Banana tree and monument

作品賞析

Artist Hsieh Mu-Chi is accustomed to transforming elements from the works of previous generations of Taiwanese artists into his own creative materials, so the banana tree, which often appears in the works of the earlier artists, has naturally become one of his focuses. This unusual banana tree, with rope and foliage forming a right triangle, reminded him of the way the US military planted flags on Iwo Jima to take publicity photos at the end of World War II. Hsieh Mu-Chi sometimes creates by “thinking while painting,” allowing the works to develop naturally during the creative process which in turn generates unexpected effects in the end. For the use of color, the artist emphasize contrast tone, with dark tones in the background and brighter green to highlight the main banana tree. His method of incorporating literary and historical themes into his creative work also stems from his philosophy of life: “Daily observation and historical review may bring inspiration or answers to the confusion of the future.”