Meinung,
in Kaohsiung County, sees the likes of more degrees and diplomas than most
other places in southern Taiwan. Its Hakka residents take great
pride in learning, and they labor long and hard to provide for their family's
schooling. Reminders appear in subtle ways amid the quiet fields.
Ritual furnaces, common in Taiwan for burning paper prayer money, are unique
in Meinung. They are ornately constructed and are reserved
only for the burning of papers inscribed with Mandarin characters.
Belief is, the written word implies elevated accomplishments and learning.
Moreover, these ashes are sparred from scattering since they are carefully
swept and saved. From this educationally charged environment, comes
Chu Pan-Hsiung, an unconventional yet impressive teacher.
His
lessons are rendered in clay, and they are impossible to confine within
a classroom. Defined as "Public Art" and "Massive Mosaics", their
message speaks well beyond the aesthetic. "Beauty is all
around us. But, people sometimes need help to recognize it. Public
art is one way to refine our vision. It recreates, repairs and uplifts
surroundings that have been lost." In striving towards the beautiful,
Chu has had to come to grips with environmental problems disrupting his
homeland. As a member of the Green Coalition Organization,
dedicated to preserving the Kao-Ping River, and the Meinung Association
for the Love of Hometown, he has led citizens in protest over issues concerning
natural resources and reckless development. "Art is to walk into
the public and lead them", states Chu.
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Over
20 years ago, Chu began experimenting, a natural endeavor since he was
trained as a chemical engineer under noted scientist, Professor Wu Yu-tang.
He searched island wide for clays to extract unusual glaze materials, and
he applied the findings to objects created in a makeshift studio.
The results are exciting for today he logs nearly 6,000 glaze formulas
developed from the iron rich soil of Taiwan. |
Handling
the clay revealed even more possibilities, and soon Chu was exploring the
medium's tactile quality. He plunged "hands first" into potting gradually
moving from three dimensional vessels to textured mosaic tiles, the backbone
of his contemporary creations. In 1986, he was asked to collaborate on
"Beauty of Taiwan's Soil" for installation at Taichung's Museum of Fine
Arts. Technically proficient, the work does not display the creative
maturity of "Over the Summit" (Taipei Municipal Arena, 1992) or "Self Challenge"
(National Changhua Normal Univeristy, 1993), his signature pieces.
Over
the years, Chu's projects have nearly bankrupted the family. But,
he persevered, convinced that it was not the work itself that was important,
rather what it represented….a much needed "face lift" for society.
Often placed in incongruous settings and impossible to ignore, onlookers
and passers by can't help but notice his work. Reactions vary, but
many are reminded to re-examine societal values and their impact on the
community. Today, Meinung Yao, Chu's residence and workshop, draws
hundreds of visitors throughout the week and on weekends. The artist
takes time with young and old to share and compare views on life, the land
and culture.
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