「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」Chang Tianhu: Integrating Eastern and Western aesthetics in the view of one’s back

Did he incorporate the design concept of his hometown garden into the view of woman’s back?

The descendant of the Chang family estate in Shanxi, Chang Tianhu, in the “shy flowers” series, transformed the female back into a “cultural canvas”. Following the wisdom of Chinese garden design of “concealing scenery”, he did not depict the face but focused on the lines and light and shadow of the back, echoing the Zen philosophy of “the incomplete is complete”.

Furthermore, by using Western art and leveraging the characteristic of the back that “the self is invisible yet is being gazed upon”, it is pointed out whether the woman in the painting is a passive object or actively expresses herself through the way she controls the act of being observed by her back?

In terms of technique integration, he gave the realistic texture of the oil painting brushstrokes a skin-like texture. When combined with the freehand blank space of the garden landscape, it becomes even more exquisite. What’s more, by simulating the curvature of the shoulder blade, he created arches and the light and dark contrasts of shadows and highlights corresponded to the ups and downs of the rockeries. This not only rejuvenated the traditional garden aesthetics within the realm of human body art, but also made the body a carrier for the dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures.

The combination of Eastern and Western art does not need to be forced and haphazard. By grasping the Eastern artistic conception and the Western philosophical thinking, even a single figure can serve as a bridge for communicating Eastern and Western aesthetics, generating unique power.
Today’s tea has run out. Next time, I’ll make some new ones and accompany you to enjoy art.