Unconscious abstraction -- On Chen Zequan's painting creation

Unconscious abstraction 

-- On Chen Zequan's painting creation

Abstract art seems to be random and scribbled, but it is actually the result of conscious and purposeful management by artists.  They often can't rationally explain the specific motivation and direction of these creations in language, but the whole painting process is always highly rational.  However, the creation of Chen Zequan's abstract paintings is not the case.  He is still a minor child.  We often feel that children's painting is "very abstract".  But when we use this word, we actually mean "object deformation".  Abstraction refers to the absence of explicit or implicit specific objects and images in the process of artistic creation.  Abstraction refers to the separation of images, which is a completely pure staggered combination of points, lines and surfaces.             

As far as I know, Chen Zequan is not aware of the abstract expressionism movement that developed in the United States half a century ago.  This is the most successful school of abstract art in the world.  They are so successful that many Chinese will think that this is an American art form, even an art form was born under the capitalist system.  Therefore, we often embarrassingly avoid this way of creation and return to the comfort of realistic art.  But Chen Zequan didn't know this and didn't care about it.  He just felt that he "needed" to draw such a painting, such a way and such a canvas scale.  Such a painting style is the change of children's art, but it also shows the transmission of the development of globalization to the collective unconscious.  The interaction between people has leveled everything culturally.

Therefore, I do not define his painting as an oriental abstraction, a more freehand painting method than "freehand painting".  I define his paintings as unconscious abstraction, a spontaneous form, a coincidence.  We can find Pollock's sprinkling and Richter's scraping from his paintings, but it comes from spontaneity rather than learning.  If it was learned from others, the integrity of the paintings would not be so strong for people of his age.  Different from traditional painting, one of the biggest characteristics of modern painting is directness and flatness.  This makes less technical means in the whole process of painting (such as modeling, making color layer, etc.).  It can make intuitive things give full play.  Children are not strong in this area.  Direct painting is more conducive to the presentation of intuition.

He is also very spontaneous in the use of painting tools.  Industrial brushes, mops for mopping the floor, scrapers and his own hands can be used as brushes.  The paintings show a lot of "action".  It makes me think that his painting style is similar to that of Kiefer.  In fact, a very important reason for the birth of abstract expressionism art is also a rebellion against the traditional single college model.  They try to return to their childhood again when they grow up.

So I appreciate Chen Zequan's father very much.  He gave his son the greatest autonomy and the strongest spiritual support to let him grow up freely.  What he drew was not what his father wanted him to draw, nor was it what the art teacher taught him.  Going to his studio and seeing such a large amount of painting, you will know that this child spends almost all his spare time and energy on it.  Why?  I guess it's because of happiness.

                Xiamen Academy of Arts and crafts, Fuzhou University

                Lecturer Chen Yali 

                2022.05.19