Not salty, Not bland

作品賞析

After the passing of his mentor, artist Lin Shih-Yung expressed his melancholy through the brushstrokes in his work Not Salty, Not Bland. On a long canvas, two banana-headed figures, each holding a hose, water a giant pink plant in the center. A closer look reveals the words “salty” and “bland” at the ends of the water jets. This image was inspired by his grandmother’s remark, made when he was a child, after a plant she had planted died: “Too many nutrients kill the plant.” Lin used the words “salty” and “bland” to metaphorically represent the harm that can be caused by heedlessly giving without regard to the other party’s need. Lin Shih-Yung transitioned to acrylic, breaking free from the inertia of his previous oil painting practice and achieving a breakthrough. The two banana-headed figures, facing each other, not only create a shift in perspective for the viewer but also emphasize the idea that everyone has different perspectives and should not be overly subjective.