Diagnosis 诊断 (No. 1, 2, and 4 from the series)

Creator(s)

Yang SHANG 尚扬

Preview

Date

1994

Format

Photograph

Exhibition Event Title

Exhibition of the Nominated Artworks from Art Critic in 1994 (Oil Painting) 94美术批评家提名展(油画)

Date of Exhibition Event

October, 1994

Location of Exhibition Event

National Art Museum of China 中国美术馆

Materials

Oil on canvas, acrylic

Dimensions

193 x 153 cm; 168 x 128 cm (the Fourth work of the series)

Description

In the Spring of 1994, the artist Shang was hospitalized due to bodily discomforts. In a series of physical examinations, the artist was greatly inspired and thus created the art series "diagnosis". The painting series register a painterly travesty of medical examinations: human presences in the works are reduced to outlines and tonal shadows, the internal structures of human body (organs and entrails) are turned into imageries of Modernity (fast-food, automobiles, etc.); only the medical apparatus -- stethoscope, for example -- reserves its realistic form. In the artist's parody of his experience, he might be self-diagnosing a "disease" of the era: the unquestioned, uncritical agreement to a social voice (norms). Some among the most glaring markers and temptations of Modernity -- cars, fast-food depicted on human body, for examples .. (possible allusions to hedonism) -- have been internalized into Modern era's values, without much critiquing voices. Shang in this series might wanted to play the role of doctor, and to provide a socially epistemic diagnosis to his audience. The roles of "doctor" and "patient" in the works have been reflectively swaped. (Yin, 超越生活——关于尚扬的近作》，published in 《中国油画》(Chinese Oil Paintings), 1995, available on https://m-news.artron.net/news/20210517/n161327.html); see also (Yang, 《中国当代油画名家个案研究——尚扬》, published by 湖北美术出版社 (Hunan Art), 2005, available on https://m-news.artron.net/news/20210517/n161327.html) (Jerry Wu'23).