土墙老屋 2019

Curator: Looking at "Old House with Earthen Walls," a 2019 matter painting by 王新福 (Wang Xinfu), one is immediately struck by the sheer physicality of the paint. Editor: The impasto is intense, isn't it? It creates such a powerful textural presence. The house, if it is indeed a house, almost dissolves into a chaotic landscape. It reminds me of a memory half-recalled. Curator: Exactly. Wang's use of materials directly engages with the subject matter. Think about the concept of "home," and the histories embedded within its very structure. The rugged, built-up surface speaks to resilience but also potential precarity, like marginalized communities. Editor: The reddish-browns and earthy tones reinforce that sense of groundedness. I see persistent imagery suggesting shelter but it’s fighting with decay, you know? A deep visual history is suggested through those symbolic forms. Curator: Absolutely. And beyond the physical and immediate interpretation, there are broader sociopolitical layers. Who has access to stable housing? How do environmental changes and economic disparities impact vulnerable communities? The artwork encourages questions like this. Editor: The colours also convey a feeling of the landscape and being part of the place in that context. There is persistence implied by this dwelling, like something growing from the environment around it rather than something imposed upon the environment. Curator: Indeed. It becomes more than just an architectural form. Editor: So, to draw back to the symbolism, I wonder about the meaning behind such visible textures, perhaps representing cultural memory as it’s physically built, layered, weathered… and what persists? Curator: And perhaps what gets erased. Thank you, that provides much for reflection. Editor: Certainly; a dialogue worth having about impermanence, persistence, memory.