Blog Post #10

Zhang Hongtu
Pingliang, China, 1943
Anonymous(song)- Van Gogh P, 2013
Oil on canvas
Private Collection

The artwork I have chosen for the last blog post is a painting within the Queens Museum by Zhang Hongtu (1943) entitled "anonymous (song)- Van Gogh P". The canvas includes a landscape but the scenery being limited within a circle. The circle may have been used as a window as well emphasizing the objects in nature same as Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" canvas. A combination of Van Gogh's painting along with Hongtu's selected landscape from China. Hongtu uses cool and warm tones as Van Gogh's technique of brushstrokes. In the foreground on the bottom right holds a small scale of tree's with a combination of brown and orange leaves close to the edge of the cliff. Going down the cliff to the left involves a trail of rocks with a tree or a shrub peeking out. Disconnecting from land includes a body of water. Hongtu uses the paintbrush to go criss-cross depicting the movement of the water around the rocks. The chaotic waves clashing against the large rocks, the rocks are positioned in order from the smallest rock to the tallest as if it reached the sky. The background illustrates the same setting as Van Gogh's painting. A large yellow moon and star in the sky with brushstrokes surrounding them as if they were illuminating along with three faded stars scattered around behind the curved cloud. Outside the frame on the bottom right consists of Chinese writing that may be lyrics as said on the label.
The reason I chose this artwork by Zhang Hongtu is the way he used a style by a western artist Vincent Van Gogh along with Hongtu's own presentation of his native land. By the looks of it Hongtu may be influenced by Van Gogh, "The Starry Night" is a popular painting and with Hongtu's own personal twist is interesting, a hint of a previous painting and a landscape from China. Before enrolling into this course, Art and Society, I wasn't as interested in art or if I did get a chance to go to a museum I'd just glance by each exhibit. With the assignments given, art is everywhere it can be accidental or the way one interprets an object to just giving something a meaning. Sine the course is over I do appreciate art. i look forward to visiting other museums and i'll feel prepared or cultural and given someone my own interpretation on an exhibit. Also, I became interested in other artists for instance Zhang Hongtu and Henri Matisse. Further in the future I want to experience artist's I haven't heard of or learn more about the person.