Urban Art Association

Can anyone identify the artist please?, by met on Apr 29, 2017 5:21:44 GMT 1,

Apr 21, 2017 12:53:10 GMT 1 DYL4N said:

I remember see this online a few years ago and liking it. But for the life of me can't remember where.
Anyone out there with a better memory than me?
Any help greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you.

The lone character and mood in a way remind me of a Zhang Da Zhong painting. Zhang is known for his idealised portraits of young female Red Guards. He has a somewhat creepy, fetishised aesthetic. I find it both naff (in a bad way) and insidious. But there is a market for Zhang's style: unthreatening, nostalgic and arguably revisionist.

For me, a more accomplished knowingness can be found in Shen Han Wu paintings of Red Guards, which often seem to have an undercurrent of subtle tension.

If you're willing to engage, I'm curious to learn more about your interest in the above canvas. Because it is one I'd imagine would appeal mainly to collectors with minimal knowledge of geopolitical history. [My feelings are similar about Western artists who casually use Mao imagery in their work — one notable exception being Paul Insect's How Now Clown Mao, which could never be accused of glamorising or absolving the undisputed champion of democide.]

However, your avatar of a Steve McCurry photograph suggests a description of ignorance doesn't apply to you. My assumption therefore is that you're familiar with the horrors of the Cultural Revolution. It's easy to focus on the years-long orgy of murder, torture and persecution. But I'm also referring to the mind-boggling scale of destruction of cultural heritage, the effects of which can still be felt in China today.

So if this assumption about your awareness is indeed correct, what is the appeal for you of a romanticised image of a Red Guard?

Having no idea what the artist's intent was, I'm at a disadvantage here. Besides the wistful tone, does the finished piece — to your eyes — convey irony or genuine critique?

Apr 21, 2017 12:53:10 GMT 1 DYL4N said:

I remember see this online a few years ago and liking it. But for the life of me can't remember where.
Anyone out there with a better memory than me?
Any help greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you.

The lone character and mood in a way remind me of a Zhang Da Zhong painting. Zhang is known for his idealised portraits of young female Red Guards. He has a somewhat creepy, fetishised aesthetic. I find it both naff (in a bad way) and insidious. But there is a market for Zhang's style: unthreatening, nostalgic and arguably revisionist.

For me, a more accomplished knowingness can be found in Shen Han Wu paintings of Red Guards, which often seem to have an undercurrent of subtle tension.

If you're willing to engage, I'm curious to learn more about your interest in the above canvas. Because it is one I'd imagine would appeal mainly to collectors with minimal knowledge of geopolitical history. [My feelings are similar about Western artists who casually use Mao imagery in their work — one notable exception being Paul Insect's How Now Clown Mao, which could never be accused of glamorising or absolving the undisputed champion of democide.]

However, your avatar of a Steve McCurry photograph suggests a description of ignorance doesn't apply to you. My assumption therefore is that you're familiar with the horrors of the Cultural Revolution. It's easy to focus on the years-long orgy of murder, torture and persecution. But I'm also referring to the mind-boggling scale of destruction of cultural heritage, the effects of which can still be felt in China today.

So if this assumption about your awareness is indeed correct, what is the appeal for you of a romanticised image of a Red Guard?

Having no idea what the artist's intent was, I'm at a disadvantage here. Besides the wistful tone, does the finished piece — to your eyes — convey irony or genuine critique?