Philosopher dissects modern art

By He Jianwei

Philosophers in the West have long explored the meaning of art. In The Origin of the Work of Art, Martin Heidegger defined it as the concepts of being and truth. French philosopher Michel Foucault’s writing clarified the role of the modern medium.

Chinese critic Wang Min’an is following the established path in his latest book, The Factory of Images: How to Look at Contemporary Chinese Art (349pp, Nanjing University Press, 42 yuan).

Wang is famous for researching post-modernists such as Foucault and Roland Barthes. But the new book turns his attention to contemporary Chinese art.

He classifies the work of contemporary artists into 120 key words to provide a new way to understand them and their works.

Many critics look to the past to explain how current artists create, but Wang limits his interpretation to what can be gleaned from a glance. “I only talk about the piece. I do not discuss the market, ecology and history of contemporary art, and even the artists,” Wang said.

Most viewers scan the canvas seeking meaning and expression, but Wang says that is disrespectful. “For the artists, it is respectful to observe their work rather than ask bout their original intention,” he said.

Wang samples elements from representative works to analyze each artist’s style and writes about how they affcted him. In Fang Lijun’s paintings, Wang first sees the faces on the canvas, then their expressions and lastly their gestures.

But it is not a guidebook for contemporary Chinese art, he said.

The Factory of Images is a philosopher’s gift to artists. Even if readers may not be so interested in art, artists may revel in his interpretation.