text by Pei-ni Beatrice Hsieh
Many schools of thought competed with each other in contemporary art of the 21st century, and members of art circles at the dawn of the 20th century could not imagine the different ideas of the artists who would coalesce into new schools or interdisciplinary movements during the coming century, nor know their wild explorations or progress in working with media. The century's two world wars did immense damage to civilization, and Western art circles, beyond disillusionment in the times, gave rise to highly idealistic "Utopian" demands of human culture. The essence of this thinking—"Modernism"—utilized new ideas and new techniques to derive new artistic methods and new literary styles, which demolished traditional notions about art, while bringing art to the state of being “practical” without being “kitsch.”
Many people claim that Taiwan never properly underwent modernism, but rather leaped directly into the turbulent flood of post-modernism. Actually, however, because of the political situation prevailing in Taiwan at the time, many artists possessing the modernist spirit lived abroad for various reasons, and modernism was consequently unable to become a prevailing and enduring movement in Taiwan. While some artists were developing and displaying their talents overseas, Taiwan also had up-and-coming artists. However, the undeveloped state of the local art environment or the superficially state of their study prevented them from acquiring and passing on the true modernist spirit.
In order to promote contemporary art education and present the development of world art trends and viewpoints with creative value in Taiwan, in conjunction with the 2010 "Josef Albers: Minimal Means, Maximum Effect" exhibition, this museum would like to specially introduce a modernist master who spent many years living in England, and who was a pioneering experimentalist who spanned time periods and art genres in Chinese and Western art—Richard Lin.
Born in 1933, Richard Lin grew up in the former official residence of the Lin family, where he was inspired by the thinking of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Lin's philosophical mode of thought developed since his childhood helped him to consistently focus on combining thinking and practice in a unified process when he studied in England and absorbed the currents of Western modernism. In the wake of numerous solo exhibitions in Taiwan and abroad, Lin's works were collected by several dozen museums and public and private organizations. The National Palace Museum in Taiwan broke precedent and acquired Lin’s work as its first collection of modern art, setting the best example for leading viewers to understand minimal art. A descendant of the Lin family of Wufong in Taichung County, Richard Lin was an heir to traditional Chinese philosophical thought. He departed Taiwan to study architecture and art at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London, U.K. in 1954, and he became a professional artist in 1957. He laid down his brush and ended his long-term experimentation in two-dimensional painting after issuing his manifesto "Painting is Dead" in 1984, and afterwards turned his attention to three-dimensional sculpture and installations.
The 78-year-old Richard Lin still radiates tremendous vigor, and he has returned to Taiwan after many years of living in the U.K. In 1964, he became the first artist from Taiwan to be invited to participate in Germany's Kassel Documenta, where he represented Britain, and in 1966 London's heavyweight Marlborough New London Gallery began to serve as agent for his works. His artistic style is clean and precise, he embraces many points of view, and he strives to escape the temporal, spatial, formal, and color restrictions of traditional art. He relies on logical thinking to recombine tones and lines, he uses pure forms to expound unique artistic essence, and he meticulously designs and plans out his creative structure.
The fact that Richard Lin chose to hold the comprehensive retrospective exhibition of his artistic career spanning over 50 years at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts is highly significant for this museum, Taiwan’s audience, and Lin himself. Accordingly, the museum would like to thank the National Palace Museum, Xue Xue Institute, Mr. Raymond Wang of the Jia Art Gallery, Espace Liu, and private collectors Ms Lin Beechiao, Mr. Chen Chi-te, and Mr. Huang Yaw-der for loaning works for this event. In addition, we are also grateful to Prof. Wang Wei-ho, head of the Graduate Institute of Architecture at Tainan National University of the Arts, for meticulously designing the display space for this exhibition. This space provides an ambiance that fully expresses Lin's artistic spirit.
In this time of highly diverse and fluid artistic styles, we are fortunate to be able to get to know and compare the Western minimalist master Josef Albers and the Chinese modernist master Richard Lin. These artists spent lifetimes dedicated to minimal art, and have passed on the rich inner endowments accumulated throughout their lives. We are extremely moved by their intense commitment and rigorous attitudes. It might be an extravagant hope that we can perhaps see the true substance of life in his work, which appears a bit tight-knit but is actually a poetic, boundless world. He himself has more to tell you about the mental states behind his symbols, his thinking, and his proud attitude toward life.
Pei-ni Beatrice Hsieh Director, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
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● Supported by: Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Kaohsiung City Government
● Organized by: Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
● Coordinated by: Jia Art Gallery, Xue Xue Institute, Espace Liu
● Special thanks to: National Palace Museum, Prof. Wang Wei-ho, Ms. Lin Bee-chiao
● Exhibition Venue: Galleries 201~203, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts |
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