The Opening Easel Art, Dancers With Shackles
Comments on Chen Hai’s Series of Oil Painting the Youth
Yang Weimin
The Easel Art in the open times, “rebellion” isn’t something new, and its risk is getting lower and lower. There is no wonder that the competition on the degree of betraying becomes the most effective way to attract the eye balls. More and more elements which cannot be open in old times are rushing into the sight of the public; more and more art works begin to challenge the bottom line of people’s psychological endurance and moral. However, under the rush with dirty stuff the society becomes more tolerant. All kinds of bottom lines are getting lower. The curses which used to be the cause of a fighting have become modal particles. Easel Art is more and more popular, and then it can not be separate from others and begins to accept those sub-elements which can not be shown in the Easel Art publicly. The thoughts on how to judge it and how to take advantage of it become an important point for the artist and critics.
The first time that I saw Chen Hai’s work is when I came to the 22 Art District in Shenzhen for the second time. His works do attract me which reflect the impact from the video and AV culture. In CCTV’s words, there are some elements which can not talk publicly in the picture, including “rope art”, sadomasochism, Extrusion and anti-extrusion, which are full of sex indication, even something beyond understanding. Different people have different opinions on his works. There are his thoughts and critics about the society in the deeper level behind the pictures which seem to pursuit visual stimulation.
In some works such as the timely rain, raising the flag and grow up, apparently, there are political symbols. For example, the aflutter flag and submarine represent the passive and weak female images are lost in the false, big and empty promises. When the face is watered by the liquid which is not the timely rain, they still will to follow. Then an image of durance and shackles is shown jokingly.
In many of Chen Hai’s works, the gas mask is used as a symbol. There is sharp contrast between the way of actress to defend and her lazy gesture .The audiences can not tell which aspect is the truth, so can the actress either. In a society which tend to merchandise woman and merchandise the beauty, when the woman who are trapped by the social values and facing the lure, it is impossible to resist even with the gas mask.
However, Chen Hai’s critics do not stop here, but to explore deeper that when people ware trapped. In the youth series, the girl with smile dressed in the student uniform, but stockings and high-heel shoes. She stands on the fish tank which represents the traditional culture with exaggerated gesture, enjoying herself by dancing, and her face is full of contempt. Why? Along with the invasion of consuming culture, enjoyment first has become the undebatable value of children. But compared with the tricky adults who posses the majority of fortune and power, they are in the weak side. The result is pathetic—youth becomes the scarification of consuming culture. The innocent beauty is processed and sold by disgusting adult fun too early. At the same time, the effects are terrible; the blooming children have get use to suffer. When shackles on their feet are worn as a beautiful necklace, the ideology and social value will not be able to break out. The abused youth will vent in their capacity. In the works Try Prowess, the girl steps on a fragile banana severely by a high heel without expression…….
The painter paints innocent girls, red shoes, insolent limbs, and dancers with shackles, which show a distorted image of life to society. The malposition in his works impacts people’s vision, so that people can focus on the youthful blooded flower with their own view.
