Bi Mo Hui Dao: The First High Research Class of the Chinese Painting Research Institute, Zhan Geng Xi Studio Collection

Author: Wang Xiaohui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: As a guide for personal spirit, Chinese painting has long occupied a position that other art forms find difficult to attain. Before the introduction of Western-style easel painting to the Chinese, from the upper and lower reaches of the Yellow River to the Jiangnan region, Chinese painting was revered with utmost respect. The so-called reforms, whether the "splashing water and powder" technique of the Lingnan School or the consistent emphasis on symbolism by the Shanghai School, broadly speaking, have only been minor repairs and cannot achieve constructive breakthroughs. We have too many empty words to prove that art has no absolute height, but no one dares to 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 linseed oil, 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 artists directly bring their perceptions and symbols into the painting, boldly breaking the traditional boundaries between freehand brushwork and meticulous painting, as well as between abstraction and representation. Whether these practices are viable is debatable for now, but it is undeniable that these attempts and efforts have infused Chinese painting with new vitality.