TU HONGTAO
Thoughts in Remote Mountains, 2019–20
He turns the texture of his work into a contradictory complex of both ruggedness and delicacy, as well as passion and coldness, all of which sensations are heightened by such repeated brushworks. To Tu Hongtao, painting has become the carrier of time and power.
—Azure Wei Wu
Extending over six meters, Thoughts in Remote Mountains (2019–20) continues the expansive horizontal format Tu Hongtao has previously employed in seminal paintings such as Goddess of Luo River (2016–18), in the collection of the Long Museum, Shanghai. Inspired by Chinese scrolls—delicate works on paper or silk with narratives that progress as they are unrolled—Tu pushes this tradition into a new territory. By experimenting with scale, he seeks to present an immersive and physical experience, in contrast to the intimate encounter with a scroll. In each painting, time and space are, in his own words, “stretched out,” inducing a sense of movement that resonates with remembered experiences.
TU HONGTAO
Thoughts in Remote Mountains
2019–20
Oil on canvas
Two panels, each: 82 11/16 x 126 inches (210 x 320 cm)
Overall: 82 11/16 x 252 inches (210 x 640 cm)
© Tu Hongtao