Find other Australian artists who are influenced by Chinese culture and describe how this has affected their artwork.
Consider why you like making art.
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Student: Why do you create artwork?
Guan Wei: This is maybe influenced by my family, you know, my family is an old art family.
My father was a Beijing opera singer.
And also my father liked painting calligraphy when I was a little kid and I learned Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy with my father.
It's quite an accident I started doing art but now art is my life.
If I'm not doing art I don't know what I can do.
That's about why I am doing art.
Questions and activities:
Find other Australian artists who are influenced by Chinese culture and describe how this has affected their artwork.
Consider why you like making art.
Locate an artwork by Guan Wei that is influenced by the Australian environment and describe the elements in the artwork that illustrate this.
(such as Treasure hunt 1, 2, 11 and 12 in www.guanwei.com.au/catalogues)
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Student: What influences your artmaking?
Guan Wei: I think it's mainly influenced in the beginning by my family.
And later on by my colleagues and friends, you know, working together.
And also in the university there were some teachers who influenced me a lot.
But when I was in China, mementos were a very strong influence on me because the political situation in China twenty or thirty
years ago; my work was quite political in China.
But since I came to Australia, you know, the Australian environment also influenced me very strongly.
I remember, you know, when I came to Australia - just before I mentioned, you know - my pictures were quite Chinese, but after
four or five years I looked at my new works - I did one series called Treasure Hunt - I was just a little bit shocked, you know, I didn't
realise, my colours, there was a big change.
When I was in China I just used very dark and grey colours, very simple colours, but after four or five years my colours were very shiny
colours and red earth, just like in Australia you remember things.
I think the environment was a very strong influence.
Questions and activities:
Locate an artwork by Guan Wei that is influenced by the Australian environment and describe the elements in the artwork that illustrate this. (such as Treasure hunt 1, 2, 11 and 12, in www.guanwei.com.au/catalogues).
Research and locate images of artwork by one of the following four Australian artists: Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Brett Whiteley or John Olsen. What similarities and differences are there between the work of that artist and the work of Guan Wei? How do you think the artist may have influenced Guan Wei?
Make a list of art or artworks that have influenced your artmaking and explain how.
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Student: Are you influenced by the work of other artists?
Guan Wei: Yes, in different periods, different kinds of artists have influenced me.
If I was in China, you know, China has very good traditional masters like Wang Yuanqi and Qi Baishi and Huang Binhong, they are all
traditional Chinese masters, they gave me a very strong influence.
But since I came to Australia, in the beginning I quite liked Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd and Brett Whiteley and also John Olsen.
I looked at all the Australian masters.
Their work is very good and also very interesting and I tried to use some of the things, you know, bring them into my pictures.
Questions and activities:
Research and locate images of artwork by one of the following four Australian artists: Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd, Brett Whiteley or John Olsen. What similarities and differences are there between the work of that artist and the work of Guan Wei? How do you think the artist may have influenced Guan Wei?
Make a list of art or artworks that have influenced your artmaking and explain how.
Make a flowchart that explains the process Guan Wei went through in the creation of The consolation of constellation.
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Student: What was the starting point for The Consolation of Constellation and how did it develop?
Guan Wei: Because this work is run by the Casula Powerhouse -the curators from the Powerhouse Museum - we discussed and
they invited me to do a big work here for this exhibition.
He told me some of his ideas, call it something Australian, and I followed his ideas to create this work.
Firstly I read the book and also did a lot of drawings.
After the drawings I make, like this, the final drawings.
And after the final drawings I also make some colour things - try the different colours to see which ones are better.
After the colour drawings I make the canvas work.
For this one I used 24 panels, you know, made quite a large piece.
And after this one also I made this installation, not only for the 24 panels but also I'm doing the murals, extending this work, and also the installation.
I like to make the wall bigger, more powerful and more strong.
When people look, wah!
It gives very strong feelings.
This work is just talking about humans, other journeys, looking for their spiritual homes.
And also talking about the relationship between humans and nature, humans and different groups.
And also they should love each other, encourage each other.
This is the whole meaning of these pictures.
Questions and activities:
Make a flowchart that explains the process Guan Wei went through in the creation of The consolation of constellation.
Read Guan Wei's proposal for The consolation of constellation.
Find an image of the stained glass windows in the Chartres Cathedral in France, which was constructed during the Middle Ages.
Why is the artwork situated high, above where the congregation would be? What is the significance of looking upwards?
The Renaissance period challenged these ideas prevalent during the Middle Ages and placed humanity at the centre of the world.
During this time perspective was developed.
What is perspective and how does it place humanity in the centre?
What is the Industrial Revolution? Why does Guan Wei associate it with pollution?
How does The consolation of constellation express Guan Wei's concern about pollution and the environment?
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Student: What are the major themes in The Consolation of Constellation and how are they expressed?
Guan Wei: Like, in the Middle Ages, people were always looking up, you know, they had very strong religions.
And also in the Church has a lot of temples and all around the ceilings and the murals, there are some beautiful pictures.
But since the Renaissance the people were not always looking up, they started looking around, there was perspective there.
And since the Industrial Revolution there has been global breakdown, with the environment and pollution.
This work is quite concerned about pollution and the environment and how the world is so damaged by these things.
This has long journeys, has many people on the clouds, you find the people thinking to find another beautiful planet or something.
Questions and activities:
Read Guan Weis proposal for The consolation of constellation.
Find an image of the stained glass windows in the Chartres Cathedral in France, which was constructed during the Middle Ages. Why is the artwork situated high, above where the congregation would be? What is the significance of looking upwards?
The Renaissance period challenged these ideas prevalent during the Middle Ages and placed humanity at the centre of the world. During this time perspective was developed. What is perspective and how does it place humanity in the centre?
What is the Industrial Revolution? Why does Guan Wei associate it with pollution?
How does The consolation of constellation express Guan Wei's concern about pollution and the environment?
Guan Wei talks about three elements in his art: humour, knowledge, wit. How do you think these three are presented in The consolation of constellation?
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Student: Why are these themes important to you?
Guan Wei: I think, myself, that art has some responsibilities.
You should be doing something for society, for the audience.
Even just making beautiful pictures and drawings gives the audience good things.
This is always how I'm thinking, when you look at my older pictures, and also my recent pictures.
I always use three elements in my pictures.
These three elements, one is humour - in my pictures I always use a lot of humorous things there.
Secondly, my work uses a lot of knowledge.
You know, they have some constellation things, philosophy things and stories and things in there.
And also the third element is very witty; clever.
It means in contemporary art, when you choose the images, when you organise the pictures, you can use a lot of different cultures' things.
Wit, knowledge, humour - this is my voice when creating the works.
Questions and activities:
Guan Wei talks about three elements in his art: humour, knowledge, wit. How do you think these three are presented in The consolation of constellation?
Locate images of two other installations by contemporary artists. Compare these to The consolation of constellation.
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Student: How do your paintings and installations differ and why do you create these installations?
Guan Wei: It has developed over time.
When I was beginning I only would do one little canvas work.
I think the development is quite important.
When you look at contemporary shows, you know, if you only have one little work in there the people just maybe forget about it because
they very quickly pass your work.
When you are looking around in exhibitions people can stand in front of your picture maybe only for two seconds and maybe just pass there.
But if you make a little bit more interesting things, like a multi-panelled installation, they should be very strong.
Yes, I think it's very important that your work should give people very strong feelings.
Questions and activities:
Locate images of two other installations by contemporary artists. Compare these to The consolation of constellation.
Find three different human forms in The consolation of constellation. Sketch these and write a description of them. How are they similar and/or different?
Read about the use of figures in Guan Wei's proposal for The consolation of constellation. How has the meaning of the figures changed over time?
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Student: Many of your artworks include figures without facial features.
What is the significance of such figures, particularly in The Consolation of Constellation?
Guan Wei: When you're looking at this work, yes, I use a lot of pink on the human bodies, the figures.
These figures are part of my personal visual language.
I started using these figures in China.
You know, in China these figures have some political meaning - like no eyes, no mouth - because in China the political situation
means that you can't speak too much, or something, the reasons for the political things.
But since I came to Australia I still use these figures but with these figures, the meaning has changed.
They're not really like human beings but maybe like half human, half something else, like a god or something.
I like to use pink; they're a little bit fat.
This makes them humorous, funny, so people think they're very cute or something.
Questions and activities:
Find three different human forms in The consolation of constellation. Sketch these and write a description of them. How are they similar and/or different?
Read about the use of figures in Guan Wei's proposal for The consolation of constellation. How has the meaning of the figures changed over time?
Think about an artwork that you have recently created. How did you know when it was finished?
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Student: How do you know when an artwork is finished?
Guan Wei: It's a hard question.
It's a very important thing that you must know: when your work is finished.
I was in some art schools in Tasmania and Canberra, looking at some students making pictures.
One day I was looking at pictures that were completely finished, they were looking quite good.
But on the second day they had changed.
It was difficult for them to know how to control things and how to finish.
I create my works very clearly because I have three stages, you know.
One stage is to make the drawings.
The second stage is to make the colours for the little drawings.
The third stage is I make the canvases.
Because I am doing the little drawings that are very delicate, you know, very detailed, when I look at the whole canvas work it's
quite similar to the small ones and maybe much more delicate things, details, are in there.
I think, oh yes, this should be the finish.
And sometimes when the work, like the Casula one, is already in there, but I still feel, oh, something maybe I need, should I put in a bit
more and maybe sometimes a little bit less.
I think the work never can be stopped or finished.
But, yes, some time you should stop because you should do another new thing.
You forgot about this.
It's a good question, I think.
Questions and activities:
Think about an artwork that you have recently created. How did you know when it was finished?
Locate a piece of critical or historical writing about Guan Wei's artwork. Highlight the most important words and expressions.
Does this piece of writing assist you in your enjoyment or understanding of his artwork? Explain why or why not.
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Student: What influence does the reaction of audiences, such as gallery visitors, art critics and art historians have on your work?
Guan Wei: Yes, sometimes I like looking at the audience, how they are thinking about my pictures.
Are they talking about them, thinking, pointing at something?
Yes, I feel quite happy because some pictures, you know, attract the audience.
And also sometimes the audience can recognise me and ask me some questions.
They even ask me questions before I'm even thinking about them in these pictures.
But they give me another voice, you know, in their thinking about my pictures.
Sometimes I'm thinking this is quite interesting, maybe for my next series of work I should be thinking a little bit in these ways.
Questions and activities:
Locate a piece of critical or historical writing about Guan Wei's artwork. Highlight the most important words and expressions. Does this piece of writing assist you in your enjoyment or understanding of his artwork? Explain why or why not.
Read Guan Wei's proposal for The consolation of constellation.
Find symbols in the artwork that might represent:
Print or photocopy an image of The consolation of constellation with a white margin around all four sides. Circle the major signs and symbols in the artwork. In the margin write notes to explain their meanings. Connect the circled parts with the relevant text in the margin.
Search The consolation of constellation to find animals and creatures. Research the meaning of each in Chinese culture.
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Student: Could you talk about some of the signs and symbols in your work?
Guan Wei: Okay, for these pictures, you know, the winds of the gods make new energy through the air, through the universe.
And also in this part we have the four heads, opening their big mouths.
These are like ghosts, you know, they're shocked, looking at something happening there.
And also we have the dragons and the horse and the snake and the big fish.
They're all kind of the constellations in the universe.
Here there are some figures from, like, Arabic constellations and Chinese constellations.
Here the tiny little clouds with the dark figures are kind of Buddhas.
They sit on the clouds, you know, going to the happiness world.
This work has many symbols from the different cultures, I just reorganise them in there.
The meanings give harmony and happiness, yes, something like this.
Questions and activities:
Read Guan Wei's proposal for The consolation of constellation..
Find symbols in the artwork that might represent: A. East and West, B. reason and perception and C. time and space.
Print or photocopy an image of The consolation of constellation with a white margin around all four sides. Circle the major signs and symbols in the artwork. In the margin write notes to explain their meanings. Connect the circled parts with the relevant text in the margin.
Search The consolation of constellation to find animals and creatures. Research the meaning of each in Chinese culture.