Biography
Cao Xiaodong's abstract works-'points' began to take shape early in 1994, he imitated the painting style of Chinese wash painting,using traces left by burning densely concentrated points, he cancelled the thickness of oil painting and recreated the spirit of ancient Chinese landscape paintings. Showing restraint, he sought balance of temperament and taste, with traditional scholar's sentiments and modern logic. Since the second half of 2006, the points in Cao Xiaodong’s work began to change from an abstract language into something more figurative – that is to imitate old picture from different periods from the last hundred years of Chinese history. Such a change comes from his knowledge of Chinese culture, from reasoning to emotional reminiscence, from the indulgence of dreams to the intervention of reality found in modern Chinese culture. By way of electronic process and heavy, complicated manual work, the original vague images of the old picture reappear on the canvas. Apart from the process, the hand of Cao Xiaodong’s himself can hardly be seen. it seems to be a repetition of what Walter Benjamin said on Proust’s writing, ”It’s just presentation, not reflection.” The apple-pie ordered ROC families, the vague ROC figures and the solemnly taken group photos, etc. After the electronic process, the size of points became exactly defined, reducing the sense of painting to its lowest limit, removing “every bit of subjectivity and spiritual residue”. Such a neutral, anonymous state is Cao Xiaodong’s attitude towards the knowledge of art history, painting skills and Chinese modern history. To test photography with painting while dispelling it, however, his vision only relates his personal reading and memories..
