Wikimedia Taiwan/GLAM/Taiwan1000/Era Art Association

The Era Art Association is an art group in Taiwan with creative freedom as its mission. It was founded in 1954 by six core members, Chen De-Wang, Chang Yi-Shiung, Chang Wan-Chuan, Chin Jun-Tso, Liao Te-Cheng, and Hung Rui-Lin.

History

Art exhibitions organized in Taiwan in the 1950s largely followed what was referred to as the “Open Recruitment Review System”, and because the review committee members were mostly well-established art painters, to avoid conflict of interest due to mentor–student relationships and nepotism and to break away from the restrictions on subject and style imposed by the exhibitions, artists with the intention of seeking more opportunities to show their work and interact with other artists then began to establish different art groups. Amongst the groups was the Mouve Artists’ Society (which was renamed the Taiwan Creative Art Form Association in 1941).

The group’s objective is noted by the use of the word “Era” in its name. According to Pai Hsueh-Lan, “The group’s founding vision was: ‘To promote and enhance the traditions of our nation’s art and to learn and adapt new techniques from different Western schools, with the intention of integrating them in order to develop unique styles. Moreover, effort shall be exerted to inspire the art community of the nation to break conventions and to encourage and inspire each other. Members of the association shall be dedicated and devoted to the emission and shall work tirelessly without being profit-driven. This statement is hereby sincerely announced to members of society.” The statement clearly shows the group’s objective of breaking conventions, supporting each other, and not chasing after profit. The group members unanimously saw art as their mission and were devoted to the art of painting. They formed the art group where they inspired and encouraged each other, and the group was a breath of fresh air in the art world at the time. The Era Art Association was initially quite active after its founding, and some of the activities organized included the 1st Era Art Exhibition presented in July of 1954 at the Rose Marie Gallery on Boai Road in Taipei, followed by the 2nd and 3rd iterations which were respectively presented in March and July of 1955 at the Taipei Zhongshan Hall. Additionally, South Traveling Exhibition was also presented in Kaohsiung as a part of the exhibition’s 2nd iteration, with Liu Chi-Hsiang, Chang Chi-Hua, and Shiu Wu-Yung also invited to show their artworks. However, after the conclusion of the 3rd iteration in November of 1955, the group then went on a hiatus for 18 years, and it wasn’t until 1973, with encouragement from collector Lu Yun-Lin, the group resumed its exhibition activities and presented Era Art Exhibition – Small Works of Art, followed by the 4th to 7th iterations of the Era Art Exhibition presented respectively in 1974, 1975, 1977, and 1978. It then went on another hiatus for 11 years and resumed with the 9th iteration of the exhibition in 1988 with the inclusion of new association members. The group had not organized any exhibitions after the 10th iteration was presented in 1992.

The founding members of the Era Art Association shared similar upbringing backgrounds and were around the same age as other veteran artists who were among the first generation to study abroad in Japan. Due to the changing times, they then became a part of the “lost generation of war”, and although the passion and vision they had for art didn’t evolve into a trend-setting force or impact in the art world of Taiwan, however, the unique styles of painting that they had each developed, their admirable spirit of art, and their artistic accomplishments undoubtedly deserve to be recognized.

Appendixes Bibliography Huang, Tsai-Lang. From the Ground Up – Art in Taiwan 1950-1959. Taipei: Taipei Fine Arts Museum, July 1993. Lin, Ming-Hsien. Timeline of Artists Groups’ Activities in Taiwan. Taichung: National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, December 2017. Huang, Dung-Fwn. Historical Compilation of Artist Groups in Taiwan 2: Artist Groups in the Early Post-war Period (1946-1969) . Taichung: National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, October 2019. Cheng , Nai-Ming. 流年暗換成影景, 再覓畫裡少年心 Liunian anhuan cheng yingjing, zaimi huali shaonianxin [Images of the fleeting years, search again for the youthful heart in the paintings]. 紀元美術創始會員紀念展 Jiyuan meishu chuangshi huiyuan jinianzhan [Era Art Association commemorative exhibition of founding members]. Taipei: Eslite, 1992. Lin, Ming-Hsien. 從五O年代臺灣美術的發展看「紀元美術會」之創立 Cong wuling niandai Taiwan meishu de fazhan kan jiyuan meishuhui zhi chuangli [On Era Art Association’s founding through the perspective of Taiwan’s art development in the 50s]. Journal of National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, No. 57, July 2004. Lin, Ming-Hsien. 失焦的世代──以紀元畫會為例探釋台灣美術發展的世代差異 Shijiao de shidai ─ yi jiyuan huahui weili tanshi Taiwan meishu fazhan de shidai chayi [The out of focus generation – Examining generational differences in Taiwan’s art development with Era Art Association as an example]. Journal of National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, No. 94, October 2013.