Not on display

Plum

Photograph
2004 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Yan, Huang (photographer)
Place of origin
China (photographed)

This work is from a series of four in which Huang Yan paints the faces of models with images of plants closely associated with Chinese culture. These flowers ‘embody the spirit of the literati’ – a reference to the Chinese scholars who believed in the oneness of man and nature. The model’s eyes bring animation to the plant, creating what Huang Yan describes as a ‘mutual interaction’ between the spirit of the plant and that of the model.

Object details

Categories
Photographs
Portraits
Object type
Photograph
Titles
  • Plum (assigned by artist)
  • Face (series title)
Materials and techniques
C-type print
Brief description
'Plum', from the series Face, 2004 by Huang Yan (born Jilin, China 1966)
Physical description
Close-up of a man's face painted with a depiction of plum.
Gallery label
(20/02/2006)
This work is from a series of four in which Huang Yan paints the faces of models with images of plants closely associated with Chinese culture. These flowers ‘embody the spirit of the literati’ – a reference to the Chinese scholars who believed in the oneness of man and nature. The model’s eyes bring animation to the plant, creating what Huang Yan describes as a ‘mutual interaction’ between the spirit of the plant and that of the model
(2008-2009)
In these works, part of a series of four, Huang Yan paints the faces of models with images of plants closely associated with Chinese culture. These flowers are chosen by the artist to 'embody the literati's spirit' - a reference to the Chinese scholars who believed in the oneness of man and nature. By being painted on the face, the plants are enlivened by the models' eyes, creating what Yan describes as a 'mutual interaction' between the spirit of the plant and that of the model.
Credit line
Purchased through the Cecil Beaton Royalties Fund
Subject depicted
Plum
Summary
This work is from a series of four in which Huang Yan paints the faces of models with images of plants closely associated with Chinese culture. These flowers ‘embody the spirit of the literati’ – a reference to the Chinese scholars who believed in the oneness of man and nature. The model’s eyes bring animation to the plant, creating what Huang Yan describes as a ‘mutual interaction’ between the spirit of the plant and that of the model.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.532-2005

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Record createdNovember 28, 2005
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O119171/plum-photograph-yan-huang/
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