Truth of the Mind in ‘Image Out of Images’

Han Feizi once wrote: “People rarely see the living form, but examine its image to imagine it alive.” This sentence reveals that as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, humans already recognized the power of images to evoke imagination of real-life scenarios. Images become guides for exploring the realms of the mind, and artists are the pioneers venturing into this inner territory. Throughout history, artists have faced the shared challenge of stimulating viewers’ imagination within limited spaces, even guiding emotional resonance through their painting techniques.

In certain eras, the degree of an artist’s skill was judged by the “realism” of their work. In one famous anecdote from ancient Greece, the painter Zeuxis painted grapes so convincingly that birds came pecking at them. Proudly, he tried to lift the cloth painted by his rival Parrhasius, only to discover it was a painted illusion. Zeuxis deceived the birds, while Parrhasius deceived the artist’s eyes. This story demonstrates that the competition among ancient artists was closely tied to their ability to simulate reality.

The invention of photography in the 19th century challenged the role of realism in art and even questioned the “spiritual aura” of artistic creation. Subsequent developments proved the vast inclusivity of art, as photography directly and indirectly inspired numerous 20th-century art movements, including Pop Art, Photorealism, and Hyperrealism. Realistic techniques not only reflect the artist’s skill but also serve as a lens to observe contemporary social conditions.

Professor YE Yu-tyan, in a paper discussing representation in contemporary art, noted: “Art is a creation reflected through phenomena in life. Using technological tools or products opens new visual possibilities, inevitably generating simulacra or mimetic forms within the work.” The concepts of simulacra and mimetic forms were originally proposed by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007). His ideas became the aesthetic foundation of Hyperrealism: “The simulated never exists in reality.” Realism thus transforms into a virtual reality grounded in the real, where artists use technology to construct truths that exist solely within viewers’ imagination.

For artists, representational realism is more than replicating objects; it conveys meaning and value beyond the subject itself. Australian artist Ron Mueck once said: “Though I spend much time depicting the surface of things, what I really want to capture is the essence of life.” Capturing the essence of life becomes the driving force of his artistic creation. This influence has also reached Taiwan, across the Pacific from the U.S.

Taiwanese Realism

Taiwanese realism, continuing since the late 19th century, experienced phases such as Pan-Impressionism in the 1950s, Photorealism introduced from Europe and the U.S. in the 1960s, and Local Realism in the 1970s. Today, it has entered the pluralistic landscape of contemporary Taiwanese art. While realism may not seem as innovative as Conceptual or Performance Art, it shares the principle of “representation” as a form of aesthetic expression. Under frequent cultural exchanges with the world, different generations of artists have developed diverse thematic and emotional content. Representation in their works combines physical realism with emotional resonance.

20th-century philosopher Susanne Langer argued that art functions symbolically, as a “form of expression” representing the “forms of life.” She explained: “Art symbols, or expressive forms, do not convey meanings beyond themselves. What they contain is significance—a qualitative experience that objectifies or formalizes experience.” Through expressive forms, artists convey emotional fluctuations, eliciting aesthetic experiences in viewers.

Emotion becomes the pebble that ripples through the pond of the viewer’s mind, stimulating imagination. The more a work reflects daily life, the more it sparks empathy and understanding. Realist painter Gustave Courbet said: “Painting can only be composed of representations of objects visible and tangible to the artist. The artist cannot reproduce past or future lifeways. Capturing the present moment—the ‘instant’—is eternal.” For Courbet, imitation does not equal realism; creating involves the simultaneous action of hand and mind. Realist techniques enable artists to faithfully depict collective experience while producing breathtaking aesthetic experiences.

Baudrillard also observed: “Images are merely two-dimensional abstractions removed from the world, forming a power of illusion. Virtuality reconstructs a realistic three-dimensional image (even adding a fourth dimension, becoming hyperreal), disrupting the illusion of past and future.” Contemporary realism thus reflects the artist’s internalized aesthetic thought in concrete form, presenting refined beauty and inviting viewers into the imagination of “images beyond images.”

Featured Artists

HUANG Ming-chang – Hailing from Hualien, Huang conveys the grandeur of nature and a hymn to creation through painting. His works blend Taiwanese rice culture, meticulous observation, and the serene human qualities of Taiwan. He emphasizes light as the origin of creation, reflecting its crucial role in naturalistic subject matter, while demonstrating classical oil painting techniques honed during his seven-and-a-half years in Paris.

LIEN Chien-hsing – Lien’s works are described as “Magical Realism.” He portrays daily landscapes yet intentionally juxtaposes surreal or enigmatic elements, creating a visual tension that is both familiar and estranged. Inspired by Taiwan’s mountains and forests, his work integrates humanistic concern and Eastern sensibilities. Lien emphasizes self-transcendence in creation: “The greatest enemy in creation is the former Lien Chien-hsing.”

KU Ho-chung – KU captures ordinary objects such as utensils and ingredients, portraying everyday Taiwanese light and life. His delicate observation and classical painting skills aim to represent the innocence often overlooked in daily life, conveying truth, goodness, and beauty to the viewer.

CHU Yu-yi – CHU employs a realistic and meticulous approach to convey serene, contemplative atmospheres. Through careful observation and documentation, his works transform ordinary life into poetic visual narratives, exploring societal phenomena in playful, ambiguous, and intriguing ways.

Yang Pei-Chen – A leading contemporary realist sculptor in Taiwan, Yang specializes in hyperrealistic wood sculptures. Using whole logs and extreme attention to detail, he replicates textures of paper or leather, creating lifelike objects that narrate personal stories. For him, creation is rigorous self-realization, ensuring consistent quality in his work.

LU Fang – LU Fang’s work integrates classical painting elements with Taiwanese themes, blending humor and cultural insight. His pieces reflect both historical and contemporary sensibilities, inviting viewers to engage with a uniquely Taiwanese artistic perspective.

Chan Yu-fan – Chan Yu-Fan presents subtle and warm brushwork, juxtaposing whimsical, seemingly surreal scenes that reveal truths beyond reality. Drawing from personal experience, he transforms everyday people, objects, and events into clues in a virtual world. Realistic depictions of trees, trains, figures, and gazes are interwoven with personal symbolism, exploring the interplay of reality and illusion and probing the fundamental questions of the human mind.

CHU Shu-chi – CHU Shu-chi specializes in realistic painting, achieving a hyper-realistic level where the painted surface can appear even more real than reality itself. His work focuses on “making the fake seem real,” producing a unique visual atmosphere through meticulous skill and subjective artistic interpretation.