Ocean up and down

Author: Jian Fan
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-08-01
Features: In the eyes of his only graduate student, Mr. Jian Fan, the great master Liu Haisu was perceived as: a person with an extremely inflated ego; a fickle and unreliable person; a man who remained obsessed with women even in his old age. There is no need to gloss over the faults of the respected, as the student reveals a three-dimensional and true teacher. However, one sentence that Jian Fan repeatedly repeats in the book is: Regardless of my evaluation, the teacher has always been one of the most influential figures in the history of Chinese art, and his historical status is irreplaceable. In fact, because of this authentic book and the discussions of right and wrong, gratitude and resentment within the art world, Mr. Jian Fan, who fled to the United States, has offended both Liu Haisu and Xu Beihong, the two major painting schools. The Chinese painting world is indeed carried forward by the disciples and grand-disciples of these two masters.
The vast ocean (Volumes I and II) is an objective and vivid record of the fate of Chinese artists in the 20th century, written by Mr. Jian Fan, the only graduate student of the renowned traveler and artist Liu Haisu, based on the memories of Liu Haisu and his wife, Xia Yiqiao, as well as recollections and interviews with other related figures. The work presents a three-dimensional, complete, and real Liu Haisu from different perspectives, with a calm and rational approach to history and readers. It also touches on the disputes and grievances within the art world, allowing readers to glimpse a part of the 20th-century Chinese art scene. The book is rich in material and content, highly literary, and highly readable. In particular, the disclosure of many of Liu Haisu’s secrets holds unique value. It must be said that this is the best text available so far for understanding and researching the history of modern and contemporary Chinese art and Liu Haisu.