Why do I go to the abstract art exhibition?

      Tomorrow I will go to see an abstract art exhibition.You may wonder why I have to go.There are two questions to be answered before I go. One is this is the first and only such exhibition I must see. Why? The other is why I will go though I have no idea what it’s all about.

      Have you ever heard of “the young intellectuals”(students ages 16 to 20) who went to the countryside to be reeducated by poor and lower peasants in the 1960’s and 1970’s? Well, the famous artist Jun-yi Chen who gives this exhibition was one of them.He and I went to the same place, Jichang Commune,Dushan County,Guizhou province.That is over 2000 kilometers southwest of Shanghai.Life was unimaginably hard in the remote minority mountain villages. The contrast between the villages and Shanghai was hard to describe. There were about 17 million young intellectuals in this country going through such fate. Of course they are all old people now. Is there anyone pursuing his dream and achieve so much like Mr Chen? I’m afraid not. He is very very rare and precious, so like a miracle!He has done something most young intellectuals can never think about. That’s why I want to go to pay my respect and admiration which he deserves.

      Like me ,most people don’t care for abustract art, because they don’t know that it is about. Some even joke that a monkey or an elephant can do it and then sell it for a great fortune. Only crazy or abnormal people will buy the paintings,just because they are rich and stupid. But I look at it in a different way.

      Well, I love travelling. But I have learned in a hard way not to ask others a question-How do you like such and such a mountain? The reason is very simple: different people have different answers, which can be just the opposite to each other. Some may say the mountain is so spectacular and most beautiful, while others may think it’s totally a waste of time and money to see it, just a pile of ugly and broken rocks.Who should you believe? The levels of appreciation may vary widely. Unusual things, such as abstract art ,should be regarded in unusual ways. The key lies in how you feel and like it. Others’ opinions have nothing to do with yours. That’s why one considers a painting worthless and rubbish while another likes it so much and is pleased to pay millions for it.

      Some experts with authority always pretend to show how well they know the art and try to teach people how to understand and appreciate the abstract paintings. In fact such things don’t need be explained. If you like it,ok. If you don’t, no problem either. It just depends on your feel and taste. It’s subjective, not objective.So there is no standard answer. This is my understanding of abstract art.

By the way, who can be sure a monkey or an elephant can’t do better than man in drawing a painting?