The infinite openness embedded in contemporary art makes it possible for every individual to draw on the richness and profundity of the art history from his/her own perspective and form his/her own signature style. To involve cutting-edge scientific technology represents one popular direction for artistic innovation in the contemporary context. And to integrate existing concepts, methods and languages in art history and inspire new verve from within the very fundamental of art represents another.
Zhang Yu starts his journey in the art world with writing brush, rice paper, water and ink. A profound sense of energy could be perceived from his insights into the custom, the local, the traditional and the historical. The more and deeper he digs into it, the more intoxicated and absorbed he becomes. The process for him to gradually and steadily open up his vision is a process of constant learning and transcending. He tries every means to express the authentic existence of the "self" lying in time, and has constantly been refreshing the patterns and forms in his art.
According to the artist, the creativity of art lies somewhere beyond art; and art is an escape made by "rebels" of the existing art system. The fundamental value of art lies in how artists express their perception of the authenticity of time and space. In practice, Zhang Yu manages to integrate such instinctive impulse harmoniously with sense and sensibility to make progress in a steady and orderly manner.
Through techniques such as "finger-printing" and "moss-dotting", Zhang Yu finds a way for his body and physical actions to directly "enter" the work. In Chinese there's a saying that goes like: the nerves of the ten fingers are intricately linked with the heart. Each time by pressing fingerprints onto different materials, the body is given an opportunity to experience a moment of subtle sensitivity, flowing moods and changing thoughts. And in the meantime, the fingers have left some solid imprints in the work. However, when dipped in water with no color, the fingers leave only transparent and uneven finger marks on the soft surfaces such as paper; and on hard materials, the traces they leave are barely visible. When pressing and shaping the soil, the fingers leave their imprints in the soil, shaping the soil in a natural and yet unprecedented way. These works are presented primarily in a still-life manner. However, the concession of so-called form and space gives room for time, the invisible element, to come to the fore.
During the process to feel as directly and subtly as possible through fingers, forms coming into being are reminiscent of abstract painting, sculpture and performance art emerge. But what Zhang Yu pursues is always the "essence" rather than the "form". As far as he's concerned, these are neither paintings nor sculptures. And neither are they abstract or performative. It represents a kind of "in-between" state of integrated art.
To Zhang Yu, what matters is not the final form to be presented. Instead, it is the authentic existence of the "self" lying in time and the perception of the authenticity of time and space that matter. It would be difficult to explain the form and state of such authentic existence of the "self" and the perception of the authenticity in specific words, but he tries. In his description, "artistic creation is a process to find oneself, to make connections between work and creation, fiction and expression, objects and human beings (the creator), humanity and spirituality, spirituality and divinity through artistic expression and expressing methods." … "The process of practice is like being immersed in the kind of ritual that is enlightening, devout and shimmering with the light of religion. It seems as if the encounter between man's soul and some kind of mystic moment gives rise to a sense of bitter pleasure, arousing echoes in the depth of mind and raising inquiries into the sacred world…" "Senses of serenity, loftiness, mysteriousness and cohesion are integrated, constantly creating, expanding and inspiring among the space made from ink and water. Taking a distance from the secular world, reflecting upon the inner world and even death, imaging freely and contemplating deeply the cosmic as well as the terrestrial … such a scenario is what we strive for, representing the ultimate quest into life."
Such outlook and methodology on art, in a way, coincide with primitive art, and intersect with the diversity and profundity lying in Beuys. The so-called "work" is, in a sense, a prop for artists of different times to take actions in their own time and space. The physical experience of the body is ephemeral, hard to explain and yet irreplaceable. Only the "props" are to be left, quietly inspiring people to think. So-called "putting oneself in the artist's position", "empathy" and "thinking from a different perspective" from the viewers' side are actually all hypothetical if without firsthand physical experience.
For this exhibition, Zhang Yu presents a work made of soil, in which imprints made by the pressing of fingers are retained. In the meantime, the artist welcomes all the visitors to press the work with their fingers, letting the body to take a moment to feel and reflect.
