The Bodily Return
Written by Jiang Cheng
Jiang Cheng, U-11 (Ophelia), 2018, oil on canvas, 150.5 x 160.5 cm
The renowned work Ophelia by John Everett Millais, a preeminent figure of the19th-century Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, has continually resonated with me. Her garments spread out around her, allowing her to float momentarily like a mermaid upon the water. She intermittently sings ancient ballads, seemingly oblivious to the perilous situation at hand, as if she is inherently a creature of the water. She is akin to a flower blooming to its fullest, yet destined to wither in the next moment. I seem to discern in her expression the entirety of human life, all of which vanishes as if by fate in an instant. This observation gave rise to a thought—what would happen if I were to create a large-scale painting focusing on an enlarged detail of Ophelia's face? Thus, in September 2018, I embarked on the creation of the "U" series.
The “U” can be interpreted as an abbreviation of "You," signifying everything that exists beyond myself, encompassing all that I confront or face directly.
Jiang Cheng, U-42 (Ophelia), 2018, oil on canvas, 150 x 180 cm
The 'U' series has provided me with a completely new painting experience, and when I faced it, the image disappeared. Due to the scale, distance, and relationship with my body, my eyes could only see partial marks of paint, and my hands were no longer dominated by my eyes and consciousness, forcing me to relinquish control to my body. With my full attention focused on a single work, I had to start and finish it in one go within the same day. In the face of this situation, I began to resist, eliminating the habits and routines of my consciousness (art history and current state). The embellishments, adjustments, layouts, and controls were nowhere to hide, and the canvas became like a god, making me feel naked. Being honest was my only option, and fighting was my action. At this point, I began to refer to it as 'U', which referred to the unavoidable fate I was facing.
Jiang Cheng, U-16, 2018, oil on canvas, 230 x 210 cm
Both my painting and Jackson Pollock's painting have elements of bodily presence and action. Pollock emphasized action, while I am more focused on bodily presence.
Bodily presence is resistance, a counterattack against habit and routines. It is independence, a departure from aesthetics and various contemporary movements.
An opportunity arose from the influence of a child. Observing my daughter as she babbled and doodled, I was inspired to rethink what painting is and why people paint. I discovered that the free physical movement involved in painting is its essence, not the ability to depict images or a means to achieve an objective. I began to question whether our way of viewing the world is mistaken, heading in the wrong direction. Staring traps us in this cave. No, I no longer trust my eyes, for they are controlled by consciousness. I no longer trust my hands, letting them return to the body. I no longer trust language, for it has led us to abandon the Tower of Babel of love. I no longer trust consciousness; it is the prison of freedom.
Jiang Cheng, "U", installation view, 2020, AIKE, Shanghai
I open my eyes, look, and see through the dancing shadows to the sunrise, which is warm. To see is to touch, is to be the body.
I pick up the brush, shake off the dust that has settled on me, and begin to move. At this moment, bodily presence defines my relationship with the canvas—a relationship of materiality, of scale (size), of distance, and of time.
Materiality refers to the volume, weight, tactile sensations, odor of the canvas, paint, oil, and thinners, and the state, reactions, physical stamina, and emotional condition of the body in this context.
Bodiliness, the sensory perception of the body, reduces distances and diminishes time. The time spent controlling, arranging, designing, and finessing, and the time (and distance) of gazing.
You (U) are the neural spark ignited in the instant of contact between me and the canvas. Too late to consider, too urgent to neglect, impossible to evade. It is like the chill felt when, running in the rain, one touches the dewdrops shaking off the feathers of a distant memory.
Painting, is here.
You (U) precede the image, you precede expression, you are the living traces of our actions.
Painting is everything.
— Jiang Cheng, 23 September 2020, at Beijing Studio
