XUE SONG

Proceeding from a cultural logic that transforms antagonisms into collaborations, Xue Song’s art finds expression in the negative space left behind: soot and ash are crucial elements, and the outlines of some of the figures in his images look as if they have been burned out. For him, ash is a reminder of fate and a symbol of rebirth. Fire plays a central role in Xue Song’s work. It is a form of mourning. Time and again the artist elaborates on the fire that burned down his studio in the early 1990’s, destroying all of his work to date, mainly oil paintings and calligraphy. The charred leftovers of pictures rescued from the ashes are used as fragments in the new works as a kind of memorabilia of past events. The collages become a tactile site of remembrance and reflection with traces of the fire unavoidably present. He produces scenes that pick up on traditional painting and calligraphy, but combine them, for example, with silhouettes of contemporary politicians. Xue Song is known for his innovative integration of contemporary elements with elements manifested in the collective cultural memory. He continues to invent new forms and reinvent those left by tradition. The approaches and explorations are inspired by traditional calligraphy, but are transformed. By collecting random samples of mass media language, including the revolutionary language of Mao and contemporary consumer culture language, Xue Song creates a kind of multi-sensory imagery. Scattered across the canvas, the visual juxtapositions are whimsical and inspired, proving that the artist possesses a keen eye for color and form.