China Galleries -- Issue 4

Author: Jia Dejiang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: In terms of the overall development of contemporary figure painting, whether it is meticulous or expressive, how to resolve the relationship between brushwork and form is a central theme running through the evolution of contemporary figure painting. Without a doubt, "brushwork" and the rich theories about it in traditional painting discourse are the essence of the historical legacy, a significant marker of the characteristics of national painting, and the artistic quality of brushwork expression is a crucial element in elevating the artistic standards of contemporary figure painting. Where is the future of Chinese figure painting creation? This is a stern challenge faced by every responsible figure painter. We must have our own "concept of form," and we must study the differences between Chinese and Western "concepts of form." This is not only due to national aesthetic psychology and habits but also determined by the instrumental nature of Chinese painting. The combination of conical brushes, ink, and Xuan paper, along with the expressive techniques of ink and color line writing, can only achieve a limited degree of intuitive realism. However, aesthetic appreciation in art does not necessarily correlate with the degree of realism in representation. It is precisely through us that we imbue scientific realism with an artistic soul, and it is this kind of "realism that is not entirely real" in Chinese painting that finds its own space and independent aesthetic value.