In the era of quarantine- modern hermits

art critic / Philip Wu

Since the end of 2019, Covid-19 began to ravage the world. Human civilization has encountered major setbacks in the past century: people are helpless to face quarantine, industries are in depression, borders are closed and the economy is in recession...

In the past two years or so, many international art fairs have been canceled or postponed, or changed to online exhibitions. Social Distancing became a familiar word and gradually became a reality in society. Compared to "forced to maintain" social distance, some people intentionally stay away from society. In Chinese history, they are so-called "hermits".

The artists exhibited at Moon Gallery this time - Wang Wan Chun, Pan Hsin Hua, Chou Cheng Liang, Hu Chau Tsung and Su Huang Sheng, spanning from 1958 (Wang Wan Chun) to 1987 (Su Huang Sheng). Wang Wan Chun and Pan Xinhua are related to Hualien, Taiwan. And, Chou Cheng Liang, Hu Chau Tsung and Su Huang Sheng, were all born in northern Taiwan. Their common background is that they all have received complete academy training.

Wang Wan Chun is an artist with diverse creativity. After graduating from National Taiwan College of Arts, he held an exhibition at Spring Gallery in 1983. Afterwards, he fell into an awkward situation. Until he moved to the outskirts of Hualien in 1988, "due to a lot of time and a good atmosphere around him, he started painting again naturally." - An Huaibing.

Pan Hsin Hua was born in a rural town-Taimali, Taitung. After finishing his military service, he made a living by setting up studios and teaching in Hualien for a long time. Afterwards, there are many surrounding composition methods in his works, which are related to his personal experience of fishing in valleys.

Chou Cheng Liang, Hu Chau Tsung and Su Huang Sheng all studied at the Taipei National University of Arts. It can be said they are new generation of creators since Taiwan imitated the French art academy system.

Chou Cheng Liang has been living in seclusion in Sanyi, the middle part of Taiwan for many years. In fact, although both Hu Chau Tsung and Su Huang Sheng are settled in the north part, readers can sense self-estrangement from their works. Whether in the juxtaposition of Hu Chau Tsung's succulent and deserted coastal road, or when Su Huang Sheng practiced skateboarding, he simulated the trajectory of body movement during skateboarding.

From the works of these artists, I saw a figure of Self Distancing. They chose to isolate themselves not because of virus or epidemic, but because of a kind of uneasiness and anxiety about modern civilization.