The China Project

87 Three Decades: The Contemporary Chinese Collection LIN Chunyan The paintings Lin Chunyan created during the 1980s, when China was emerging from the self- imposed isolation of the Cultural Revolution, show his invention of a new style that melds Western art history and philosophy with a uniquely Chinese perspective. Both (Two figures climbing a tree) 1985 and Self portrait – Opening the door 1989 are fascinating for their immediate expressiveness and their subtle reflections on the self and individual in a rapidly changing society. In (Two figures climbing a tree) , Lin used a reduced palette of red, black and green to create a work with a deep metaphoric intent. Completed in 1985 at the beginning of ’85 New Wave, the painting reflects Lin’s hopes for the future. Two figures emerge from a shadowy black wall, grasping the branches of a tree that extends into a red sky. The loose expressiveness of these figures was highly unconventional compared to the recognised social realist style, while the deeper meanings of growth and movement behind the work were subtle. In the early 1980s, Lin became friends with Ah Xian and Guan Wei; all three artists were associated with the avant-garde artists of the Stars Group. However, the Stars’ emphasis on protest was at odds both with Lin’s desire to express notions of the self and with his conviction that painting should be a means to convey inner impulses relevant to a broader culture. Self portrait – Opening the door 1989 was created when the ’85 New Wave was at its peak; from its subject, it is probable that Lin painted it prior to the events at Tiananmen Square in June of that year. The composition, whose title recalls China’s Open Door policy, is split in two by the opening of a door reminiscent of the studded doors in the Forbidden Palace, suggesting two different moments in time. Entering through the doorway is Lin, appearing to smile directly at the viewer. His self- portrait is representational with clearly delineated features, contrasting with the figures on the left whose faces are round and featureless, their bodies merging into a single, red-clothed torso. ‘Facelessness, and the emergence from facelessness into individuality were predominant themes’ in contemporary Chinese art between 1985 and 1989, and are evident in this work. 1 Surrounding the faceless figures are numerous disembodied, abstracted heads, recognisable only by the soft strands of their hair. The undefined heads also feature in Lin’s subsequent works — his more representational self-portraits are quite rare. Both of these works emphasise individuality over subservience to revolutionary politics; a salient feature of this period. endnote 1 Nicholas Jose, ‘Notes from underground, Beijing art, 1985–89’, Orientations , vol.23, no.7, July 1992, p.53. opposite (Two figures climbing a tree) 1985 Oil on linen / 82.2 x 76cm / Gift of Nicholas Jose and Claire Roberts through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 2008 above Self portrait – Opening the door 1989 Oil on canvas / 88.8 x 89.8cm / Gift of Nicholas Jose and Claire Roberts through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 2008