The rise and fall of tradition

Author: Xu Jianrong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Including painting, the two traditions of Chinese culture—qi (odd) and zheng (orthodox)—have always been regarded as zheng being the mainstream and qi being the periphery. When qi and zheng are used interchangeably, the results are limitless. If one rigidly adheres to the zheng and denies the qi, it inevitably leads to prejudice. However, if one regards qi as the mainstream and zheng as the periphery, or even completely denies zheng, it is even more a case of (reversing the fundamental and the secondary).
When we look at Jin Yong's wuxia novels, those who start with the zheng in martial arts are generally calm and progress step by step, requiring arduous effort to achieve success. Those who abandon the zheng for the periphery are often filled with hatred, seeking quick results.
In today's art scene, where artistic creation and Guinness "inventions" are conflated, the pursuit of truth has almost replaced the pursuit of goodness, making painting nearly cease to be painting and art nearly cease to be art. In such a context, The Rise and Fall of Tradition is a weighty essay that is both inspired and timely, addressing the current issues. Moreover, its creative methods for identifying and summarizing traditional painting also provide art history researchers with a thought-provoking new perspective.