As chief of the harbor and customs formality section of the transportation department of the China Steel Corporation, W. H. Lin, 36, is in charge of supervising imports of raw materials and exports of iron and steel products. In his spare time, however, he is engaged in a task of a totally different kind--giving a new viewpoint through art of the industrial environment in the Lin Hai Industrial District in Kaohsiung, where the steel mill is located.
Lin's work as an "industrial painter" brings a new vitality to what is to many people a lifeless and sometimes ugly landscape.
The first phase of the China Steel Corp. Mill, started in 1971, was completed in 1977, and the second phase is due to be finished in 1982. The steel industry plays a major role in the industrialization of the Republic of China because it underpins other basic industries such as machinery, automobiles, metal processing and shipbuilding. Last year, the company registered a profit of 37.5 percent, the highest in the world for a steel company.
With a total of 7,800 employees having an average age of only 29, China Steel is truly a young company. Its large scope, first-rate production facilities, and security system, coupled with the strenuous efforts of its employees, persuaded Lin to start his industrial art.
Lin said that he first started to paint scenes at the China Steel Corp. Mill and its neighbor, the China Shipbuilding Corp., because he felt that they have become an inseparable part of his life. He also seeks to warn the factories to take care over the disposal of industrial waste, and to arouse the public's interest in and understanding of the nation's industrial build-up.
Lin has never received any academic training, and he only paints on weekends and holidays. But in his college days, he won first prize in a western painting contest sponsored by the Central Daily News and Haitien Gallery.
Born in the small town of Matou in Tainan County, Lin has pursued painting as a favorite pastime since being a child. Because he has no knowledge of what a sketch or the structure of a picture is, he paints freely, mainly relying on his imagination．In his high school years, he used his sister's oil paints and instruments to practice his art. Since he regarded painting as a hobby rather than a career, he entered the department of shipping management of the Taiwan Provincial College of Marine and Oceanic Technology near Keelung harbor in northern Taiwan. During his after-school hours, however, he painted works based on trading and fishing activities, and such scenes as seagulls flying across the harbor at sunset.
It was at this time that he started to appreciate and imitate the paintings of other masters, and for a while, his landscape paintings were dominated by the influence of abstract cubism. He has done paintings of all the scenic spots he has visited on Taiwan. While he was living at Cheng Ching Lake in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan four years ago, for instance, he painted many scenes in the area.
Most of the time, he paints in realistic style. The blast furnace, coke oven, sinter machine, billet cooling bed and plate mill are captured by Lin in a strong contrast of colors, sharp but vague lines, and a sense of hope and vitality. Lin always finds beauty and freshness in the routine and familiarity of his living environment.
His workshop covers an area of only three pings (1 ping = 36 square feet), and is filled with his works. Lin said he listens to music to inspire him while he paints. As he paints only on weekends, it takes about a month on an average to complete one picture. So far, he has executed more than 200 works. His greatest pleasure is in painting itself. He never thinks of selling his works, or seeking fame and fortune. The public's appreciation is all he needs.
Through painting, Lin has been able to heighten his enjoyment of life. As a good citizen, he dedicates himself to national construction, and as a good artist, he constantly strives to turn lifeless and mechanical objects into vibrant and meaningful images.
[Picture Caption]
1. One of Lin's paintings, "Strike Roots in the Ground." 2. "Docking" is the painting that won Lin first prize in a western painting contest sponsored by the Central Daily News. 3. While working at the China Steel Corp. Mill, Lin picked the industrial build-up as the major theme of his paintings. 4. The Lins pose for a picture.
1. blast furnace. 2. construction. 3. tempering by fire. 4. working for a living.
1. & 2. Two of Lin's paintings. 3. assembly work men. 4. shipbuilding and shipbreaking. 5. vegetable fields.
Docking" is the painting that won Lin first prize in a western painting contest sponsored by the Central Daily News.
While working at the China Steel Corp. Mill, Lin picked the industrial build-up as the major theme of his paintings.
The Lins pose for a picture.
shipbuilding and shipbreaking..
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