Suqin Lin
University of Missouri-Columbia
Have a Baby as soon as possible
Oil on Wood panel (triptych)
43" x 34.5" (middle panel), 25" x 34.5" (end panels)
Painting is historical. From academic painter's treatment of smooth paint surface, the impressionists' application of short and thick strokes of paint to the expressionists' manipulation of bold and subjective colors, the medium of paint itself played an important role on the content of these paintings. It was subjected to the subject matter and contributed the meaning of the work. In my narrative triptych 'expectation', which is about cultural collision and embracement, historical painting styles were adopted in the three panels sequentially in order to strengthen the narrative structure of the painting. Each panel, which is part of the story of the painting, employed different stylistic distinctives, visually relating to the historical art movement. The left panel is presented through academic realism, the classical movement that highlighted the traditional ways of the mother-in-law; the right panel is presented through expressionism, used to express emotion in the daughter-in-law through subjective coloration and bold brush strokes; the middle panel is presented through impressionism, depicted the moment of conflict between culture, age and tradition.