An Exhibition for Everyone at UMMA

Though some take it for granted as another credential to the school, the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) should be a place students stop by at least once before  graduation, whether it be during the evening or simply between classes. This month, there are two new exhibitions: Tradition Transformed: Chang Ku-nien, Master Painter of the 20th Century and UMMA Projects: Cory Arcangel, both featured until mid-April.

Arcangel’s work is known for being concerned with digital and media culture, according to the UMMA website. Essentially, he is known for remaking gaming systems. The exhibit features pieces like a YouTube video of a cat playing the piano and a version of the game Guitar Hero. These pieces show his compositional skill, which he honed at Oberlin Conversatory. There is much juxtaposition between his exhibit and Chang Ku-nien’s.

“For anyone interested in art, but more specifically interested in learning about art from different cultures, should check out Ku-nien’s exhibit,” guest curator Wen-Chien Cheng said. The title of the exhibition fits his works perfectly, as his works represent his experiences that led him to stray away, but still keep some tradition, from Chinese brushwork.

“As you know, Imperial China ended pretty much at the end of the 20th century and he (Ku-nien) was born before the Imperial China, so he actually experienced this tremendous change in social situation as well as political situation,” said Cheng., “and he was still in China at the turn of it, but he was forced to leave his hometown to Taiwan because of the political change in China...it also shows his individual response to this change and how he sort of exposed and passed on what he valued the most.”

Essentially, Ku-nien stuck with traditional Chinese brushwork when he went to Taiwan,” Cheng said. However, as time went on and he moved to America, his views became more diverse. For instance, he began painting landscapes of well-known places, such as Pictured Rocks, but from a different perspective, using much freer brushstrokes, which conveyed his freedom and opposition to change.

In his landscapes, Ku-nien used the modern, multiple-perspective painting technique, instead of a single vantage point, Cheng said. This is because he wanted viewers to get the impression they were seeing a new view, when really it was impossible to get that certain view entirely. Basically, he took a local view and made up a new one, a constructive landscape.

Cheng said she recommends seeing the large scrolls on the wall, which show Ku-nien’s mixed views of tradition, and she hopes for a positive turnout.

“I think this exhibition really provides a chance not just to see a solo exhibition of an artist’s work, but also the chance for people to see what the tradition of brushwork, traditional ink, traditional format are under real eyes,” said Cheng. “It’s hard to have this first-hand experience to see that; and this master, this master painter who was so good at imitating old brushwork masters and not just one mastered, but he mastered it in a wide range of style.”        

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