Xu Bing is an artist of invention and alteration. Born in China in 1955, he moved to the United States in 1990 and stayed 18 years. Yet, the heritage of his native land is integral to his practice.
His current solo exhibition at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, “Xu Bing, Background Story: A New Approach to Landscape Painting,” centers around a work based on Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains by Huang Gongwang (1269-1354). Xu’s piece is a monumental light box that mimics this classic Chinese scroll painting. These types of horizontal paintings are meant to be viewed from right to left, so when entering the gallery one travels the length of the space, preferably in a thoughtful meander, to observe the image as though embarking on a journey though forests, mountains and scattered groups of houses. As one takes this slow progression, distinctions in tone, texture and form are absorbed like passing through a narrative that does not rely on a story, but rather attentiveness to atmosphere.
Coming around to the back of the piece may come as a surprise as Xu reveals the way things are made. There is indeed some stagecraft, as his image is created by the careful arrangement of sticks, leaves, rushes, a large net and even refuse like plastic bags. The idea for this strategy originated in an airport when he spotted a plant behind frosted glass and thought that the silhouette looked like a painting by another Chinese master, the renowned Zheng Banqiao (1693-1765). As in his other projects, Xu transforms tradition into a contemporary model.
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In this iteration, the messiness of the background story speaks of the unruliness of reality. The composed image is elegantly refined, both in Xu’s interpretation and Huang’s painting, which is displayed in the gallery as a facsimile. The installation unveils notions about the way landscape is represented in art. It is far more neat and complacent than is really authentic to nature. Xu’s work challenges what we perceive, what we expect and how we often take for granted a sense of truth in viewing.
Through Jan. 10 at Chazen Museum of Art, 750 University Ave., Madison.
Correction:
In last week’s review of “Threshold” at the Charles Allis Art Museum, the reviewer implied that Jeremy Hatch’s Treehouse was created in response to recent attacks in Paris. The piece was actually completed in 2006 and has no topical reference.
