Curator: Cheng Nai-Ming (Editor-in-Chief, Contemporary Art News)
📌 6/29 Sat.
14:30 Lecture|Discovering TENG Pu-Chun "Reality"
Speaker: Cheng Nai-Ming
16:00 Opening
Artist in Attendance
I have never felt that TENG Pu-Chun's ink creations are static. In other words, his paintings convey "a process of life, the movement of time, and the stirring within through the method of painting. They cannot be summarized as stories, yet his paintings undoubtedly have plots."
Therefore, I cannot convince myself to classify his works as 'magical realism' or 'surrealism'! The key factor is that such classifications focus too much on the form of the works without touching on their essence.
To me, his paintings are dynamic, not in the sense of motion, but dynamic indeed!
Thus, no words better encapsulate my genuine admiration for his art than "reality." There are no words more apt to transform many people's perceptions of his art. Using "reality" as the overarching theme for the exhibition is crucial because it aligns with TENG Pu-Chun's attitude toward creation. This attitude reflects the true meaning of "reality," which is distinct from the earthy realism of ink painting that was popular in Taiwan during the 1980s.
TENG Pu-Chun draws inspiration from the real environment. He does not replicate the photorealism of Western painting, nor does he revert to the lyrical connotations borne by traditional landscape painting. The natural scenery depicted in his work is a ruminated landscape. This reflective process and his refusal to let traditional conventions burden his creativity enable his ink paintings to transcend serving traditional landscape aesthetics. Instead, they exhibit self-constructed compositional methods, imparting a unique "integrity" to his work, rather than conforming to the conventional ethereal qualities of traditional ink paintings.
This interpretation of "reality" expands its breadth, filling it with momentum and imagination. It resonates more closely with contemporary rhythms and allows for various perspectives to engage with his persona and art, internal and external connections. For TENG Pu-Chun, this approach represents an unprecedented and uncategorized narrative.