Footnotes

Provenance
Private Collection, Asia
Sale: Christie's, Hong Kong, Asian Contemporary Art (Day Sale), 25 May 2014, Lot 587
Acquired from the above by the present owner

袁遠
會議
油彩 畫布
2011年作

簽名：袁遠 會議 Y Yuan Conference 2011 03（背面）y yuan 2011（側面）

來源
亞洲私人收藏
拍賣：香港佳士得，亞洲當代藝術（日間拍賣），2014年5月25日，拍品編號587
現藏家得自上述來源

Yuan Yuan paints dreamlike dimensions and exotic locales. Meandering through the real and the imagined, his distinctive imageries made him a true original in Chinese contemporary art. Borrowing scenes from real life locations, his works often feature ruins and abandoned architecture as subject matters. By combining these actual settings with imagined elements and deconstructing their spatial relationships, Yuan synthesises new visual experiences with his paintings.

Conference depicts a stately interior space from a frontal perspective. Even though no one is present in the picture, viewers can deduce that a discussion took place here by the two opposing rows of chairs. In turn, they can also feel and contemplate the same issues concerning time and history. As the long table recedes in space, it guides viewers into this virtual room by utilising classic one-point perspective. The overall composition is symmetrical, yet it emphasises the contrast between light and shadow. This is most noticeable in the way objects are arranged along the two opposing sides. Yuan devoted much attention to the treatment of light: the window on the left acts as the primary light source. It is then reflected by the mirror, chandeliers, glass door, and other polished surfaces. The entire picture is filled with dazzling visual effects. Supposedly, the table cloth is smooth but opaque. Yet, Yuan's treatment makes the physical property of the fabric ambiguous. As though it is translucent, viewers are able to see the mosaic tiles underneath, and this perplexing quality makes its existence surreal. The circular decorative pattern on the floor forms an interesting geometric juxtaposition with the square tiles. The glare on the left corner of the table suggests that the space is illuminated by an external light source outside of the frame. At the same time, its brightness echoes the luminosity of the chandeliers on the ceiling. By applying a scratch technique on the painted surface, Yuan intentionally obscured certain details in the picture. This treatment is reminiscent of German painter Gerhard Richter's History Painting series and Abstract Painting series in which a sense of uncanniness permeates the atmosphere. From the overarching spatial construction to the minute interior details, Conference is conceived as a nested series of pictures. Within this intricate design, Yuan Yuan restores the gravitas and magnificence of the conference room to its former glory.

袁遠以其帶有異國情調、遊走於虛實之間的夢幻維度，獨立於中國當代藝術圈中。袁遠的繪畫經常以廢棄的建築或空無一人的空間為主題，他取景自現實中的風景，結合不同的想像元素，將空間重組與重置，以繪畫創造出全新的視覺世界。

《會議》以正面視角描繪一個裝飾堂皇的室內空間，即使畫中沒有人的存在，觀眾卻能藉兩旁椅子的佈置而猜想該場曾進行過的交流，進而感受和思考有關時間和歷史的議題。向前延伸的長桌子，以經典的單點透視法帶領觀眾進入這個虛擬的場所，並參與其中。整體構圖既呈對稱格局，卻又特別強調陰陽對比，從左右兩邊的物件安排可見一斑。袁遠特別對光的處理花上不少心思，充足的光源主要來自左邊窗戶，然後反射在鏡子、水晶吊燈、玻璃門等光滑反光的物質之上，令整個畫面產生目眩神迷的視覺效果。本應質地平滑的桌布變成曖昧不明，彷彿可以穿透看到下方馬賽克磁磚圖樣，成為了超越現實的存在。地板上圓形的裝飾圖案，與方格狀的瓷磚形成有趣的幾何對比。桌面左前方反射的一道白光，既暗示了光線是從畫面以外的地方投射進來，又巧妙呼應了上方明亮的水晶燈。袁遠以刮劃畫面的技巧對某些細節作出刻意模糊化的處理手法，類似德國藝術家格哈特‧里希特的歷史畫系列和抽象畫系列的氣質，增添畫面虛幻的氛圍。從室內細節乃至整體空間，如同畫中畫一般，袁遠在《會議》中建構出錯綜複雜的空間，重現會議室莊重又金碧輝煌的光彩。