Psychic resonance and harmonious fusion of mind and nature

Author: Yu Yuan / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Specific to the composition of scenes, in terms of conceptual layout, there are methods such as "method of detailed near, brief far," "method of primary and secondary coordination," "method of mutual integration of large and small," "method of crisscross interweaving," "method of ambiguity," "method of mutual generation of solid and void," "method of novelty," and so on.
"Method of detailed near, brief far": This is a compositional technique that aligns with people's visual perception when observing things. Its artistic intention is to highlight the main subject in the scene, so secondary elements, including the background, can be reduced or even replaced with large areas of blank space. For example, when depicting a plum tree in full bloom with millions of blossoms, only two or three branches may be drawn to allow people to concentrate and clearly perceive the essence of the plum blossoms. In the Song Dynasty, Rao Ziran's Twelve Taboos of Painting listed "failure to distinguish between near and far" as one of the major taboos: "When painting landscapes, one must first distinguish between near and far, ensuring that heights and sizes are appropriate. Near elements like slopes, rocks, and trees should be larger, while buildings and figures should be proportionate to them. Far elements like peaks and trees should be smaller, with buildings and figures proportionate to them. In the farthest distance, figures should not be depicted." Large near, small far; detailed near, brief far. Song Dynasty painter Guo Xi said: "For foreground streams, forests, and trees, they should be winding and intricate, arranged in detail, as they satisfy the eyes' close examination. Far mountains have no texture, far waters have no ripples, and far figures have no eyes. It is not that they lack these features, but they are too distant and small for the eyes to see, as if they do not exist."① The "arrangement" of foreground scenes like "streams, forests, and trees" should be "detailed," while the texture of far mountains, the ripples of far waters, and the eyes of far figures can all be omitted. It is not that far mountains lack texture, far waters lack ripples, or far figures lack eyes; rather, because they are far away and small, they are not visible to the eyes, as if they do not exist. Therefore, the "method of detailed near, brief far" aligns with people's visual perception.
"Method of primary and secondary coordination": The scenery in a painting is composed of multiple elements, or various objects, but among these elements, the main subject should occupy a prominent position. In a rich, varied, and multi-layered composition, the main and secondary elements achieve harmonious unity to better highlight the beauty of the main subject. P22