FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From the Past, With a Purpose:
Artist Arnold Chang Continues the Legacy of Chinese Literati Painting in the West

Embracing Tradition: Ink Landscapes by Arnold Chang
December 17, 2005 – March 19, 2006

October 20, 2005 – Sacramento, Calif. – Artist Arnold Chang turns to the past for inspiration in a new exhibit, Embracing Tradition. On view at the Crocker Art Museum from December 17, 2005 through March 19, 2006, this show brings the traditional ink landscapes of China to the West.

Chang was inspired at an early age by the old masters of the literati tradition (wen ren hua), a manner of painting that originated among elite intellectuals in 12th-century China and has continued to flourish today despite suppression during the Cultural Revolution in 20th-century China. Chang’s unique position as a Chinese American artist enabled him to study and practice this style in the United States when artists in mainland China were expected to pursue a social realist style more characteristic of Western traditions and loaded with nationalistic messages.

Chang’s contemporary paintings and the classical works of the literati tradition present a different understanding of art.  For Chang, painting is an act of self-expression that reflects the character and personal qualities of the artist as well as the manifestation of an ideal of nature. The final piece is not his focus, but rather the intellectual rigor enjoyed in the process of creating a landscape.

In composing his works, Chang emulates the way the literati masters have traditionally worked. His art continues a centuries-old Eastern tradition in the West, ensuring that it is carried on to the next generation.

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The Crocker Art Museum was founded in 1885 and continues as the leading art institution for the California Capital Region and Central Valley. The Museum offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections of Californian, European and Asian artworks. The Crocker is located at 216 O Street in downtown Sacramento. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday; Thursday until 9 p.m. For more information on exhibits and events call (916) 264-5423 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.

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Media Contact: LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti
Media: (916) 264-1963
Mobile : (916) 213-9402
Public: (916) 264-5423
216 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.crockerartmuseum.org