Zhang Huan-Altered States
Zhang Huan’s art revolutionized the way I see art. I never knew that there could be such types of art that it wasn’t just a photograph but a whole experience. He was able to make political statements and was able to create art for his pleasure. That is the beauty of art. People don’t have to like it or understand it or even appreciate it. If one is a true artists, creating art and being part of it is something second to breathing. Huan said that he was a Buddhist inside and artist outside. Being an artist means creating whatever you wish to create, whatever you wish to express. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t sell or if it people find it meaningless. However, I understand that at the same time an artist has to live and survive somehow. That is when, perhaps, what the artist really wants to do is jeopardized. Once the artist has a financial basis then he can send everyone to hell!
Huan is able to emphasize the concept of “tabula rasa” in his art. He uses his body to make that statement. This could be an example that we all are capable of producing art for our own pleasure. Is touching your skin or pinching or pulling it considered art? Can we call it art if everyone can do it? What matters is the way in which people do it. The human body itself is an art form. If we look at the insides of our vessel here on this earth, we have to come to terms with its beauty. Although nothing is perfect, when the human body is healthy, it is one of the most beautiful, close to perfect things in this whole universe. To be able to use your body to make art is admirable.