 rt itself is a media. When, What, Who, Where, Why, recording, edition, manufacture, consumption, feedback, these keywords are the media constitution and the elements of work flow. Wang Youshen is one of the few important Chinese installation artists based in Beijing. As both an artist and an editor, he was constantly aware of the changes taking place both at home and in the world. Wang Youshen is sensuous towards the surrounding environment. For him, art is a media, and is also a way to show the artist’s world of truth. One can see that in Wang’s art, he strives to restore the physical evidence process of the fact and to present the viewer the physical reaction of the social relations chain.
Wang Youshen was born in Beijing in 1964, he began his artistic training at the Beijing Art Academy when he was 16. Upon his graduation he chose to continue his training at the Art Academy's Folk Art Department and majored in illustration and graphic art. He learned oil paintings in the academy and graduated in Central Academy of Art in 1988. After his graduation, he was the editor for Beijing Youth Daily. Alongside his editorial role, Wang has always been an artist. His works from this period show his focus on folk art genre. Wang received art trainings at a period while “85 Avant-garde Artistic Campaign” happened. The campaign has significant impact, many artworks at the time began to show more personal and instinctive visual reflection. In Wang’s works after 1989, we can see that he explores spiritual ideas that lie underneath. His works are evocative, provoking thoughts and questions and show us a schema of aesthetics that can be associated or distincted from the painterly pictorial world. In 1991, as one of the organizers, he participated at China Avant-Garde Exhibition held at the National Museum of China. He also participated in other exhibitions include New Generation Art Exhibition and Chinese New Wave Exhibition held at the History Museum of China, Beijing, and others.
In his recent “Washing” series, Wang Youshen explored the notion of time. He took pictures of the particular street scenes and people, documenting the particular moment with juxtaposition of the street, statue, people in movement as well as still objects. Based on the same photo, he changes each image through the opposite chemical processing of imaging and development. The process takes a long time, and transformation of each image gradually evolves. On different transformation, the seemingly “frozen” moment (same time and scene) are conveyed with different visual effects, creating the feeling that time is vanishing with the visuals disappearing. What remain behind are memories that are embedded inside the image. Time is generated when photos emerge, and fade out when images are gone. Washing is thus no longer only a process created by the artist; it is also a beholder’s journey when viewing through the sequence of the pieces.
Wang has always addressed both public and private spheres in his works. From the impact of family awareness on the social identification of individuals, from the questioning on war to analyzing consumption culture, Wang Youshen has previously created installation and photographs that triggered viewers’ thoughts. His experience as an editor enables him to utilize the media and the sources of images, and explore all the information that is embedded in the news and images. For instance, In “The Newspaper Series”, Wang showed his obsession with images and words, in particular the words are stipulated by power. Power stems from orders, and a dissemination of ideas. All the carriers are tools, which can be discarded freely once used. Other series such as “Urgent Request”, “Before And After My Grandmother Passed Away” also documented Wang’s sentiments towards the historical past as well as personal experiences and journey being through the death of his grandmother.
His “visuals” that are achieved through “processes” in the series “Washing” endow his theme with a sense of reminiscence and sentiment. Each image is done tediously and thoughtfully. Art critics commented that Wang Youshen’s arts are cultural, social and political. His delineating approach through images allows viewers to walk through the many aspects of life with the artist. Our lives may or may not be related to the artist, yet what the truth is that things in the world are constantly making and constantly forgetting, just as his works manifest——appearing and disappearing.
Washing‧Part 2-18，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，170×127cm
Washing‧Part 2-19-1，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，170×127cm
Washing‧Part 2-19-2，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，170×127cm
Washing‧Shining 1-4(a)，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，100×75cm
Washing‧Shining 1-4(b)，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，100×75cm
Washing‧Shining 1-4(c)，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，100×75cm
Washing‧Shining 1-4(d)，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，100×75cm
Washing‧Part 1-15，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，170×127cm
Washing‧Part 1-11，2006，Photograph、Water、Clip，170×127cm
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