RedSnow CSCU LbCBX 24 By-the-River Chen Beixin

The artwork presents a landscape dominated by a river and sparse vegetation. The composition is structured around a strong horizontal axis defined by the waters edge, which occupies roughly one-third of the canvas. Above this line rises a cluster of trees, their trunks contorted and reaching upwards with an almost frantic energy.
Here we see a deliberate avoidance of precise detail; forms are suggested rather than meticulously rendered. The brushwork is vigorous and impastoed, creating a textured surface that contributes to the overall sense of dynamism. Colors are applied in broad strokes, blending and contrasting to evoke a feeling of atmospheric light and shadow. A palette of greens, yellows, blues, and whites dominates, with touches of pink and purple adding visual complexity to the sky.
The river itself is not depicted as a tranquil body of water; instead, it appears turbulent, its surface rendered with choppy brushstrokes in shades of blue and grey. The trees, while seemingly rooted in place, possess an unsettling quality due to their twisted forms and the energetic application of paint. They appear less like representations of natural growth and more like expressions of internal struggle or a force resisting constraint.
The sky is treated as a field of swirling color, lacking any clear definition of clouds or horizon. This contributes to a sense of ambiguity and perhaps even unease. The absence of human presence further emphasizes the isolation and potentially unsettling nature of the scene.
Subtly, the painting conveys a feeling of tension between stability (the rivers horizontal line) and instability (the upward thrust of the trees and the turbulent sky). It is not merely a depiction of a landscape but seems to explore themes of resilience, struggle, and the inherent power of nature – or perhaps, the artist’s perception of it. The deliberate lack of clarity invites contemplation on the underlying forces shaping both the natural world and human experience.