As an institution of exhibition and research, Taipei Fine Arts Museum perpetually wrestles with the question of how to interpret the lives, art and artworks of artists, and how to accurately express the subtle interconnections among them. In addition to presenting them visually in the context of a large exhibition, we also attempt to re-present the artist’s spirit in text. “Artists In Depth” is a series of books that TFAM is currently developing as part of the Art Forum imprint, focusing primarily on the creative evolution of contemporary artists active in Taiwan since the 1980s. Written by professional writers based on in-depth interviews with the artists, the series breaks away from the form of pure autobiography, revealing the true details of the artist’s life through word imagery. These books serve as a set of keys with which artists open the door to their art and their artworks for reader and viewer alike.
The Photo Salon of Counterfeit Youth – Wu Tien-chang is the first publication of this book series. Wu Tien-chang joined the 101 Modern Art Group in 1982, and became a member of the Taipei Art Group in 1985. In 1989 he won the “Contemporary Art Trends R.O.C.” exhibition held by Taipei Fine Arts Museum, with his painting Hurting World Syndrome. In his 1990 solo exhibition “Four Eras” he prominently addressed political issues of the day with portraits of a head of state in The Five Eras of Chiang Ching-kuo, gaining widespread attention in the art community. Since then he has shifted directions several times. From his Hurting Funeral and Love on Earth series of the 1990s, to such recent works as We're All in the Same Boat and Pipe Dream, he has occupied a unique place in the development of Taiwanese contemporary art, beginning with two-dimensional painting, expanding into mixed media, and then branching out once again into digital imagery. Through the vibrant words of Chen Hsin, this book brings the personal experiences of Wu Tien-chang and the spirit of his works to life with equal potency.
Contents
05Foreword
Former Director of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum / Huang Hai-ming
08The Flavor of Shrimp Juice
- INative of the Rainy Harbor
- IIOf Sailors and Bar Girls
- IIITaiwanese Homegrown DNA
- IVCommission Shop Exotica
- VSyndrome of Hurting
- VIA Visual History of Taiwanese Politics
- VIIHomegroen Artist on a Mission
- VIIII'm Infatuated with Things I Can Touch
- IXVile Bag of Skin
- XThe Soul-Harvesting Umbrella
- XIThe Funeral if Death
- XIISea of Desire
- XIIIAm I All That Happy?
- XIVNew Millennium, New Computer
- XVTime Freezing Agent
- XVIThose with the Wrong Souls Installed
- XVIIA Live Magic Show
- XVIIIMembrane Conjuration
- XIXWe'll Meet in the World of Art
144INDEX of ARTWORKS