Glory to the Source: Hsiao Chin 1995-2015

A Traveler of the Universe──A Journey Back on the Soul of Hsiao Chin

 

By Xiao Qiong-rui

 

  

Hsiao Chin, who’s ancestral home was in Zhongshan county in the province of Guangdong, was born in Shanghai in 1935 and in 1949 followed his father’s brother and his wife to Taiwan, then in 1956 as a student left Taiwan and went to Spain to attend school, afterwards traveling to Italy and New York to create and teach for about 40 years. In 1996 he returned to Taiwan and was appointed a teaching position at the National Taiwan University of Arts (known today as Tainan National University of Arts) going into self retirement in 2005 basking in the honor of have been a professor; that same year he was bestowed the “Star of Solidarity” award by the president of Italy. Becoming a successful artist Hsiao Chin’s significance had not yet begun to slowly set into Movement or influence the modern topic of the “Modernization Movement of Chinese Art” under which he, for Chinese traditional thought and material mediums, found a new method of combining and displaying them; upon the stage of the international art advance he supplied the point of view and countenance of an Asian individual. However even more importantly his art passage brought about an acute cleverness and from amongst the uninhibited loneliness of this universe a unique understanding and an attitude for solving things emerged, all people are worthy to be considered, and to seek a common understanding, to be recognized and treasured.

 

 

 

Hsiao Chin’s father Xiao You-mei (1884─1940) was a distinguished musician at the early period of the Republic of China as well as the most important initiator of modern Chinese music. In his early years he went abroad to study at a Japanese school of music in Tokyo and participated in a federation; afterwards, studying abroad in Germany at the Leipzig National Music Academy where he studied music theory, wrote his thesis “A Historical Research on 17^thCentury Chinese Instruments” in 1916 and was awarded his PhD degree. After returning to his home country, under the support of Tsai Yuan-pei, he established the Shanghai Academy of Music (later changed to the Shanghai Music Institute and known today as the Shanghai Conservatory of Music) which nurtured the first group of modern Chinese occupational musicians[1].

 

When Xiao You-mei returned, for a time he taught in the music department at a Beijing girls teachers college where he particularly admired a certain female student however this girl disliked him due to his older age and thus nil resulted from this period of sentiments. Afterwards Xiao You-mei was preoccupied with the school and idled his time away until 1934 when he finally married a young lady named Qi Cui-zhen from Shaoxing of Zhejiang Province, by then Xiao You-mei was already 50 years old. 

 

The following year, in 1935, his firstborn was born, a son named Hsiao Chin and half a year later to a daughter. In 1940 he died tragically due to a lung disease, his son Hsiao Chin was only 5 years old then.

  

In the fuzzy memories of Hsiao Chin’s earlier years, his father was a solemn person. At the same time he insisted on maintaining his principles, such as: the same year he accepted the position of dean of the music institute the school provided him with a chauffeur, however his father would not use the service and continued to take the tram or bus to work everyday.

  

During his leisure time father would hold impromptu concerts and there would be several German and Russian guests who would join in playing instruments or admiring the classical music. These experiences subsequently caused Hsiao Chin to have fairly important factors in his life: during his periods of creativity he liked to listen to classic instrumental music and he asked people to “listen” to his paintings with their ears, of course this is because of deeply buried childhood experiences which absolutely have some connection.

 

It is not easy to have many memories from the age of 5 however even if only with these experiences and emotions of his life with his father, as blurry as they may have been, they were still very powerful and surreptitiously became an endless energy and desire within his subconscious to create.

  

After his father died his family had to immediately deal with the economic change. His mother could not make a living and her health was very poor. Hsiao Chin had to transfer from his current missionary school to a common private elementary school. Owing to the fact that he had already studied English at the missionary school he prominently displayed an aptitude for English compared to the other children.

 

This period of elementary school in Shanghai had its daily ups and downs. The war of invasion Japan waged against China was already a raging wild fire; after Shanghai had fallen into enemy’s hands the school began teaching Japanese something which Hsiao Chin maintained a resistant attitude towards from beginning to end. The situation became even more chaotic after the Allied Forces began bombarding Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. A Mr. Wang who had originally helped Hsiao Chin’s father at the school pulling carts would often come by to help with random things. His mother was apologetic and would always force a little spending on him every time but this in turn was always rejected. Finally unable to resist her Mr. Wang reluctantly accepted the money. However it wasn’t long before Hsiao Chin’s mother discovered Mr. Wang had taken every bit of money and hidden it among the shelves in the pages of her husband’s books; he hadn’t taken a single cent. These tender gestures brought an enormous sense of comfort to Hsiao Chin’s mother in the midst of her exhaustive life. However life day after day became even more arduous, finally, his mother reluctantly parted with his father’s instruments and sold them all to the school. After 1980 the Shanghai Music Institute established the “Xiao You-mei Memorial” where today the piano he once played is still preserved.

 

In order to make a living, his mother had no choice but to go work for the Shanghai government; sometimes she was so busy she didn’t have time to come home so from a very young age Hsiao Chin had to learn to cook and take care of his younger sister. During this difficult situation his mother relied on the strength of her religious faith to eke out a hardy life. Owing to the fact that his maternal grandfather was Christian his mother was also Christian, she was a devoted Christian and overcame many ruthless life challenges.

 

However their father’s death and the following years of war had left a baffling yet intense insecurity upon the young brother and sister. Once when a close friend of their mother’s died, after their mother had returned from attending her funeral, the two children were worried that the god of death would also take their mother so for a time as soon as their mother closed her eyes to rest Hsiao Chin and his sister would quietly go over and hold their hands beneath their mother’s nose to reassure themselves that she was still alive.

 

These days of interdependence upon each other and their mother and the deepest impressions left upon them were the times they returned to their mother’s hometown to see their maternal grandmother. Their maternal grandfather at that time had already passed away and whenever mother and her children returned they always took the boat. The scenery of the small township Jiangnan left Hsiao Chin with beautiful memories. The main roads were cobbled with large stones and dirt paths, both sides were lined with a few low squat houses which had pasted paper screens in the windows instead of glass. When the days became cold, so cold people could barely stand it, they would drink water mixed with honey juice and apply it to their skin to chase away the cold.

  

It is in this beautiful place after people die that the coffins are placed directly upon the earth and a small house is built over it, there are many of these little houses scattered among the fields. During the summer nights the adults liked to tell ghost stories in the garden; sometimes one also had to pass through these fields of little houses to draw water from the river. Young hearts are often filled with limitless wonders and fears.

 

The resulting impressions left upon their lives were life experiences they obtained from their mother and the careful attitude of their father which were almost complete opposites. It would be much later when Hsiao Chin self-critically said: “My family background… it could be said that it was a blend of humanism andmysticism. My father was a simple humanist and free thinking idealist and mother was a very devout Christian. These two types of ideal inclinations undoubtedly have left and developed very significant impressions on my heart. On one hand I am consciously philosophical, analytical, and positivism; on the other hand subconsciously I may be inclined towards the transcendental and the theological thus my “dualism” personality was begun from the day I was born, because ever since I was very young I have doubted the existence of my life and have often deeply probed it.”[2]These deep investigations of his life became even more intense after his mother died.

  

In 1945 when Hsiao Chin was ten years old, his God revering mother ultimately unable to handle the daily torments of life was called away by the Lord. After she died in the hospital, she was cremated and her bones and ashes were interred with his father’s in the Hongqiao Public Cemetery. Before she died their two children were baptized despite the fact her husband did not believe in God, however before he died she led him to God and he was baptized. Obviously upon the path of her faith their mother had no regrets, but in reality she was left choice less in abandoning her young son and daughter, lost and lonely in the midst of humanity.

 

In 1946 Hsiao Chin and his younger sister were sent to Nanjing from their grandmother’s at Shanghai, where they were separated and adopted by two aunts. After his mother’s death, the separation of the two siblings was undoubtedly the hardest blow to 10 year old Hsiao Chin. Although he was relying on an aunt, depending on another and coming from a broken home made him feel adrift, from beginning to end this would leave an intense impression upon his young heart and would also thereafter be the primary mood of his life as an artist.

 

The wife of Hsiao Chin’s paternal grandfather had given birth to four children, two boys and two girls. The second daughter died but the boys lived, including Hsiao Chin’s father. Hsiao Chin’s uncle had two sons, whom died; his daughter, Hsiao Chin’s cousin, Xiao Shu-fang at an early age was sent to Europe to study oil painting and she would frequently bring colored pencils back for Hsiao Chin, which in regards to Hsiao Chin directly sparked his interest in drawing and painting. His cousin’s husband is also a well-known artist, Wu Zuo-ren; later the husband and wife would teach at a junior art institute. Wu Zuo-ren was the dean of the school for a time and is also the chairman of the Chinese Art Association. Lawful 

  

After the death of his first wife Hsiao Chin’s grandfather remarried and had 14 more children; among them there was one boy who was Hsiao Chin’s uncle and the other 13 were girls. His uncle had no sons therefore Hsiao Chin became the only son of the family able to pass down the family surname, bearing all the expectations of the family clan.

  

After brother and sister were sent to Nanjing, his sister was sent to be raised by their 6^thaunt and Hsiao Chin to their 7^thaunt; due to the fact the 7^thaunt had the best family financial situation among the numerous aunts everyone assumed she had enough to provide for Hsiao Chin’s educational opportunities. This was because his 7^thuncle was Wang Shi-jie (Zi Xue-ting) a member of the Kuomingtang and at that time he had held key government positions starting with the Minister of Propaganda, Minister of Education, Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc. After coming to Taiwan and serving as the presidential palace secretarial general he faded from the political scene following the Wu Guo-zhen Incident and retired after serving as the director of Academia Sinica[3]. Wang Shi-jie was also a well-known judge of paintings, so that every single piece of his collection was donated to the Taipei Palace Museum, passing down beautiful stories. Young Hsiao Chin used to help his uncle turn and unfold paintings, this type of experience no doubt is one among many reasons he began leaning towards a career as an artist; however more importantly was the experience of coming into contact with these classical Chinese paintings which is perhaps the cause as to why he turned from oil pigments to return to water colors and Chinese ink.

 

Since Hsiao Chin’s had cared and treated his young half sisters so well after he died these sisters, although they didn’t share the same mother, they doted upon Hsiao Chin. However certain things were fairly obvious to the aunt that cared for Hsiao Chin and she was very unsatisfied, this was due to Hsiao Chin’s personality and attitude. One was how Hsiao Chin regarded this new family, from the very beginning he just couldn’t really identify with this new family since in his heart he always felt like a dependent outsider; another was that his freedom loving nature never could devote himself whole-heartedly to his studies, instead he would spend the entire day messing around with the driver, chef and other children. In Hsiao Chin’s eyes these people were even more interesting than his books. However his intensely traditional aunt didn’t agree with him, she believed Hsiao Chin to be completely unlike a young master, in addition his grades were less than ideal, therefore she would daily lecture and harangue Hsiao Chin. These situations were born completely from good intentions, but it also caused an estrangement between Hsiao Chin and his aunt, making him feel even lonelier and friendless.

 

The family financials of the 6^thaunt, to whom his younger sister had been entrusted to, were good since their uncle was the chief of the Railway Bureau. Hsiao Chin saw his little sister every weekend; but this arrangement was not enough to alleviate how much he missed her. Hsiao Chin was unhappy since both father and mother were dead, he and his sister were separated, and he believed his aunt was verbally attacking him. Several years later only after long correspondence did Hsiao Chin learn that after a bitter life his sister suffered several emotional setbacks and was diagnosed with schizophrenia; she presently resides at a convalescent hospital in Beijing receiving daily treatments.

 

Hsiao Chin luckily took to the path of art, it was painting which allowed him to avoid various possibilities of bad fate; during his long-distant pursuit of art via his pieces he pondered on his life and self-redemption. In order to understand Hsiao Chin’s art his childhood experiences cannot be avoided and all the other life experiences which molded and etched deep impressions upon him.

 

 

 

In 1949 the Kuomingtang no longer able to maintain its political power in Mainland China, so Hsiao Chin’s aunt entrusted him to the care of a Mrs. Lei Zhen to be brought to Taiwan and later to reunite in Taichung. Lei Zhen, later striving to freely speak for a “Free China” in a magazine, became a renowned individual in Taiwan.

 

At Taichung Hsiao Chin enrolled in the Taichung Second Senior High School, since he had already completed his first year at Nanjing University Middle School. However he did not remain very long in Taichung, after a semester Hsiao Chin and his uncle and aunt’s family moved to Taipei where he attended Taipei Municipal Cheng Kung Senior High School. Here he sat next to a classmate, Liu Wen-tan, who eventually became an art professor.

 

Hsiao Chin found his middle school classes less than satisfactory and expressed it, the only class which could arouse his interest enough to study were the fine arts, including music and art. His aunt’s daughter, his cousin Wang Qiu-hua, would often send him books of paintings from America; therefore during this period Hsiao Chin received some amount of exposure and recognition of some Western artists like P. Picasso (b. 1881-1973) and G. Braque (b. 1882-1967), etc.

 

After graduating junior high school Hsiao Chin failed to test into his preferred high school then after 3 years of strenuous high school studies he was not looking forward to the college route. After finishing a year of night classes at Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School he decided to retake the entrance tests so that he could begin his art career as soon as possible. On his route of music or art he had to choose one, finally he decided to take the entrance exams for Taipei’s only junior high graduate school, Taipei Teacher’s College Art Department (known today as Taipei Teacher’s College), and easily qualified; thus beginning his very long and winding yet successful journey and pursuit of art.

 

As history revolves there are a few unconceivable and mysterious opportunities. Several young people who would eventually propel Taiwan’s modern art movement continually concentrated as students at the same university as Hsiao Chin.

 

Taipei Teachers’ College was considered the “holy ground” of the Taiwanese new art movement, a Japanese artist named Ishikawa Kinichiro was praised as the “Teacher of the Taiwanese New Art Movement” and had been hired a second time to teach at this institute; it was under his care and inspiration that Taiwan’s first generation of Western art artists emerged[4].

  

However during this period of history, in regards to the underclassmen of Taipei Teacher’s College, in particular Hsiao Chin a youth coming to Taiwan from China was completely unknown to them. 

 

The Art Department of the Taipei Teacher’s College was established in the year 1947[5]. Early on Taiwan had begun promoting art education to young children, contributing to the first generation of artists since the majority of them were 3^rdor 4^thgraduating class students[6].

 

Hsiao Chin enrolled into the 5^thclass of students and although he had entered the Taipei Teacher’s College he was not entirely focused on becoming an educator; he just had hopes of walking the simple path of art creation. However at the time there were no teachers that met his satisfaction at the National Taipei Teacher’s College. Therefore, via an introduction by a friend of his uncle Hsiao Chin began to study at the studio of Chu Teh-chun.

 

Chu Teh-chun at the time was a professor at the Art Department of Taiwan Teachers College (today known as the Institute of Fine Arts National Taiwan Normal University) along with a fellow graduate, a remarkable artist named Lin Feng-mian, who established the Academy of Art of Hangzhou. Afterwards Chu Teh-chun went to France in 1955 where he changed his style of art and became an internationally known abstract painter, enjoying fame equal to Zao Wou-ki, and his work has been proclaimed to be “Chinese painting with expression”[7].

 

However Chu Teh-chun still adhered to his classical art creation path, emphasizing the reproduction of plaster likenesses as a teaching method. This method of teaching evidently did not appeal to Hsiao Chin; therefore not even after a month Hsiao Chin refused to continue his previous studies. His industrious uncle and aunt could barely handle this decision; they simply couldn’t understand or tolerate a child who had no interest in his schoolwork and only seemed to like art. Why could he not agree to follow the rules and go learn the basics of sketching plaster likenesses? Actually no one at the time, including Hsiao Chin himself, knew what he wanted.

 

1952 was a turning point in Hsiao Chin’s life and it was his true emergence into the art society.

 

This was Hsiao Chin’s second year at Taipei Teacher’s College and through the recommendation of an upperclassman, Huo Gang[8]Hsiao Chin entered Li Zhong-sheng’s studio at An-tong Street, where he accepted the guidance of Li Zhong-sheng’s ideas on modern art. A little while later his classmates Chen Dao-ming and Li Yuan-jia, lower classmen Xiao Ming-xian and Liu Fu-mei as well as active duty air force Ouyang Wen-yuan, Xia Yang, Wu Ren and many others all became students of Li Zhong-sheng. Later they would form the “Eastern Painting Group” and bring the most revolutionary first wave of modern art movements to postwar Taiwan[9].

 

Li Zhong-sheng (b. 1912─1984), a native of Renhua of Guangdong in his earlier years studied at the Academy of Art of Hangzhou, studied for a short period in Shanghai, established and participated in the First Independent Art Exhibition “Juelanshe”. Afterwards traveling east to Japan, he entered into the art department of Tokyo University and after classes studied at the “Tokyo Military Art Graduate School” where he was heavily influenced by Tsugouharu Foujita; becoming a member of the “Two Groups Association” and “Black Western Painting Association”. After the Sino-Japanese War broke out (in 1937) he returned to his country to enlist and served as the head of the government communications department of the Political Officers Academy, a senior staff member in the National Defense Department’s public relationships and held a position in the political association and later as a professor at the National Academy of Art of Hangzhou, National Zhongqing Art Association, Hangzhou Private Art Training School as well as at other schools[10]. During this time period he also participated and established the celebrated “Modern Art Exhibition” and the “The First Independent Art Exhibition” along with a few other art groups; these exhibitions would all later become important miles stones in motivating the early Chinese modern art movement[11].

 

In 1949 Li came to Taiwan, he along with He Tiehua, Huang Canrong and a few others began promoting “Modern Art” in Taipei and wrote many articles on the subject[12]. Later he would continue to teach at the art department of Taipei First Girl Political High School (known today as the Art Department of the Political Military Academy). It was also around this time that Hsiao Chin and several other people, having received Li’s theory articles and thus were drawn in[13], entering his studio to learn. Later these students even after becoming successful would praise Li throughout their lives, thus Li Zhong-sheng has become a legendary figure to post-war Taiwan art[14].

 

In regards to the art theories and teaching methods of Li Zhong-sheng there are already many expert introductions and discussions[15]. Regardless if Li were still with us today his teaching ideas raises a few controversial issues, however a teaching principle of Li’s that can be confirmed is that every student has their own and different ways of thinking and creating. At the same time when developing an individual’s thinking and methods it is necessary to observe the world’s development and the change in modern art, as well as retaining one’s personal traditional ethnic traits[16].

 

Hsiao Chin thinking back on the teachings of Li Zhong-sheng said:

 

“Mr. Li has always tutored us individually, he used a psychological method to enlighten us, beginning with every individual’s expressed character he went on to discover every one’s latent inclinations and abilities. Although on we all relied on his guidance and encouragement to explore our individual features. In other words, he wanted us to use our brains, our hearts to feel, then to use our eyes to observe and finally to use our hands to express it (and to not copy).”[17]

 

This teaching style which had an emphasis on the coordination of the eyes and hands, with the comprehension of Taiwan art in 1950’s, would come to have a great significance.

  

At the end of 1949 the Kuomingtang had left the mainland and after a four year restorative interactive period between Taiwan and Mainland China it was discontinued again. It was fairly obvious that a group of conservative “traditional Chinese painting artists” had come to Taiwan along with the Kuomingtang and afterwards would guide Taiwan’s art society. These conservative Chinese painting artists preserved the traditional Chinese knowledge and character and appreciating art was an after-work job; most of them held esteemed and stable positions in politics and society[18]. Even when they were living in Mainland China they were not guiding figures among the specialized art schools, so they had even less relevance in the great flow of the “Chinese Modern Art Movement”. A few of these early public figures were Ma Shouhua, Huang Junbi, Pu Xinyu are the better known ones; afterwards they would form “Chinese Painting Association”, “Zen Yin Painting Association”, “Seven Friends Art Association” and the “Liuli Art Association”……as well as representing other organizations as members[19]. The importance of their contributions to art or perhaps the methods they used to preserve the shape of traditional Chinese art; aside from one or two people, in regards to the creation of new styles there was a common lack of any zealous construction. For them art was an exactly embellishment of life and the self-cultivation of personality.

 

  

These traditional Chinese artists came to Taiwan prefer to say the reason they came was for art creation, which is better than saying it was due to political considerations. In the early days when the government had just transferred to Taiwan they showed comparatively more conservative tendencies and had gathered the Kuomingtang’s political power in stabilizing Taiwan’s stance and it was because of this that they received a reputation amidst the contemporary art society; afterwards also as a result of opposing Mainland China’s mad wave of the “Cultural Revolution” when Taiwan’s goals behind promoting the “Chinese Cultural Revival” some of these public figures once again rose into the limelight.

 

Aside from the afore-mentioned conservative and traditional Chinese painting artists, there was a small group of western-style artists who had grown up during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, after participating in the post-war “Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition” as well as being members of “Tai-Yang Art Exhibition”, proceeded to dominate the art society of post-war Taiwan. These Western artists emphasized a dependable writing skill, stressing the stability of a tableau’s general composition such as the colors, substantial natural feel and a contrasting atmosphere. It wasn’t that they lacked any concepts of “change” or “innovation” however they placed an even weightier emphasis on the maintenance of the “moral principles of art” and the “appropriate yet gradual advancement of style”[20]

 

In contrast to the atmosphere of the afore-mentioned art society, Li Zhong-sheng’s pupils all seemed especially abrupt and impetuous. So it was even until the 90’s that there were still people who were unable to accept Li Zhong-sheng’s “foundation-less” teaching logic and methods.[21]

 

However in a metaphor Hsiao Chin offers us:

  

“Mr. Li’s teachings were crucially influential to the pieces I would later create. All that I learned at Taipei Normal College was a type of ‘academic foundation’ but completely lacking in any individuality. However exactly as a different structure would require a different foundation, an academic foundation has the capability of constructing and preserving a conservative scholastic style but lacks any originality; conversely in order to create an original front with a creative new structure there must be a different foundation of originality. At the same time many people would say: ‘You want to run before you can even walk....’ however this idea has absolutely nil to do with it. This isn’t a question of ‘to walk’ and ‘to run’, the question is how to even ‘walk’, for example such questions as: what is your walking style, where are you going, and what path will you take? The path of creation often arises upon situations which don’t meet expectations, therefore the traveler needs to prepare their heart and grasp their courage; because sometimes it is not the conservative or the well-worn path. A traveler taking the well-worn path doesn’t really need to consider these questions. The follower once he has decided to take the well-worn path, it is only then does he need to consider whether ‘to walk’ or ‘to run’, so these are two different types of ‘walking’ and ‘running’; the path of creation is without saying an even more difficult “run”. Every achievement is arduously obtained and each step delved into and sought out, unlike the cleared and conservative path where others have already cleared all of the obstacles and hindrances, in this path you can effortlessly ‘run’.”[22]

  

Hsiao Chin was under the tutorship of Li Zhong-sheng from 1952 until 1956 which from start to finish was a total of 5 years.

 

From the various memoirs of correlating individuals we can understand that the students of Li Zhong-sheng from this period of time had already begun contemplating and considering art from different angles and attempting to find their own paths: in 1953 after Chen Dao-ming had researched Paul Klee (b. 1879-1940) for a brief period of time he turned to the investigation of abstract art. Li Yuan-jia was also conducting his own research in 1954 on the abstract art rhythms of W. Kandinsky (b. 1866-1944); afterwards he would turn to researching the blending of Chinese painting methods applied to the construction of abstract creation. During the early 60’s he would gradually turn to idealism pieces composed of pure philosophical theory, thus becoming the earliest Chinese conceptual artist and possibly the world’s only early conceptual artist. Xiao Ming-xian would win the “Honorable Mention” award at the International Art Festival in Brazil in 1957 and would for a brief time become known worldwide, then between 1954 and 1955 whilst he was already in the midst of the structure of the works of P. Klee and oracle bones he would proceed with his abstract exhibition. Xia Yang was researching the constructions of mechanism leading artist F. Leger (b. 1881-1955), blending this with Chinese characteristics by using the Chinese writing brush to sketch his own unique features. Wu Hao was also using the Chinese style baimiao (also known as hakubyō) to emphasis lines of a willow wood block carving willow piece. Huo Gang after examining realism artist S. Dali (b. 1904-1989) began his own surreal abstract exhibition. Ouyang Wen-yuan showed an avid interest in the pieces of post-war France’s humanitarianism artist B. Buffet (b. 1928-) and Minaux and proceeded to delve into the deep tragedies of human nature.[23]

 

As for Hsiao Chin’s situation according to his own words: “I’ve always loved color, so Mr. Li began with guiding me in researching Fauvism’s H. Matisse (b. 1869-1954) and R. Dufy (b. 1877-1953). After consulting and researching the colors of Chinese opera costumes I proceeded with the next step which was an intense interest in the works of P. Klee and J. Miro (b. 1893-1983) as well as blending the dissected construction of Chinese characters and in 1955 I produced several abstract pieces.”[24]

  

In fact Hsiao Chin’s pieces from this time can still be seen. In 1954 several thousand figure sketches leaping beyond the limitations of academic realism and adopting the flowing nature of the slender lines created from the Chinese painting brush, outlining the figure, giving it a little dusting of character; the art of the eastern image of the Buddha can plainly be seen in many of these models (Illustrations 1, 2). These figure sketches in 1955 were later fleshed out as oil paintings, a portion of these figures show an inclination towards exaggeration; for example in this portrait with the fingers tucked beneath the chin, the size of the fingers has been increased as well as the ears of figure which are larger than normal (Illustration 3); or in this other oil painting the head of the figure can also be seen (Illustration 4).

  

From among these pieces it can be demonstrated how Li Zhong-sheng was encouraging his students to absorb from Chinese or eastern traditions and then to illustrate it to the modern generation; Fujita Tsuguji was his favorite example. Fujita Tsuguji, an advisor and professor at Tokyo’s “Avant-garde Graduate Institute of Art”, was the most successful artist at expressing the character of Eastern culture, in Li Zhong-sheng’s eyes[25].

  

Also among the abstract works of 1955 (Illustrations 5-7) just as narrated previously in Xiao’s memoirs: these works show the symbolism structures of P. Klee and J. Miro along with the bright and half tone colors as well as where Hsiao Chin focused his efforts during his younger years among western modern art. There definitely is a degree of intrinsic connection between these symbolic constructions and the influences of Chinese traditions.

 

However in 1956 immediately before Hsiao Chin was to leave the country his works began to readopt a destructuralism imagery such as the “Chinese Opera” faces series. In 1957 Hsiao Chin submitted these face masks and thus participated in the first time “Eastern Exhibition” (Plates 1, 2, 3, 4).

 

The “Eastern Exhibition” was held for the first time in 1957 and in the art history of post-war Taiwan it was an important and significant occurrence. It nearly changed the creative atmosphere art society of post-war Taiwan, thus Taiwan’s art development entered a completely new era. Hsiao Chin would play pivotal role and function in regards to the motivation and promotion of this art development.

  

In actuality early on in 1955, Li’s students of the Antong Street studio were already considering founding an art association; nevertheless Li Zhong-sheng, who had always had much respect for ideas from his students and had composed many articles on the “Art Society and Art Movement”[26], upon hearing of his students’ intentions was violently opposed to the idea; until finally he silently closed his art studio and left Taipei[27]. It wasn’t until later that his students would know the reasons behind his refusal and opposition; this reason being the deep impression the White Terror had left in its wake[28].

  

Nevertheless the considerations the students had for founding an art association were not terminated with their teacher’s opposition. That same year (1955) Hsiao Chin graduated from Taipei Teacher’s College and contributes a small teaching service to Ching Mei Elementary School along with classmate, Huo Gang. Li’s students would often gather at this school to discuss each other’s art compositions.

 

In October of 1955 the government of Spain offered 53 student scholarships to Taiwan students to study abroad, students were tested and selected from the Sino-Western Culture and Economy Association for the Spanish Language Seminar, as for Hsiao Chin he was a gem among his 76 competitors and won an opportunity to study abroad[29]. Hsiao Chin’s artist friends all expressed their utmost pleasure at his opening to go abroad; that New Year’s Eve everyone gathered at Chen Dao-ming’s home and at Huo Gang’s suggestion founded the future art association dubbed “Eastern”, this was positively the beginnings of the “Eastern Painting Group”. However the official establishment of the art association would not be as easy[30].

 

The summer of the following year (1956), Hsiao Chin boarded the first leg of his long journey, becoming the first among those artists who would later motivate Taiwan’s modern art movement to go abroad.

 

Hsiao Chin after leaving the country continued to maintain close contact with his artist friends from the Antong Street studio and amongst his letters would time and time again bring up the numerous art associations events in Europe and urge everybody to establish an art association sometime in the present day.

 

With this urging they became very enthusiastic because Liu Guosong and his alumni friends of Normal University had already first applied as the “Fifth Moon Exhibition” in May of 1957. At first Xiao Qin and his friends naively believed they could consider the “Eastern Painting Group” as a formal non-governmental organization, however according to the government regulations at the time every non-governmental organization had to receive approval from the government. Conversely during that time due to the policy within the art society of the Chinese Arts Association “stating that “there should only one art organization within a similar art field”, so that the application for the “Eastern Painting Group” never received any response from the government, but because the “Fifth Moon Exhibition” had not encountered any difficulties it was an important clue to Xiao Qin and his companions. So they decided to temporarily abandon establishing a formal painting “association” and turned to merely “exhibiting” their works to avoid offending the unspoken ban on “organized individual groups” under this period dominated by martial law. At the same time, in order to clear up a few societal suspicions about the modern part point of view, Hsiao Chin was requested as a representative to invite Spanish artists to provide works and hold a joint art exhibition in Taiwan. The reason was because Spain was a strictly anti-communist country and there was a belief that an anti-communist would produce anti-communistic pieces of art. Therefore Hsiao Chin became the most important communication channel connecting Taiwan and European modern art. Hereafter not only did he repeatedly embrace European pieces of modern art: such as Spain, Italy, etc. and retrieve domestic exhibition displays while at the same time he sent his “Eastern Painting Group” pieces to Europe as part of a traveling tour. Even today these pieces still remain among art exhibition catalogues, invitation cards, and in the current news thus it can be observed that these overseas exhibits can clearly still elicit notice and attention. For this purpose Hsiao Chin devoted his thoughts and accomplishments to his works which are not to be easily forgotten or dismissed.

 

Hsiao Chin’s fervor for the arts is deeply rooted in his passion in modern art. Under the guidance of Li Zhong-sheng he believed that modern art would eventually appear on the global scene but also that it must stem from the people. 

 

Although Hsiao Chin was already in Europe for the first “Eastern Exhibition” in 1957 the displayed pieces summed up Taiwan’s present time and were the previously mentioned “Chinese Opera” figure series.

 

This was a series of composed expressions utilizing Chinese Opera figures as the primary subject, showing deliberately simplified figures with imposing bright and contrasting colors. Their appearance is similar to the division methods of Cubism. However unlike Cubism, which is more rational, scientific and cold, the colors are similar to the contrasting primary colors used in Fauvism, but Hsiao Chin dulled his color pallet, reducing the flare of the original colors to a pastel in order to increase the aroma of elegance and mild tenderness. This is exactly how Spanish critic J.E. Cirlot analyzed his works at his first exhibition: “His style originates in Fauvism and passes through the theory of the composition of the Cubism and absorbing the expression technique of other art as well as utilizing the techniques of automatism. As for color his works show hints of Chinese opera costume and folk art influences; the masks are clearly very extraordinary. The paintings use strong contrasting colors, however although they are pretty energetic and sprightly it hides within itself the tenderness and elegance of tradition.”[31]That year an already popular artist by the name of Xi De-jin also critiqued Hsiao Chin’s workers and reverently recommended: “……was simple and clear, the colors were elegant, the form possessed an innocent interest……”[32]

 

After viewing these works we can clearly observe the enthusiastic heart the young artist applied in creating a personal style of forming a harmony between Eastern and Western cultures; nevertheless this kind of pure and personal ventures was the next step in overcoming whatever came next and a self breakthrough.

 

 

 

In September of 1956, Hsiao Chin who had recently turned 21. He brought little baggage and a hopeful ambiance of modern art, then along with his 31 classmates boarded a boat at Keelung that would first take them to Hong Kong. There they would board an ocean liner headed for France, which would take them across the ocean, bound for the other side of the world and a completely alien country—Spain.

 

At the time France was fighting with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and would often use this type of fourth class ship to transport military personnel. Hsiao Chin in an effort to save money always bought fourth class ship tickets. The so-called “fourth class ship” confined its occupants in a large open cabin within the bow with hammocks and poor fare; travel was especially difficult during a period when crossing the Indian Ocean and they encountered strong winds and high waves which shook and rattled the ship. All of the students were sea-sick and confined to their beds, they had a very difficult time during the entire journey.[33]

 

Most Taiwanese students hoped to study abroad in America which was the ultimate choice among most people; Spain was considered a remote and undeveloped country. However Hsiao Chin did not heed his aunt and her family’s arguments, once upon the route of modern art, it was a though he wasn’t willing to delay even a single day and refused to pass up the slightest opportunity. Therefore, although the journey would be hard and difficult Hsiao Chin’s mind and heart were filled with a determined fighting spirit.[34]

 

In August 12, 1956 the boat docked at Marseille and after traveling by train he arrived in Madrid. It was arranged that Hsiao Chin and his fellow students would stay at the “Oriental College” which was a dormitory offering inexpensive room and board, founded by Catholics. His classmates, after a hard long distance journey were all set to rest for a while; thereupon settling into the dormitories they chatted in Chinese, ate hot pot and played mahjong. However Hsiao Chin had no desire to waste a single day, upon arriving at Madrid he immediately sought out the address of Royal Art Association to pay a visit. This was the exact same situation for Xia Yang when he visited Hsiao Chin; as he recollects years later: “In 1963 I went to Italy seeking ‘asylum’ from Hsiao Chin. As soon as I was taken to his residence he immediately set up his easel and asked me to paint. He told me that we simply did not have any time to waste.”[35]

 

The result of proceeding to the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid for a visit, was a big disappointment for Hsiao Chin; he found this school equally “conservative” and “academic”, if he remained here it would be completely contradict his original intentions of going abroad to study modern art. Therefore he decided that he would not attend classes here.[36]

  

In actuality at the time Spain’s modern art center was located at Barcelona, which is the second largest city in Spain, Picasso during his lifetime before reaching Paris would reside and work there as well as Dali. J. Miro lived on the Barcelona nearby island of Palma de Majorca and would often travel back and forth between the two places. During the 50’s this location was even more important because of the non-imagism movement of Spain and Europe. Non-imagism art master Antonio Tapies (b. 1923-) was a Barcelonan and had lived there. At the time Hsiao Chin arrived in Spain, non-imagism was very popular. Hsiao Chin, after losing hope in the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando of Madrid, decided he would turn to Barcelona to seek his advancement.

 

Upon arriving at Barcelona, Hsiao Chin did not forget that his goal for leaving was to study abroad and the first thing was a visit to the local art school, it similarly was a disappointment[37]. It was as though the modern art training which Hsiao Chin instructor Li Zhong-sheng had instilled into him had so become deeply ingrained he was unable to concede to conventional academia thoughts and methods.

  

At this time Hsiao Chin would determine his personal style in this strange foreign country he would practice his self-discovery.

 

First of all he began by watching movies, listening to the radio and making friends in order to learn Spanish as quickly as possible. At the same time he had to clear up the financial problems of his subsistence allowance brought on by his decision not to remain with the school sponsoring his study abroad. By December of 1956, which was also the fifth month since he’d left Taiwan, he sent home the first correspondence of “Message from Europe”, introducing “the status of the art society in Madrid”[38]. This was published in a special column in the《United Daily News》, every month he could earn 30 American dollars and he would sustain himself on this for nearly two years. On one hand it provided Hsiao Chin with basic living expenses while he was in Europe; on the other hand and more importantly at the time these special column essays would prove to be the most important channels for importing European avant-garde art thought trends to Taiwan; and Hsiao Chin would also become Taiwan’s keenest observer in Europe. From the point of view of some individuals Hsiao Chin had unintentionally replaced his teacher, Li Zhong-sheng, in regards to the introduction of modern art to Taiwan via his written essays.

  

In regards to the decisions of this year to forfeit academic schooling for his self-instruction Hsiao Chin would later comment: “Thinking back on it today I am even more convinced that the decision I made then was the correct one and although I lack a diploma in any foreign language I encountered many things I wished to learn and many things which schools are unable to teach.”[39]

  

From the end of 1956 until October of 1958, Hsiao Chin continually wrote to Taiwan’s art society promoting Europe’s modern art and artists, aside from the more renowned Picasso and Dali, such as: Spanish non-image art master Tapies, Cubism expressionist J. Hurtuna, “representational painting” expressionist E. Planasdura, Spanish avant-garde artists J. Tharrats, Zabareta, R. Canogar, female artists Monserrat Gudiols, Angest, C. Roviara, modern constructionist Busquets, German abstract artist W. Faber, W. Baumeister, British artist G. Sutherland and the Eastern Painting Group in Spain as well as the conditions of touring exhibits[40]. Additionally a few pieces of the Eastern Painting Group were sent back to Taiwan for exhibits and there were other aside from those previously mentioned such as: celebrated spacism master Lucio Fontana, Spanish sculptor J.M. Subirachs, expressionism artist J.M. Sacre, E. Alcoy, Dutch artists Armardo, Peeters, Italian sculptor Castellani, Italian architect and designer Sottsass, Brazilian artist Mavignier and Japanese sculptor Kengiro Azuma……and others[41]. This was the first time, in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, that Taiwan had an opportunity to observe the original works of European avant-garde artists on such a large-scale. This in fact would also explain why later critics when discussing the modern painting campaign always considered American abstract expressionism to be the sole impact which obviously was an incorrect conclusion. The systematic influences upon Taiwan’s art society, especially upon the Eastern Painting Group, by the European avant-garde concepts and ideas which Hsiao Chin promoted deserve to be researched in detail and depth.

 

Hsiao Chin, in order to have extensive contact with Barcelona’s art society for comparison, eagerly participated in the Royal Arts Association and French Academic Association’s Maillol Association, it was particularly because of these associations that he met many middle-age and younger modern art artists for constructive criticism, research and exchanging opinions.

 

Hsiao Chin had many artist friends while he was in Spain, previously mentioned non-imagism Tapies, as well as other similarly representative artists from Barcelona including M. Cuixart, J.J. Tharrats, R. Valles, and sculptor J. Subirachs, etc.; as for those from Madrid there was A. Saura, M. Millares, L. Feito, R. Canogar and sculptor P. Serrano and M. Chirino and so on[42]. There all Spain’s represented current avant-garde artists pioneered the “non-image art” and “other art” which were important aspects to post-war Europe’s avant-garde fine arts.

 

The names “non-image art” (also often translated as “informal art”) and “other art” were all supplied by a French art critic by the name of Michel Tapie and actually there isn’t much of a discernable difference between the two names; as Tapie has said before: “non-image art is other art”[43]. It was after the war that a wave of European and American artists such as Vasarely and others began to revisit and revive this Mondriaan abstract art (also known as cold abstraction) and renamed it “hot abstraction”. 

 

In fact this wave would include artists like Jean Dubuffet (b. 1901-), Jean Fautrier, Wols and a supportive advocate famous Belgium poet and artist Henri Michiaux and afterwards American abstract expressionism artist Jackson Pollock (b. 1912-1956), Willem de Kooning (b. 1904-), France’s Georges Mathieu (b. 1922-) and others who were all artists a part of this artistic upsurge period. There was no official organization or connection between these artists it was only because French art critic Tapie attended a few planned exhibitions and grouped these artists together.

 

Spain’s Antonio Tapies was the only representative artist of “non-image art” and he was also a leading guide in the avant-garde art society of post-war Spain. His earlier works were influenced by J. Miro’s realism, it would not be until later that he would turn towards a “non-image art” style of expression; using a thick-painting style to layer the paint on the canvas he would then carve out wound-like lines and cavities in the paint, he rejected all representative natural figures and symbols and instead focused on the natural characteristics of the materials. Under these circumstances the avant-garde artists of Spain, apparently began following a common doctrine which was utilizing diverse painting materials, blending the material essence with the painted work in order to create a “pure” painting. This hands-on method was the creation of the general appearance of abstract art, unlike pieces produced before the war; conceptually it was also vastly difference from an aesthetic point of view therefore was dubbed “other art”. They attracted the view point of Dadaism, expressionism, and super realism. They extensively sought varying view points and searched for subject matters to express, reflecting a strong robust structure and rhythm; these pieces strived to manifest a real ego via inward mediation and examination, occasionally the pieces would also express a passionate as well as ethereal state. Beginning sometime in the middle of the 1980’s many students from Taiwan left to study abroad in Spain, particularly from National Arts College (today known as Taiwan National Art Academy) who’s graduates were given priority; who were still influenced by tradition and after martial law was lifted in Taiwan there was a heartfelt combined effort to express this time of turmoil.

 

Hsiao Chin listening to a suggestion from Antonio Tapies began to evaluation the expressions and styles of his work from the first “Eastern Exhibition” prior to his leaving Taiwan. After a period of deep speculation in 1958 he began shaping his first set of works since leaving Taiwan.

  

As a result many non-image art and America abstract expressionism artists during that time were influenced by the rhythm of the strokes of Chinese calligraphy, for example: Mark Tobey (b. 1890-), San Fancis (b. 1923-) as well as previously mentioned Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, France’s Georges Mathieu and others and began expressing it within their own abstract styles. Hsiao Chin had also begun to ruminate over his time spent at Taipei Teacher’s College, the inspiration he had received from P. Klee’s pieces, and the abstract painting tests of the metal and stone carving styles. The period of time spent at the Taipei Teacher’s College with ink and water, abstract multi-colored abstract art, emphasizing the division of the painted surface, the expression of symbolism, the calm character structure; now changed to the cursive running calligraphy style and the sense of rhythm was from the calligraphy, blending the techniques of oil and ink painting to produce a type of nearly single colored abstract expression; a shadow of influence from J. Miro can be observed amongst the pieces of work (Illustrations 8, 9).

 

However, this type of instinctive and impulsively expressed work, after a few months, was not enough to satisfy Hsiao Chin. That year the principles which Li Zhong-sheng had provided as teaching guides, requiring “hands, eyes, heart, and brain”[44], this drove Hsiao Chin to ponder over what other steps he needed to take in order to find the creativity to support his creations.

  

At the end of 1958, he changed from passively obeying his instinctive impulses to actively striving for a profound inward meditation. First of all he revisited and sensed the abstract elements within the hidden beauty of Chinese characters; then he selected and adopted a symmetrical modeling style to enhance the implied symbolism. This was also the first step for Hsiao Chin to establish his own individualistic style[45].

  

The pieces from this period, a considerable portion of them were untitled, in reference discussions it is unavoidable that some would be awkward, however thanks to various extremely vividly unique features of the pieces the permeable description of characters can still be seen and thus obtaining the communication discussion goal. According to an article about the use of oil paints on canvas【Painting─AI】in a long painting the primary black line acts as an emphasis and makes a symmetrical composition left and right of the line with considerable significance of popular Chinese Taoist magic figures to the shapes; then in harmony with a few red, blue, yellow, and white primary colors and the natural lower reaches have ink stains, allowing people to produce a kind of mysterious ceremonial association. The abstract works from his period at the Taipei’s Teachers College lacked the ethereal meanings that could be derived from these pieces (Illustration 10). Yet again there is an autographed article on an oil painting 【Painting─DK】, which uses a yellowish brown as the background base with thick black lines to form something similar to the Chinese character “廿”(meaning twenty) and an upright sphere in the middle. The intervals between the sphere and “廿” are filled with a natural feeling white color alternating between thick and thin, within the sphere there are a few thin broken lines filling it with a sense of powerful strength, in addition there are several black dots splattered over the lower half as well as all kinds of shapes and colors. This gives Chinese spectators an association with the “beginning of Heaven and Earth and the Creation of the Universe” and the creation of all things on the earth, the chaos of the earth and the beating pulse of life (Illustration 11).

 

In regards to the pieces from this period, faint shadowing of some Chinese characters can still be discerned from among the black symmetrical forms, but between the circles, squares and others, a few shadows of Chinese character patterns can be faintly detected among and within the black symmetrical pattern, however within the dots and squares of the painting there is a boundless change within the hanging picture containing unknown thoughts and a mysterious world. These changes have some relationship to the Indian mysticism and Laozi philosophy that Hsiao Chin came into contact with during this period. A type of aspiration towards life and harmony is concealed within the simple colors and shapes of the symmetrical art piece (Illustration 12).

 

During the same time period Hsiao Chin had several other ink and water pieces which were of a symmetrical nature in composition, however the material mediums were different. Within the oil paintings the thickness and the coarse clumsiness vanished replaced by slender and sharp strokes of a soft Chinese painting brush; it is like comparing the rumblings made by a sacrificial drum to the thin twittering language of a ringing exorcism bell. The art conveys a similarly remote and amorphous message of mystery (Plates 5, 6, 7).

The above mentioned pieces were completed between 1959 and 1960. This was a peak period for Hsiao Chin after had settled some after the elementary stage of his works. 

 

Originally in 1958, Barcelona’s most important painting collector, Sala Gaspar, had already signed a contract with Hsiao Chin agreeing to purchase his art pieces and pay a set salary. This collector managed paintings of other artists such as Picasso, J. Miro, Tapies, and other well known masters. Therefore in regards to a young Hsiao Chin who hadn’t even abroad for a full two years this was definitely a great event of moral encouragement and helped raise his spirits.

 

Owing to the fact his life had basically settled down, that same year Hsiao Chin went to Italy to participate in the International Bi-Annual Exhibition in Venice. He wrote a detailed report on all that he learned on these visits and sent them back to Taiwan which were published as in a special column as a “Message from Europe” in the《United Daily News》（Note 53）. The International Bi-Annual Exhibition in Venice was a huge event and continued on for many years after that. Hsiao Chin, on the basis of being concerned about Taiwan’s being closed off from the major event, spared no details from his report and review to the art society back home about the messages and styles of the pieces featured and displayed at the exhibition[46].

 

Upon arriving in Italy Hsiao Chin was enamored by this ancient city with historical sites everywhere, especially Milan which was center of construction, art and interior design in Italy as well as the most important market in Europe for modern art. In 1957, Hsiao Chin was formally residing in Milan and here continued to research and create his pieces.

 

In Milan he renewed his acquaintance with previously mentioned spacism master L. Fontana (b. 1899-1968), P. Klee, R. Crippa, and a few young avant-garde artists, for example: P. Manzoni, E. Castellani and a few others. During that March, Hsiao Chin promptly established, in name only, the combined exhibitions of the “Eastern Painting Group” and Florence, Italy’s “Galleria Numero” at Taipei’s “Mei Er Lian Gallery” in reality Hsiao Chin had single-handedly done this with consulting with the “Italian Modern Artists Exhibition”. This short essay opened up and allowed Taiwan artists to see other different features and in the direction of European modern paintings; similarly these displayed works also subtly hinted at a gradual turning point in Hsiao Chin’s personal art assessments.

  

 

  

After moving to reside in Italy, Hsiao Chin began exploring new routes of art again. From approximately 1960 to 1976 the progress of Hsiao Chin’s pieces can be observed as a complete period of time; even though from 1967 to 1972 he resided in New York for a period.

 

During this period Hsiao Chin completed his efforts on searching the metaphysical meaning among the abstract patterns previously; on one hand this time he attempted to establish a personal point of view among the Taoist concepts and make a base ground for the general appearance of the art form; on the other hand he extensively was involved with books and messages relating to “outer space”, “inner universe”, “lost civilization” and “alien culture” to augment the types and depth of his thoughts. At the same time, he showed a great interest and sincerity towards the mysterious philosophies of India and Tibet. Speaking from the trend of a concept, Hsiao Chin’s pieces from this period of time were not so much from an interpretation or an understanding of the “Zen” or the “Dao”, it would be more accurate to approach from the angle of “mysticism” and to directly peer in and explain the art pieces. To put it simply, in some small sense Hsiao Chin purposely placed within his paintings his experiences, revelations and reflections on the mysteries of the universe; basically, these are characteristics of “two contrasting and blending elements”. They are in this case “empty” versus “full”; “flowing” versus “still”; “drawing” versus “radiating”. These ideas may have varying stress at different times, however basically all these elements can co-exist at the same time. Then all of these ideas and creations also point towards the ultimate goal; to understand the universe that the ego depends upon for its existence (including the empty expanse of space and infinite time) and the existence of the ego within this universe.

 

These seem to be a deliberation on the fabrication of a life philosophy, in actuality this was also a rudimentary concept that Hsiao Chin may have inherited from Li Zhong-sheng. Li Zhong-sheng had already directed Hsiao Chin: “The conscious creation of modern art must first begin with the understanding of oneself, ponder profusely and broaden one’s world in particular one’s own universe. Without an understanding of oneself or without understanding the feelings of oneself it is even more difficult to find one’s personal path.”[47]

 

We can consider the pieces from 1960-1976 to be a whole period of creation for Hsiao Chin. However this period in fact included a few considerably different aspects of the artist. Looking at the process of his personal development this was a form of exploration where the thinking process was strung out like a string passing through a vein of “chi” as it developed. In other words, the pieces produced after 1977 didn’t have any drastic changes in the thought philosophy, however with regards to the form it shows him setting out again and a kind of turning point.

 

During the time from 1960 up until 1975 his works can be categorized by form into 4 periods of his life:

 

(1) 1960 was an important turning point as well as another approaching peak in his artwork. Previous attempts at exploring traditional Chinese art forms (in particular Chinese calligraphy) had at this point already gradually come to a halt; it was this year when the artist began shifting from his intuitive creations to seeking out subjects that would match his philosophies. Although the artist still mainly derived his thoughts from Taoist philosophy he also incorporated other elements from within mysticism and mythical philosophies. Formally, the colors in paintings were muted; in methodology, regardless of whether using a brush for oil paints or a Chinese calligraphy brush for ink, he always conscientiously released his personal ideas and lacking any initial preparation he allowed the image to freely take form “the hand follows where the heart turns”. He then constructed a complete pictorial composition from the primitive forms developed from his mind and hands. Therefore the pieces from this period, aside from a few obvious examples, lack any noticeable characters or symbols and seem to shape with endless points and simple thin lines. These tumultuous and unsteady dots and lines are full of exploding dynamics and the powerful characteristics that were originally self-contradicting and conflicting, so in the coarse of the artist’s gradual construction he settled them into a balanced and symmetrical spatial structure. The conflict and harmonization of movement and calm resulted in an unlimited mystical space that was full of possibilities.

 

According to an autographed article over an oil painting【UA-90】, several brush strokes resemble the heavy application of a hard bristle brush painting thick lines of black ink; there are rough bright colorful slanting and horizontal lines in the foreground of the piece. The lower section of the background is painted an earthy yellowish brown, whereas the upper section is an extensive stretch of white with a round blue mass be-speckled above with black spots and between the thick black lines of the foreground, the image it gives is that of a broad, deep and far extending span of endless space. And the blue sphere, since it is substantial, is a deep nil ness, an immeasurable black hole of the universe and all things of this world can be sucked into it. The clear and bright white and the intense black contrast each other sharply, whereas the earthy yellowish brown neutralizes it. This piece gives viewers a delicate feeling of a breathless stillness amongst the moving rush (Illustration 13).

 

If discussing another piece from the following year【POH-113】, if the black and white bodies among the earthy yellowish brown tones of the ground were to confront each other in actuality they would be complimentary to each other; this seemingly like a circle and yet seemingly like a square shape, as though within a blink the black form would be pushed in or passively inhaled into the white space, thus would all things on earth return to being one. However, unfortunately, it dangles in the horizon, trembling dangerously (Illustration 14).

 

Many pieces from the 1960’s the artist carefully marked with a date, we can observe the distinct signs of the gradual change in his work. Oil paints were gradually abandoned and Chinese style ink became the artist’s primary medium after that. In regards to this medium the artist explains the difference between it and “ink and water”: “Ink and water” is bound to the amount of “water”, particularly the “spontaneity” and the “randomness” produced by the spreading of water; as for Hsiao Chin’s “ink” paintings, although he also strongly emphasized an anti-voluntary style, however the “heart” was the leader and everything was the result of the “heart and state of mind”. The artist did not force the “heart” to follow the forms. This type of abstraction emphasizing on anti-voluntary abstract techniques already clearly differed from the “involuntary painting methods” described within the catalogue of the first “Eastern Exhibition”. Aside from the difference, this type of thinking position was the most important one for the Punto Art Movement which Hsiao Chin had helped to initiated and participated in[48], as well as becoming a constant distinguishing characteristic in his later works.

 

(2) In the early part of 1961, the splattered dots and thin lines as well as the spaces that were composed and balanced (contrasting and symmetrical) were replaced by a type of cursive running style and curvilinear lines (Illustrations 15, 16).  Although this type of pictorial experiment reappeared in 1977 and played a pivotal role in the artist’s progress of renewal; the experiment had ended by 1961. It seems that from the two times that the fluctuating curvilinear lines appeared, these works are a natural display of the internal entanglements and conflicts prior to the creator’s painstakingly personal breakthrough, showing very intense colors and a defined significance. Anyhow, in the beginning of 1961, these gentle and curvilinear lines which had been placed before an immense white background and decorated with one or two small circles and squares to enhance the balancing effects and highlights were replaced by tangling, trembling and sweeping white lines.

 

This became a very important feature of Hsiao Chin’s later works. The artist drew upon the most fundamentally basic vocabularies to create a space of the universe which is both harmonious as well as conflicted. The mysticism declined; instead the artist elevated the significance of spiritual infinity within his works. The curvilinear, on one hand, acted as a division from the endless Movement and, on the other hand, was a static boundary separating the space. The round dots, which were clearly rolling about directionless, are simultaneously a concentration of an eternal calm. All that the artist attempted can be clearly observed in the titles of the pieces: “simplicity”, “stationary”, “vanishing”, “distant”, “continuation”, “sustainability”, “awe-inspiring”, “hovering”, and so on.… These titles originated from the inspirations of Taoist cosmic principles which also extend beyond the boundaries of human life. These curvilinear lines and rounded dots bring an association of the forms and moral messages of a “Tai-chi diagram” to the minds of viewers (Plates 8, 9).

 

1962 was the foundation for the previous year, in addition to the artist dividing his time more evenly, the titles of his pieces became more elaborate; for example: “neither”, “balance”, “equilibrium”, “solemnness”, “Movement” “seemly”, “by no means”, “absoluteness”, “winding road-like”, “birth of the earth” etc. (Plates 10, 11). At the same time, geometric divisions and color arrangements were added as well as gradually strengthened; with this aspect and at length, pieces were developed during this period of time.

 

(3) The third period is approximately from the time period of 1963 to 1966 or during the “Sun series” period. The artist during 1962 was influenced by Tibetan and Indian (Mandhala) religious paintings; the paintings began to progressively change from the pieces of the previous period and returned to being symmetrical. The colors also gradually changed from a dull pale pallet to a brilliant one. A circle in the middle had perfectly straight lines or sharp zigzags radiating from the center which was constructed in the image of a sun, thus resulting in varied interpretations regarding the “Sun” (Illustrations 17, 18). These level geometrical shapes in the midst of brilliant colors matched to natural feelings dotted with white at one time startled the museum employees while transporting this piece to Maribor, Yugoslavia because they mistakenly believed the painting to be covered in mold[49].

 

In actuality the sun was a symbol utilized by the artist and what he wished to convey is still unknown, mysterious, and agitating but are also tranquil images of mystical thinking. Aside from the increase to the appeal of the painting, there is the endless juxtaposition reflected between constant calm and persistent change.

 

These works are deep meditations of religious origins and around the later half of 1966 the artist’s internal contemplations gradually changed. His pieces became even more succinct, but for the time being weren’t symmetrical, he used large expanses and strong colors to add emphasis to the paintings (Illustrations 19, 20).

  

(4) Hsiao Chin visited New York for the first time in 1967 where the exposure to acrylic paints, the impact of the American industrial civilization and the influences of “minimal art” would provide the base for another step in his artistic development. This period produced several hard edged pieces made of bright and clear metal panels covered with heat glazed lacquers or acrylic paints. There is a divisible difference with the hard edged inclined pieces of the “Sun series” so the pieces from this time period were tentatively dubbed the “Hard Edge series” (although there were also a few wood panels among the metal materials). If these pieces were compared to the artist’s earlier ones from the 1960’s many would feel the sudden differences. However if examining the gradual changes from 1961-1962 and 1963-1966 although there was more emphasis placed in 2-dimensional acute and dynamic forms the primary focus of Hsiao Chin’s exploration remained in the “symmetrical opposition” and “symmetrical balance” of dual forces. The artist attempts to express the liquid sensation and “internally calm” world gathered from seated meditation through nearly pure and motionless planes of color, which is a natural creation.

 

Ye Wei-lian had used western esthetic ideas “Poetics of Silence” and the Chinese Taoist ideas of “speechless personalization”, “speechless triumph” and “accomplishing all without saying a word” to describe the pieces of this period. Ye Wei-lian points out: Regardless of whether it was China’s “speechless” or the Western “Poetics of Silence” Hsiao Chin had placed a heavy emphasis on “silence,” “speechless,” and “emptiness”; in other words the “negative space” was becoming a leading factor[50]. He believed the pieces by Hsiao Chin during this particular period, whether consciously or not, contained this distinguishing characteristic. This was similar to the line advocated by “Minimal Art” which was “using a little to reflect or imply an even larger space”.[51]

 

Hsiao Chin has also conceded a connection with “Minimal Art”, however he strongly emphasizes: “The Western ‘hard edge’ painting technique was a result of ultimate rationalization which differs from my approach where the resulting forms are derived from personal instincts…”[52]He also says: “My technique has indeed been influenced by Anglo-Saxon rationality, however it cannot change the my natural Asian instincts.”[53]To put it simply Western “Minimal Art” artists use mathematical formulas to compose and arrange the construction of their pictorial planes. They hope to articulate the utmost capacity of emotion and imaginary space with the most minimalist form of expression. This differed greatly from Hsiao Chin’s instinctive approach; instead he wanted to compose a sufficiently juxataposed symbolic space of the universe that was simultaneously “always in Movement and inertly still.” All his pieces after 1960 show a resemblance to this type of thought and the geometric forms of the “Sun series” from the previous period which is a further extension of it.

 

We know this for certain: Hsiao Chin’s personal ventures in art stimulated by being in New York, a new place and also an extremely modern setting, as well as a few things of the outside world which were developing or embellishing already created materials. He obtained a considerable amount of resonance or interaction and the paintings he produced were natural and instinctively created. Therefore, looking at the pieces from this period, they cannot be viewed from a purely “Minimal Art” perspective. The viewer should return to the thoughts which were in the mind of the artist in order to uncover the direction of the artist’s heart; by doing this we will not feel that the styles of the pieces and his previous works show an abrupt difference and mistakenly believe he changed his original style to follow a fashionable trend which would several meaningless and pointless pursuits. Of course in the midst of all of this we can also observe that Hsiao Chin regards the idea of “paying attention to the development and changes of the current art trend at all times” as part of practicing the teachings of his teacher Li Zhong-sheng, during the “non-image art” period as well as during the “Minimal Art” period.

 

By adding these bright and metallic emotions to a large but otherwise dull, calm, and withdrawn portion of color it resulted in the visual effect; and by adding a directionally acute shape to “penetrate” into another dead and lifeless chunk of color leads to an emphasis on internal strength. Both of these additions seem to have deeply attracted the soul of the artist, as well as being consistent with the artist’s ideals of dual forces, which contrast and harmonize with each other. His desire to create 3-dimensional sculptures increased even with this technique, so his sculptures were sometimes of stainless steel and then sprayed with paint or sometimes they were a wooden crate sealed with canvas and painted with acrylics.

  

It seemed that he had reached the insurmountable summit peak and limits of his art ventures beginning from the period of 1960 until this time period; with the completion of the “Hard-edge series” in New York, Hsiao Chin had already terminated his lectures in America from 1967 until the end of 1976 (Plates 12, 13) and returned to Milan.

 

Ye Wei-lian collected all the works of which Hsiao Chin had produced in Milan after 1960 and had begun to categorize them. He believed these series of works were an evolving process of face to face confrontations and interactions[54]of “mathematical theories” and “instinctive expression of emotions” which could point out the secret and more subtle changes among the pieces of art. However it can be understood from Hsiao Chin’s intrinsic life as well as his own words: One part of it is the reasoning of mysticism from his mother and the other part is the clear and bright humanism and rationality from his father. These two things represent the very long process that is Hsiao Chin’s life, repetitiously differentiating, fighting for supremacy and yet always fused together.

 

 

Some pieces from the middle of the 1960’s, although some pieces show Hsiao Chin’s personal thinking whilst in the midst of pursuing art, however from another perspective they also reflect the important transitions in contemporary Western avant-garde art movements.

 

Around the 1960’s there was an opposing movement to the “non-image art” pieces of 1950 by a small portion of western artists. This art movement, beginning in the early 1950’s, was originally filled with the spark of life. Hsiao Chin encountered the art movement in the mid 50’s and was also attracted to the energetic originality and the free spirit. However, gradually by the end of the 1950’s, this art movement had been criticized of being united with the consumerism of Western society and having been transformed into an uncontrollable passion for expression and a game of various art techniques.

 

Therefore, Hsiao Chin and several other artists began to attempt to restart the movement from the thought paths of philosophy, meditation and introspection in this they placed some expectations and hopes for the future of a Utopian society and human life. This art movement became known as the Punto Art Movement which was established in 1961 in Milan, Italy; artists who participated in this movement aside from Hsiao Chin also included Italian artist Calderara, Japanese sculptor Kengiro Azuma, and Eastern Painting Group member Li Yuan-jia as well as others; afterwards there were gradually several other artists from varying countries who also joined the movement including the countries of Germany, Holland, Spain, Belgium, etc.

 

As Hsiao Chin has personally said: There are two primary reasons as to why I have such changes in my art concepts, the first one is because of the early teachings I received from Li Zhong-sheng which is to oppose the contingency and emphasizing the unification of “hands, eyes, heart, and brain”, the other is because of the 2-dimensional, silent, and 3-dimensional works of spacism master Fontana and other artists, which influenced me after I had moved to Milan[55].

  

The Punto Art Movement began in August of 1961 and led into the February of the following year when he gave his first exhibition and he made a brief speech: “The purity of the concept and the rationale of creativity are to meet certain conditions in order to grasp an understanding of the unlimited within the limits that are the reality of thoughts and the comprehension of the truth of life.”[56]Hsiao Chin explains further:

 

“If humans are a finite element of a limitless universe then artists are spiritual prophets and spokespeople for human thoughts; therefore the artist in regards to the exploration of thoughts, seeking the spirit, and the comprehension of life should all come from them, they are to convey them to other people. The artist has a mission to be dedicated to the human spiritual evolution.”[57]

 

Hsiao Chin interpretation clearly reflects the attitudes of Li Zhong-sheng had towards conscious creation as previously mentioned in this essay. He is heavily influenced and believes “it must begin with understanding oneself first”.[58]

    

Punto was the first international art movement established and participated in by Hsiao Chin, in an organizational declaration they proclaimed there were 5 “absolutely opposed” styles; understanding these views will help us recognize the nature of the Punto Art Movement as well as help with the interpretation of the change in Hsiao Chin’s pieces in the 1960’s.

 

These 5 “absolutely opposed” styles are:

 

1. Academicism—includes following conventions and traditions in art that lacks creativity, originality, and personality.

2. Non-imagism—pieces characterized by spontaneity, abandonment, venting of emotions, and total dearth of artistic purity. 

3. New Dadaism—pieces marked by decadent games and cynicism.

4. Automatism Works—pieces characterized which are overly materialistic, over emphasis on the external, while neglecting nobler human spirituality.

5. All experimental art pieces—they believed art was the highest or noblest achievement of human spirituality, it is holy, affirmative, and it cannot be developed with a scientific mentality.[59]

 

After the Punto Art Movement passed through the Taiwanese aspect, Huang Chao-hu determinedly arranged for it to be exhibited in the Taipei National Fine Arts Museum for 10 days in July of 1963, first and foremost awaken the discussions of “Fifth Moon Art Association” members Liu Guo-song, Zhuang Zheand others. As for the history and detailed contents of their discussions the author of《Fifth Moon and Eastern》has already included it in the introduction[60]and considered in some detail.

 

The Punto Art Movement strongly embodied the Eastern “spirit of inward-thought”, amongst it the most developed was Hsiao Chin’s series from 1976 as according to Ye Wei-lian’s interpretation of his works in the “Poetics of Silence.”

 

When Hsiao Chin’s artistic creativity had reached its limits he was no longer the same the student who had left the country to study abroad and had rejected traditional academic schooling.

 

From after leaving the country in 1956, in 1957 established the very first up to date exhibition at the Mataro Fine Arts Museum near Barcelona. Hsiao Chin, aside from befriending several important Western avant-garde artists and discussing art theories on the advancement of individuality, he had also easily crossed half of the globe. Before 1976 he had traveled to the urban cities of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, America, Yugoslavia, and other countries, established over 80 exhibitions and attended over 120 joint and international exhibitions. At the same time he had also resided in Europe and America, held over thirty Eastern Painting Group Exhibitions and dedicated his heart to introducing Taiwan onto the international art scene. In 1960 he moved to Milan and in 1963 Hsiao Chin signed a contract with a famous Parisian art gallery, the Galerie Internationale d'Art Contemporain, until 1966. Other artists who signed a contract with this art gallery that same year were French artist Mathieu, Italian sculptor Pomodoro and other celebrated artists. During this period Hsiao Chin worked and lived back and forth in both Paris and Milan. In 1966 he would also reside and work in London for half a year and attended an exhibition there. In 1967 after going to New York he first worked with the local Rose Fried Gallery, then taught drawing and painting at Long Island University’s South Hampton College in 1967, in 1972 turning to teach at the University of Louisiana before returning to Milan to teach as a professor at the Instituo Europeo di Design for little over half a year.

 

Hsiao Chin considered his disposition ill suited to America’s industrialized civilization after nearly half of 1972 had passed by and via Mexico paid a visit to the archaic Atzeca and Mayan ruins before returning to Milan.

 

In personal matters of love Hsiao Chin was married to an Italian painter, G. Pizzo, in 1962 and their daughter Samantha was born in 1967 in New York. However harmonizing the family of two artists is not easy, so by 1970 he and G. Pizzo were living separately and they were officially divorced in 1980.

 

In 1978, Hsiao Chin had become a remarkable artist internationally and returned to Taiwan to participate in “Taiwan Reconstruction Council”. This was created by the KMT government to invite domestic and international public persons to attend a large-scale consultation conference; Hsiao Chin was the first artist to receive the invitation to attend. The mass media of Taiwan and Hong Kong, in regards to Hsiao Chin’s return to Taiwan, began to collect and request publication materials such as interviews to publish with their news reports[61].

 

Hsiao Chin raised three important issues of the “the need for the modernization of art”, “the establishment of international conferences and exhibitions”, and “the march towards the international art society” at the “National Development Council” and proposed the establishment of the “Cultural Department” and the “Council for National Arts Development” as well as proposing the establishment of a Taipei City Modern Art Museum[62]. All these proposals and suggestions received the utmost attention and affirmation of the authorities and later would continue to see results[63].

  

This was the first time Hsiao Chin had returned to Taiwan after 22 years, aside from the large-scale establishment of solo exhibitions at the Taipei Historical Museum, he made it a point to travel south to Changhua to pay his respects to his revered teacher Li Zhong-sheng, and they were traveled to Lugang together. 

 

As for this teacher who had been residing in central Taiwan for a such long time and seldom gathered knowledge from outsiders, Hsiao Chin’s pieces which had been received and collected in American and European art museums, for example: Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York’s Modern Art Museum, Rome, Barcelona, St. Paul of Brazil, Germany Stadtisches Modern Art Museum Leverkusen, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart etc. Hsiao Chin says: “My works of art are all accepted by the West as a result of my creative thinking and modern Western existentialism and because of the philosophical thinking of the environmental studies society. From the very beginning I and my works have received the affirmation of various Eastern and Western critics.”[64](Note 66) Hsiao Chin seems to have proven by his achievements his teacher’s teachings: “Pay attention to the development and changes of the modern art world, however also maintain the individualistic characteristics of folk tradition.[65](Note 67)

  

 

 

Hsiao Chin, after having become successful and renown, still had another point of change and self-examination in his artistic progress.

  

It had already been 10 years from the time he first arrived at New York in 1967 and had entered a world of flat acrylic paint application until 1976. During these ten years he was a professional artist. Aside from Hsiao Chin’s flat acrylic pieces it should also include a few stainless steel three-dimensional models, which had already been collected by several Western art critiques. At the same time he had already become a symbol amongst the Western art market. Nevertheless a change in Hsiao Chin’s philosophy was at that moment clumsily beginning to stir in his heart and mind.

  

In 1976, according to Western calendars, Hsiao Chin was 41 years old. A few psychology researchers tell us, interestingly enough, that men’s careers around age 40 (38-42 years old) reach a critical “turning point”. Supposedly a large majority of men around this period temporarily stop in their rushing lives to re-evaluate the value and merit of their past actions and re-adjust the direction of their lives. It is frequently during this period of time of their lives that there are significant noticeable changes.[66]We can see the process of this interesting phenomenon in Taiwan’s modern art[67]as well as Hsiao Chin who is clearly an excellent example.

 

In the autumn of 1972, Hsiao Chin was invited by an American university the art department of South Hampton College to teach as a guest professor for a semester. This distinct work chance in New York was a refreshing life experience and allowed his “Eastern nature” to flourish. At the end of the semester he decided, since he was so close anyways, to travel to Mexico and see the historical sites of the Aztecs and Mayans. This tour led Hsiao Chin to profoundly recognize the importance of the roots of a culture[68]. It seems as though he visited every museum and historical site in Mexico and before each door there was always a large sign reminding Mexicans not to forget that they had a resplendent and ancient culture. It also reminded them to understand that their ancient culture met a disastrous decline and an unhappy destiny after coming into contact with Europe’s culture. 15^thcentury Spain’s Catholic missionaries, included the mentalities of 「Enforce Justice on Behalf of Heaven」and 「Save the World」, so along with the accompanying invaders, upon arriving on this ancient piece of land, in order to erase the local pagan religion completely destroyed the ancient culture of Mexico, burning the Mayan library, portraying the Mexican people as cultureless savages, and then using Christian doctrine to “teach” and “assimilate” them.[69]

                                                                                                                   

While Hsiao Chin was studying Mexico’s ancient long gone cultures, on one hand he began thinking of a similar situation that was occurring with ancient Chinese culture and on the other hand he began a deeper examination and recalculation of himself.

 

From 1973 to 1974 Hsiao Chin returned to the ancient city of Milan and once again took up his research into mysticism, making even better progress than he had in his younger years during the 1960’s. On one hand from 1974 until 1975 he continued using the flat acrylic painting style from his time spent in New York; however, on the other hand, he began dabbling and creating tentative sketches with colored inks and Chinese paint brushes. These new creations unlike before were a more reserved styled and had unconsciously changed, triggering the chronicle of the imaginative spirit displayed within the paintings. This is actually fairly risky for a professional artist whose style had been for more than a decade a rebellion against the classics; it was even a possibility he could completely lose the original market for his works. Nevertheless Hsiao Chin still created these pieces on the account of being true to his heart; at the same time it was a stroke of good fortune, because in 1976 there was a new sketch exhibition that was held in Milan and there his pieces left a deep resonating impression. His friends included art critics, art consultants, and collectors who all believed that these pieces of art even more authentically showed Hsiao Chin’s natural face[70].

 

In 1978 there was a large-scale exhibition at the Taipei National History Museum; it was the one formal showing of this series. Undoubtedly for Taiwan’s viewers, these new works gave off a sense of benevolence and compared to the previous flat acrylic works there were much easier to understand and interpret. 

 

Actually it can be observed in the designs of the new pieces from 1977 that he revisited the Chinese paint brush and cursive lines style. Just as rapid growth and self-reliance comes with age, so is the shedding of the rough and awkward air of frenzy from the brush strokes of Chinese painting, changing into a warm implicit steadiness. The squares, triangles and circular forms of a series show the confines of the life within the art pieces from the three periods (Illustrations 21, 22). They clearly present the apparent influence the artist received from Japanese Zen master, for example: the influence of Gibon Sengai and others, yet at the same time it reflects the vestiges of the artist’s soul and the Zen saying “to know the way is to find the road, to forget the way is to find Zen”.

 

“Zen” by itself became a new label of Hsiao Chin. However Hsiao Chin has absolutely said that: “Zen, it did not teach me how to paint and my painting is not a painting of Zen (many people make this mistake). Zen, it has respectfully allowed me to use it to see even more clearly into my own heart and to allow my lively ‘basic nature’ to even more freely express itself in my art. It has unrestrained and unfettered the strength that has always existed within my heart to take control of my brush and paints. It has united me with the strength within my heart. 『All Methods Cannot be Generalized』has proven the vitality and the spring of Zen!”[71]

 

The Hsiao Chin, from the end of 1976 up until present day (2006), has relied upon the transition of thoughts and forms during his artistic progress and these can be divided into three phases. The first phase is from 1976 including those detailed Zen books such as 【Ordinary is the Buddha】, 【Method is originally not the Method】, 【Chi Yen】etc. so beginning from the “Zen” series until the “Chi” series in 1983 is combined into the “Zen and Chi” phase. The second phase begins approximately from the later half of 1983 with the “Rain Showers”, the “Birth of the Universe” and other series until the first half of 1989 with the “Milky Way” series, this also included the “Big Volcano”, “Giant Black Cloud”, “Sublimation to Infinity”, “Waterfall”, “Wind of the Universe” and other series combined became known as the “Universe Scenery” phase. The third phase begins with “64 the Tiananmen Incident” of the “Spring of Beijing” the memorial series and includes other series such as the “Changes of China”, the “Rebirth of China,” the “Passage Through the Great Threshold”, the “Magnetic Waves”, and “The Eternal Garden” and these combined became known as the “Transcendence of the Return to China” phase. The fourth phase begins in 1996 when he returned to Taiwan to take a teaching position, which includes the “Birth of a New World”, the “Embodiment of the Soul”, “New Spiritual Magnetic Field”, “Three Indistinct Areas”, the “Explosion of the Universe”, the “Bubblization of the Universe”, the “Homage to the Sun” and the latest piece of work the “Heart of the Universe” as well as other series.

 

This categorizes the actual pieces of work, following is a discussion over the art:

 

(1) “The Zen and Chi” Phase (1976-1983).

 

Hsiao Chin returned to the “ink and water” society in 1976 which was a huge reversion in the course of his artistic pursuit. From these extremely precise, planar, serene and planned out and sequence organized acrylic pieces; he tried to once again return to the impromptu actions of “hands” and “heart”. This is an extremely Eastern as well as a very Zen experience. Aside from a few similar early ink pieces of cursive and twisting Chinese brush strokes from 1961, he once again began to inscribe his paintings with characters:【Ordinary is the Buddha】, 【Method is originally not the Method】, 【Chi Yen】……etc. which was also similar to the method used in the 1960’s. However as mentioned earlier in this article this is merely restarting a stalled car, actually there were a few new directions waiting for a renown artist to attempt and expand upon.

 

There probably exists among the pieces of this period two guiding features, the first being an expression which flowed spontaneously into taking shape as ink stains in the painting, the other is to use the simplest of form of shapes to subtly represent inspirations of life. As previously mentioned by 【Ordinary is the Buddha】as well as other equally well composed works have mentioned it was after 1978 that this feature began to gradually take shape within his works; these pieces have basic shapes of squares and circles. The square represents the early beginning conditions of life and the circle represents the final stage of life. Hsiao Chin used the Chinese paint brush to assist him in painting the squares and circles, then producing several colors dots of varying lengths in all four directions. This condition is actually very similar to the folklore charms drawn by spiritual mediums as well as adopting the red ink chop and the golden paper money burnt as offerings to the dead or tissue paper to carry out conventional art forms (there were still only square and circle shapes with colored dots added) (Illustration 23);【Zen Practice】from 1977 (Illustration 24) is a representation of the arteries and veins from Chinese medicine. However it is clear that the previous two directions of exploration were dense as is the nature of exploration and a type of feature which fails to make a clear depiction of a complete form. The goal of these two styles were basically the same, however the direction of these two styles were diametrically opposed, one was the medication of reason (the square, circle and other shapes), the other was the flow of perception (the impromptu marks of black ink). The result is that both these styles by themselves sere a failure but would succeed when used together in conventional art, the densely packed colored lines were the final thing to blend and unify it all. Originally in the painting【Zen Practice】there are a few hesitant lines as well as several abruptly even colored lines, which gradually became the primary piece of interest. Within the empty space there are several even lines which unexpectedly appear and then steadily and densely flow through a corner. This piece was formerly titled “Zen”, afterwards it was gradually changed to “Chi” or “nil”; the shapes were sometimes done with a round brush or sometimes hoping to achieve a sense of momentum a thin dense flat brush was used (Plate 14, 15).

 

Actually regardless of whether it was “Zen” or “Chi” for this period the artist had completely abandoned these boundaries of life to which he had been lost in thought to as well as parting from those soulless epiphanies and the simpler more refined style. He stepped onto another dynamic infinity and a lofty peak of wave after wave of creation.

 

(2). “Universe Scenery” Phase (1983-1988).

 

If the previous “Chi” series of 1983 could be said to illustrate Hsiao Chin’s praises toward the strength of life then the “Universe Scenery” series of 1984 (including: Birth of the Universe, Showers of Rain, Giant Black Cloud, Chaotic Beginnings, Big Volcano……other stand alone works), displaying the interpretation and realization Hsiao Chin had towards the composition of the universe (Plate 16, 17). Artist Ye Wei-lian would draw upon a few of Zhang Zai’s essays—a writer from the Sung Dynasty—《Zheng Meng》’s 〈Taiho Chapter〉to prove the interflow of philosophies in the works by Hsiao Chin:

 

Taixu shouldn’t without Chi, Chi should be aggregated as the whole creation; the whole creation is unable to unloosen then caused Taixu.

Chi is abundant in Taixu to elevate and drop and have not yet ceased

Invisible Taixu is the essence of Chi, it has various changes in its aggregation and loosen.

Chi is aggregated, then it will concretely form the whole creation; otherwise, Chi is not aggregated, then the whole creation will be died out;

it is tangible if it can be seen by eyes; if it cannot be seen by eyes, then why it cannot be called as invisible?

        

 

From his pieces before 1976 we can see the young Hsiao Chin and what the result of the bitter contemplations on human life. In the pieces after 1977 we can see the middle-aged Hsiao Chin, who has already surpassed the limitations of human life caused by apprehension, rising into a vast expanse of the universe, and to come and go freely. “Waterfalls” and “Universe Scenery” series was during his travel through the endless expanse of space and time when he met an energy exploding with mysteriousness; the “Milky Way” series was shuttling through the limitless space-time continuum traveling in his imagination towards a myriad of stars (Plate 18).

 

Hsiao Chin once signed up to participate a screening test for astronauts, however the sponsor decided the spaceship did not require an artist to be on board and politely rejected his application[72]. Hsiao Chin or many others who collect his works hope to express their understanding of the universe to scientists, the universe is magnificent and one can only sing its praises, it is a force that cannot be conquered by humans.

 

 

Actually early on towards the end of 1977 to about the middle of 1987, Hsiao Chin with a group of academies and artist friends created an international movement called “SURYA”. 

 

“SURYA” is the Sanskrit word meaning the sun. The sun is the source of life and energy. However as for Hsiao Chin this “Sun” was not the broadened scope of the previous mentioned “Punto”.

 

Founders and members of SURYA aside from Hsiao Chin included: Italian anthropologist Leo Rosso, philosopher E. Biffi Gentsili, art critic E. Albuzzi, plastic artist G. Robusti, German painter Rupprecht Geiger, Austrian artist J. Tornquist, American painter and sculptor Joe Tilson as well as Punto Art Movement members like Japanese sculptor Kenjiro Azuma and others.

 

In March of 1978, when SURYA was showing its first exhibition in Milan they published an announcement; the following section is an excerpt:

 

Art is merely materials composed into something tangible to convey otherwise restricted intuitions and perceptions.

          

In this world of ours is full of mysterious wonders and the greatest marvel is still our own personal inner thoughts. This mysteriousness is not limited by time and belongs to everyone and is eternal.

  

For us the discussion of the consciousnesses and the internal aspects of human beings are more important. We rely on religious reverence and humbleness to approach art and paying our highest respects to the unknowable supreme intelligence that created us and rules us.[73]    

 

The praises he makes of the sun is also the root of his praise for the universe. From 1983-1984 and the “Birth of the Universe” was when the idea of “SURYA” was born. This whirlpool design which comes from an ancient stone culture was always carved upon a giant stone, telling those that saw that beneath this stone lay water or an unknown mysterious power; or it is a magnetic field or the center of an energy source. This could be found anywhere in this world, including Gansu in China, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, as well as in the primitive stones upon thousands of Taiwan’s mountains. Hsiao Chin’s reverent and respectful creation was a deep ceremony expressing the mysterious capacity of the universe and it also gave birth to a restless eternal life according to his annotations. 

 

The Milky Way series was created late in the 1980’s, Hsiao Chin’s philosophies and limits were already captured by thoughts on “SURYA”. Traditional Chinese farmer philosophy contained the concepts of 「Detached and Beyond」and 「Mind Traveling in Taixu」which cannot be completely understood by the rational academic discussions of the West.

 

(3) “Transcendence of the Return to China” phase(1989-1995).

  

During the time when Hsiao Chin’s heart and soul were deeply reaching out for and grasping for the universe, several human tragedies seemed to have dragged him back to reality. June 4, 1989 in China’s Tiananmen Square there was a huge tragedy when young lives and fresh blood decorated cold icy tanks, in 1990 Hsiao Chin’s beloved daughter Samantha died violently at the hands of her boyfriend and the pain of the tragedy pierced his heart. This tragedy clipped the wings of his creative soul and he began to feel more connected to the tragedies and viewed the world with new eyes. The “Tiananmen series” and the “Sublimation of Samantha series” were records of these tragedies. However this penetration of life was only a temporary relief of an otherwise restrained grief the pieces a【Rebirth of China】and【To the Eternal Garden】were both a return to these tragedies.

 

Every sorrow and death was expressed afterwards in “Rebirth”, “A Passage Through the Great Threshold” as well as in “The Eternal Garden” (Plates 19-24). Hsiao Chin’s soul, his life within this universe, true to form is an endless rolling river, slowly sinking, stirring, detailed, and restless… and it never despairs.

 

 

He said:

  

“For me when it comes to painting the most important part is not the ‘painting’ but rather the events in life that lead to self-exploration. Life is to create memories and be affected as well as bringing about the hopes and wishes of life.”[74]

 

“The word ‘creation’ is not that important to me, as what I create is not my ‘personal’ creation, but the works created by the universal life-force from my hands. I am not a ‘creator’ but am only a ‘communicator’.”[75]

 

This detailed continuous line is like the slow but powerful moves of Chinese Tai-chi which brings a type of profound and attractive rhythm as well as the form, idea and synchronization with the universe. Art for Hsiao Chin is a patch, transcendence and a rescue.

 

(4) “Birth of the New World” Period (1996-2006)

    

In 1996, Hsiao Chin having temporarily left Italy where he had lived for almost 40 years returned to the islands of Taiwan where he had set out from in his younger years. He accepted a teaching position at the National Tainan Art Institute (today known as National Tainan Art College) as a visual arts research professor. A new world was developing and here he was considered a pioneer of Taiwan modern art. Many young students who came to him seeking instruction reminded him of himself when he knocked upon the door of his teacher Li Zhong-sheng and this door opened to welcome him into an intellectual world.

 

The “Birth of the New World” was the first series to be completed upon his return to Taiwan. Within this seemingly conventional style painting there is cloud of magnetic and natural feeling circles, the four corners are filled with several moving, spinning atoms and this is like the Yin and Yang within the circular Tai Chi diagram (Illustration 25). However after not too long the composition of these circles gradually began to deviate to the side giving a lonely appearance and the scurrying atoms also vigorously leaped to the other side (Illustration 26).

 

For Hsiao Chin these feelings and characteristics which embody the universe by themselves are not a world of law of nature or knowledge unto themselves, even more so a philosophical or conceptual world. All things on earth find their place in this world due to their comprehension of law and order and thus can obtain a uniform stability and the spirit also attains transcendence through this kind of comprehension.

 

After 1997 the continually showcased pieces were【Expression of the Soul】(1997-), 【New Spiritual Magnetic Field】(1998-) as well as the previously already touched on pieces and the presently re-displayed【Three Distinct Areas】(1995-), and even the【Birth of the Universe】(1997-), 【Joys from Life】(1999-), 【Breath of the Universe】, 【Explosion of the Universe】(2001-),【Evolution of the Universe】(2001-), 【Homage to the Sun】(2002-), 【Expansion of the Universe】(2003-),【Birth of the Universe】(2003-), and the recent 【Heart of the Universe】(2005-) and other series (Illustrations 78-80). Among these are also the 【Dark】(1997), 【Personal Nature】(1999-), 【Halo】(2001), 33【Milky Way】(2001), 【Comet】(2002)……and a few other stand alone series (Plates 25-75).

 

Among the titles of those works which seemed to be various and complicated, it actually displayed a macro integration and mergence of the creative concepts and connotation for Hsiao Chin’s previous works. Several originally contained themes with deep investigations and speculations, by today this is considered to be a fairly standard and natural conventional art language. During this time Hsiao Chin handled all this with skill, returning to simplicity and purity, such as what is called the “Heart of the Universe”, a heart for the universe, a great speechless knowledge and a great formless shape. Hsiao Chin during this phase had reached an enlightened level of thought and had matured satisfactorily into an ancient and genuinely beautiful new world.

In 2005, Hsiao Chin retired from National Tainan Art University as a famous professor and that same year he was bestowed the “Star of Solidarity” award by the president of Italy. Also during this time Hsiao Chin’s art had also begun to draw the attention and acceptance of Mainland China.

 

This artist, who had lost his father when he was 5 years old, his mother when he was 10 years old, left for Taiwan at the age of 14, left for Europe when he was 21 and only returning to Taiwan when he was 40 years old, stepping upon the art scene in China. For Hsiao Chin, these 70 years due to his never despairing will to fight, battle against the obstacles of life, after careful consideration, keen soul, flourishing art, has become a traveler of the universe and he has collected intense, valued and immeasurable amounts of first hand experiences and impressions.