Ivy

2010 ~2012

Well

Provided by a collector

"Beigang Cattle Market" depicts the cultural landscape of the past cattle market in Beigang. The artwork integrates figures, cattle, and the surrounding settlement, recording not only the living conditions of Taiwan's rural society but also embodying local culture and historical memory. Professor Chen Yangchun employs the transparent and refreshing qualities of watercolor, utilizing his unique "dreamlike" technique that allows light, air, and moisture to blend naturally. The subtle gray-brown tones and warm ochre permeate each other, creating a poetic atmosphere reminiscent of morning light shrouded in mist. The extensive use of negative space continues the spirit of ink wash painting, making the distant scenery appear vague and enhancing the depth and layers of the spatial composition.

In the foreground, the cattle are calm and serene, forming a rhythm contrasting with the bustling crowd, which reveals a strong warmth of human connection and symbolizes the hardworking spirit of an agricultural society. The artist does not deliberately depict complex details; instead, he captures the vibrant essence of the cattle market with simple yet rhythmic brushstrokes, making viewers feel as though they are immersed in the rural scenery of bygone Beigang. The work fully demonstrates Chen Yangchun's perfect integration of the essence and negative space of Chinese ink painting with the light and transparent qualities of Western watercolor, elevating a local customs painting into a classic that encapsulates historical memory, cultural sentiment, and the aesthetic essence of the East, while also witnessing his artistic spirit of narrating the stories of Taiwan's land through his brush over the years.

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