Classical Tale No.20

作品賞析

Cheng Nung-Hsuan’s “Classical Tales” series applies elements of Western medieval and Renaissance painting—shapes, composition, colors, etc.—and extends them by fusing them with contemporary concepts. He combines smeared brushstrokes and twisted lines through special techniques and paints them on the outermost layer of the work in order to obstruct viewers’ vision. With such techniques, he broadens the room for them to apply their own visual imagination and interpretive possibilities. Classical Tale No. 20 shows the outline of an arched window, a common compositional element in classical paintings, so that viewers will have the sense of looking through a window at a more distant, expansive space. We can see semi-abstract forms of two people interacting in front of the window, but it is difficult to tell what they are doing. They keep a safe distance from each other. The addition of many twisting, colorful lines seems to indicate the richness and complexity of their interaction.