Journal of Chinese Art (Volume 3)

Author: edited by Zhu Hengfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Here, we would like to share a humble perspective with scholars engaged in art research: We have found that many individuals spend years studying art theory or a specific art discipline, writing books, exploring artistic laws, characteristics, and methods of creation, yet they rarely or never engage in artistic practice. Scholars specializing in theater or film studies have neither written scripts nor participated in any theatrical productions; those studying calligraphy have not devoted themselves to practicing writing, resulting in unattractive handwriting; and music scholars lack compositional skills. Although their published works often contain novel and profound ideas with certain theoretical value, they remain like "watching fishermen from the shore"—making one feel that the theories expressed by some scholars are somewhat detached from artistic practice. Practitioners in the field may perceive their words as those of outsiders. Of course, we cannot expect every scholar to become an artist or writer, but engaging in some artistic practice, experiencing the joys and hardships of creation, and going through the process of artistic creation—even if unsuccessful—would be beneficial. At the very least, it would bring your "art theory" closer to the art itself and inspire greater creativity among artists.