The Mind's Movement
November 10 - December 8, 2017
Artist:
Curated by:
J. Fu
Location:
Gallery 456
Exhibition Statement

In recent years I have been moving away from the classical figure, to the weird and wonderful world of cartoon creatures. I suppose I thought it was a way of connecting with my son’s generation. My present and ubiquitous figure was born out of playful scribbling. In time it developed into a fully developed being, cuddly yet unpredictable, willing to act out various moods and states of being that we recognize from our daily lives.
-Valgardur Gunnarsson

I call my new series, “The Mind Should Not Be Moved By Things”. The reference to Buddhism and Taoism is intention¬al. I have been teaching Asian Philosophies, and it has rubbed off on my paintings, literally.
-Ting Yih

The Mind’s Movement

An exhibition of paintings by the Icelandic artist Valgardur Gunnarsson and New York artist Ting Yih, The Mind’s Movement tracks down the varying states of mind of these artists and the creative process. Both artists employ a similar technique of layering paint on paint, color over another color, to form a wealth of densely textured background.
In his drawings, Gunnarsson stitches into the paper to create a pattern and an imagery that recalls a dream landscape. It is as if the thread of memories passing through the mind’s eye gives shape to a narrative, much like the way a child composes his imaginary world by connecting the dots in his unfettered mind. There is a sense of innocence and freedom that informs Gunnarsson’s work; it is the land of childhood that is entirely independent of everything, where the child is capable of thinking for himself, and finding beauty and joy in the everyday.
For Yih, the act of paint¬ing is akin to meditation whereby mental transformation becomes possible. Awareness is established by a process of erasing and emptying the conceptual muddleness that obstructs liberation. Yih laboriously goes through a process of overpaint only to reach a state of erasure with the swirl of a rag. By inscribing the date directly on his painting, Yih puts a stamp on his existential reality and validates the nowness that transcends self and history.
-j. fu

Opening Reception: Friday, November 10, 2017 6-8pm
Social Media & External Links
Coverage
[SFShibao/舊金山時報] “心之所至”画展456画廊展出 中西画家作品记录心路历程
[SinoVision/美國中文電視] “心之所至”画展456画廊展出 中西画家作品记录心路历程
[僑報/The China Press] 心之所至画展讲述中西文化交融
[世界日報/World Journal] 中西畫家攜手 揮灑「心之所至」