Tang Guo has been able to create a very particular universe within the traditional media of ink painting and calligraphy that only lately has been expanded to include photography. In his ink paintings on canvas, color is the basic element out of which a rigorous and poetic pictorial proposal is made. Although at first glance it may suggest certain similarities with abstract expressionism, this soon gives way to meticulous and warm compositions. Ranging from the miniscule to the large, Tang Guo’s abstract paintings of monochromatic fields change gradually from profound blue to intense shades of red. Tang Guo shows a clear interest in the relationship between color fields that mix and interact, expanding their own limits. The beauty of the work arises from the harmonious color gradations, achieved by the laws of ink painting. Tang Guo has a predilection for repetition, and while the works depend on one another, they function better independently. Each brush stroke is unique and in zealous search for simplicity despite the reduced color range.
Read MoreIn his black and white photographic series “Water” and “Human Territory” (2000-2002), a certain poetic nostalgia is articulated; all the photos are devoid of humans. Whereas photographs from “Water” are abstract, blurred and subjective, “Human Territory” applies the tradition of realist and “objective” photo documentary.
Tang Guo was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu province in 1955. He studied at Nanjing Art Academy and Central Academy for Arts and Crafts, Beijing from 1986 to 1989. He resides and works in Nanjing. Selected solo exhibitions include Tang Guo, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum (Shanghai, 2006), Human Territory, ShanghART H-Space (Shanghai, 2005), Water, ShanghART Gallery (2002), Long Life, La Galliavola (Milan, 2000), Tang Guo New Works on Paper, ShanghART Gallery (1998) and Paintings by Tang Guo, Guofu Museum (Taipei, 1996).
Text courtesy ShanghART.
