Painting Album of Traveling Together

Author: Li Shijin, Wang Huanqing (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: They are a group of 16 individuals, arranged in the order of their birth dates: Wang Xiaoguang, Dong Yongjian, Li Shijin, Chen Yushan, Wang Guowei, Nie Hong, Xiaoqing, Xin Jiafeng, Wang Mingyue, Zhan Shan, Yu Ajun, Jiang Huan, Wu Jinghan, Li Guinan, Fan Yiming, and Liu Yuanshou. The eldest, Wang Xiaoguang, was born in 1957 and is 47 years old, while the youngest, Liu Yuanshou, was born in 1967 and is 37 years old. In terms of art, especially in the field of oil painting, they are all considered young, and they are largely of the same age. Perhaps inspired by the mid-19th-century French "Barbizon School" or influenced by the Russian "Wanderers' Society," they "traveled together" and established the "Oil Painting Cooperative," raising a large banner of an oil painting school for contemporary Chinese art. This is the first academic group in Chinese history to be formed with a focus on realistic oil painting. They do not hide their admiration for European classicism and are closer to Andrew Wyeth than to photorealism. They strive to use their superb realistic techniques to faithfully depict figures and landscapes, integrating various approaches to address multiple issues. While advancing traditional realistic oil painting toward modern art and current trends, they also express their own feelings, making their works highly contemporary in both concept and language. It is the inevitable result of history, a shared pursuit, and the drive of friendship that led them to find a breakthrough point to rise as a collective force in the field of modern Chinese art. They established this school to demonstrate to the public and the art world that realistic oil painting in China has broad possibilities in the new historical era. They have devoted themselves to exploring these possibilities and have achieved remarkable results, drawing attention from people both at home and abroad. They report on their explorations to fellow artists and those concerned with the future of Chinese oil painting, while also widely seeking opinions from both insiders and outsiders. Naturally, they are confident. They are artists with strong personalities and convictions, who are bold and even rebellious in their artistic pursuits. All members of this oil painting group have received rigorous academic training, and the new realistic style emerged from this strict academic environment. Their painting styles and techniques are largely similar, and their artistic concepts and pursuits are also largely aligned, with the only difference being the diverse subjects they depict. They believe that life is the inexhaustible source of artistic creation, and for an artist, the key lies in the methods they choose to express their strong feelings about life and their environment, whether they explore new artistic languages and aesthetic perspectives. Therefore, the language, materials, and techniques of oil painting are central topics in their regular gatherings. The combination of collective wisdom and individual talent enables them to continuously renew the language of oil painting and infuse their works with new vitality. Their artistic practice demonstrates that the great power of realism lies in its ability to continuously employ new artistic means to uncover the inherent beauty in ordinary life and explore one's own thoughts. It should be noted that their new realistic oil painting is not about blindly replicating or imitating life like naturalism or photorealism, but rather about adopting different perspectives and observation angles in the creative process, thereby more effectively leveraging the inherent linguistic features of painting itself. Despite the passion, inspiration, and hard work involved, even the craftsmanship of their creations, what is felt from the paintings remains the simplicity and ordinariness of life itself. In fact, the works of these 16 individuals form a striking visual landscape. While maintaining the characteristics of realistic oil painting, their works are strongly individualistic and expressive, as they emphasize the subjective role in depicting subjects and give their personalized formal language diverse forms. These differences reflect both the individualistic tendencies of modern society and the potential for traditional oil painting language to continue evolving under new conditions. When examining this school and the works of these 16 artists, one can draw many discussions. However, one thing is certain: in the face of new realities and societal needs, easel painting will not disappear, and realistic oil painting has a broad future. If creators can approach art, life, and nature with the same sincerity as they do, respect tradition, draw widely from various sources, and enhance their comprehensive cultivation, then their works will undoubtedly be distinctive, contemporary, and individualistic. I hope that the painters who "traveled together" will leave an extremely profound and glorious mark in contemporary Chinese art.