Mao Yanyang @ 20,000 Hz

Can a painting speak for itself? This is a question continually posed by artist Mao Yanyang. Painted with realist finesse, the works of this artist concern various social, cultural and political problems, from environmental protection and the injustices of war to social misfits and ‘Hollywoodism.’ Mao Yanyang is an artist who compels us, the viewer, to reflect on these issues.

Mao Yanyang makes this no easy task, representing his subjects in ways that can be simultaneously shocking, humorous and tragic. His trademark symbol- the microphone- serves the dual purpose of criticizing the media’s ability to objectively report on such phenomena and questioning whether it even has a right to do so. The microphones are also aesthetics adjuncts to his paintings, the models, colors and positioning of which vary according to the historical situation in which they are placed. The most important function of the microphone, however, is its unique relationship to the individual subject. Whether it is a politician, refugee or endangered animal, what is their message? And do we heed it?

The title of this recent exhibition of his latest works is pertinent. 20,000 Hz is the frequency beyond which humans cannot hear and the implication is that contemporary society ignores these underrepresented peoples and problems. But in Mao Yanyang’s art, we cannot ignore them. Although it seems that the messages of his subjects fall all too frequently to deaf ears, Mao Yanyang shows how they can be given a voice by the painter’s brush. A voice all the more powerful for its resounding silence.