The series, Snow Goose, was adapted from American novelist Paul Gailco’s novel of the same title. In these paintings, he is facing the question of how to reconcile the relationship between painting and literature. He did not want the paintings to become an accessory to literature. As a result, he used the cinematic method of “sound and picture isolation” which meant the images didn’t necessarily correspond to the writing. Each painting could be presented as a complete work; the paintings were independent of each other in chronological order, which rely on the literary descriptions of the scenes. Therefore, like his other works in that period, each painting implied particular emotions, but the narrative elements were more subdued.

The novel Snow Goose triggered a powerful emotional response in him and caused him to reflect on nature, life, and art. As a result, he didn’t just want his paintings to be merely illustrations of the novel; he hoped these paintings could be monumental. The series of paintings produced powerful emotion through the delicately touching images and their compositional originality. They had a “background + horizon” composition that was visually powerful; and it was later referenced by a lot of the Third Generation of Chinese filmmakers. 

Art Critic: Xiyun Du