At Home Alone
Cao Xiaodong
曹小冬
Production date
2008
Object Detail
Media
acrylic on canvas
Measurements
180 x 135 cm
Notes
Cao Xiaodong’s paintings often feature old news figures in modern Chinese history, or more precisely, China’s Era of ‘High Socialism’. Combining computer printouts and oil or acrylic paint, he screen-prints the pixelated photo onto his canvas and applies finely brushed dots over the entire surface. Instead of painting upright on an easel, Cao paints in the manner of traditional Chinese scroll or fan painting – he lays the canvas flat and uses the brush vertically. At Home Alone depicts children in a pledge of allegiance to Communism and the State. Standing upright against a gradated red background, four children wear the red ‘Young Pioneer’ scarf and their own clothes, raising their hands above heads in a salute. Their faces appear emotionless without a hint of childish spontaneity or individuality. Fusing his interest in contemporary painting with references to modern Chinese history, he represents a nostalgic scene that fades away along with time.
Accession number
2010.005