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u.J, Jfffi · ffi� 2k SUSAN SWARTZ PERSONAL PATH 1'Affi� q:t ��*��l�*ffi Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing Contents A UNIQUE SCENERY, A 7 �!hhf.f ijH� s'-J ,c,, ��� DOORWAY TO THE HEART m:JJ!!� Fan Di'an ABSTRACTION AS A 9 ft�-i' A 1 J,q�(t-JM!�z* 9 PERSONAL PATH 'm* f;--, ,m l. !!$. JJ:!! ' /J\ • i:t-1,.,., Dieter Ronte AN ARTIST'S ROAD 21 A�¥� H9 �*�CZ.Ii% 21 LESS TRAVELLED .\IEJnw:x • ���Wr� Alexander Borovsky Works 32 ft&t 32 List of works 144 1t��i31 144 Biography 151 �**�:fJllJ·Wrffe��� 151 5 A Unique Scenery, A Doorway to the Heart I am very delighted that Susan Swartz's exhibition can be held at CAFA. It is the first time that her works have b �� n s � own to the Chinese audience after being ex h1b1ted 1n Germany, Hungary, Austria and Russia. "If a paint hopes to create marvelous art works, he should learn from nature and his own inner world" a line put by Zhang Zao, a famous Chinese painte; of the Tang Dynasty, might be the first sentence that comes into our mind when we stand before Susan 's paintings and appreciate the vibrant colors she used to depict different scenarios, either a stunning sun set, a luxuriant spring scene, or a wisp of mist above a glimmering river. Susan has studios in Park City, a quaint town in Utah, and Martha's Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She travels to and from these two places every year. The mountains and the sea she has seen during these trips have brought her endless inspiration. We can feel the vivacity of nature in her paintings, whether they are simple or complex. These artworks originate from nature, but reflect her true thinking on the world. Each tint of color and trace of stroke on the canvas can reveal her creation process--asking herself a question, answer ing it by her own, and asking another ... By repeating these Q&As, she is actually going deeper to her soul, which imbues her works with a restrained style and adds a spiritual reflection to the joy or splendor of the natural scenery. From this perspective, her crea tion method is consistent with major characteristics of the Chinese art, which focus on striking a balance between the scenes themselves and the feelings people have when they are in the scenes. In this pro cess, people and nature, the self and the world are truly brought together. Susan once mentioned that her works were greatly influenced by Caspar David Friedrich, an important figure in German art history. As a great landscape painter and a representative of Romanticism in Ger many, Friedrich portrayed the sea and the mountains in an unprecedented cold and lonely way, injecting mysterious cultural charm into the tranquil landscape. In Susan's artworks, we can also see the secret con- �!f!$ Wl1£ B{] fi'-�Jxtfl: mifil� +*•����-*��•*tt•b��-Nr��OO ��.��Ml¥1�£a�oo,���-���-AA� Nr*1Hlt�ilimtt?x-'=3� OO�A�rni o "*���- �m� ■•. �ftillM��$·M�� 1¥1���.�•�ft�M�*WLl¥Ja&�*• •� �-M��-�-�.��-��•� ■ �oo•�• tt. �oo•A��••*�•��m�iJjjj•*�*� iJjjj�l¥J��-��a•���ffl��#�fflM��. �&�P-Dffl*•l¥1�3ffi��--�I�- �-�tt���m�illfl��-�*W•��-�ft -��$Sl¥J�ili�*•• �-�*�����R m.am��a•�•�-�d¥••Ml¥JiJjjjlfil�. -�-*������•--��**�rni��Ml¥J S�,iliM�l¥J��-1"1��1¥J-•.m�-#� �1¥J�M!. M. "iiHt" iil"17 ",t,76l" • iJlli;ffiL1¥Jll9i �*•��-�-. ��-��1¥1��-��-�� �.-�-�l"l��-�1¥1�•-�#RGR��* -�����&•*-#�a1¥J�M. �eMK•l¥J -••m•m ■TM��*•• M����*�• � !5��z*cp�* "��,, , "�tf:\J" �11t•!J;f�®l Wffl*Z�. ��••z�. x���z•. ��� ���. A�eM, ett;!5���Jlt��- �•••�. �(EJ*&�B■OO�*��-•A• --1<-Wi!JB • *.:IT · 91HfrnHl[:rf. (Caspar David Fried rich) (EJ�l(ail. {-t�■OOffi*(EJK:!ii:imi*;fM��.:1:5( �*· �m•••��m*w�2�•••�•m *•�$ili, tE�-��-��A�U����� a:w;■1¥Jft A'1 �. ttffJili t1�:'la-ftl5:: re rt.:K:lf(.fD.ffi?-'fl W5Z�l¥J�•aM.tt�l¥J��. A����Jlt� �.A�•�r13Ml¥J��•h. ��. xa��� e���.a����oo���-��m�e��� 1¥]�5(. ��1¥JMftl��Aa�.:l:. W�ff��--�#� *�1ir00��. ��i-3ffiM.,t,lflal¥J 13�J2\;:tf��-M� •-•w.m•Ll¥J"Aa"�•"Ma"*�•� lfflWr*,c.,1¥J1t•1oJ®! 0 tEJlt��l±l 1¥J83i.li {tifli�ft1fJ �Y&B, mAMa•mooft£•ft. �••maffl wm�oo�&•ft. WM•�•wm.2*•m•• 1¥], R•�eBOO*WfDflmtt••-�oo•�� �o��-�Mal3"�S"��*M�. ��� �ft£��rMa�*tEB-s��OOm��B�� 7nection between natura l scenery and spiritua l phi losophy . Men and nature are equal. Human beings are inspired by the infinite charm of nature. At the same time , they seek to have sincere conversations with nature. In the ceaseless exchanges, humans a r e able to clarify the meaning of thei r l i ves . Susan's creations we re main l y realistic at f i rst and then turned abstractive. This transformation of a r tistic language is natura l as the on l y thing that she follows is her own heart . However, to use "realistic" or "abstractive" way of creating is not a primary con cern of Susan. The 83 works exhibited this time in clude those with very abstract shapes and also those kept with certain realistic features. What artists have to do is to find the most appropr i ate express i on for their concerns and emotions. It is also this k i nd of ar tistic philosophy that makes Susan's works free from the var i ous parad i gms that have been estab l ished in the field of abstract art in its more than one hundred years of history. She neithe r re l y on precise calcula tion, which geometric abstraction demands no r try to stay as casua l as one can, a common method used in completing act abstract paintings. She always l i s tens to the voice from her hear t , respects her true de sire and aspiration, and naturally expresses her ideas and emotions. She has her own unique way of un derstanding the meaning of art creation. The brush strokes and textures of her paintings reveal both rich senses and vivid characters of her as a female artist. This exhibition is another collaboration between the CAFA and Stiftung fur Kunst und Kultur e.V., follow ing other cooperation projects, such as the "China 8 -China Contemporary Art Exhibition" (2015) and the "Deµtschland 8:Deutsche Kunst in China" (2017). We cherish the good friendship forged between us and look forward to further cooperation. Here, I would like to express my hear t felt thanks to all the friends who have worked hard for this exhibition! Fan Di'an September. 2018 Fan Di'an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, ex Director of National Art Museum of China, Professor, Ph.D. su pervisor. 8 ��fiff�. ��•A0Mamw••m�ffl��� •�•tt�•· m�•fi��-���w•tt•�• m�.•a�������. �•�m•���-� Stt, #ElM����-��---M�*•mtt� ewwm2�a���. oo���tt�M��••w $��stt. mm�ili�Z**�"�ttm. ���m. -��-*$M�ffi�--����* ��E1201s• "r-pOOs-r.pOO�Ht�*�", 2011 .���8-ffiOO�*���,,�-��l'f.lX-� �if-. RffJ+71J $ t!.i',tl/iJlU1!�1'f.1 tl�J-1.li:ii, iE�liiJM M**OO•-���-��. �����MttW•h t't-J f9i fi /!fl � �Vr-:r& ,t, Q(J � W ! 2018�9J.I m��. ���*���*· tt�-�±���. �ff��** fll\'f!*· Synthesis #1 2018 12 x 12 inch / 30,48 x 30,48 cm 32 Synthesis #2 2018 12 x 12 inch / 30,48 x 30,48 cm 33 Next >