A defining member of China’s contemporary art scene, Yue Minjun’s art is built upon his acute thoughts on being a part of contemporary circumstances. Aside from his famous grinning self-portraits, “Manipulations” is another collection Yue Minjun worked on for many years, with an even deeper connection to the artist’s inner thoughts. 2004’s “Manipulation - 16” is an important piece in the collection.

The subject of “Manipulations-16” is a cheerful Red Guard looking into the distance with a bright smile, as if facing a wonderful future. But chaotic brushstrokes have covered the original image, invading and taking apart its meaning, resulting in uncomfortable tension that honestly conveys the excitement the artist had while painting the piece. “Manipulation” means altering; in this series, Yue Minjun took inspiration from images familiar to him, such as classic paintings from art history, or Chinese films and news photos from the Cultural Revolution era, with culture and consciousness unique to that time, such as the Red Guard in “Manipulations - 16”. By eliminating color with a monochromatic copy, the artist has recreated an image that was carved deeply into the minds of the artist and all Chinese people in that era. And before the copy dried, he brushed over it with messy brushstrokes, destroying it visually and symbolically. As the artist stresses, “We only have to grasp the manipulation to better recognize the motive behind that manipulation, and therefore we better understand the nature of things.” When he reflects on and “manipulates” those images that once deeply influenced him, Yue Minjun challenges and reconfigures his understanding of the past, similar to German artist Gerhard Richter’s “Photo Paintings” series.