酷暑后的桂圆树 2022

Curator: So, here we have Wang Xinfu’s painting "Osmanthus Tree after the Scorching Heat," created in 2022. It's a matter painting that feels quite contemporary with a nod to abstract expressionism, especially in the generous application of impasto. What's your immediate impression? Editor: It looks heavy, almost claustrophobic. A dense layering, a real weightiness in the materiality, all those peaks and troughs of pigment. But it has a fascinating tactile quality, like dried earth clinging to… well, something. Curator: Indeed. The impasto really does create this wonderfully uneven, almost sculptural surface. And the title offers us a little foothold, a reference point: an osmanthus tree that's weathered the summer's intensity. How does that resonate with you given the overall impression? Editor: The "scorching heat" makes me think about the increasing intensity of climate change and the resilience—or lack thereof—of the natural world. Are we looking at the aftermath of some environmental trauma, mirrored perhaps in the emotional trauma of our contemporary lives? I am wondering what place is the artist evoking. Curator: That's a poignant reading. I was initially struck by the potential for cyclical renewal within the piece. Despite the “scorching,” there’s still a vibrancy of colour amidst the brown and grey tones. Look closely, and you will discover tiny details of greens, reds, even blues hidden among the paint. A spark of resilience. What about the stylistic influences? It has shades of Anselm Kiefer. Editor: Abstract expressionism and matter painting as a reaction to the industrial age – artists rejecting rigid geometric forms for expressive abstraction – certainly, we can situate Wang Xinfu here, adding to the legacy but I see it also with an important shift of locus, coming to us from a new generation in China. The context of contemporary painting is changing. Curator: Yes, the shifting centres of creative gravity, definitely. For me, "Osmanthus Tree after the Scorching Heat" speaks to something deep. It makes me wonder about how we endure and even, sometimes, manage to flourish. Editor: And perhaps about what we leave behind, how we document these eras of endurance through materiality itself. A potent conversation piece.