SOME TYPICAL ART WORKS BY SCULPTOR TA QUANG BAO
Live and love the art of Sculpture from years of Vietnam war until today, sculptor Ta Quang Bao has created a massive repository of artworks, including both monuments and round statues, with different materials such as stone, wood, bronze, plaster, etc. His works are so much that he cannot remember the names of some works that were created when he was young, even if they were his brainchildren. Although his works are quite diverse, they have been still unified, contributing to the five typical styles of his composition consisting of the Monument style, Romance style, Shape of the Vietnamese woman style, Abstract style and Impression style. Ta Quang Bao reads a lot, he respects Michel Angelo’s labor, loves Van Gogh’s madness, is infatuated by Sagan’s high-faluting, admires Picasso’s talent. Maybe it’s why his art styles also imbrues their ideas and thoughts.
“Hoang Sa” – the most typical work for Monument style
As a soldier, experienced many fierce battles, also participated in the liberation of Truong Sa, Ta Quang Bao soon realized that sea and islands are extremely important and sacred to our country. Protecting the sea, the islands of the country is the mission of all people and especially naval soldiers. The statue “Hoang Sa” was made during his seizure, a paralyzed hand, in the middle of 2014, when the Chinese rig invaded Vietnam’s sea sovereignty and then it was exhibited at the National Fine Arts Exhibition. It’s an honor that, in early 2015, he received the 1st prize of the inspirational campaign on the topic of armed forces and revolution war with this piece of work.
When asked about the work, the old sculpture’s eyes were glowing, far- away, and he began to tell by magnanimous voice with a little bit regret remembering a glorious past. “The statue depicts a soldier standing guard navy, next to the national flag. His robe is also the national flag. Each soldier represents an island, represents a landmark of the Fatherland. The image of a soldier standing stiff like a pillar along flying flag is the iconic landmark of the country on the islands with the red flag with a yellow star”.
“Mom and Child” – typical for the shape of the Vietnamese woman
Before becoming a sculptor, Ta Quang Bao was a solider, a lifelong adherence to a military career. He has devoted much of his energy to the statue of the mother, the beauty of maternal love, very secular and cozy. The images of women in his works are not willowy girls who live in urban areas but soldiers’ capable mothers and wives who are carrying the extra part of the man on the front. They are energetic and powerful. Women in sculptures of Ta Quang Bao are always depicted with stretch block, bouncing, fertility. Hips and chests are larger than usual, stylized make up the healthy appearance, brevity of healthy mind, love of life. Iconic women of his statues are mothers concerning for the pain of war, mothers who are raising the child, breastfeeding, caring and carrying baby in their arms. Whatever posture do steely women also strong and solid. His statues show us “the immortality of the woman in love, in motherhood, and in the loneliness … contains serenity, purity, makes audiences to be comforted, cuddling and pampering”. “Mother and Child” is a statue representing such series of models like that, the woman does not have feet makes we can feel the legs are deep into the ground, stretch of hip as a solid base, stretch of chest bends toward before as a solid fulcrum, eyes looking straight ahead. Both the mother’s body looks like a healthy trunk into the ground to soar. Compared to the image of the mother is a horizontal child, the naughty child who seems to be flying in the sky. With such strong and resilient women, doing the support for their children to fly high is indispensable.
It’s not only like that, the mother in the work of Ta Quang Bao also implies a greater meaning. It’s the image of a country’s mother – the mothers who were covering, protecting our soldiers during the years of heroic resistance of the nation. During the war, soldiers in the Truong Son range were sheltered and nursed by them. Thanks to the heroic mothers, the small village neighbors in the mountains can contain a legion, a vast arsenal, also logistics, take care of our soldiers. And our country is also as well as a mother who protects our troops day after night. “I see in “Mother and Child” has something that is quite affectionate, quite ordinary, but hidden in the depths that imply many greater meanings” – Ta Quang Bao shared.
“Space” – a typical work for Romance style
As an emotional person in front of beauty, touched by real soul, by loneliness and even love, the statues of Ta Quang Bao are certainly indispensable to the romance. And the most romantic thing in life is love. At first sight, anyone can guess the work’s content is the expression of love between men and women couples. People just give each other such passionate kisses when they love each other. Mr. Bao shared when recalling his intense love of the young day: “Nobody of us can avoid kisses, love usually starts from the kiss, and the most especial one is still the first kiss. It goes through life forever. People are nice also because of this kiss, but sometimes also suffering just because of this kiss, too”. See and feel by our whole hearts, we can see that love is radiating from that statue. Two people – a man and a woman – are entwining each other in the circle of love. We just imagine that they are turning round, the kissing couple is like spinning slowly and steadily. They’re locked themselves to immerse in this circle of love.
“Dance with Palm-leaf conical hat” – a typical work for Abstract style
As a soldier working in military zone V, alongside fierce moments outside the front, he also participated in several literary festivals in the war zone. There were a lot of music activities performed, bringing laughter and the spirit of cheer and at the same time contributes to strengthen the spirit of the army and our people. Ta Quang Bao observed carefully and recorded a dance with palm-leaf conical hat in a music night like that. The work has brought not only folk elements, but also modern elements. It seems to help us to visualize both the rhythm and the music of the dance. It makes us to have to utter “Well, in the misery of that fierce battle, our soldiers also had moments of comfort, and forget the reality which was rife with difficulties to enjoy all the music like that!”
“Love Storm” – the most typical work for Impressionist style
See Mr. Bao’s works, we see him as a man who has rich ideas and has composed various works. This is reason why he has known as a sculptor who is always refresh himself. Although he has hundreds of works, but no statues resemble each other, we do not see the duplicate in any works.
Despite old age, his works are constantly changing to create the impression, typically this work. Hardly does anyone have to face to old age and illness but still take the time to express love, especially of the girl in love – not his own story. The work tells us the severity of love. Love it so beautiful, but if we do not know to preserve it, we do not know cherish it, we will manually self-destroy our life. He smiled and jokingly said that it was named “Love Storm” because the girl after stepping out of a love, just the same as the tree when experienced a hurricane, is scattered and ragged.
When asked about the situation of composing this statue, Mr. Bao mused for a moment and shared “It’s not a special occasion at all. The work was composed after he witnessed and think about love in today society. Love of youth now, it is so complicated, far from the idyllic and pure of love for days ago”. For a person who is amorous with a soul always burning with love, this is a thing that makes him always concern.
—
LUNET ART GALERIE
Address: Pan Pacific Hotel, No. 1 Thanh Nien Street, Hanoi
Contact: 0931 336 933
Email: exhibition@lunetart.vn
Website: http: //lunetart.vn/
