Published on the occasion of exhibition "Water - Tang Guo Photography" at ShanghART, Shanghai
In recent years, Tang Guo has worked on a series of paintings associated with water. He has also taken a group of photographs, all still with water, vertical in shape and black-and white in color. Photographically speaking, these works are fairly traditional both in terms of the ancient theme, and in the choice of color or the atmosphere created. Some well-known photographers claim that black-and-white photos contain color. Even so, the general view is still that black-and-white ones speak more of history, implying some sort of time span. Tang Guo's black-and-white pictures do conform to history. He deletes colors, trying to reflect on history in general, Chinese art history, particularly landscape history after the Five Dynasties (907-960). His obsession with water leads him to seek the footprints of ancient artists, to trace the water source in traditional landscape paintings.
The landscape includes mountains and rivers. Rivers are just like dragon-like ridges winding through mountains. A water source was one of the most important factors of old in choosing land and building villages, for the people in those days believed that water was associated with good fortune. It is universally accepted that a water source determines fengshui for a village, for where there is a water source, there must be mountains, streams and rapids. In order to hold back quick water, they built towers in rapids, planted trees near slow water so that shoals and pools are always seen at a water source. The water is deep yet transparent, on its banks pagodas and temples were built, while bridges were built spanning it, too. As water is the ridge of mountains, it has a posture while it moves and makes a sound when it goes. So ancient artists found it difficult to capture, and instead they often tried to represent its soul and spirit, approaching it from a distance.
Tang Guo represents the landscape seen by artists of old through a camera. He focuses on some things associated with water by taking close-up shots. With water as the only theme, he catches the moment when water pauses for a break in its rapid path. Such an attempt has enabled him to try to catch nature, historical spirit and the humanity within. In his shooting, water seems like an inkwell, filled with views of nature seen by people of yore. Such views appear so real and so solid that they are brimming with the spirit of ink and wash in their reverted reflections.
It matters little whether a reflection is viewed upside-down or upright. But a reflection is after all a reflection---it is inevitably an illusion. These photographic works do not involve strokes but are immersed in the same taste brought about by the ink and wash painting. They are not ink and wash paintings but they have reached its consummation. Tang Guo's photos have created an illusion which appears all the more charming from being based on the realistic feature of camera-work. Borrowing from the inclusive and broad nature of water, Tang Guo sets about his reflection and anatomy of traditional ink and wash. He also puts forwards his unique understanding of the link between photography and painting. Just like the flowing water, he follows his inclinations and sentiments, trying to seek a dialogue with people of old and he has succeeded in joining them via this group of photographic works.
Excerpt from "Facing a river, Confucius said, Time passes like this flowing river" by Tang Di, 2006
SPECIFICATIONS
Publisher: ShanghART
380*170
40 pages
Date of publication: 2003
Languages: Chinese, English
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