July 1 七一
July 1
2003-04 / Total: 7 pieces / Exhibitions: “The Flames of July”, included in the exhibition “City Life II: Hong Kong & Beyond’, 2003; the other six exhibited at the Studio’s SoHo gallery, 2004 / Catalogue: HKSAR: 10 Years On, 2007
The works of this painting series can serve as a record for a historic event in Hong Kong: on 1 July 2003, the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), more than half a million people took to the streets in scorching heat. It was the largest public demonstration in Hong Kong since 1989, the year of the pro-democracy movement in mainland China. The year 2003 saw the SARS outbreak, an epidemic came from mainland China. At same time, the HKSAR government was pushing forward with the legislation of the Article 23 related law. (Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution, requires the HKSAR to enact laws to prohibit acts of treason, secession, sedition, and subversion against the Central People’s Government. The draft bill introduced by the HKSAR government was generally rejected for posing a threat to freedom of expression.) The demonstrators of the July 1 march took to the streets to voice their strong opposition to the Article 23 legislation and their disappointment with the HKSAR government.
Of the seven works, the largest one, “The Flames of July” (in three panels, height 288cm), was painted in 2003 right after the event, and the other six in 2004 to mark its anniversary. The series was first shown in 2004 at the Studio’s SoHo gallery.
七一
2003-04 / 作品: 7 張 / 展覽: 「七月的烈燄」趕及在「城市生活II: 香港内外」展出, 2003; 另六張 則在2004年與七一遊行同時展出/ 目錄: 《特區十年》, 2007
這個系列的圖像，可說是記錄了香港一次歷史性的事件：2003年7月1日，香港特別行政區成立六週年之日，超過五十萬人頂着酷暑，上街示威。那是香港在1989年中國大陸民運之後最大規模的一次遊行示威。2003 年，香港爆發由中國内地傳來的沙士疫症。與此同時，香港特區政府強推23條立法。 (按基本法第 23 條，香港要自行立法禁止叛國、分裂國家、煽動叛亂、顛覆中央人民政府等行爲。由於政府所提的法例草案對言論自由構成威脅，激起了抗議之聲。）那年的七一示威，人們上街，表達他們對23條立法的强烈抗議及對政府施政的不滿。
此頁列載的七件作品，最大的一張三屏畫「七月的烈燄」(高288公分)，繪於2003年遊行示威之後，其餘六張則在大遊行一週年時展出，是為楊方創作室在其蘇荷藝廊的首次展覽。
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“For Fong, the image of half-a-million people marching in black has become a Hong Kong visual icon.” — Joyce Lau (South China Morning Post, 4 July 2004)
「……畫中數不清的紅臉孔、黑衣服、彩橫額，既寫驕陽，又寫港人的驕傲；寫民情，也寫激情。」 — 黑楊 (2004年6月29日《信報》文化版)
Cover image
The Flames of July 七月的烈燄
2003, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, in three panels 三屏，each 每屏 97x179cm
On 1 July 2003, the 6th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, more than half a million people took to the streets to show their strong disappointment with the HKSAR government. [This three-panel piece was done right after the July 1 protest march and showed in the 2003 exhibition “City Life II: Hong Kong and Beyond”.]
2003年7月1日，香港特別行政區成立六周年之日，超過五十萬人上街示威，表達他們對特區政府施政的强烈不滿。[這張三屏水墨畫於七一遊行後繪成，趕及在2003年的展覽「城市生活II: 香港内外」中展出。]
Project gallery (Please click the image to view it in full)
1. Glowing Faces 韶顔
2004, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 84x69cm
People young and old showed up. Face masks appeared in protest against the HKSAR Government’s pushing forward with the legislation of the Article 23 related law.
長者也上街，與年輕人走在一起。有示威者帶上口罩，抗議特區政府強推23條立法。
2. “Why?” “為什麽?”
2004, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 69x69cm
A small child, carried by his father, in the protest crowd. Sure he would like to know why they were stopped by the police.
這個在父親臂彎中的小童會覺得奇怪：為什麽警察要阻攔他們？
3. A Family Event 一家四口
2004, ink and colour on paper 水墨設色紙本, 114x69cm [Private collection 私人藏品]
Most banners and placards in this protest march were black.
這次遊行示威所見的橫額和標語牌，絕大多數是黑色。
