The
Gallery Gazetteer 
Exhibition by Qiu Shihua and Shi Jing,
the Magic of Imagination and Interpretation's Possibilities
by Agate Elie
 |
| "Fugitive
Visions" exhibition at the Chambers Fine Art gallery. Coutesy
of the Artist and Chambers Fine Art. |
Entering Chambers Fine Art's gallery was like being
in an empty white room. Yes, you could see painting shapes hanging
on the walls but nothing visible on the actual canvases. The “Fugitive
Visions” painting exhibition by Qiu Shihua and Shi Jing will
surprise you along your journey. Both artists are from China: Qiu
Shihua from the Sichuan Province and Shi Jing from the Yunnan Province.
At first glance, their work seems to have the same monochromatic
palette but the closer you get, the stronger color nuances reveal
and shapes appear on the canvas.
 |
Qiu
Shihua - Untitled
Coutesy of the Artist and Chambers Fine Art. |
Both artists talk about the importance of meditation.
The predominance of white and the interpretations so inspired evokes
meditative wisdom. When Christopher Mao, manager of the gallery,
introduced me to each painting, I discovered the magic of imagination
and interpretation's possibilities. Every painting has its secret
and each minute you spend watching them, you get a better understanding.
Each painting's interpretation depends on your mood. It means that
there is not one truth but a multitude.
Qiu Shihua and Shi Jing express the same philosophy
in two different ways. Qiu Shihua born in 1940, focuses his work
on landscapes. He was inspired by French impressionism and then
influenced by Doaism and became more intuitive. When Qiu Shihua
paints, he doesn't know what landscape will appear on the canvas.
As he explains “I seek for a certain flavor - a rhythm of
spirit and energy, so that the soul drifts in the painting, like
a shadow of the mind.” I would describe my experience of Qiu
Shihua's art as deep and imaginative. I stared at the big white
and beige untitled canvas for a long time to go in deeply and find
its secret. I saw an ocean storm, the Arizona desert and a peaceful
cloudy sky. There is not one truth but a multitude.
 |
Shi
Jing - "Liu Chao," 2010
Coutesy of the Artist and Chambers Fine Art. |
Shi Jing, thirty years younger than Qui, plays
more with visual angles and tricks with the audience. The subjects
are very diverse; it could be a landscape, an animal or a person.
At Chambers Fine Art, Shi Jing exhibits seven paintings and you
can see his art's evolution. The latest work has a touch of color
that catches your attention and I found it very intriguing. The
characteristics of this artist could be defined as “the clearness
hidden”. Indeed, if you look at the painting straight ahead,
you won't find its secret. The trick is go travel around the canvas,
from the extreme left to the extreme right.
I was very inspired by Shi Jing's work because
it requires a very specific method and it gives you many interpretations
when you discover what is under the white canvas. I was very fascinated
by the light impact on the subjects represented. Each work has two
sides to reveal. For example, when I was situated on the left hand
side of the painting titled “Liu Chao” depicting a boy,
I felt joy and happiness. Viewing the right hand side, I felt sadness
and nostalgia for the boy. There is not one truth but a multitude.
[By Agate Elie]
The exhibition continues at Chambers Fine Art,
522 West 19th Street, until March 6th, 2011. Hours are Tuesday to
Saturday, from 10:00 am and 6:00 pm.
