Collection review

Baiming removes all unnecessary specific explanations in his drawings, only reserves the microcosm of material world and resting state, which is similar with demonstrating everything under microscope, and magnifier. The visual language of Specific explanation is lost, and only purely visual elements are observed. This microcosmic and static element is not the organism of microscope, and magnifier, but familiar earth and color with which Baiming makes pottery. The original unpredicted changes through burning in kiln are already familiar to him. Between the materiality (predictable part) and the non-materiality(unpredictable part), visual words have to stay in vague and ambiguous state. Therefore, exquisite reception ability of Baiming is fully exerted on transitional zone between consciousness and unconsciousness to observe image in-position through amplifying details of material. He depends on these simple, pure molecules to promote his spiritual state into plain and simple level without unnecessary decoration. Hence what Baiming’s drawings demonstrated is “abstraction” of mental state with open. It is therefore not the independent, self-providing and enclosed abstraction which is developed by western drawing. The former emphasizes on artistic conception, and the later pays attentions to pattern.

The creative work that Baiming has been exploring since 1995 is a pretty risky and lonely journey in the artistic environment of mainland in China. The young generation never lacks in followers who hurry to catch up with installation art trend, or producers who are trying to provide the totem of “exotic feelings” or “political scar” that are eagerly pursued by western world. Only the artists like Baiming who chooses the creation direction of neither traditional regulations nor following the majority. Of course there are pretty intensive psychologic factors and breakthrough objective of his character. His self-conscious of root and local consciousness makes him differ from young artist following the western world. Although the abstraction model of creation is closely correlated with western abstraction art from the prospective of vision, only when studying his contents and techniques of drawings in detail, we can truly understand that his simple and plain works are considerably different from the abstraction drawing from the western world. If we understand that “Wuyu” has different context meanings in Chinese and Japanese language, it is easy to know the drawing process of Baiming, which demonstrates that there are different drawing context understandings in modern western and Chinese art system. Therefore the abstract word in Baiming’s drawings is not identical to abstractism from the west.

Art reviewer Lu Rongzhi


--------------------------------------------------------------------

Facing with the drawings of Baiming, it is very difficult for me to perform rational judgement owing to in visual instinct reaction, I have been immersed in a harmonious atmosphere just like listening to the music alone and entering the emotional world created by the music unconsciously; it is so clear, delicate, pure, soft and occasionally exciting life impulse and flowing sentiment waves. The general impression these works give me is silent and warm.
In his art, the real spiritual resources come from local culture. He is aware that a spiritual support must be obtained from local culture to make it possibly differ from the pattern of western world. It is the admiration for local culture that makes his works have culture foundation differing from the west. No matter the warmth and moistening like silk and bamboo from south of China, or magnificently mutual echo, they can all convey an ancient and long culture atmosphere. Here reveals both artistic style of literature with silence and elegance, and reflects Han-Tang pattern with depth and profoundity. Baiming never adopts deep and intensive color, and his drawings basically maintain grey and black. Those quite grey works can easily bring us back to spacious and peaceful water-ink world. Those dignified black works often take us to meaningful and profound level created by North products. Therefore, even though his works seemingly originate from abstract art of the west in form, the profound national culture foundation adds a classic “Chinese Tone” for his works.

If we observe the drawings of Baiming from the prospective of form, it is easy to feel an ordered existence and effective arrangement for equilibrium and rhythm. He combines and arranges different visual elements to create an abstract structure with order, which makes the order of things not a meaning-dependent objective distribution state but a precise visual discrimination with simple difference of abstract world. Everything is bathing in a pure ideal world like crystal(says Lorter). It is just through the “precise visual discrimination” that makes it possible to introduce abstract art into a pure language state. However, most of artists of mainland all neglect or ignore the promotion from the level of language, which makes their works difficult to reach purity, even more difficult to reach class. The drawings of Baiming make me see hope. In China, the abstract art needs both supplement of local culture spirit and support of integrated form rules, which are simultaneously demonstrated by the art works of Baiming. Chinese abstract art will have its own future by the simultaneous developments.

Art reviewer Jia Fangzhou


--------------------------------------------------------------------

In his works of recent years, his whole mind activity and intuition sensibility are combined organically, and culture consciousness and material application are combined organically, which makes his art level reach new promotion. Now, in his works, oriental culture connotation is not demonstrated by signs, but predicted by the whole structure, grain and color. His whole art qualities and creation passion are penetrating into the deep level of works where the vivid soul was formed, as well as a profound, natural and wide world. Baiming of this time has become a one with personality and academic height.

I can not find where the word of “color temperature” comes from. However, I think it is appropriate to use it for commenting on the drawings of Baiming which truly produce a “common feeling” visually. This is not resulting from his material is general, but resulting from his extremely mastering on property of material. During the years of his journey in the field of ceramic and drawing, what he achieves is the knowing feelings for materials. On his own words, when he draws too much sometimes, he wants to go to kiln for pulling flan, hitting mud plate. The chance and expecting mentality during the process of pottery forming and burning make people yearn towards the magic of substance changes. When coming back to drawing, the characteristic of quality for materials is emphasized, and visual feelings of materials are reserved subconsciously. In these two types of arts, he gets the happy feelings of “comprehend by analogy” and “reach the same goal by different routes”. What is more important is his art feelings are just like going through burning of kiln, which makes it more delicate and keen. Therefore, the level of his works is not only about contents, but also about feelings, and this is the personal characteristic which is not repeated by other artists. On those surface possessing texture of pot earth, extemporaneous inspiration during drawing process is demonstrated, and accomplishment accumulated by Baiming is also manifested. The so-called “color temperature” is namely color and brightness possessing warmth, and natural life form which can give people eternal meanings.

As for Baiming, the materials he chooses are necessary results of his years of experiences. When he fully exerts the materiality of any material, all the images in his drawings are just newly starting life with completely free breath and rhyme. This art approach may be considered to be an effort and establishment of Chinese artist responding modern west drawings.

Art reviewer Fan Di’an
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The integrated material tests of Baiming are based on three abundant foundations; the sensitivity for material media, study and inheritance for abstract language of Chinese tradition and practical orientation of personal words.

He wants to reject ideology invasion by the purity of form and value of characteristic, and rebuild the history functions of art by difference of art and reality; meanwhile he wants to build art basing on a series of subjects of rethinking, therefore the concept of works is beyond the value of language experiment. He also tries to come back to the height of history rationality from anabrotic material reality and find the possibility of rebuilding human value there. Thus, Baimnig has to be a formalist, person experiencing life and historicist simultaneously.

Art reviewer Zhang Xiaoling, Meng Luxin
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The works of Baiming are more like a combination which is exploring Chinese oil paintings edge of these years.

Art reviewer Yin Shuangxi
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The works of Baiming have three directions: one is people, most of which have demonstrations; one is rationality, and one is randomness. As the process of demonstrating materials, neither manifestation nor pure rationality is emphasized. I like his works which possess randomness in rationality, and this thing has its foundation. His rationality color is not cold abstraction of the west, and as far as I concern, his works which possess heat out of cold is in-position observation in anxiety. He melts the anxiety from reality into an in-position observation, and I think this work reaches a higher level.

I think this is a wish of reflection for traditional culture spirit and philosophy in modern times. No matter from his works or the subject of drawings, this dream and wish can be observed. The works above mentioned are more magnificent and magnanimous.

Art reviewer Liu Xiaochun


--------------------------------------------------------------------

Baiming chooses pure journey, which is actually the choice for his own self essence. His art feelings, awareness and experience are formed during the process of pottery creation for the experience of quality, texture and time. Drawing means artistic purity for him, and his purity for materials is elevated to become spiritual significance in the context of drawing, which is quite difficult to be accomplished by the practical property of pottery itself. In his recent “Wuyu” series, Baiming no longer adopts non-artistic culture sign, although these signs may possess formal significance in certain conditions, instead he enters a spiritual state. From the subtitle of “Wuyu” we can tell, such as “center state” and “silent field” et al. these works are demonstrated by the form of abstract drawing, however, drawing materials are not adopted, and his main components are pot earth, architecture painting and sand. The color is naturally grey condition, and the form should be a combination of natural state and design awareness. Significance possessed by the form or drawing form here is not only visual relationship but also sign of pure art, or it is planar collection art which can possibly enter the context of anti-art. From the prospective of drawing relationship, Baiming changes the property of materials and makes it the language of drawing. However, this media purity is not like Moris Louis who has personal experiences for drawing materials, but an experience for non-drawing media materials and is realized in the context of drawing. This experience is the realization of Baiming’s art experience, life experience and mental state in media material and form. Hence it is also individual representation sign which can not be interchangeable. Surely it is the realization of individual value.

Art reviewer Yi Ying


--------------------------------------------------------------------

From the bottom of my heart, I really like his works. One of the reasons is his works are magnanimous, generous and natural, which gives me rare shaking. The abstract art level of Baiming contains no specific shape, regular shape, and it is simple, easy, clever and trends to a pure level with enriched emotions and philosophical principles(as for this, the review of Lu Rongzhi is quite accurate, no repeat here). The unification between integrity in shape and meaning of deeper level is the very difficult problem that faces with the development of abstract art, just as Misafu said, the key of abstract art is finding itself, finding the most essence, and adopts proper techniques to demonstrate the things hiding in our deeper heart(History of Abstract Painting, Chinese translation edition, P30). This difficult problem is conquered by Baiming unintentionally(the hard process is only known on his own), which is exceptionally commendable. Another reason is his special sensitivity and appropriate control for materials. In these works, he massively adopts composite materials such as sand, culture signs, et al. therefore, it is called “Wuyu”(namely the language of things, words of things, level of things) would be appropriate. However, his “Wuyu” is neither rough nor impudent, and it is warmth and moisten like silk and bamboo of south of China, magnificent echo(says Jia Fangzhou). His “Wuyu” is not directly turning to vision and touch sensation, but turns to sense of hearing and soul. This oriental material concept of “heart-thing” makes the works of Baiming have particular charm which is distinct from composite material art from the west. Thus his “Wuyu” is just like our tea ceremony which is worthy of carefully tasting.

Art reviewer Chen Xiaoxin