Guan Yong Untitled, 2014 Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm In Guan Yong’s paintings of book-filled shelves, sensory details such as pigment, color, and texture are augmented with a pictorial flatness. With this method, a painterly ‘expression’ is subdued and visual details are only partially included. Combining a color palette inspired by revolutionary art and the minimal vernacular of modern culture, the bookshelves outline a backdrop for a ‘utopian’ world to emerge. Presenting a concise color study of the everyday materials, this iconic series of work testifies to a new vocabulary of painting.
