| Transcript |
- attempting to portray an inner poetic reality rather than an outward likeness. They seek to realize rather than to copy nature. Therefore, Chinese works of art should be judged by the inspiration and purpose that lie behind their conception, as well as by the quality of the technique and the nature of the materials at the disposal of the artist.
The Chinese artist is an impressionist in that he feels free to omit objects which are not essen�tial to his thought. However, he never goes to the point of abstraction, there is always a degree of realism present. Their themes and technical approach to painting achieve a unity which is unknown to Western paintings. Their paintings have an underlying simplicity which is in sharp contrast to the photo-likenesses of Western paintings with their problems of volume, light, shadow and texture. In fact, the Chinese were never interested in the study of scientific per�spective which has so engrossed Western artists. When the Chinese wish to give the impression of distance to their field, they resort to their own less realistic but equally valid way of showing perspective. They place the point of view of their composition very high and arrange in groups, one above the other, the objects or persons depicted. The dimensions of the objects and figures become smaller and smaller in pro�portion as they approach the upper border. In short, what a western painter would put in the far distance of his picture, the Chinese artist places at the top of his. Another effective method of depicting depth employed in Chinese paint�ings is the use of graduated ink. Objects in the foreground are painted with dark ink, those further away with lighter shades of ink.
�Few Chinese artists worked from primary images. Landscapists did not sit with their canvas directly in front of their scene and paint it stroke by stroke. First, they would intensely study nature, and then after long contemplation of what they had seen, they would work from memory in the stillness of a studio, attempting to invest the recollection with the profundity of their thoughts. They tried to give a view of nature not bound to time or place. Their paint�ing was aimed at being in harmony with nature and not necessarily being beautiful. The Chinese love to paint gnarled and twisted old trees and old men, for these portray the effect of growth and display a strange kind of inner beauty.
Peace of mind and mental concentration were so important before the painting began because
only in this way was it possible for him to achieve the perfect co-ordination of mind and hand. With an image of the finished work clearly in his mind�s eye, the artist set brush to paper. It could be executed quite rapidly in a matter of minutes with a few splashes and lines here and there (known as Xieyi � free style) or it may have been painstakingly built up from numerous tiny detailed brushstrokes (known as Gongbi � fine style) which may take days, weeks or even months to finish. He only paints what he considers the essential elements, and in most cases using the fewest possible strokes. Precise�ness of technique and sureness of hand were essential, for as soon as he committed his vision to paper there was no turning back. The ink line lightly and swiftly laid on paper or silk could not be altered, erased or painted over. These basic requirements ensured that a Chinese paint�ing was the immediate expression of a man�s personality. Thus the saying �The brush-work is the man.� Xieyi, the free style, was intended to convey the joy of expressions through the medium of rhythmic brush strokes rapidly exe�cuted. The subjects most favoured for this �free style� were the prunus blossom, the orchid, the bamboo, and the chrysanthemum which came to be known as The Four Gentlemen. These four growing things symbolized the qualities most loved by scholars and artists. The plum blossom has courage because it braves the cold winds of winter. The bamboo�s hollow body is capable of holding good advice and its knots show its spirit of endurance. The orchid symbo�lizes humility combined with beauty, modesty and delicacy. The chrysanthemum symbolizes the man who maintains his integrity in spite of temptation.
The four main essentials of the Chinese artist are: a brush, a cake of solidified ink, a stone slab on which the ink is ground and mixed with water, and paper. These are known as The Four Treasures of the Scholar�s Abode. Each is depen�dant on the others, and all are highly prized. Some artists would carve a new seal for nearly every picture, and each of these seals is a little work of art in itself. The artist would dip the seal into a red paste and place his impression on the painting usually below his name or at the end of a calligraphical quotation or original poem. Sometimes other seals can be found on the paintings. These are usually the seals of various collectors who have owned the painting and wanted to express their appreciation for it.
|
|---|
