“Sand” and “stone” have formed a recurring theme in Chou Chu-Wang’s painting throughout recent decades. The artist has insisted on applying hyper realistic techniques to delineate his simple, plain subjects, and has developed his philosophical system that encompasses his views on nature and the cosmos.
Vicissitudes of Stony Seas consists of six painting series: 1. Dotted Sand; 2. Dust and Sand; 3. Stone; 4. Stone Heap; 5 Stone Islet; and 6. Stone Gandang. The six series call to mind the practice of collecting natural objects and materials, and collectively resemble a natural history of stone that conveys vast and rich content despite its unadorned exteriority.
This exhibition was inspired by curator Yi-kuan Lin 's interpretive observation of the artist's works over the course of several years. In this effort, Lin analyzed the formation and transformation of the works' symbols, created a thematic approach based on systematic concepts, and analyzed the earth science materials, physical spatial framework, and cultural consciousness of natural objects. From this work, Lin selected the titles for accounts of the several types of works: (1) "Cycles of Sand and Stone/the Earth's Clock," (2) "Scale Model," (3) "Scale of Particle Distribution," (4) "Divine Matrix/Fractal Geometry," (5) " Flow of Energy," and (6) " Creations by Nature and Man." Lin also uses infographics to interpret the systemic framework of Chou Chu-Wang's sand and stone art, and probes the network of meaning connected with the works' involvement with numerous fields of learning. These works transcend visual and aesthetic descriptive categories of realistic paintings, and their exquisite physical language allows them to achieve spatio-temporal narratives with philosophical depth.
Publishing Unit： Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts