Artist Dinh Phong: Artistic speed – Art critic Nguyen Quan

Dinh Phong is an emerging name in Ho Chi Minh City’s art world, but is attracting attention from the brush-holding society and minds of the art-loving public.

In just 6 months, beginning from Jun 2020, he entered into an unusual and  sudden rush. Taking advantage of the entire night to draw hundreds of large, small, sketched pictures … continuously with high energy, non- stop, he also made statues with ceramic materials, clay, iron, copper … with hidden metaphysical and abstract messages. Art critic Nguyen Quan has tried to decipher this world of art.

Artist Dinh Phong: Artistic speed

This is the result of six months of creating, the first time holding a brush and chisel of a successful and sharp entrepreneur! The writer couldn’t help but be surprised and bewildered. One or more questions floating in the exhibition space about difficulty did not need to be answered. Those invited were asked to enjoy the party without making an evaluation.

Half a century ago an American painter once said: “Now people (artists) only need 15 minutes to (become someone) famous. But can we now say: it only takes one day to become an artist !?”

With an economic infrastructure, materials, technology and information in place it makes self-study convenient and practice art. At the same time, the expansion of the art market with middle-class tastes have increased to a high level. Moreover, with the media, there is a concept of contemporary culture of tolerance and aesthetics: Everyone should / can be an artist / author and anything can be a work / art.

A Dinh Phong Phenomenon – Composing pictures at speed is satisfying

However, art always needs a combination of three elements of money, love and talent. These three things are symbiotic but cannot transform from one to the other. Money and love (love of art) we can decide, but talent is not enough. We must practice and give to others.

That makes us extremely confused. Although the model of an interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary artist: businessman – science, poetry – art – music – photography – fashion … has become popular among our country’s urban culture and elite. A phenomenon that is happier than unwariness.

Dinh Phong is knowledgeable and has been following art for decades:  He is a collector and close to many artists. He enthusiastically participating in the city’s art activities. Constantly intrigued by learning, updating information about art in the world and Vietnam … Then, there is a time when one is unable to  hold back love and desire any longer, overflowing in the mind. He “forced” to free himself by speeding up the creation of paintings and statues “for his satisfaction”.

The aesthetic message and perception of artist Dinh Phong

What amazes me with this fast-paced series is that the mind in practice is definitely professional, without the transition period like most self-study. With a metaphysical rational mind, Dinh Phong immediately falls into the trendy – classical abstract genre.

It seems that he has fallen in love with the principles of the form of this genre, so he does not stumble in painting’s  form. Two-dimensional layout, three-dimensional space, line alignment, block changes and a well-thought-out shaping rhythm.

The freer, more unfinished comfort of the ceramic 3D sculptures also preserves the overall form consistency. Because although they are similar to the forms in pictures, they are not models or illustrations of paintings.

The author’s aesthetic perceptions and messages reach the audience fairly completely. And he is confident of that; “Although I love certain world masters, I must have a “own style, unlike anyone” (?!). Making a few dozen pictures seamlessly, so repetition is inevitable, or pretend it’s the intention of the artist. (!?)

However, I also see an interesting variety, an interesting variation of empathetic associations between works: The indescribable singular forms may be of certain creatures in the sky or underwater. Maybe the rags of the flapping flags, the bright kite. Or are the ingredients that are broken at different degrees, splendid ruins of ancient sculptural structures?

Rather broad association is the success of every abstract work of Dinh Phong

These excerpt forms are scattered, floating, and fluttering on the bright, healthy, and metaphorically colored fabric. There is a statue suggesting an archaeological pit of yellow soil, strewn with wooden stone and pottery artifacts shining in the evening shadow. There is a picture like a flower trellis, a flock of butterflies in the garden which is gently beautiful. There is a picture as simple as a game of tearing colored vignettes tossed over an area of digital backlighting.

Rather broad association is the success of every abstract work. It makes me feel like a ‘flying person’ in a strange ‘surreal, lyrical’ world. The training level for shaping skills are sufficiently proficient enough to meet the expression and the artist’s chosen expression, which quickly erases any traces of “apprenticeship” or an amateur. (Except for the first few small pictures).

Currently, artist Dinh Phong is building a large art space in his wife’s hometown My Tho. Buildings such as residence, art workshop, pottery workshop and a statue garden, with a number of large “monuments” of themselves. He hopes that it will be a place to meet and exchange creativity with artists and the public. Wishing “new artist” Dinh Tu Phong great success!

Hochiminh city, 11/2020

Art critic Nguyen Quan

Translated by SonWeb