twocities White Papers
Subject: Mediums and Artists at twocities
Author: Amelia Johnson
Date: August 24, 2007
Foreword
Significance
Analysis
Conclusion
I. Foreword
Twocities gallery is unique in representing several of China’s pioneering artists in glass, ceramics, wood and lacquer, jewelry and metals, making twocities one of the few galleries in the country that specializes in 3-dimensional contemporary art. The purpose of this white paper is to explain the processes behind each medium and introduce the prominent artists represented by twocities.
II. Significance
Knowing and understanding the processes involved in the creation of the works in twocities will help in developing the understanding necessary to appreciate 3-dimensional art. As the first gallery of its kind in China, twocities recognizes that this understanding is essential in educating the community in various art styles and promoting the vision of the gallery.
III. Analysis
Contemporary glass art is new to China and twocities represents the first generation of Chinese contemporary glass artists. Most of the artists we represent are from Shanghai University, which is the first established university glass studio in the country. Zhuang Xiaowei, who started the studio seven years ago after studying in the UK, is called ‘the first contemporary glass artist in China’. About half of the artists who have graduated are starting or helping to build glass programs in schools such as Nanjing Art Institute, Art Academy of China in Hangzhou and Fine Arts College of Fudan University in Shanghai, to name a few. Twocities has the privilege to work with these artists on a continual basis and build the Chinese contemporary glass network locally and internationally.
Two types of glass art exist: blown and cast. The techniques vary greatly but both require immense skill and precision. Blown glass is created by blowing through a long iron pipe with a mouth piece at the end. When molten glass gathers on the end of the pipe, the artist blows through the pipe and spins the glass to create a bubble. Blown glass is more common, marketed by internationally acclaimed artists such as Dale Chihuly. Creating cast glass is quite different. First, the artist fashions a shape using clay and covers the clay in a plaster mold. After the mold has hardened the artists scrapes the clay out of the cast, creating an inverse of the desired shape. The artist then fills the cast with solid glass pieces of desired color and places the mold to be fired in a kiln. While in the kiln the glass melts and molds to the shape of the cast. After removing the cast from the kiln, the artist breaks away the plaster and is left with a glass sculpture. Only in the last 50 years has cast glass matured into an expressive and respected international art medium. Twocities gallery works mainly with cast glass.
Twocities represents several pioneering ceramic artists in China. Chen Guanghui received his MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and currently resides as Faculty and Head of the Ceramics Program at Shanghai University. He is best known for his industrial yet organic looking chairs that appear to be composed of heavy metal rods when, in fact, the work is made entirely of ceramic. Another prominent ceramic artist represented by twocities gallery is Kang Qing. Like her husband, Chen, Kang teaches ceramics at Shanghai University. Her works are organic in form, resembling leaves, flowers, nuts and other objects found in nature with great precision. Her works are so realistic that they appear to be cast from the original object. However, Kang simply observes the organic shape and creates an artistic replica using her tools. After a ceramic artist creates an object, the artist places it in a kiln and bakes until hardened. After the creation cools, the artist then uses glaze to color the ceramic object and places it in the kiln for one final heating to seal the glaze onto the ceramic work. After the object cools, the ceramic piece is complete.
Chinese wood and lacquer works first appeared in pre-Shang cultures. Song artists invented the technique of lacquer carving, a method which continues today. In twocities’ wood and lacquer works, wood constitutes the core material and lacquer is the coating that covers the work to create a gleaming polished surface. Lacquer is a kind of resin varnish that is secreted by a plant at points of injuries. If the varnish comes in contact with air it crystallizes and so closes the wound. This varnish is applied to wood by the artist to create wood and lacquer handicrafts. The artist may apply several layers to the work; in fact, works with 30 layers are not uncommon in China. Lacquerware in most cases is inlayed with other materials- eggshell, gold, silver, mother-of-pearl, jade or ivory. Twocities gallery displays works by Qiao Shiguang, respectfully called ‘father of the Chinese contemporary wood and lacquer art’. Qiao, who is now in his eighties, resurrected this art form and started the art program in Tsing Hua University in Shanghai.
All jewelry and metal works at twocities gallery are created by Shannon Guo, Professor and Head of the Metals Department at Shanghai University. Guo is a pioneer in metal works and a highly respected jewelry designer in the small but growing fine art jewelry community in China.
IV. Conclusion
Glass, ceramic, wood and lacquer, jewelry and metal form the core mediums with which twocities works. Understanding these mediums and the gallery’s role in promoting them is necessary in order for twocities to move forward in its vision.