Ding Shaoguang's Sketches Collection

Author: Ding Shaoguang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: American critic Douglas Frye said, "Ding Shaoguang's art belongs to the East, to the West, and even to the world." The Ding Shaoguang Ink Wash Collection collects new works created by Mr. Ding during his time in the United States in the 1980s, primarily featuring figures. They represent the content and style of his recent ink wash works. Ding Shaoguang's paintings are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture. In his view, traditional Chinese culture is ancient and profound. "The trend of the 21st century will be the pursuit of Eastern culture by Western culture. The I Ching of China, for example, has long been revered by Western philosophy as a profound book, harmoniously interpreting the interconnected relationships of any changes in the world. In today's world, where science has advanced to the point where it can either benefit or destroy us in an instant, heaven, earth, and humanity must coexist harmoniously, and the crisis of ecological destruction is currently the most important issue." "Humans cannot violate the laws of nature; they must follow its course," he cites the Tangshan earthquake as an example. "Tangshan produces coal, and the ground beneath it has been hollowed out, while the population in the city above continues to grow. A strong earthquake struck, and in a single night, 400,000 people lost their lives. This was more destructive than any war. If people had been moved to live elsewhere before the event, this tragedy would not have occurred." Ding Shaoguang strives to pursue harmony in his art. In Ding Shaoguang's paintings, we often see the fusion of Eastern and Western art. Eastern art emphasizes "spirit resemblance." During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Gu Kaizhi pursued "expressing the spirit through form," and in the Record of Ancient Paintings by Xie He of the Southern Qi Dynasty, the sixth principle of the "Six Principles of Painting" is "vitality and spirit." China uses lines to shape and express the artist's emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. The traditional "perspective from scattered points" of Chinese painting differs from the "fixed perspective" of Western painting. It allows the artist to create a realm where heaven and earth coexist with me, and mountains and rivers walk with me through the artist's inner thoughts, depicting the vast river, mountain villages, and houses on a single painting—something Western realism cannot achieve." "Western art originates from Greece, emphasizing realism, scientific anatomy, perspective, and color. Classicism uses fixed perspective to grasp three-dimensional space, making the artist like an optical instrument, accurately depicting only what the eyes see and unable to express inner feelings. The brilliance of Western art lies in its handling of color. Classicism focuses on the contrast of black, white, and gray, impressionism in its early stages emphasizes the contrast of cool and warm colors, while (Fauvism) and modern art emphasize the contrast of pure color and gray." Ding Shaoguang believes that both Eastern and Western art have both their strengths and limitations. Therefore, combining them organically can elevate painting art to a higher level. In Ding Shaoguang's own works, we constantly see the fusion of Eastern and Western art. Ding Shaoguang is using his efforts to bring Chinese art to the world, while also introducing the essence of the world to China.