User:Chen Junyu/Graduation Project Seminar/ project proposal/Proposal6

Question

By which way, I could approach the core in my work that Chinese painting always chases for--resonance of the spirit,movement of life.

Context

Here is a story about the great Chinese painter Zhang Sengyou (Chinese: 张僧繇). Quoted from Fritz Van Briessen's The Way of the Brush, originally written by Zhang Yanyuan from Tang Dynasty:

Zhang one day decided to paint a dragon on the wall of his house. He guided his brush with full confidence, and after a while the dragon was finished except for its eyes. Suddenly the master's courage failed him. He simply did not dare to paint those eyes. When, many months later, he at last felt brave enough, he groped for his brush and with swift strokes dashed in eye and pupil. Within an instant the dragon broke into cloud roaring and flew away, leaving a trace of fire and smoke.

In the Asiatic world, belief in the supernatural power of the artist remained alive over greatly prolonged period. And there was no absolute division between magic, religion and philosophy in the east, especially in China. Taoism, as the primitive Chinese philosophy for the Han race, effects the developing of Chinese painting on a fundamental base. It influences the establishment of the material system and the construction of the painting principles.

The generally accepted principle for Chinese painting was written by Hsieh Ho，a writer, art historian and critic in 6th century China, named as The Six Principles of Hsieh Ho. He summarized six sentences to divide the different level of paintings. There are different versions of the interpretation in English of the six principles, and all of them are so contrasting, here I use the translation of Osvald Siren's Early Chinese Painting, which I think it is the closest one to the original version.

The six principles of Chinese painting:

1) Resonance of the spirit; Movement of Life.

2) Bone Manner (i.e. Structural) Use of the Brush.

3) Conform with the objects ( to obtain ) their Likeness.

4) According to the Species, apply the Colours.

5) Plan and Design; Place and Position ( Composition)

6) To transmit Models by Drawing.

In Hsieh Ho's principles, the achievement of resonance of the spirit／movement of life is the standard that if a painting reaches the highest level. The transmition of model by drawing is the requirement for the lowest level of Chinese painting. That is to say, the representational depiction in Chinese painting is not the most important factor, it can be the provement of the painter's technique. Only when a painting transmit the lively spirtual of what the painter wants to express, the authenticity behind the surface，this painting can be judged as one of the best category.

An example of the 1st level painting as Hsieh Ho says

The Abstraction of Chinese landscape painting and the possible relation with Dutch( Western) painting

From Modrian to American exprssion, abstraction art has near 100 years history. But since 4th century, there has already existed abstraction in Chinese painting - it is not purely formalism as neoplasticism, the figure of object is still depicted in the painting, some painters started pursuing the expression of their feeling and spirit by the changing of the usage of the ink, brush. Just more or less at the same time, Hiesh Ho proposed his six principle of Chinese painting. His idea of how to consider when judge a painting also suggests the importance of expressing the invisible real existence behind the object in Chinese painting.

"Snow Mountain and Red Trees" by Zhang Sengyao 张僧繇 the end of 5th century

Chinese landscape painting can be traced to Jin Dynasty(3th to 4th century), it is the epoch which has the most free spirit and liberative mind. Zong Baihua, the 20th centuries art critic and theorist mentions in his article Thoughts of <A New Account of the Tales of the World> and the beauty of Jin Dynasty "People in Jin saw clearly the nature outward and the humans inward". The landscape, and all the other types of Chinese painting, is a combination of the description of the physical world and the feelings or understanding of humanity. We can say the Chinese painting already reaches a peak during Jin. But, since the lack of logical structure and theory in representing the combination of physics and mind( the way that can be spoken of is not the constant way -- Laozi), also because the achievement of Jin relates to the complex culture and politics background.

Literature Survey

Philip Rawson, Drawing

Fritz van Briessen The Way of the Brush: Painting Techniques of China and Japan

Xie He Six principles of Chinese painting 古画品录

Lu Hong, The Formation and Development of New Ink Art in China http://www.mplusmatters.hk/inkart/paper_topic2.php?l=en

Zhu Qi, "Natural and abstract form and the unfinished modernism of Chinese painting" http://www.artlinkart.com/cn/article/overview/b55cvCso

Zong baihua,"Thoughts of <A New Account of the Tales of the World> and the beauty of Jin Dynasty"