The Modern Life of a Modern Female Painter by Lin Lu, 1996
Although a woman painter, Lo Tsen’s works are neither graceful and restrained nor conservative. She has also shown herself unwilling to use the masculinity popular with feminism to describe her own painting style. Indeed, she has expressed the opinion that such a dichotomy is meaningless.
Lo Tsen has described artistic creativity as a form of expression that aspires to reveal the true nature of things. If it is true that such works truthfully reflect a state of existence then the motif and form always reveal the artist’s interest in life. Although the “Map of the Soul” (心靈圖象) series from three years ago (1993) was essentially a dialogue between the artist and her inner self, it also sought to convey certain phenomena from the existence of modern man. In these pieces, the lines are rough and uninhibited whereas the depictions of people are distorted; the colors are heavy and the powerful bodies bereft of softness overlapped with black, brown and crimson red hues, the texture of the characters being incomplete and broken. Although the area before the open mind is red it is blocked by a black-blue square border. Clearly this symbol alludes to the difficulties inherent in life. The picture is filled with dark colors which immediately bring to mind darkness, confusion, and melancholy, whereas red has originally symbolized passion, uncertainty and disorder. Naturally, if a large stretch of blue is found beyond the obstacle that is a different prospect, because blue represents truth, hope and stability.
Over the last three years the artist has focused on the impact of technology and media. As a result, she has been exposed to information from around the world and seen much news that has left her sad, the most obvious being the indiscriminate cruelty of war. In this period there has been fighting in Asia - Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey; Africa – Somalia, Luanda; Europe–Ex-Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Chechnya etc. The never ending images of inhumanity forced the artist to face the inherent selfishness of human nature and the fact that war has become perhaps the singular common fate of humanity, filling her with sadness. This period provided the basic inspiration for such sorrow-laden works as “Fate,” “Fantasy” (幻化), “Heavenly Question” (天問), “The Masses” (眾生), “A Sad Record of Events” (悲創紀事), “Map of Nature” (大地圖誌) etc. Of these, “A Sad Record of Events” is a reality based piece, showing a sky of red missiles raining down on a group of helpless innocents. “Map of Nature” is infused with a melancholic darkness drawing viewer’s attention to a powerful white light that represents the forces of destruction and the damage they have wrought on the planet.
The themes addressed in “Heavenly Question” and “The Masses” are very similar as are the colors used. Both depict the helplessness, passivity and ignorance of humanity in hues of black-brown. Of all of these pieces, “Fate” is probably the artist’s best work. Painted in black and white viewers are presented with a clear contrast and although the expression is abstract the symbolism is traditional. Unvarnished clay objects stand on either side whilst in the middle is a black image that resembles a womb. The image of the “black cave” has a number of meanings; a chasm, a vortex, it can also allude to something unfortunate in life. The curled up human form at the side of the work is involuntarily caught up in events, unable to escape, highlighting how the misfortune of war affects everyone and everything.
When life is especially difficult one way to escape is fantasy, which holds out the promise of consolation from the problems of life. In this context, the work “Fantasy” from the “Sadness” series is especially notable. This depicts a situation where fantasy provides a way for individuals to save themselves, find spiritual support and tranquility. The piece is predominantly black-green and white in color, with the fantasy images presented as infusions of lyrical white into the surface of dark colors. This creates a sense of lightness, the black-green hue creating doubt and anxiety whilst the exquisite refinement of the white infers a sense of joy or happiness.
In addition to the large works of the “Sadness” (悲慟) series, Lo Tsen also has a dozen or so smaller works entitled “Happiness” (喜悅). In her writing on this series she comments: “Happiness is a state of mind, something to cherish and be thankful for. When we learn of the existence of suffering and are able to avoid such things, happiness is to be found everywhere.” Being based on happiness, these paintings are presented in bright colors, many expressed in yellows, blues and reds, an excellent forum for the expression of emotion.
Lo’s paintings come from her own personal affinity for life and people. Despite her sympathy for those whose very existence is a lesson in abject suffering, she still uses some space to express happiness and the vitality of life. This serves as a counterpoint, informing viewers that although there is much suffering in the world, light and hope can always be found somewhere. At this juncture the artist affirms that for humanity the fountainhead of happiness runs eternal.
Although a woman painter, Lo Tsen’s works are neither graceful and restrained nor conservative. She has also shown herself unwilling to use the masculinity popular with feminism to describe her own painting style. Indeed, she has expressed the opinion that such a dichotomy is meaningless.
Lo Tsen has described artistic creativity as a form of expression that aspires to reveal the true nature of things. If it is true that such works truthfully reflect a state of existence then the motif and form always reveal the artist’s interest in life. Although the “Map of the Soul” (心靈圖象) series from three years ago (1993) was essentially a dialogue between the artist and her inner self, it also sought to convey certain phenomena from the existence of modern man. In these pieces, the lines are rough and uninhibited whereas the depictions of people are distorted; the colors are heavy and the powerful bodies bereft of softness overlapped with black, brown and crimson red hues, the texture of the characters being incomplete and broken. Although the area before the open mind is red it is blocked by a black-blue square border. Clearly this symbol alludes to the difficulties inherent in life. The picture is filled with dark colors which immediately bring to mind darkness, confusion, and melancholy, whereas red has originally symbolized passion, uncertainty and disorder. Naturally, if a large stretch of blue is found beyond the obstacle that is a different prospect, because blue represents truth, hope and stability.
Over the last three years the artist has focused on the impact of technology and media. As a result, she has been exposed to information from around the world and seen much news that has left her sad, the most obvious being the indiscriminate cruelty of war. In this period there has been fighting in Asia - Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey; Africa – Somalia, Luanda; Europe–Ex-Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Chechnya etc. The never ending images of inhumanity forced the artist to face the inherent selfishness of human nature and the fact that war has become perhaps the singular common fate of humanity, filling her with sadness. This period provided the basic inspiration for such sorrow-laden works as “Fate,” “Fantasy” (幻化), “Heavenly Question” (天問), “The Masses” (眾生), “A Sad Record of Events” (悲創紀事), “Map of Nature” (大地圖誌) etc. Of these, “A Sad Record of Events” is a reality based piece, showing a sky of red missiles raining down on a group of helpless innocents. “Map of Nature” is infused with a melancholic darkness drawing viewer’s attention to a powerful white light that represents the forces of destruction and the damage they have wrought on the planet.
The themes addressed in “Heavenly Question” and “The Masses” are very similar as are the colors used. Both depict the helplessness, passivity and ignorance of humanity in hues of black-brown. Of all of these pieces, “Fate” is probably the artist’s best work. Painted in black and white viewers are presented with a clear contrast and although the expression is abstract the symbolism is traditional. Unvarnished clay objects stand on either side whilst in the middle is a black image that resembles a womb. The image of the “black cave” has a number of meanings; a chasm, a vortex, it can also allude to something unfortunate in life. The curled up human form at the side of the work is involuntarily caught up in events, unable to escape, highlighting how the misfortune of war affects everyone and everything.
When life is especially difficult one way to escape is fantasy, which holds out the promise of consolation from the problems of life. In this context, the work “Fantasy” from the “Sadness” series is especially notable. This depicts a situation where fantasy provides a way for individuals to save themselves, find spiritual support and tranquility. The piece is predominantly black-green and white in color, with the fantasy images presented as infusions of lyrical white into the surface of dark colors. This creates a sense of lightness, the black-green hue creating doubt and anxiety whilst the exquisite refinement of the white infers a sense of joy or happiness.
In addition to the large works of the “Sadness” (悲慟) series, Lo Tsen also has a dozen or so smaller works entitled “Happiness” (喜悅). In her writing on this series she comments: “Happiness is a state of mind, something to cherish and be thankful for. When we learn of the existence of suffering and are able to avoid such things, happiness is to be found everywhere.” Being based on happiness, these paintings are presented in bright colors, many expressed in yellows, blues and reds, an excellent forum for the expression of emotion.
Lo’s paintings come from her own personal affinity for life and people. Despite her sympathy for those whose very existence is a lesson in abject suffering, she still uses some space to express happiness and the vitality of life. This serves as a counterpoint, informing viewers that although there is much suffering in the world, light and hope can always be found somewhere. At this juncture the artist affirms that for humanity the fountainhead of happiness runs eternal.