Appreciating "Crows Returning to the Forest" Artwork through Cultural Contexts

Abstract

This article is about the appreciation of Chinese contemporary oil paintings in Henan Province, and the researcher has chosen the work "Crows Returning to the Forest"(han ya gui lin) by the artist Li Mingwei from Henan Province, China, as the object of discussion. The work is analysed in terms of formalism, but also in terms of the concepts of culture that exist through values, behaviours, needs and environments in the field of art. The aim of the study was to identify the subject and analyse the art form in the work “Crows Returning to the Forest” and to explain the connection between formalism in the art of painting through the socio-cultural system. The written and visual data collection methodology in this study uses a descriptive qualitative approach based on empirical field work of the data obtained. Documentation, visual records and observation methods were used to gather information related to the paintings studied. The results of the study show that Li Mingwei's work "Crows Returning to the Forest" is an application of traditional Chinese cultural elements to the art of oil painting. The concepts used in the study underlie the subject, design and aesthetic meaning to classify the painting using a cultural approach. The significance of the study suggests that contemporary Chinese oil paintings in Henan Province cannot be viewed only from the formalistic perspective of art but can also be presented through a cultural context. This study contributes to the understanding of the meaning, concepts and purposes of design employed by contemporary Chinese artists in shaping the image and cultural identity of their work.