Author: 何多苓

Size: 98*117cm

Signed and dated: Dated 1989

Estimate:

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LITERATURE：He Duoling： Blue Poem， p.83， Sichuan Fine Arts Publishing House， Apr.2006； Selected Art Works from Mainland China-He Duoling， p.22， Artist Publishing House， 1994； Contemporary Chinese Art Collection （4） - He Duoling， Mountain Museum， 1997；World Art， 3rd Issue， p.17， 2006； World Art， p.17， 3rd Issue， 2006； 1542-2000 Documents of Chinese Oil Painting， Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House， Dec. 2002

He Duoling is one of the most important artists of Chinese contemporary art and he is among the few artists who have the courage to keep changing their styles in more than 20 years since early 80s’. The Towards the Tree was produced in late 80s， when there came a new situation for Chinese contemporary art and most schools of modern western art was introduced into China and has influenced a lot of Chinese artists. It is not difficult to see that the Towards the Tree was inspired by surrealistic painters such as Marx Ernst and Rene Magritte， whose styles was influential among young Chinese painters in 1980s. The painting is dominated by grey-blue， which has easily created an atmosphere of mystery and melancholy. It seems that the painter is telling us something about his own childhood or about his own dream which has never been realized. The girl is lonely， so does the tree. They have to comfort each other in this lonely world. Is it the reason that the girl has no choice but to walk toward the tree， while she has no idea of her future with the tree? What is her feeling? Is she hopeful or full of fears? It is the very situation of China in 1980s. The country was facing a crossroad and has just started the social transformation. It has no idea of its own future. What it could do it to walk forward. The painting tells not only the story of a girl and of He Duoling himself， but also the story of a nation.