Have you ever ever sought out the very best number of paper, highest high quality paints, or most-trusted model of apparatus solely to search out {that a} cheaper, extra available model really labored higher? That’s one thing Chinese language painter and calligrapher Wang Mansheng thinks about loads. Making his personal brushes from pure supplies, the artist considers how natural imperfections are sometimes in the end extra attention-grabbing than something produced “perfectly” in a manufacturing unit.
The artist’s solo exhibition at The Huntington, With out Us, envisions a world actually devoid of us, which he describes as a “pure land without humans, without pollution, without humans’ damage.” Comprising a collection of twenty-two ink work on silk scrolls suspended from the ceiling, the physique of labor highlights the interconnectedness of all dwelling issues. Beginning with the tools he makes use of, nature stays central in his apply.
A brief documentary produced by The Huntington delves into Wang’s course of of making his personal brushes from scratch, using stalks of grass and items of twine. “Manufactured things have a certain form,” the artist says. “Like a manufactured brush—they are all really fine. The factory is trying to make it as fine as they could. But when you use it, all the lines come out as smooth and beautiful. But sometimes, I think it’s too perfect.”
To convey out the character of previous bushes and dramatic cliffs in his work, Wang employs brushes that produce a rougher line or texture. Within the movie, he demonstrates how he transforms the tender, extensive bristles of tall reeds right into a instrument suited to his wants. Via trial and error, he taught himself easy methods to form and use completely different sizes and densities to realize a wide range of results. General, the feel mirrors age and publicity to the weather that form how bushes and rocks look over time.
Wang Mansheng: With out Us continues by August 5 in San Marino, California. Discover extra on the artist’s web site. (by way of Kottke)
