As it is difficult to find structural expression in the color of black, Yang Liming’s turning from the color of blue to that of black in his paintings is a positive proof to show his pursuit of abstract structure has risen from the subconscious level to a conscious one. His relentless efforts brought about a major breakthrough in his works. The rectangular structure represented by the fine perspective relation is typical of the modern western abstract principles while the progressive layers and rhythms constituted by the shades and each turn of stroke are the essential of Chinese traditional abstract principles

　　The pure simulation of an object’s outer image, which is upheld by the realism, came under the cross fire of the modernist artists in the 20th century as it hardly expressed the human feelings towards the essence of such object, and efforts have been made to find ways for such close-to-mind expression. Abstract art is the absolute revolution in the wave of rebelling against tradition. Kandinsky, the most important masters of abstractive art, believes that the abstractive art is “a direct contact with souls”. According to Gerhard Richter, the abstract painting is a virtual model that expresses a kind of truth, an intangible, indescribable, yet deducible truth. Therefore abstraction is defined as “the extracting of essential elements and the deserting of non-essential ones”. By deserts the rational observation of an object’s appearance, abstract art directly goes for its inner truth. Such direct-contact-with-souls expression somewhat echoes with that of the partings by Chinese traditional intellectuals, which advocates the direct reflection of mind by brush and ink.

　　The paintings by Chinese traditional intellectuals are abstract and intrinsic. The intrinsicalism here means to express the image in the mind by ink and brush, which is abstract at its core. As a matter of fact, each seemingly absent-minded stroke is not only the expression of the painter’s innermost feelings, but also touching the appreciators by its power.

　　Yang Liming has been practicing Chinese calligraphy for quite a long time. I can understand that his efforts were to experience the feelings of “direct contact with the mind”. He has made great progress in his “jumping curves”, in particular, the power of expression at each meticulous stroke, which not only adds to the sense of layers, but also speaks of a peaceful, timid feeling. His combination of western lines and angles with Chinese style of abstract expression is a tentative exploration of converting Chinese traditional abstractness by western abstract principles, and plays a active role in promoting the abstract language of Chinese contemporary art.

　　By Liao Wen

　　2006-3-29

【Editor：jen】