randian - Zhang Enli “Four Seasons”: new works at Hauser & Wirth Somerset

2015.03.05 Thu, by Translated by: 顾灵

Zhang Enli “Four Seasons”: new works at Hauser & Wirth Somerset

Zhang Enli, “Four Seasons”

Hauser & Wirth Somerset (Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton), Mar 8–Jun 21, 2015

A new solo show by Zhang Enli is always something to look forward to. The somewhat ascetic artist (while his Shanghai studio roasts in summer and freezes in winter, Zhang nurses a serious penchant for classic motorbikes) has developed a unique style and practice based upon close observation of his immediate environment, whether a bathroom, a bucket, a basket ball or the experience of gazing up through tree branches to the sky. It is informed by traditional Chinese and classical Western approaches, from both technical and historical perspectives and it is governed by a poetic restraint and economy. It is arguable that it also fits within the lexicon of Michael Fried’s notions of “objecthood” and “absorption”—in the wake of Pollock and Minimalism, the work of a painting being for it to stand for itself, to speak to the act of engagement constituted in looking at and contemplating an artwork, rather than a simple illustrative “theatrical” display. Note that Zhang always leaves his “squaring” visible—neither effaced nor camouflaged. The philosophy which underpins the works is drawn from an equation of the personal act of painting twinned with the personal philosophy of observation. He is not defining himself through painting but rather allowing the act of observation and painting to define him. There is no pretense, only deliberate, concentrated records of contemplation.