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pirit Above All 1-10 (2012) is a striking example of Beijing-based conceptual artist Zhao Yao’s use of abstract geometric compositions to meaningfully engage the viewer in an active interaction with the artwork, evoking the artist’s interest in how our pre-existing knowledge affects our perception of art. The work belongs to the important Spirit Above All series exhibited at Pace Gallery, London in 2013, for which Zhao built upon his previous series A Painting of Thought (2011-2012) by continuing to employ the geometric patterns from brainteaser puzzles in his work. Through the process of reconstruction and adaptation of previous works, the artist establishes what he has referred to as a process of “self-consumption”, in which the old is reformulated to create the new.

本作在倫敦佩斯畫廊展出,展覽題為「趙要, 精神高於一切」,2013年2-3月。攝影Stephen White,感謝Pace 佩斯畫廊提供照片 © 趙要
The present work was one of only seven geometric paintings that were brought on a 200 mile journey to the Tibetan monastery of Yushu and blessed by the living Buddha of the temple, the 9th Chakme Rinpoche. Zhao Yao documented the arduous journey, taking 600 black and white photographs en route. These photographs were placed in albums that were displayed on the floor in front of the paintings at the works’ exhibition at Pace, providing context for the works and enhancing their meaning. Significantly, Zhao uses denim as his canvas, chosen for its durability for the painting’s transportation to the Tibetan monastery. However, not only this, the artist describes the importance of denim in his work as:
“With my art I want to bring new understanding of familiar knowledge. One’s understanding of denim as a material for example. It’s interesting to me how denim was originally perceived in America as a working class material but in China when it came in in the 80s it was perceived very much as part of pop culture straightaway. To put that within the serious theme of Buddhism and frame people’s experiences within that and invite people’s own interpretation is interesting to me”
Testament to the significance of this body of work in the creation of a new form of Chinese conceptualism, paintings from the series now belong in major international private collections.

該展覽的一組七幅作品被送往西藏玉樹的寺廟,得到第九世喬美仁波切活佛的賜福,照片© 趙要
趙
要是常駐北京的觀念藝術家,他別具意味地運用抽象幾何構圖,來吸引觀衆與藝術作品產生互動,同時帶出他的一個關注點,即思考固有知識如何影響我們對藝術的認知,而《精神高於一切1-10》(2012年)便是當中一幅精彩的典範之作。此作來自2013年在倫敦佩斯畫廊展出的重要系列「精神高於一切」,這個系列是趙要以「很有想法的繪畫」系列(2011-2012年)爲基礎發展出來,當中繼續使用「腦筋急轉彎」謎題的幾何圖案。趙要通過對舊作的改編和重構,建立了被他稱爲「自我消費」的過程,即是通過重新表述舊的事物來創造新的事物。
本作是一組七幅幾何圖形繪畫系列作品之一,它們經過兩百英里的車程,到達西藏玉樹的寺廟,得到第九世喬美仁波切活佛的賜福。趙要記錄了這段艱辛的旅程,途中拍攝了六百幀黑白相片。在佩斯的展覽現場,這些相片以相冊的形式放在畫作前面的地板上,營造了作品的語境,讓意義得以深化。其中值得特別注意的是,趙要出於耐用性而採用牛仔布作為畫布,以便將畫作長途運送到西藏的寺廟。除此之外,藝術家也闡述過牛仔布在他的作品中的重要性:
「我想通過我的藝術,帶來關於常識的新理解。例如,人們對牛仔布的認知,就是作爲一種材料。在我看來,牛仔布最初在美國被視為工人階級的材料,但它在80年代在中國出現時,卻立即被視為流行文化的一部分,這一點勾起我的興趣。把這放置於佛教的嚴肅主題裏,並將人們的體驗框定在其中,讓人們自己去詮釋,這對我來說很有趣」
這個系列的主題別出心裁,締造了中國觀念主義的新形式,部分作品現屬國際知名私人收藏。