain.

The wildness upsurge the crock,

Creep around, then no more desolation.

Here a common crock is quite different from an “artistic” crock. The artistic perspective will change the environment and the world even the relationship between men and nature. A wood, a creek or a blatant busy street would not remove their solitude essence in nature because there’s no human spiritual creation involved. We can imagine that before the “Human beast” sets its foot in the forest, river or in the busy street, the original order of the world was only the order of nature and earthbound order. Once these artworks are placed inside, a mysterious power will change all the original relationship and establish a new form and order, just like Stevenson’s theory: Artistic creation makes the indifferent nature and earthbound matter no longer desolate. The super realism style of art verifies the explanation for “super realism” by Broad: art reflects the last romantic attempt aiming to break through the bind of established rules and to allow something full of life to replace the old ones.

Pang’s earlier sculpture works apply colophony as material that delivers a substantial impression. For his latest works he applies highly reflective and clear stainless steel material which would absorb light around and distort the light, Thus, on one hand, these artwork will affect its surrounding directly, on the other hand through the mysterious mirror effect, it focuses and distorts its background at the same time. All these combined effects pose more shock to human senses. When this image that has both animality and undercover a human shape quietly appears in our everyday life, likes a gigantic swirl it swollen everything nearby into its enigmatic body, provides us one or more perspectives to experience the relationship between person to person, human and the world, and indicate infinite possibility of improving it.

To make a comprehensive view of Pang’s sculpture, no matter in manifesting the relationship between men and history, traditional culture and the world or the relationship among people, he tries his best to keep away from the earthly or uncouth atmosphere. In his works, the relationship between subject and object, individual and society was expressed through reverting to the painting’s spiritual achievement. Artwork is not a nature product. Yet artists just rely on their works to accomplish this creative glory through the power that keep us away from nature and at the same time waken the nature. (Belloc)

作者：Lanlan