The analyze of Zhang Xiaogang’s Art Works.docxVIP

The analyze of Zhang Xiaogang’s Art Works 　Among the most well-known artists in contemporary China, Zhang Xiaogang is such a painter who has unique and constantly changing personal style. He is reputed as a member of “Chinese Big Four Artists”, and the other three are Fang Lijun, Yue Minjun and Wang Guangyi. Zhang’s works are widely recognized by the world such as Tian’anmen and The Big Family which reflect the living status of Chinese people, and some of them may even cost millions in auction, with the total number of transaction amounts to over $100 million. A single painting of his was sold at only $2,000 soon after it was completed in 1994, but the price of the same work can jump to $2.3 million today. What makes the difference? We will analyze Zhang’s experience and explore the reasons from the following aspects. 　　1. Personal History　　Between 1977 and 1982 when he was studying in Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, Zhang XIaogang began to be recognized by the paining circle for his works like Clouds in the Sky, and The Flock Fading Away. To differ from the social mainstream, his works, like those of Van Gogh’s, expressed a particular feeling towards nature and the prairie and should be deemed as a branch of the expressionist local painting style.　　In 1984, Zhang got sick due to excessive drinking. The experiences he suffered when lying on bed reminded him of the influence of his mother’s psychical disease on his childhood, thus triggered his further thoughts on humanity. He also understood better the crisis of life and the meaning of survival when seeing the body of his ward mates go from weakness to death. Based on this period in hospital, he created a series of works there, expressing illusion of Dali style and spasms of Greco style. In his later Big Family series, we can also found the featured psychical numbness in the dull facial expressions and empty eyes of the characters in the paintings.　　2. Social Background　　In 1985, China was undergoing the