Mòbǐ Huì Dào (The First High Research Class of the Chinese Painting Research Institute, Zhan Gengxi Studio Collection)

Author: Wang Xiaohui, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: As a guide for personal spirit, Chinese painting has long held a position that other art forms find difficult to occupy. Before the introduction of easel painting from the outside world, across the vast rivers and lush southern regions, Chinese painting was revered. The so-called reforms, whether the "splashing water and powder" technique of the Lingnan School or the symbolic emphasis consistently advocated by the Shanghai School, broadly speaking, have only been minor repairs, unable to achieve constructive breakthroughs. We have too many empty words to prove that art has no absolute height, but none dare deny the limit of that height. At the end of the day, it is also the limit of a painter's character and taste, and true personal charm cannot be imitated or replicated. However, with the transformation of the relationship between people and objects; with the friction between ink and wash lines and turpentine, senses; and with the introduction of new expressive forms such as photography and installation art, Chinese painting has emerged with another layer of discourse significance. Many directly bring their perceptions and symbols into the painting, boldly breaking the traditional boundaries between freehand brushwork and meticulous brushwork, abstraction and representation. Whether these approaches are feasible is debatable, but it is undeniable that these attempts and efforts have infused Chinese painting with new vitality.