Shanghai 1979-2006
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Place: Sun Liang studio in Shanghai Interview by Biljana Ciric Date: 2009 Length: Unknow HISTORY OF EXHIBITIONS: SHANGHAI 1979-2006 Interview with Sun Liang BC: You were born in Hangzhou? SL: Yes. At first it was nothing serious. The factory organized classes for us to learn some basic painting skills. I SL: Yes. My family is from the north but I never went back. never learned painting before and found I had a liking for it. My father was a military officer and my family moved to I was not sure what to learn or from whom to learn. I liked Fujian Province when I was two. We lived there for ten years Chinese painting. A classmate’s father was a Chinese painter and then came to Shanghai. so sometimes I went to his home to find some paintings to imitate. BC: When was that? BC: Did you still work in the factory then? SL: 1969. SL: I worked in daytime and painted in the evening. BC: The Cultural Revolution already started then? BC: Who were among your classmates? SL: Yes, it was in the middle of the Cultural Revolution. We lived in an air force neighborhood compound in the Pudong SL: Most of them stopped painting. A subordinate of my area. In the 70s we moved out, because I was too naughty. father once came to my home and saw me painting. He introduced me to a teacher, Meng Guang. Chen Yifei and Xia BC: You were about fifteen and in middle school, right? Baoyuan were his students. I’m very grateful to teacher Meng. My classes were not always on a regular SL: Right. I was about that age and studied at Xin Feng basisschedule. Sometimes I only took one class in two Middle School. The school was demolished later due to the months and he didn’t have objection for that. There were construction of a viaduct. I studied there for two years, and always some good sketch works on his desk, by painters like then spent a year in a hospital. In 1979 I started working as a Chen Yifei, Xia Baoyuan and Wei Jingshan. I never thought carver at a carving factory for jade. I worked there for 6 of learning western painting. Later I started to learn from years, from 1973 to 1979. After that I got the offer from Qiao Mu, a Chinese painter. Both teachers gave me great Shanghai Light Industry College and started studying there. help. BC: Did you start your learning of painting when you were BC: From early 70s to early 80s, which teachers did you working at the factory? work with most often? Place: Sun Liang studio in Shanghai Interview by Biljana Ciric Date: 2009 Length: Unknow SL: Through teacher Meng Guang I met Zhao Yifu, Chen SL: Mainly exercise work. Chen Yimin was our drawing Chuan, Wu Gang and Hong Jijie, who were a bit older than teacher. I became very good at drawing. It took my some me, and Ni Yan, Meng Qingguo, Wang Zheng and Ye Delin, efforts to improve my skills with color. I often painted in the who were about my age. I was very much concentrated on evening and sometimes went to other schools to audit Chinese painting. Entrance examination to college was classes. I also invited students at other schools to do some resumed in 1977. If we wanted to enter an art college, we painting together. I got to know something about modern art had to take drawing exam. In 1978 I applied for Fine Arts since then. Literature journals had a great influence on me. I College of Shanghai Normal University but failed. I learned saw some modern artworks from the covers and back covers my lesson and was determined to improve my drawing of those journals. skills. I often went to Shanghai Cultural Palace to take classes. Zhang Peichu was the teacher there. I also went to BC: When did you start your exploration in the realm of Putuo District Cultural Palace to learn. After a year’s effort painting? my skills were significantly improved. In 1979 I got the offer from Shanghai Light Industry College, majoring in design. I SL: I remembered once I bought some biochemistry test guess it’s safe to say I read a lot in school, including books paper. The mottled effect inspired me to paint something introduced from the west and art journals. expressionistic. Just lately a classmate brought me some works I created during 1981 and 1982. I also found some in BC: In your college years, who were you close to? my studio. These are quite interesting to look at. SL: There were 30 students in my grade. I easily became the BC: Did you start your exploration of expressionism in late center of communication. Also we made friends with 70s and early 80s? students at other colleges like Shanghai Fine Arts School. SL: Back then I was still a student and the school didn’t BC: Who was studying at Shanghai Fine Arts School at the approve of such exploration. After graduation, originally I time ? should have been assigned to Shanghai Fine Arts School but the department dean at my school didn’t let me. As a result, I SL: Zhao Yifu, Chen Chuan and Hong Jijie. We also was assigned to Yimin Food Factory. I was not a good networked with Shanghai Theatre Academy and Shanghai employee there. In early 1983 my mother managed to Normal University. transfer me to teach at Shanghai College of Gardening. My job there was easy, just teaching some basic painting and BC: Are any of your college classmates still engaged in design skills. There were three art teachers. The elder one painting? didn’t paint. The other teacher was young, like me, and liked oil painting. His name was Wu Huizhong. It was at that time SL: Yes. Wang Zheng, Ni Yan, Wang Yida and Ji Jianjie. I produced my first oil painting. BC: What did you paint during your college years? B: Which was the first exhibition you participated in? Place: Sun Liang studio in Shanghai Interview by Biljana Ciric Date: 2009 Length: Unknow SL: It was a Shanghai College Students’ Art Exhibition at more of my works. A sense of mystery was seen in my work. Shanghai Workers’ Cultural Palace in 1981. In late 1981 and Actually my liking for mysticism could be traced back to early 1982 my school also organized some design and art that period. In 1986 we started to organize some activities. Li exhibitions on campus. From late 1983 and early 1985, I Shan, Ding Yi, Song Haidong and I did some performance stopped painting as my father was seriously ill. After 1985 I art. But most of our ideas and proposals didn’t have the participated in many exhibitions. I also did some chance to be realized. experimental exploration, redoing typical painting works of each art school in a chronological manner but a smaller BC: You got in touch with Chinese modern art scene since scale. 1986. Who were you more familiar with? BC: When did the shift emerge in your practice and how SL: Li Shan. We lived close to each other so we often paid long did it last? each other a visit. We exchanged ideas about exhibitions and proposals and found we shared much in common. SL: From 1985 to late 1986, and early 1987 could be seen as a transitional period when I started to figure out my own BL: Just now you mentioned the inaugural exhibition of style. In mid 1987 some important works of mine, such as Shanghai Art Museum. Was it curated by Zhang Jianjun? Howl, were created. SL: Yes. He was assistant director of the museum and BC: After 1985 did you start to get in touch with many curated the exhibition. You know what was interesting about newly emerging Shanghai-based artists? this exhibition? Originally he decided not to invite senior artists. They were so furious. When the exhibition opened, SL: During 1985 and 1986 there were several important young artists were featured on the first floor, and senior exhibitions, including Shanghai Youth Art Exhibition at artists, upstairs. Shanghai Art Museum and the inaugural exhibition of Shanghai Art Museum. Both had a profound influence on B: Did you submit a proposal for selection or participate in may of us young artists. These exhibitions were like a upon invitation? gathering of previous small exhibitions and artists got the chance to present their work outside schools. Also, artists got SL: I don’t quite recall. more opportunities to communicate with each other. It was at that time I got to know Li Shan. BC: What inspired you to work on the paintings about dreams in 1986? BC: How did you two meet? SL: Actually my work always gave out a sense of dreams. SL: He wanted to find some good painters to present their Traces of dreams could be seen in my early works, even in work at the Slide Art Show in Zhuhai. As I participated in the those realistic works. I guess that’s something in my blood. Youth Art Exhibition, he saw my work and thought it was quite good. He gave me a call and went to my home to see BC: Were you presented at the Concave-Convex Exhibition Place: Sun Liang studio in Shanghai Interview by Biljana Ciric Date: 2009 Length: Unknow in 1986? SL: It started with speeches by representatives from different regions. Li Shan and I were representatives of Shanghai.