A Big Manor 2001

Wu Guanzhong made this ink painting, probably with big brushes and maybe a mop, and definitely with an eye for abstraction. I love how these big, dark shapes are cut out of the white ground, and then re-cut by little white shapes that define buildings, or other structures. You can almost feel the artist making intuitive decisions, shifting elements around, trying different things to capture the memory of a place. It's a balancing act, trying to find the sweet spot between representation and pure form. It reminds me of Franz Kline, but with a Chinese twist, you know? It makes you think about how different cultures can arrive at similar aesthetic conclusions, and the ongoing conversation between artists across time and place. It's not about getting it "right," but about the pleasure of exploration and experimentation. It is about finding those unexpected moments of resonance that make painting so endlessly fascinating.