In and out of the picture

Author: Wu Guanzhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Wu Guanzhong, a master of Chinese painting in China, is immortalized in the history of Chinese painting for "pioneering a path that broke free from traditional constraints and integrated Eastern and Western styles." Not only was he a prolific painter, but he was also skilled in writing essays with vivid and lively prose. His unique sense of color and form gave his writing an extraordinary clarity and sharpness. Through his eyes, readers observe the world and find depth, color, poetry, and artistic inspiration everywhere. The essays in "Within and Beyond Paintings" are all "those that cannot be expressed by a brush." In the preface, the painter reveals his thoughts: "With an artistic eye, I see the world; my eye is the source of my profession. I gaze upon the beauty of landscapes and the joys and sorrows of humanity, always connected to perceptions of beauty and ugliness in forms. Writing after painting stems from the spontaneous flow of emotions. It is only because I cannot help but express myself that I put my thoughts into words." This collection, blending painting and literature, creates a "wonderful time and scene" for the dialogue between art and literature.