YANG MIAN 杨 冕
  • CV 简介
    • 中文简历
  • solo exhibition 个人展览
    • 2020 /Yang Mian Solo/2.6 Million Dots and Western Art history 杨冕个展《二百六十万个点和西方艺术史》
    • 2020 /Yang Mian CMYK 杨冕-“C。M。Y。K”
    • 2016 /CMYK:Paintings by Yang Mian 杨冕的绘画
    • 2016 /Yang Mian 2016 杨冕 2016
    • 2012/ CMYK-Yang Mian Painting 杨 冕 的 绘 画
    • 2008 /Posing YangMian 2007-2008 姿态 2007-2008 >
      • works in exhibition place/展览现场
      • Special Project / 特别项目
    • 2008 / Classical 那些经典
    • 2008 / From Classic to Standard 从标准到经典
    • 2007 / Classical 那些经典
    • 2006/ 2005 Yangmian`s standard. 2005年杨冕眼中的标准
    • 2004 Beauty Standard / 美丽标准
    • 2004 2003 Yang Mian's Standard / 2003年杨冕眼中的标准
    • 2003 Made in Beijing-House Standard / 北京制造-建筑标准
    • 2002 Made in Chengdu/成都制造
    • 2001 I deal Building Standards/理想的建筑“标准”
    • 1999 The Beauty Standard / 美好标准
    • 1998 Yang mian`s solo exhibition / 杨冕个展
  • exhibition 展览
    • Museum exhibition / 美术馆展览
    • Other exhibition / 其他展览
    • Art fair 艺术博览会
  • works 作 品
    • 2010-2019 CMYK Chronology of works 作品年表 >
      • Nine Dragons 九龙图
      • 一千八百万个点Chinese temple view murals in 18 million points -Yang Mian`s works 中的中国寺观壁画 杨冕 作 品
      • M.A.M 金钱/艺术/博物馆
      • Yang Mian’s 2,624,757 CMYK points and Western art history 杨 冕 的2,624,757个CMYK点和 西方艺术史
      • Ma Yuan Ten Thousand Riplets on the Yangzi 马远 水图
      • CMYK-Yuan Zhao Mengfu Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains(元 赵孟頫 鹊华秋色图 局部),Acryli on canvas,320x1400cm,2010,Yang mian Party
    • 2006-2008 Welcome -China cultural revolution Chronology of works 来中国-文化的革命 作品年表
    • 1997-2005 standard 标准系列 >
      • Beauty Standard 美丽“标准”
      • House Standard 建筑“标准”
  • texts 文章
    • English >
      • 2011 Britta Erickson / Yang Mian Exposes an Essential Truth for Our Era
      • 2011 Lu Mingjun/ CMYK: Experiments in Metapictures and Visual Archeology
      • 2007 Pili / From Classic to Standard
      • 2006 Lixu / Secret of Standard  Li Xu
      • 2006 /“the standard” of Chinese esthetics with the contemporary society -Yangmian’s interview
      • 2004 Sunzhe / If you can understand what Mona Lisa is smiling about, then I will know what you are thinking.
      • 2004 Huang Liaoyuan/Give Me A Reason Firstly
      • 2003 Cities and Manufactured “Standards”: Yang Mian’s Work Huang Du
      • 1999 PI LI / THE IDEAL STANDARD
      • 1998 Harald Szeemann/ CCAA Comment for Yang mian
    • 中 文 >
      • 2021 杨冕作品:从“视觉民主性”定义下的CMYK到“视觉民主性”定义下的RGB
      • 2020 从深刻的名字到数字,从在意作品后面的意义到强调观看者的视觉民主&#
      • 2011 吕澎 / 视觉的标准与观念——杨冕的艺术
      • 2011皮力 / CMYK 色点与图像:关于杨冕新作三个关键词的笔记
      • 2011 鲁明军 / “CMYK”:“元图像”实验 与视觉考古
      • 2011 林似竹 / 杨冕揭示我们时代的本质
      • 2011 殷嫣与杨冕的对话
      • 2007 皮力 / 从经典到标准
      • 2007 郑乃铭 回荡在历史与现实的新疏离现象—读杨冕的艺术
      • 2006 李旭 / 标准之谜
      • 2006 皮力/ “标准”背后
      • 2006 与中国当代社会同步的有“标准”的审美 ------杨冕访谈录
      • 2004 孙哲/如果你能理解蒙娜丽莎在笑什么,那我就能知道她们在想什么?
      • 2004 黄燎原/给个理由先
      • 2003 黄 笃 / 城市与制造的“标准” —读杨冕的作品
      • 2002 致房地产商和建筑师 杨 冕
      • 1999 皮 力 / 美好标准
      • 1998 易 英 / 流行文化与个人话语从杨冕的创作谈起
      • 1998 哈拉德.森曼 / 杨冕的中国当代艺术奖金评语
  • Public project 公共项目
  • publications 出版
    • 国际媒体 Inter national Midia
    • 个人画册 Personal exhibition album
    • 重要公共出版 Important publications
    • Media 媒体
  • Forums and public services 论坛及公共服务
  • 联系 contact

                          Give Me A Reason Firstly
                                                By Huang Liaoyuan
                                                              2004

The new works of Yang Mian are still discussing issues of “standard”. His persevering spirit reminds me of the huge and popular debate on the “standard of truth”. In fact, Yang Mian clearly knows that there is no truth about standards. So he modestly named his new works “Standard in Yang Mian’s Viewpoint, 2003”. All people familiar with Yang Mian know that he is far from modest – he can even be described as arrogant. “In Yang Mian’s viewpoint” means “he thinks”, instead of the widely accepted principle. However, the widely accepted principle for aesthetics no longer exists in this world, and the current situation is everyone has his or her own opinion. Therefore, to discuss “standards” now presents either a “positive” or “negative” implication. The extremes of something today sometimes have no difference or contradiction.  
Yang Mian is not an extremely sensual artist. Before his creation, he always religiously thinks about some concept already existing in his mind – he gives himself a reason first. For example, the “Beauty Standard” took him one year from idea to execution. After numerous modifications, revisions and changes, the work is finally completed.  
To discuss “standard” in the art world is a joke, because for art a “standard” means killing personality. “Standard” is a criteria, creating restrictions in the industry – by creating a model and having the world imitate. Therefore, for an artist with a “dream”, a “standard” means chains. A “real” artist can only gain the entire world after breaking these chains.
But, life today has a strange cycle, with everything uncertain.
Though the widely accepted principle of aesthetics disappears, the wisdom of human beings after thousands of years of accumulation still retains its sharp power. The power is a “standard” – public principle, collective consciousness and mass interest. Therefore, “standards” are the inbred habit of society, as well as the essence of spirit and the steps of social progress. Yang Mian’s questioning of “standards” might be obedience, reflecting his “reforming attitude”, or the ridiculous mood of facing “reformation”.  
The Chinese artists in the same generation as Yang Mian have a kind of bravery and courage with broad knowledge, as well as the Yuppie style to joke about serious issues. Therefore, Yang Mian’s acrimony toward “standards” is actually completed in a playful atmosphere.  
In “Standard in Yang Mian’s Viewpoint, 2003”, Yang Mian selects several female stars in advertisements that impressed him most in 2003, like Xu Jinglei, Zhou Xun, Zhang Baizhi, Quan Zhixian, Gao Yuanyuan, Zhang Ziyi, etc., and makes them his objects, thus discussing the standard of “beauty”. Images in advertisements am normally known as ambassadors of a company or a commodity, while the selection of ambassadors always reflects the social aesthetic orientation and values of the time. Yang Mian asks the question: “Who selects the ambassador for ‘us’? Is he authorized to do so?”
Yes, “he” is, because he is rich and thus has the power. It is natural. And the rich also handle the output of artistic works. Sometimes I feel artists have no hands, they are the paintbrushes held by the rich. Since the sponsorship of the Medici Family, artists have never escaped from the position of parasitism. It is possible that some artists don’t want to admit it, but the “cruel” reality is in front of us, as real and vivid as we are living.  
And “he” is not, because “he” is rich and the rich serve the have-nots, which is also natural. The rich often consider the public and the world, and their standards are based on the aesthetics of the public. Therefore in most cases they represent the benefit of the public, and we can say that the public authorizes them.  
So Yang Mian’s questioning of “standards” is in fact questioning social and public aesthetics, which is intended to “give public taste a loud slap”, as Mayakovsky said.  
In real life, Yang Mian is a fashionable youth, with middle-class sensibilities and graceful behavior. Therefore his irony and criticism on fashion have a sense of sympathy, pity or even appreciation. Such self-mockery and ambiguity appears as a virtual attitude in his works. The colors are dim and the expressions, in particular their eyes, are moving and hesitant. But all the faces and bodies express a sexy message, which makes the figures confident, despite their expressions. We notice that in the Chinese advertisements of 2003, there appeared the idea that beauties are no longer gentle; now they are aggressive, lovely, enchanting and addicting. After years of “secret” discussion, sexiness finally comes to the stage. Maybe Yang Mian is asking if they represent the emerging sexiness in China? In truth, China is still the old China. The conservativeness of the Chinese relegates sexiness to our eyes, expressions and inevitable imagination. It is the standard of China, different from the world.  
Yang Mian’s endless questioning of “Chinese standards” is not “a question of China” in my opinion, because the “indifferent and infinite duplication” is an essential outcome of western industrialization, as well as a key symbol of human progress. The future is the destiny that we are unable to change, so Yang Mian is actually discussing an international issue.  
His dreamy presentation somewhat reflects the confused mood of today’s society. When the wound-like red line is punched on the back of those stars like lightening, all rusting things are equipped with a clear meaning – it is the so-called Zen? In fact, an operation knife cuts the wound and Yang Mian wants to be the operator. However, his methods are subtle and his sharpness is hidden under those beautiful images. Such hidden irony complies with the style of his generation. The “fatal beat” in his works is unforgettable. It alarms the world and makes us think. It is what’s unique in Yang Mian.
As to the standard of beauty, mine is simple – as long as she is beautiful!  
                                                                                                                                                               At Beijing Wangjing Hotel, March 19th, 2004

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  • CV 简介
    • 中文简历
  • solo exhibition 个人展览
    • 2020 /Yang Mian Solo/2.6 Million Dots and Western Art history 杨冕个展《二百六十万个点和西方艺术史》
    • 2020 /Yang Mian CMYK 杨冕-“C。M。Y。K”
    • 2016 /CMYK:Paintings by Yang Mian 杨冕的绘画
    • 2016 /Yang Mian 2016 杨冕 2016
    • 2012/ CMYK-Yang Mian Painting 杨 冕 的 绘 画
    • 2008 /Posing YangMian 2007-2008 姿态 2007-2008 >
      • works in exhibition place/展览现场
      • Special Project / 特别项目
    • 2008 / Classical 那些经典
    • 2008 / From Classic to Standard 从标准到经典
    • 2007 / Classical 那些经典
    • 2006/ 2005 Yangmian`s standard. 2005年杨冕眼中的标准
    • 2004 Beauty Standard / 美丽标准
    • 2004 2003 Yang Mian's Standard / 2003年杨冕眼中的标准
    • 2003 Made in Beijing-House Standard / 北京制造-建筑标准
    • 2002 Made in Chengdu/成都制造
    • 2001 I deal Building Standards/理想的建筑“标准”
    • 1999 The Beauty Standard / 美好标准
    • 1998 Yang mian`s solo exhibition / 杨冕个展
  • exhibition 展览
    • Museum exhibition / 美术馆展览
    • Other exhibition / 其他展览
    • Art fair 艺术博览会
  • works 作 品
    • 2010-2019 CMYK Chronology of works 作品年表 >
      • Nine Dragons 九龙图
      • 一千八百万个点Chinese temple view murals in 18 million points -Yang Mian`s works 中的中国寺观壁画 杨冕 作 品
      • M.A.M 金钱/艺术/博物馆
      • Yang Mian’s 2,624,757 CMYK points and Western art history 杨 冕 的2,624,757个CMYK点和 西方艺术史
      • Ma Yuan Ten Thousand Riplets on the Yangzi 马远 水图
      • CMYK-Yuan Zhao Mengfu Autumn Colors on the Que and Hua Mountains(元 赵孟頫 鹊华秋色图 局部),Acryli on canvas,320x1400cm,2010,Yang mian Party
    • 2006-2008 Welcome -China cultural revolution Chronology of works 来中国-文化的革命 作品年表
    • 1997-2005 standard 标准系列 >
      • Beauty Standard 美丽“标准”
      • House Standard 建筑“标准”
  • texts 文章
    • English >
      • 2011 Britta Erickson / Yang Mian Exposes an Essential Truth for Our Era
      • 2011 Lu Mingjun/ CMYK: Experiments in Metapictures and Visual Archeology
      • 2007 Pili / From Classic to Standard
      • 2006 Lixu / Secret of Standard  Li Xu
      • 2006 /“the standard” of Chinese esthetics with the contemporary society -Yangmian’s interview
      • 2004 Sunzhe / If you can understand what Mona Lisa is smiling about, then I will know what you are thinking.
      • 2004 Huang Liaoyuan/Give Me A Reason Firstly
      • 2003 Cities and Manufactured “Standards”: Yang Mian’s Work Huang Du
      • 1999 PI LI / THE IDEAL STANDARD
      • 1998 Harald Szeemann/ CCAA Comment for Yang mian
    • 中 文 >
      • 2021 杨冕作品:从“视觉民主性”定义下的CMYK到“视觉民主性”定义下的RGB
      • 2020 从深刻的名字到数字,从在意作品后面的意义到强调观看者的视觉民主&#
      • 2011 吕澎 / 视觉的标准与观念——杨冕的艺术
      • 2011皮力 / CMYK 色点与图像:关于杨冕新作三个关键词的笔记
      • 2011 鲁明军 / “CMYK”:“元图像”实验 与视觉考古
      • 2011 林似竹 / 杨冕揭示我们时代的本质
      • 2011 殷嫣与杨冕的对话
      • 2007 皮力 / 从经典到标准
      • 2007 郑乃铭 回荡在历史与现实的新疏离现象—读杨冕的艺术
      • 2006 李旭 / 标准之谜
      • 2006 皮力/ “标准”背后
      • 2006 与中国当代社会同步的有“标准”的审美 ------杨冕访谈录
      • 2004 孙哲/如果你能理解蒙娜丽莎在笑什么,那我就能知道她们在想什么?
      • 2004 黄燎原/给个理由先
      • 2003 黄 笃 / 城市与制造的“标准” —读杨冕的作品
      • 2002 致房地产商和建筑师 杨 冕
      • 1999 皮 力 / 美好标准
      • 1998 易 英 / 流行文化与个人话语从杨冕的创作谈起
      • 1998 哈拉德.森曼 / 杨冕的中国当代艺术奖金评语
  • Public project 公共项目
  • publications 出版
    • 国际媒体 Inter national Midia
    • 个人画册 Personal exhibition album
    • 重要公共出版 Important publications
    • Media 媒体
  • Forums and public services 论坛及公共服务
  • 联系 contact