Rooted in the fashions of the twentieth century, yet grounded firmly in tradition, modern Taiwanese art boasts a history of surprising diversity and change which began when the world of modern art burst in on Taiwan's existing artistic heritage of temple murals, architecture, and sculpture following the island's cession to Japan in 1895. At that time, Japan was in the midst of
its Meiji Restoration and intoxicated with all things foreign. Art, both Japanese and Western, was swiftly introduced to Taiwan. Many important Japanese artists, including the "father of modern Taiwanese art" Ishikawa Kinichiro (石川欽一郎 1871-1945) and Yoshita Hatsusaburo (吉田初三郎), the master of ukiyoe (sketches of popular life and landscapes), were lured by Taiwan's exotic tropical ambiance and made sketching pilgrimages to the island.
Early Japanese Influence and Taiwan's First-Generation Artists
Ishikawa personally cultivated most of the founding generation of Taiwan's modern art movement. His earliest disciple was Ni Chiang-huai (倪蔣懷 1894-1943), who traveled all over Taiwan with Ishikawa from 1910 to 1915, developing the naturalistic, lyrical watercolor
landscapes that typified that period. Other Ishikawa pupils included Chen Cheng-po (陳澄波) and Li Mei-shu (李梅樹), as well as Li Shih-chiao (李石樵), who went on to study art in Japan where he lived for many years. The watercolor landscapes he painted upon his return were rich in color and heavily laden with local Taiwanese flavor.
Perhaps the most important painter in this first generation of Western-style Taiwanese artists was Yang San-lang (楊三郎 1907-1995) who concentrated during his early years on solid, precise brush strokes. Later on, he shifted dramatically to emphasize rich colors and free-flowing motion. Throughout his career, Yang evinced a passion for naturalism and the lyrical depiction of Taiwan's landscapes. Traditional Chinese buildings, palm trees, thatched huts and sweeping vistas were his usual subjects.
Another central figure in Taiwan's modern art movement was Liao Chi-chun (廖繼春1902-1976), who won his fame through the Taiwan Exhibition of Fine Art. This forum, first held in 1927, set the official standard for academic art in Taiwan. Liao's esthetic approach tended to be very subjective. He often rendered landscapes in a way that expressed the emotive context of the scene more than accurately depicting its details. His "Courtyard," an exhibition winner of 1931, is a classic study of Taiwanese home life, and "Oluanpi Lighthouse" is one of his most famous landscapes.
During the Japanese era, impressionism became far and away the most popular mode of art in Taiwan. Young artists took to setting their easels up out of doors, rendering landscapes and street scenes with broad strokes. They suddenly perceived the importance of everyday life and the genuinely breathtaking beauty of their own land. The natural splendor of Taiwan seemed to gain new life through the rich, brilliant pigments of oil paint, which soon surpassed watercolor in popularity.
Distinctive Taiwanese landscape motifs emerged--towering mountains, swaying betel nut trees, and lazy water buffalo feeding in the fields, as well as lighthouses, steamships and other signs of bustling modernity. Among this first generation of Taiwanese artists, Chen Cheng-po (1895-1947), in particular, loved to paint vending carts wending through crowds and electrical poles dotting the streets.
Second-Generation Experiments with Modern Art Forms
After the somber period of World War II, sovereignty over Taiwan shifted back to mainland Chinese hands and the island was infused with a new emphasis on traditional Chinese styles. With increased American involvement in Taiwanese affairs, the island became enamored of all things Western; and due to the gradual opening of society, many people began to re-evaluate
conventional literature and art. This trend culminated in the founding of the May Art Society and the Oriental Art Society in 1957. Both groups embraced a complete break with tradition and the wholesale modernization of Taiwanese art.
Liu Kuo-sung ( 劉國松 b.1932) was an active member in both societies and became the single most important figure in the avant-garde movement of the 1960s. His most groundbreaking innovation was combining abstract designs with the traditional Chinese medium of water and ink. One landmark piece of this variety was his 1968 painting "Landscape in Yellow and Gray." This style came to dominate experimental art during that era.
Liu attacked both the traditional "national painting" style of the Taiwan Exhibition, which he claimed was really Japanese art, as well as the traditional Chinese forms of academia. He and his peers were rejected by the conservative official exhibitions of the time and went abroad to gain acceptance, winning a number of awards at international competitions.
Li Chung-sheng (李仲生 1911-1984), and Chuang Chieh (莊詰 b. 1934) were other important painters of the time. They and their peers attempted to rethink the meaning of art, and treasured innovation above all else. Art no longer needed to be representational or expressive of emotions, but could also convey ideas. Although many older artists reacted strongly against this movement, such major first-generation artists as Liao Chi-chun, Chen Chin (陳進 ), and Li Shih-chiao threw in their lot with the experimentalists late in their careers.
Returning to Taiwan's Roots
By the 1970s, the radical experiments of the 1960s had entered the established mainstream. At the same time, a growing number of artists began to reject the overpowering influence of the West, and a new native consciousness began to grow. Artists began reaching back to the traditional temple and mural art of their homeland.
The Native Soil art movement centered around a search for Taiwanese roots; its dominant figure was the unschooled painter Hung Tung (洪通 1920-1987), who gained the sweeping praise of the critics and media of the day. His pictures, rich in local detail and bright color, centered on folk activities such as temple festivals and featured highly stylized human figures.
With the growing affluence of the 1980s, Taiwanese society began to emphasize the creative aspects of life, and a greater number of people became involved in art. With greater access to other parts of the world came an influx of new esthetic theories, such as pop art, minimalism, and surrealism, and the boundaries of creativity seemed to stretch infinitely.
Today's Artists
The Taiwanese artists of today have branched out in a startling variety of directions, moving into such fields as sculpture, multimedia, and installation art. The artistic tradition of Taiwan's indigenous people, with its bright colors, abstract designs, and arresting totemic symbols, is also gaining new admiration in the island's art circles.
Two major contemporary figures working in oil-on-canvas are Yang Mao-lin (楊茂林) and Wu Tien-chang (吳天章), both of whom deal with social and political issues in their work. In such paintings as "Taiwan Natives (Atayal)," Wu Tien-chang portrays the faces of ordinary Taiwanese boldly and realistically, yet with striking colors. He has also recently delved into the increasingly popular area of installation art.
For the future, one can only foresee an even greater multiplicity of styles and media in Taiwanese art. The island's artists seem set to become even more international in perspective, while maintaining a deep-set concern for the unique native identity of Taiwan.
Copyright 1995 Vision International Publishing Co.