Art and the Painter’s “I”

In art there must be “I”. If there is no “I”, but only a “We”, like those art trends that everyone knows and I don’t want to name, it would be very faint.
We come here not just to see an exhibition of an artist. This is the point I want to emphasize: that this the exhibition of the sculptor, painter Dinh Phong. Dinh Phong and I have known each other in real life for a long time. Why? Because that’s fate. There was a time when I had been sick and had to be treated. I’d often go to the hospital emergency room and have once met him there.

It was somewhat unusual that we first met at the hospital. That is also the grace of life.

No name 0821 – Dimensions 1m x 1.2 m. Oil & Acrylic on canvas – August 2021 – Painter Dinh Phong
No name 0821 – Dimensions 1m x 1.2 m. Oil & Acrylic on canvas – August 2021 – Painter Dinh Phong

After that, Dinh Phong would often come to my studio (at that time it was Gallery A, at No. 1, Cong Hoa Street, Tan Binh District), watch me draw, and together we would discuss arts. Only a few decades have passed.

One fine day, Dinh Phong said to me: “Can I try to draw?” And I replied: “Oh, why not?” In fact, some of the world’s famous painters, such as Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890), or Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) did not attend any school, and yet their names did enter the history of art. Then, why not?
And I encouraged Dinh Phong a lot!
And Dinh Phong worked and worked. In a very short time, he has become what I would call a “professional painter”! Which is very interesting.
So I repeat, today we are standing in the exhibition of painter, sculptor Dinh Phong.

No name 08421 – Dimensions 1m x 1.2 m. Oil & Acrylic on canvas – August 2021 – Painter Dinh Phong
No name 08421 – Dimensions 1m x 1.2 m. Oil & Acrylic on canvas – August 2021 – Painter Dinh Phong

***

In art there must be “I”. If there is no “I”, but only a “We”, like those art trends that everyone knows and I don’t want to name, it would be very faint.

In that crowd there is only “we” without “I”, which is silly. Right? Dinh Phong’s “I” is the “I” of the style in his paintings like no other. It comes out with Dinh Phong’s own style.

New sculpture by artist Dinh Phong
New sculpture by artist Dinh Phong

It’s the same in his sculptures! He took the motifs from his paintings to make sculptures so it was also very special. Ding Phong has “burned time”. Without a special talent, without special abilities, an artist who works like this will very well lose a lot of time and yet achieve nothing.

Think about it! We have three fine arts colleges, in Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon. About 30 people graduate every year. I only count those from 1975 onwards, you can try to count backwards, which might come out a lot, and yet, how many among them have become painters? If we look back, how many of them still hold a brush? What have they drawn until now? Let’s be fair.

That’s why, looking at Dinh Phong’s body of work, the number of his paintings and sculptures, and his daily work, we appreciate his ability!

***

Surrealism can never be found. Surrealism is a beautiful dream when you sleep, but when you wake up, will you be able to find it? Impossible! That’s why it’s interesting!

In art, in my opinion, there are the following characteristics: Surrealism, which offers surrealism, Expressionism, which offers expressionism. And then Cubism which can’t have Cubism in it! It shows up elsewhere!

Three important elements of painting: Abstractism, Expressionism, and Surrealism.

Take, for example, the case of Salvador Dalí (1904-1989), who laid a very good foundation for Surrealism. He paints about his dreams. His dreams never come true! But that’s why it’s a dream! Try to imagine a dream that the next day you see standing on the street. What is poetic about it? That’s why surrealism is interesting!

And Expressionism is another type, Abstractism is another. Those three factors!

I still think there is a lot of “isms” in painting. But in Cubism, like I said, there’s no obvious elements for us to say about Cubism!

The story of the painting is like that. Each person has his own view.

From left: Painter Dinh Phong, painter and critic Ly Truc Son, sculptor Dao Chau Hai, painter Tran Hai Minh and the author of the article. Coffee exhibition "Surrealist Dream" at the Museum of Fine Arts Ho Chi Minh City.
From left: Painter Dinh Phong, painter and critic Ly Truc Son, sculptor Dao Chau Hai, painter Tran Hai Minh and the author of the article. Coffee exhibition “Surrealist Dream” at the Museum of Fine Arts Ho Chi Minh City.

But there is this element I discovered, which may not be new. Usually sculptors don’t paint. But painters can make sculpture. That is a very special thing.

For example, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) did great sculpture, Henri Matisse (1869-1954) also did great sculpture.

Generally, painters will come to a point where they will do sculptures. They are interested in three-dimensional space. Before that, maybe they only cared about two-dimensional space, and once they have mastered it, they began to get interested in three-dimensional space.

It’s odd that I still don’t understand why sculptors can’t draw! Or they do, with no results to speak of!

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Tran Hai Minh, Artist

recorded by Nguyen Huu Hong Minh

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