The tapestry of human civilization is richly woven with diverse threads of culture, each defined by its unique art forms. Visual arts, in particular, possess a compelling power, etching vibrant images into the canvas of our collective memory, shaping our perceptions, and creating a language that transcends the barriers of time, space, and language. They are not just mere reflections of society, but a transformative and influential force that can reshape the cultural landscape itself.
In every brush stroke on a canvas, every detail of a sculpture, and every pixel of a digital artwork, artists encapsulate the essence of their times and places, their personal insights, and the ethos of their communities. It’s through these artworks that cultures are reimagined, traditions are preserved, and innovative thoughts are expressed. They serve as the mirror to society, reflecting its virtues and vices alike, evoking a spectrum of emotions and inciting dialogues and debates.
In this context, the island nation of Taiwan, sitting at the crossroads of past and present, East and West, traditional and modern, offers an intriguing study. The vibrant visual arts scene of Taiwan bears testament to its intricate history, rich cultural heritage, and dynamic contemporary society. From the meticulously crafted traditional Chinese paintings to the avant-garde performance arts, Taiwanese visual arts not only illuminate the sociocultural identity of Taiwan but also contribute to the global discourse of art and aesthetics. This paper examines five images depicting varying types of visual arts from Taiwan, reflecting on each piece’s unique circumstances of creation and greater impacts on Taiwan’s culture.
Mountain City Sunset, Original Painting by Liu Yong
Shui Yun Zhai Cultural Enterprises (2019)
Liu Yong is a celebrated and influential figure in Taiwan and Mainland China, recognized for his contributions as an educator, novelist, painter, and philanthropist. His work is guided by principles of love and natural harmony (SYZ Studios, n.d.). Liu founded his Taipei-based company in 1991, and his paintings have since garnered international acclaim, hanging in galleries across China, Germany, and around the world (SYZ Studios, n.d.). A notable piece, “Mountain City Sunset,” employs the “Three Distances Method.” This technique, outlined in “A Journey Through the Streams and Mountains” (Fan, n.d.), entails the distinct portrayal of a foreground, mid-ground, and background, thereby adding depth and dimension to the artwork (Kuitert, 2013). “Mountain City Sunset” was specifically chosen to represent Taiwanese visual art due to its striking and evocative representation of Taiwan’s rural mountainous terrain.
Pipe Organ of National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (n.d.)
Just as Liu Yong’s “Mountain City Sunset” captures the beauty of Taiwan’s natural landscapes, the concert hall of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts embodies Taiwan’s cultural landscape in the realm of performing arts. The hall’s centerpiece, Taiwan’s largest pipe organ (National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, n.d.), represents the country’s commitment to blending tradition with innovation. Crafted to consider the seat-dip effect, which results in some seats experiencing better sound quality than others (Tahvanainen et al., 2020), the hall’s design ensures an inclusive auditory experience that mirrors Taiwan’s democratic values. As we transition from the auditory to the visual, this theme persists, not just in paintings or architectural spaces, but also in historical sculptures—providing another lens through which we can explore Taiwan’s rich cultural tapestry.
Jadeite Cabbage with Insects, Ch’ing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Ching-fei (2008)
The Jadeite Cabbage with Insects, or simply “Jade Cabbage,” has been referred to as the “most famous masterpiece” of the entire National Palace Museum (Hook, 2007). This sculpture of a bok choy cabbage with two small insects on the leaves is widely believed to have been a gift for Consort Chin in the residence of the Kuang-hsu Emperor, and was offered to represent purity and a blessing of fertility (Ching-fei, 2008). While the historical records documenting the origins and presentation of this sculpture have been buried in the annals of history, it nonetheless offers viewers with greater opportunity for imagination. The sculpture is often interpreted as a metaphor for feminine virtue, with the white stalk embodying innocence, the leaves signifying fertility and abundance, and the locust and katydid symbolizing offspring. In this way, the Jade Cabbage bridges personal interpretation with shared cultural symbolism, serving as a profound testament to Taiwan’s long-standing tradition of utilizing art as a reflective mirror of its societal values and ideals.
Glove Puppetry
Tourism Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan) (2020)
One of the most important and celebrated traditional performing arts in Taiwan, glove puppetry incorporates literary motifs, music, and voice acting (Tourism Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan), 2020). This cultural centerpiece offers an experience for children and adults alike to exchange laughter and delight while acting out lively skits with characters of their own imagination. Although quite popular in Taiwan today, the origins of this artform can be traced back to southern Fujian (Hokkien) China, also known as budaixi (Pinyin), potehi (Hokkien pronunciation), or wayang potehi (in Indonesian) (Stenberg, 2015). Today, glove puppetry has inspired post-traditional offshoots like the Pili television and film puppet animation of Taiwan and Hand Stories (Cohen, 2018). Like the heritages of the Taiwanese people, the foreign origin of the artform further attests to Taiwan’s uniquely diverse and blended culture, pulling from Chinese, Japanese, and many other cultural backgrounds.
Doing Time by Tehching Hsieh
Tehching Hsieh (2023)
Taiwanese visual arts are not exclusively captured in paintings and sculptures, however. In addition to a long, illustrious line of inanimate visual arts, Taiwan has also produced live-action street art. The most popular of Taiwan’s street performers is Tehching Hsieh, who first crashed into the visual arts scene with an ankle-breaking performance in 1973 (Hsieh, 2023). Hsieh then illegally immigrated to the United States for fourteen years until granted amnesty in 1988, but during his status as an illegal immigrant in the late 1970s, he delivered a series of five One Year Performances (Hsieh, 2023). The most popular of these performances was his Doing Time Exhibition or Cage Piece, from the One Year Performance 1978-1979, in which he confined himself to a sparsely furnished prison cell for one year without speaking a single word (Donnell, 2014). In another of his performances, known as the Time Clock Piece from his One Year Performance 1980-1981, Hsieh depicts his artwork through bored labor, offering an altogether unique way to consider boredom and labor (Lawn, 2022). In their starkly contemplative nature, Hsieh’s performances underline the spectrum of Taiwanese visual arts, framing its ability to incite introspection and critical discussion on humanity and existence. Through this dynamic array of expressions, we see Taiwan’s cultural depth – a testament to its diverse history, multifaceted influences, and indomitable spirit.
References
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