Figure depiction is one of Kuo’s tours de force, and women constituted the sole subject of Kuo’s paintings in this period, which was rarely seen in the other periods throughout his career. Being less critical, his works in this period tended to represent his murmurs with light-hearted expression, through which both the viewers and himself were entertained.
The traditional stereotype of women was dispelled in Kuo’s works in this period. They seem to pursue material values and burst with proactive vitality. However, temptations of all stripes are put in their way, making them stumble between the poles of material pursuit and self-awareness.
J. C. Kuo’s oeuvre tends to be sharply critical in style with common and direct artistic expression, addressing contemporary issues (e.g., the gap between haves and have-nots, excessive consumption, religious myths, the decline of traditional cultures, the interpersonal estrangement, and the rampant popular media) arising from the political development after the lifting of martial law and the social change induced by the economic boom in Taiwan.
