Renaissance Paintings With Digital Twist

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

Staff Reporter

Classic Renaissance paintings by European masters such as Raphael's ``School of Athens'' and Botticelli's ``The Story of Nastagio degli Onesti (Second Episode)'' have been recreated by Chinese artist Miao Xiaochun, but with a digital twist.

In these artworks, Miao replaces each figure with his own nude form and, more importantly, it has been made entirely using a computer and printed on a canvas.

``At first, you think this is a real oil painting, but it's not. I'm so proud of that,'' Miao said, during a press conference at Arario Seoul, Sokyuk-dong, Jongno.

Considered one of China's representative media artists, Miao is holding his first solo show in Seoul ― ``New Works.'' The exhibition at Arario Seoul, features 14 new pieces, including digital paintings, digital etchings and a video work.

The contrast between past and present, real and virtual, as well as East and West are evident in Miao's works. He works on a computer, instead of using oil paints, to recreate these classical works of art. A team of 13 assistants also help him make these digital paintings.

``In ancient times, people used their hands to paint, then, they used brushes. Now, there are new materials, like the mouse and keyboard and the computer. This is why I'm using new media... If there is no computer, I feel like I have no hands,'' he said, with a laugh.

Miao gives a modern take on Bruegel's ``The Seven Deadly Sins'' ― ``Lust,'' ``Sloth,'' ``Wrath,'' ``Greed,'' ``Pride,'' ``Gluttony'' and ``Envy'' _ with a series of digital etchings. For example, ``Sloth'' shows unconscious figures with TV remote controls and computers littering the space.

``The first time I read the list of seven sins, I thought I had committed them all, that they were too grave to be forgiven and I was already condemned to hell. ... Like pride, artists like myself who seek fame and profit are bound to commit this sin. It's almost impossible not to,'' he said.

While Raphael's ``School of Athens'' focused on the philosophical clash between Plato and Aristotle, Miao is more concerned about how philosophy and religion can be ephemeral.

``I imagined the Athens school; how trees and the grass would bloom, growing from light to dark green and gradually turning yellow _ how the sculptors fall apart, piece by piece. Our souls are occupied by certain beliefs and faiths. However, they are not permanent. Such ideas and beliefs easily crumble down, if we simply give them up,'' Miao said.

In using his own avatar in these Renaissance artworks, Miao tries to express the contradiction that one can be both a sinner and an angel at the same time.

As a new media artist, Miao said that new and traditional media may differ but it doesn't mean that they do not have anything to do with each other.

``In my previous work `Microcosm,' I consciously returned new media to traditional media. By doing so, I was able to experience traditional ink painting, drawing and embroidery. My new artistic attempt was entirely based on the characteristics of new media,'' he said.

Miao, who is currently teaching at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, has staged exhibitions at the Le Grand Palais in France, ZKM Karlsruhe in Germany and Victoria & Albert Museum in U.K. as well as the Arario galleries in Beijing and New York.

The exhibition at Arario Seoul runs through May 16. Admission is free. Visit www.arariogallery.com.