In the Depth of Character Sculptures: Impression of Liu Yonggang’s Works

　　Mr. Shao Dazhen, professor from Central Academy of Fine Arts, doctoral tutor, historian of Chinese fine art, renowned critic of fine arts, chief editor of Journal of Fine Arts 　　‘Transformed’ Chinese characters, or rather, large sculptures based on Chinese characters and connected into groups, are pioneered by Liu Yonggang. There is an intrinsic reason for him to be so courageous as to take this step. His understanding of art seemed to have experienced a leap from a physical level to a new, higher one. Art is not only the direct reflection of real life, but the artistic rendering of it for the purpose of inspiring the sense of power and beauty, and to arouse imagination. Artists are free to choose a wide range of subjects and to establish their own styles, but their freedom is subject to restriction in various aspects. The restriction not only lies in viewers’ aesthetic level, but also derives from artists’ own qualifications—their reserve of knowledge and skills, and their preparedness in vision and cultivation. Like scientific experiments, artistic creations allow for bold assumptions and forecasts, but the final results are in many respects conditioned by artists’ knowledge and cultivation. Despite accidental factors, so far as art is concerned, it is unimaginable that a person ill-equipped in knowledge and culture can use his talent to the fullest extent possible; it is equally unimaginable that a person could succeed at the first go in artistic innovation without experience derived from long-time practice. 　　Liu Yonggang made a name as an artist in the 1980s. Shepherdess of Northern Sala, a prize-winning work at the first national art exhibition, not only displayed his outstanding talent, but it also expressed his desire for innovation. The human figure and the general effect of that painting convey a sublime serenity. Its classical realistic style appears so different from that of his latest works, the character sculptures named Embrace of Love. However, careful observation and thinking will reveal that both express the pursuit of a grand, rigorous classical spirit and a stable, stern power. The only differences are the change of medium and subject, a broader vision, and a higher level. The changes were caused by multiple reasons, such as influences during his study in Germany and his new ideas about creation. Liu thinks highly of the art of the modern German painter Max Beckmann (1884-1950). He is impressed by pregnancy of meanings in Beckmann’s works, and his concern for deep meanings under the surfaces of things. Inspirations from Beckmann’s art, his own life and artistic experience, his education in Han and Mongolian cultures, and his interpretation of the images of Chinese characters—these led to the creation of the sculptures named Embrace of Love. Though based on tersely structured hieroglyphic characters, they are not the representation of particular Chinese characters. Characters are modified to fit the theme of Embrace of Love—the opposition and unity between yin and yang, two basic powers of the universe. He ingeniously handled the contraction and expansion of the structure, the general image and the depiction of details. The use of black jade as the material strengthened the simple yet rich effect of the color. 　　The sculptures in Embrace of Love are half way between concreteness and abstraction. Instead of depicting human images, they convey the fundamental, universal power of feelings in human nature, which is not confined to the love between men and women. Viewers of different cultural levels will have different feelings about them, and that is of course what Liu expects. He seems to want them to derive certain mental satisfaction from communicating with his works, a communication that mixes understanding and the failure to understand.