葛雅静｜无法示弱的拥抱
Yajing Ge | A Hug that Can’t Show Weakness
Writer: 夏天
Date: 05/20/2024
Keywords: maximalism / intimate relationship
Date: 05/20/2024
Keywords: maximalism / intimate relationship
Ge Yajing’s paintings have a mesmerizing effect: acrylic, spray paint, pastel sticks, oil pastels sticks… paper pulp media, rough media, heavy media, oxidized mica iron pigments… fluidity, tones, transparency, texture, gloss, thickness, brightness, color tendencies… One can see that the artist is dedicated to seeking extreme drama and vivid conflict within the canvas. Her painting heroes include Van Gogh, Matisse, and Julian Schnabel. Without exception, these artists are known for their "aggressive" approach to color or effects. The term "Maximalism," coined by American critic Robert Pincus-Witten in his 1983 collection of reviews, was invented to describe Schnabel’s fervor for painting media. This concept also applies to Ge Yajing.
隐于沙丘的欢愉，160x120cm，丙烯、油粉棒、色粉棒、喷漆，2024（图左）
Whispers ofJoy Beneath the Dunes, 160x 120 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel stick, pastel, spray paint on canvas, 2024(left)
粉色流沙，160x120cm，丙烯、色粉棒、喷漆，2024（图右）
Pink Sand Flow, 160x120cm, Acrylic, pastel, spray paint on canvas, 2024(right)
在葛雅静的作品中，不同媒介的异质性具有一种特殊的粘合感。它们分离又相连，如同彼此之间建立了某种亲密关系。与此同时，在这些极繁的细节与作品精确的技术细节之间存在着一种不协调，又给作品带来了一种特别的稚拙感。事实上，无论是在异形系列作品，还是新近的带有格状秩序的作品，葛雅静都在画面中暗示了“腿”与“脚”的意象。这些由长短线条所构成的色块为她的作品增加了可读性，在最为极致的情绪中甚至接近于萨拉·卢卡斯的破坏感。在“粉色流沙”（2024)中，艺术家在背景中的复杂纹理上留下了交错的痕迹，画面中心向左上角伸出了“腿脚”。部分线条边缘略带锯齿感，将“粉色”所提示的微妙情感暴露无遗。艺术家以这种方式将“身体”与“条纹现代主义”的形式相碰撞，提供了讨论主观性与装饰感的可能。
In Ge Yajing’s works, the heterogeneity of different media has a unique cohesive quality. They are both separate and connected, as if they have established a certain intimate relationship with each other. At the same time, there is a discord between these maximalist details and the precise technical aspects of the works, which brings a special naïve quality to them. In fact, whether in her irregular series or her recent works with grid-like order, Ge Yajing subtly hints at the imagery of "legs" and "feet" within the canvas. These color blocks composed of varying lines add readability to her works, approaching a sense of destruction akin to Sarah Lucas’s most extreme emotions. In “Pink Sand Flow” (2024), the artist leaves intersecting marks on the complex textures in the background, with "legs and feet" stretching from the center of the canvas to the upper left corner. Some of the edges of the lines have a slightly jagged feel, exposing the subtle emotions suggested by the "pink." In this way, the artist collides "body" with the form of "striped modernism," offering the possibility of discussing subjectivity and a sense of decoration.
翻越雪山，160x120cm，丙烯、色粉棒，2024
Over the Mountain, 160x120cm, Acrylic, pastel on canvas, 160x120cm, 2024
Unlike most artists, Ge Yajing almost never incorporates recognizable biographical elements into her works. The audience can only understand the emotional hints provided by the works through their poetic titles. For example, “Over the Mountain” (2024) uses a large area of yellow, which the artist explains that the color reminds her of the bright moon in the night sky. Viewers can observe the approaching relationship between the "hand" stretching out on the right side of the canvas and the yellow circle in the upper right corner.
在另一个有关冬天记忆的系列作品“黑金”当中，葛雅静对于黑色、白色和金色的调度颇有日本浮世绘的意味。艺术家认为，这些白色的开裂能够在黑色的“低音节奏”里产生一个冲突的“高音”。颜色本身在质地上具有工业制品的感觉，显示出艺术家理智的一面。艺术家用“抓布力”的概念来描述这些表面的开口与牢固的粘着之间的关系，这些裂纹效果也依赖于时间的自然作用。
In another series of works related to winter memories, “Black Gold” (2023), Ge Yajing’s use of black, white, and gold evoke the style of Japanese ukiyo-e. The artist believes that these white cracks can create a conflicting "high note" within the "bass rhythm" of the black. The colors themselves have an industrial texture, showcasing the rational side of the artist. She uses the concept of "strength to grasp the canvas" to describe the relationship between the openings and the firm adhesion of the surfaces, with these crack effects also relying on the natural effect of time.
黑金-3，60x80cm，丙烯、油粉棒、喷漆、色粉棒，2023(图左)
Black Gold- 3, 80x60 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel sticks, spray paint, pastel on canvas, 2023（left）
黑金-1，60x80cm，丙烯、油粉棒、图像转印、喷漆，2023（图中）
Black Gold- 1, 80x60 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel sticks, image transfer,spray paint on canvas, 2023 (middle)
黑金-2，60x80cm，丙烯、油粉棒、喷漆、色粉棒，2023(图右)
Black Gold- 2，80x 60 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel sticks, pastel on canvas, 2023 (right)
扬帆，致敬相遇，213x158cm, 丙烯、油粉棒、喷漆，2023（图左）
Set Sail, Tribute the Encounter, 213x158 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel stick, spray paint on canvas, 213x158 cm, 2023 (left)
无法示弱的拥抱，213x158cm，丙烯、油粉棒、喷漆、图像转印，2023-2024（图右）
A Hug That Cannot Show Weakness, 213x158 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel stick, image transfer, spray paint on canvas, 2023-2024(right)
把手伸到天上去，160x120cm，丙烯、色粉棒、油粉棒、喷漆，2024
Reach for the Sky, 160x120cm, Acrylic, pastel, oil pastel stick, spray paint on canvas, 2024
In many of her works, limbs or plant shapes have irregular edges, with their continuous changes sometimes causing discomfort. On the other hand, the variations in color and texture balance this out. “Reach for the Sky” (2024) evokes some of Matisse's works, with its bold use of color being quite astonishing. The gathered center of the composition has multiple layers, with intersecting areas and lines resembling a vigorous embrace, which contrasts sharply with the three crisply divided background colors. In this piece, Ge Yajing also incorporates stripes of varying slopes within the irregular color blocks, a hallmark of her maximalist approach.
在创作过程中，葛雅静会被有关女性意识的问题所困扰，比如，如何在作品中不陷落于“平等还是差异”这样的悖论，如何在作品中表达对脆弱和顽强的丰富自我进行反思。作为艺术家，这些思考变成了那些缠绕的线条。葛雅静的困惑是如此真实，因而，这种情感冲击力的表达就一直强烈。艺术家将“秋里黄”（2021）这类异形作品视作肖像绘画。支撑画面重心的落脚点位于底部，就像是两只小脚。葛雅静认为，画面中部面对面的C字形状就像是两个拥抱、纠缠在一起的“个体”。
During her creative process, Ge Yajing is often troubled by questions related to female consciousness, such as how to avoid falling into the paradox of "equality versus difference" and how to reflect on a rich self that embodies both vulnerability and resilience in her work. As an artist, these reflections transform into those entangled lines. Ge Yajing’s confusion is so genuine that the expression of this emotional impact remains powerful. She regards irregularly shaped works like “Golden Amidst Autumn” (2021) as portrait paintings. The focal point at the bottom, which supports the center of the composition, looks like two small feet. Ge Yajing believes that the C-shaped forms facing each other in the middle of the composition represent two individuals embracing and intertwining with each other.
Pink Serenity，213x158cm，丙烯，色粉棒，油粉棒，2024（图左）
Pink Serenity, 213x158cm, Acrylic, pastel on canvas，oil pastel stick，2024 (right)
秋里黄，196x159cm，丙烯、油粉棒、图像转印、布料，2021（图右）
Golden Amidst Autumn, 196x159 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel stick, image transfer, fabric, 2021 (right)
Pink Serenity, 213x158cm, Acrylic, pastel on canvas，oil pastel stick，2024 (right)
秋里黄，196x159cm，丙烯、油粉棒、图像转印、布料，2021（图右）
Golden Amidst Autumn, 196x159 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel stick, image transfer, fabric, 2021 (right)
存在着两种观看葛雅静作品（必须是原作）的方式。譬如，观众可以近距离的观察不同材质在不同区块之间的胶着状态。作品的开裂与遮挡时刻提醒你留意每一层基底所传递的物质性。换言之，这是一种包裹与披露的艺术。譬如，那些与柔软有关的视觉暗示以及看似具有柔韧的“金属”光泽的质地本身。在形式上，这些绘画采取了大量切割和堆叠的策略，而在方型画布和浅层视错觉空间的简洁衬之下，每一幅作品都成为了密林。
There are two ways to view Ge Yajing’s works (and it must be the originals). For instance, viewers can observe up close the adhesive state of different materials across various sections. The cracks and obstructions in the work constantly remind you to pay attention to the materiality conveyed by each layer of the substrate. In other words, this is an art of wrapping and revealing. For example, the visual hints related to softness and the seemingly flexible "metallic" gloss of the texture itself. Formally, these paintings employ extensive strategies of cutting and layering, and under the simplicity of square canvases and shallow, visually illusionary spaces, each work becomes a dense forest.
暮色剧场，213x158cm，丙烯、油粉棒、图像转印、喷漆，2023 (图左)
Twilight Theater, 213 x158 cm, Acrylic, oil pastel stick, image transfer, spray paint on canvas, 2023 (left)
穿透紫雾，共赴何处，213x158cm，丙烯、油粉棒、图像转印、喷漆，2023 (图右)
Through the Purple Mist, Where are We Going, 213x158cm, Acrylic, oil pastel stick, image transfer, spray paint oncanvas, 2023 (right)
依然宁静与偏爱，160x120cm，丙烯、喷漆，2024
Still Peaceful, Still Prefer, 160x120 cm, Acrylic, spray paint on canvas, 2024
On the other hand, Ge Yajing has never regarded painting merely as painting itself. As viewers accept these seemingly fragile and exposed images, they also sense the emotional transmission of female consciousness in the remaining imagery. The artist has never specified the exact emotional attitude of these images, but we can feel the rhythm's fluctuations through the changes in color and brightness. These memories are personal, but viewers can discern what these works love and fear—from their poetic titles as well. Ultimately, viewers will realize that these two ways of viewing are essentially the same. In Ge Yajing's works, the free interweaving of these painting media is also the trace of emotional fold.
葛雅静，1990年出生于洛阳，2016年研究生毕业。现生活、工作于北京。曾举办个展：一簇小刀（ArtPro Space & 伯年艺术空间，北京，2022），NO MORE PARTIES TONIGHT（WE SPACE，上海，2021），POWER 权（ARCH GALLERY，长沙，2020）。参与群展：ART 021 2020 ARCH Gallery ，ART 021 2021 Leo Gallery ，时间的棱镜（北极熊画廊，北京，2024），西岸艺术与设计博览会（叁拾空间，上海，2023）。
夜，是关于光的叙事（伯年艺术空间 & WAREHOUSE，上海，2023），绘画，你想成为什么？（二十一空间美术馆，东莞，2023），北京当代艺术博览会（全国农业展览馆，北京，2023），西岸艺博会（GALLERY FUNC，上海，2022），HER（小杉画廊，北京，2022），流浪者之歌（马丁·戈雅生意，杭州，2021），爱人的形状（蜂巢当代艺术中心，北京，2020），风暴山谷（ARCH GALLERY，长沙，2020），西岸艺术与设计博览会（上海西岸艺术中心，上海，2019），《海洋》史莱姆引擎 线下展（没顶画廊，上海，2019），上海青年艺术博览会（上海会展中心，上海，2016）。
Ge Yajing, born in 1990 in Luoyang, graduated with a master's degree in 2016 and currently lives and works in Beijing. She has held solo exhibitions: "Cut A Little Off" (ArtPro Space & Bonian Space, Beijing, 2022), "NO MORE PARTIES TONIGHT" (WE SPACE, Shanghai, 2021), "POWER" (ARCH GALLERY, Changsha, 2020). She has participated in group exhibitions: ART 021 2020 ARCH Gallery, ART 021 2021 Leo Gallery, "The Prism of Time" (Polar Bear Gallery, Beijing, 2024), Westbund Art & Design Fair (Thirty Space, Shanghai, 2023), " Seeing Through Light" (Bonian Space & WAREHOUSE, Shanghai, 2023), "Painting, What Do You Want to Be?" (21 Space Art Museum, Dongguan, 2023), JINGART (National Agricultural Exhibition Center, Beijing, 2023), Westbund Art & Design Fair (GALLERY FUNC, Shanghai, 2022), "HER" (Xiaosong Gallery, Beijing, 2022), "The Timing of Drifters" (Martin Goya Business, Hangzhou, 2021), "Shape of Lovers" (Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, 2020), "ghe Storm Valley" (ARCH GALLERY, Changsha, 2020), West Bund Art & Design Fair (West Bund Art Center, Shanghai, 2019), "Ocean" Slime Engine Offline Exhibition (MABSOCIETY, Shanghai, 2019), and Shanghai Young Art Fair (Shanghai Exhibition Center, Shanghai, 2016).