Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
View of Tide
Yang Yongliang Chinese
Not on view
This composite photograph takes the form of a panoramic handscroll that presents a succession of towering mountains wreathed in mist and surrounded by expanses of open water. But upon closer examination, the majestic mountains are revealed to be composed of countless high-rise apartments and other buildings, while the “trees” are actually power-line towers and construction cranes—the ubiquitous icons of New China. What initially appears to be a pristine image of nature’s grandeur is suddenly exposed as an entirely man-made environment, except for the watery passages comprising images of actual waves and waterfalls. Created through Yang’s distinctive method of “painting” with digital photography, the seemingly harmonious traditional landscape becomes a subtle yet critical response to urbanization.
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This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
