Brittany Kennedy 1/20/10 Intense Concentration

I went to the opening at the UTSA Art Gallery and the piece that caught my attention the most was by Hong Chun Zhang. He had four works hanging on the wall in which three are part of a triptych titled "Three Graces". The other is the one I favored the most called "Twister". This piece is a charcoal on paper on scroll which covers the wall from the ceiling to floor. The grand scale of the piece is what captivated me. From across the room the viewer could see exactly what the imagery was. Up close as the viewer I was captivated by the high contrast between the black, gray's, and highlights in the piece. The next captivating moment was the attention to detail in the motion. The painterly strokes added a feeling to this "Twister" which was much different then what a twister actually does. It destroys, vexes you, makes you uneasy and helpless. A natural disaster to which mankind must submit to the harsh reality. Zhang is able to captivate this well known image within a work of art and make it seem peaceful and welcoming. This artwork comes across complete. As if the story told is conveyed to the viewer without having to experience the twister and see the damage that typically comes along with this imagery. Further more the way he treated the part of the twister that touches the ground is delicate yet inviting. The viewer when walking up to the work places their eyes at eye level and is forced to view upwards then back down and the viewer is invited to keep doing that following the painterly motions of the artist strokes. This relationship between viewer and the work can at times be unsettling however as a result of the way the artist treated where the twister touches the ground the relationship is balanced.