Ding Shaoguang's Collection of Freehand Sketches

Author: Ding Shaoguang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2018-09-21
Features: The Ding Shaoguang White Description Collection gathers new works created by the author during his time in the United States in the 1980s, primarily focusing on figures. These works represent the content and style of his recent white description creations. Ding Shaoguang's paintings are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, and in his view, traditional Chinese culture is ancient and profound.
"The trend of the 21st century will be the pursuit of Eastern culture by Western culture. For example, the I Ching of China, which has long been revered by Western philosophy as a profound book, harmoniously explains the interconnectedness of any changes in the world. In today's world, where science has advanced to the point where it can either benefit or destroy humanity in an instant, heaven, earth, and humanity must coexist in harmony. The crisis of ecological destruction is currently the most important issue."
"Humanity cannot violate the laws of nature; it must follow their course." He cites the Tangshan earthquake as an example, saying, "Tangshan produces coal, and the ground beneath it has been hollowed out. Meanwhile, the population in the city above continues to grow. A strong earthquake struck, and in a single night, 400,000 people lost their lives. This destruction was far more severe than any war. If people had been moved to live elsewhere before the disaster, this tragedy could have been avoided."
Ding Shaoguang strives to pursue harmony in his art. In his paintings, we often see the fusion of Eastern and Western artistic influences. Eastern art emphasizes "spirit resemblance" and, as early as the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Gu Kaizhi sought to "" (to embody the spirit within the form). In the Six Principles of Painting by Xie He during the Southern Qi Dynasty, the sixth principle is "" (vivid spirit and rhythm). Traditional Chinese painting uses lines to shape forms, expressing the artist's emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. The traditional Chinese perspective, known as "scattered-point perspective," differs from Western "fixed perspective." It allows the artist to create a sense of harmony between heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, distant and near scenes, and reality and illusion, as if the artist exists alongside the universe and nature. For example, in the painting A Thousand Li of the Yangtze River, the entire river, villages, and houses can be depicted on a single canvas—a feat Western realism cannot achieve.
"Western art, on the other hand, originates from Greece and emphasizes realism, scientific anatomy, perspective, and color. Classicism uses fixed perspective to grasp three-dimensional space, turning the artist into an optical instrument that accurately depicts only what the eye sees, failing to express inner feelings. The brilliance of Western art lies in its handling of color. Classicism focuses on the contrast of black, white, and gray, while early Impressionism emphasizes the contrast of cool and warm tones. Fauvism and modern art focus on the contrast between pure color and gray."
Ding Shaoguang believes that both Eastern and Western art have their strengths and limitations. Therefore, combining them organically can elevate the art of painting to a higher level. In his own works, we constantly see the fusion of these two artistic traditions.
Ding Shaoguang is using his efforts to bring Chinese art to the world, while also introducing the essence of the world to China.