Zi Yue: "The wise man enjoys the water, and the benevolent one enjoys the mountain." "Chinese landscape painting has always been an important branch of Chinese painting and a unique subject matter of Chinese painting. It upholds the essence of nature, the aura of heaven and earth. The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River is an excellent place for the literati of all generations to write poems and splash ink, using exquisite articles, poems, paintings, praise for rivers and mountains, expressing their feelings of home and country, and pinning their own feelings. In modern times, Chinese landscape paintings that praise the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River are endless, each leading the way. Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's "Three Gorges Flying Waterfall Map" has become one of the outstanding people with a unique perspective, a magnificent momentum, and a far-reaching artistic conception.
The mother river of the Chinese nation of the Yangtze River, which originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the roof of the world, gradually converges into a large river with a trickle, and flows all the way to the east and into the ocean. Together with the Yellow River, one south and one north, it is like two galloping dragons, dancing in the land of China, nourishing and nurturing the Chinese civilization with a thousand years of history. In its upper reaches, the Chengdu Plain of Sichuan has the splendid Sanxingdui civilization, one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, and the radiant and dazzling Liangzhu civilization downstream. The most dangerous, magnificent and strange in the middle section is the Three Gorges with steep peaks and cliffs facing each other, starting from the White Emperor City in Fengjie County, Chongqing in the west to Nanjinguan in Yichang City, Hubei Province, which is composed of Qutang Gorge, Wuxia Gorge and Xiling Gorge. It not only connects the source of the two major civilizations of the Chinese nation, but also is one of the holy places of Chinese landscape painting.
The first time I saw Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's "Three Gorges Flying Waterfall Map", I was shocked by its atmospheric, thick and majestic momentum. It is brought into an aura, this qi, is a clear breath, calm breath, elegant breath, atmosphere, like a flute sound, the sound of kites, the sound of the dust filter heart, a school of smoke and clouds of water Zen magic. It is also like a galloping, imposing, thousands of troops and horses, lifting the spirit, lifting the spirit, lifting the soul, a magnificent wave, swallowing mountains and rivers, and breathing through the long rainbow.
Zheng Shanmeng, a native of Wenzhou, Zhejiang. A graduate student of Professor Yao Zhihua, a master of Chinese painting, the calligrapher is teacher Shen Peng. He has been deeply involved in the Three Gorges sketching for ten years, and is known as the "Three Gorges Painting Expert" by the industry. He is currently the director of China International Cultural Exchange Center, the president of the Calligraphy and Painting Institute of the China Federation of World Alliance Exchange Associations, the director and deputy secretary-general of the Creation Department of The Zoomlion Guoxing Calligraphy and Painting Institute, and the art consultant of central China of belt and road (Beijing) Project Management Co., Ltd. His works were played on the big screens of the Shanghai Expo and Times Square in the United States, and exhibited in South Korea and other places. The representative work "Three Gorges Flying Waterfall Map" is hung in the hall of Hubei People's Government, and "Huangshan Yunhai Map" is hung in the hall of China International Cultural Exchange Center. The China Philatelic Corporation and the United States, France and other countries have published stamps on Mr. Zheng's works.
Zheng Shanmeng's "Three Gorges Flying Waterfall Map"
1. Composition layout
On the whole, the distant sacred mountain is covered with ethereal floating clouds and mist, and the water vapor is steamy, and in the dream of agility, ethereal, light, free and natural, the mountain peak is more majestic, towering, imposing, and dreamlike.
Nearby, the mountains rising from the ground on the banks of the Yangtze River are thick and layered upwards, standing calmly and calmly on the riverside, allowing the gushing river waters, the fierce waves to wash, erode, and beat, as steady as a hard rock, wordlessly revealing the unchanging aspirations, beliefs and concepts of the Chinese nation for thousands of years.
The abrupt arc of the mountain stones, the twists and turns of the ravines, and the meandering of the pine cypress reflect the smooth and flexible movement of the central waterfall, which is staggered and flowing down three thousand feet. Not only does this work have a degree of relaxation and integration, but also makes the whole picture revolve around the waterfall, highlight the waterfall, and highlight the theme - the Three Gorges Waterfall.
Most of the Chinese landscape paintings are made in one go, unlike some paintings that can be repeatedly altered. This requires the author not only to have pure techniques, but also to have a pattern in mind. The larger the pattern, the more charming the layout. It considers the wisdom, thoughts and realms that the author has gradually accumulated after long-term sketching, long-term creation of landscape paintings and long-term thinking. Only by knowing it in the chest can we pour out the thickness and lightness of the ink, the stagnation and line of the pen, the raw and mature paper, the structure and type of things, the tension and chi of the layout, the static and the moving, the change of far and near in a short period of time. The picture is the layout of the landscape, but in essence it is the pattern in the author's mind.
The whole picture is a huge longitudinal composition of 5.66 meters high and 2.8 meters wide. The dense, high and low, clear primary and secondary, very dynamic, rhythmic layout makes the viewer standing in front of him feel that he is in the lofty mountains and roaring waterfalls. The overall layout is thick, brilliant and wonderful, highlighting the style of the master! In this world, you can hear the roaring sound of the waterfall water, you can feel the waterfall on the picture coming towards you, and the water mist scattered on your body, face, and limbs feels a chill. In the distance, you can see the grandeur of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, and the magnificent atmosphere of the waterfall and the magnificent mountains and rivers. In this picture, you can swim, you can swim, you can remember the past, you can care for the present, you can meditate, you can be emotional, you can be relieved, you can be healed... The only thing that can't be is to give up.
2. Pen and ink technique
There are many techniques of Chinese painting, and there is also a distinction between yin and yang with the pen. The use of various methods in landscape painting is particularly evident. All kinds of methods have certain procedures, which need to be deconstructed and reorganized by the authors themselves according to reality. Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's fa is ancient and modern, not only inheriting the meaning of the ancients' pen and ink, the spirit of the ancients' falun gong, but also not being bound by it, transforming it into its own connotation.
He not only has a strong presentation of the objective world feelings, but also strengthens the richness, diversity and charm of the inner expressiveness of pen and ink. It not only emphasizes the unique spiritual outlook, disposition and temperament, but also attaches importance to the fun, freehand style and charm of pen and ink. When expressing different distances, different scenes, mountains, pines and cypresses, water flows, etc., the connotation of the work is presented with different methods and techniques, "all dyes are prepared". When highlighting the majestic and upright mountains and steep and steep cliff cliffs, according to the geological structure, faults, structures, stratigraphy and shape of the mountain stones, the "big axe splitting" of ink is dashing, and the indestructible mountain is split like a broken bamboo. When expressing the mysterious and wonderful and unpredictable cloud dance and water vapor in the distant mountains or ravines, the "cirrus cloud" sets off the vagueness and nothingness of the clouds. In the form of water flow, mountain stone and pine cypress, the techniques of "phimping", "cattle hair", and "raindrops" are used. The pen's thrusts, priorities, straight turns, thickness, length and length; the astringency and wetness of the ink, the virtual and the real, the thick and the light, are all just right. There is a strong presence in the flexibility, a square fold in the circle, and an external release in the introversion. The lines are different and interesting, the changes are many and the content is real! The points, lines, surfaces, wrinkles and dyes of pen and ink constitute the formal beauty of the Three Gorges, and can convey the beauty of the objects and images, the beauty of rhythm, and the beauty of connotation. Flexible and resolute, the force penetrates the back of the paper, and the most traditional pen and ink tension is integrated with the structure and content, and the ghostly work of the landscape is vividly expressed.
This kind of unique use makes the whole picture blend with water and milk, tense and relaxed, thousands of mountains and rivers, layers and layers of layers but without a trace of sluggishness and procrastination, but the realm is sparse, making people look refreshed. The famous calligrapher and painter of the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Chongguang, said: "Landscape painting is precious in the harmony of heavenly artistic conception, and the pen and ink are weak. Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's landscape painting uses a variety of methods to render the broad and profound artistic conception of the Three Gorges to the fullest, exquisite and natural.
At the same time, his pen and ink complement each other and penetrate each other, with ink in the pen and pen in the ink. The foreground of the picture is made of burnt ink, thick and calm; the long-range scene is light ink, flowing and free; the middle scene is cyan on the basis of ink, thick and brisk. The combination of pen and ink and some colors is seamless and ingenious. Skillful and mutual use, virtual reality is born, the charm comes from itself, the technique is skillful and solid, the artistic conception is lofty and the ambition is long.
Only to feel the strange and dangerous winding of the mountain, the experienced and vigorous pine cypress, the waterfall rushing and rushing, a few strokes, but it shows thousands of troops, the waterfall turned out of the sky to present the magic. The sound of a crashing current, mist and a deafening waterfall. "The Tao leads to the heavens and the earth outside the form, thinking into the perversion of the wind and clouds", Zhang Chi has the power to see in the Tao, and seeks the rhyme in the divine transformation.
3. Mood
However, the technical theory is difficult to become a landscape and water, and Mr. Zheng Shanmeng not only uses his pen to maneuver with ease, transport into the wind, and sprinkle the flap, but also has a high knowledge, breaking through the old "cage fan", and spilling out the theme of the picture - the unstoppable waterfall. And the meticulousness is naturally meticulous, and the omission is rough and concise. Each link is meticulous, the stripes are in the heart, in the seemingly unconcerned pen and ink to make the viewer understand the spirit of the Three Gorges Waterfall of the Yangtze River, looking at it is floating, logical, and it is not a big stroke and cannot be done.
Under the background of the near and far views, the scenic spot in the picture uses a large block of white to outline the theme of the picture: flying waterfall. Make it stand out even more.
This kind of blank space completely breaks through the previous paintings, the blank space is only to set off the theme, or to set off the rendered pen and ink, and the white is used as the subject, theme and main thrust.
The pre-Qin sage, Zhuangzi, said in his "Zhuangzi Inner Chapter, The Human World": "Those who look at each other, the void room is white, and the auspiciousness stops." That is, to look at the empty world, the empty state of mind is suddenly white, and auspicious and wise things will follow. This kind of blank space is the author's clear and clear realm. The state of mind that makes the sense of the eye access inward and excludes the mind from the outside is the soul and essence of all things in the world, and it is the essence that everyone should pursue.
The process of human development and living space are infinite, endless, and endless, but our cognition is partial, limited, and fragmented. These deliberate blank spaces give the audience unlimited space and time for reverie. Blank space usually has three different effects. Compose poems, inscriptions, and deepen the sense of space in the picture. Only a very small number of people will use blank space as the theme and anti-object as the main theme in their paintings to express the author's inner world. Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's "Three Gorges Flying Waterfall Map" is one of the representatives. This blank space is not only a kind of respect, awe, humility and gratitude, but also the soul that the picture wants to express. Completely breaking through the previous rules, characters and interpretations, interpreting a new style, meaning and realm.
The nearby mountains have been washed by the water, the wind and frost, and are still so majestic and thick; the distant peaks have stood majestically after the baptism of time, and they are still so high and windy. The branches of the pines and cypresses on both sides are like steel, and the needles are like iron, which still show tenacious vitality.
All this further sets off the theme of the picture: a huge waterfall that flows down from the cliff wall. Rushing down, majestic, imposing and dynamic. The whole picture shows a strong artistic appeal, and the landscape paintings painted are lofty in intention and magnificent in realm. This kind of blank mood is more distant, profound and rich in connotation, and swinging intestines.
He values the sparkling personality and allegory of his work. Look closely at the large and small mountain streams and ravines in the upper part of the picture, not only the winding cloud dance, but also the different flow of water rushing down, some are valley torrents, some are rapids in the ravines, some are already waterfalls, they rush forward to converge into the theme of the middle: waterfalls.
The author is telling the viewers with his heart: It is precisely because of the convergence of tens of millions of gullies and streams of water that there are ten thousand horses galloping, the air running through the long rainbow, the deafening, the mountains and the sea, the thunder and thunder, and the waterfalls that swallow mountains and rivers - gathering the energy, dreams and wisdom of the people of the whole country, we will certainly be able to bravely move forward and overcome all the difficulties and obstacles on the road! Far-reaching!
The beauty of the meaning and rhyme contained in the work is Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's deep thinking and pursuit of painting.
Convey the author's voice and let the whole world see its beauty!
The work deals with the creation of whiteness and mental image without trace. No matter how the rocks, trees, slopes, streams, clouds and mist change, how vigorous and thin, how warm and beautiful, how rendered with ink and pen, how much proportion they occupy, they are still background embellishments, they all revolve around the theme: waterfalls, and exist.
This type of work is like painting a waterfall for the sake of painting a waterfall. The waterfall occupies a large area in the picture, without the background of the close-up and long-range view, the meaning is less, and the artistic conception will appear insufficient. Works that lack an ideation have no soul. Only if there is enough white space, it is possible to think and understand; only if there is enough white space, it is possible to absorb richer nutrients and fresher air; only enough white space can truly create excellent works.
The beautiful artistic conception of the Three Gorges is integrated into the work, and the meaning and charm are both, so that people can feel, understand and understand the infinite meaning, but they cannot be condensed. Meanings and realms that are difficult to articulate in words. That is, a state of sitting in the form of a god. It is the unity of form and emotion, the harmony of reality and reality, both born of accidents and contained in images.
Under the pen of Zheng Shanmeng, the landscape is no longer a restoration of the appearance, but the soul of the mountains and rivers, the relief of the flowing water, the charm of the waterfall, and the magical magnificence of the endless changes in nature. Not only is there the majesty of the mountains and the ethereal nature of the water flow, but it also shows a state of mind that is simple and simple, returns to the truth, and is natural.
The waterfall of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River was so exaggerated by Mr. Zheng Shanmeng!
4. Be yourself
Artistic techniques and means of expressing works (layout of composition, density of pen and ink, virtual reality, intensity, contrast of tones, sense of space, sense of rhythm, choice of subject matter, angle of expression, etc.). ) is important. Only with good artistic skills and skillful expression techniques can the viewer feel the feelings, righteousness and meaning of the picture, and can they "touch the scenery and live with emotion". At the same time, because the ink is divided into five colors, the characteristics of ink blending can be brought into full play, and the picture qi can become a master.
But to become a party to everyone, only skills and means are far from enough. All good pen and ink paper, all good techniques, all good means must serve the mind. Different mountains and rivers have their own characteristics of "majestic", "strange", "wonderful", "quiet", "dangerous", "beautiful", and "beautiful". But to express these characteristics requires having your own unique, emotional, and deep thoughts. This is the basis for the profound artistic conception of the work of art.
Ouyang Xiu believes that no matter what the external environment is, a person's integrity, personality, character, and soul should be put first. And this first is much more important than technology and so-called visual effects and so on.
In the choice of painting angle and landscape connotation, we must be unique in the choice of picture layout and pen and ink techniques, and we must be unique in the choice of ideological expression and artistic effect. All of this highlights a "single" word. The so-called "independence" is to be yourself.
Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's painting of landscapes is to paint the self, and the self does not only come from the mountains and rivers, but also from his own heart. The inner one is himself. The same is the painting of landscapes, how not limited to the thinking of others, not confused by the habits of the times, dare to break new paths, good at expressing themselves, is particularly valuable.
A person who knows how to respect the creatures of nature, be grateful for the gifts of nature, cherish the feelings of human beings, think quietly and quietly from the bottom of his heart, be willing to pay, not afraid of loneliness and not flattering wind bones, sincere from the heart, a positive attitude towards life, the purity of unintentional machines, the big pattern and the broad and lofty vision, cannot be obtained from a technical point of view.
All of this needs to be understood and sublimated in the meditation of painting.
Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's works get rid of the shackles of visible, partial and tangible, and the overall field of view of the picture is very broad, showing the essence of his own thinking and understanding in the picture one by one. The ink marks are full of his own emotions, explorations, pursuits, thinking, and transmission of landscapes after enlightenment, presenting the magnificent realm of harmonious coexistence between man and the environment, complementarity between nature and life, and unity of nature and man. The journey of life is the communication between one's own heart and the scenery, the dialogue with the natural wonders that record the vicissitudes and great changes, the interaction with the cultural heritage that contains rich connotations, the mutual complaint between oneself and one's inner feelings, and the exchange between oneself and the heavens.
The works with strong charm are not only the body in the space line, the hand holding the paintbrush on the paper, but also the brain reading, innovation and thinking, but also the heart in the understanding, awakening and epiphany. Only by thoroughly integrating one's own interpretation of life into the work— soul, spirit, and feelings—can we show the charm of nature.
5. Meditate and act
Rolled into the landscape and meditated. For everyone in art, the purpose of creation is not only the content of the work itself - landscape, but also the process of sublimating life and highlighting the soul. Such works will leave the viewer with endless aftertaste, permanent interpretation, and can really have charm!
Zhuang Ziyi: There is no end to the earth, and the beauty follows it. The ultimate tranquility of the heart is the eternal way. The expression of Chinese landscape painting is a kind of character, personality cultivation and spiritual realm that are the ultimate aesthetic of landscape in a quiet and free state of mind. Mr. Zheng Shanmeng is not good at words, but he is good at meditation. Only by quieting down can we express our thoughts and feelings in the natural and cultural landscapes we see through thinking, and only then can we let the viewer see the author's innermost cognition and thinking about the world.
The waterfall is the main body of the whole painting, and the highest state of art is to leave blank space. White space produces stillness, white space is stillness, white space is an ultimate stillness, and extreme stillness is great beauty.
Mr. Zheng Shanmeng quietly sketched, quietly cultivated, quietly pondered, and eliminated all distractions. Painting, like many arts, has existed since its inception for human beings to think about nature and humanistic society. Use unique thinking to observe the world, recognize the world, express the world, and manifest your innermost emotions, thoughts and feelings in your works. In particular, how to think in your own unique painting language. In layman's terms: it is the self's cognition of the world, the expression of self-cultivation in the work, and the manifestation of self-charm in the work. And in the process of continuous painting observation, in the process of continuous painting practice, in the process of each painting summary, it is possible to tap their own potential, show the beauty of the landscape and stand out.
The brush is never just a tool to apply to paper and canvas, it is also a weapon to express your thoughts. When painting, pen, ink, and paper are no longer just a material or tool, nor are they a painting technique, but an exploration based on speculative patterns. Learning to think and displaying this kind of thinking in one's own work is the greatest pleasure, surprise and wealth that a master painter brings to the viewer!
The layout, temperament and artistic conception of a picture hide the height of the author's soul.
6. Postscript
Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's unique artistic path, as well as the pursuit and orientation of artistic style, and the display of the inner world have given the viewer great inspiration, thinking and new life. The thick and natural pen and ink, the magnificent picture, people will never forget.
Mr. Zheng Shanmeng's "Three Gorges Flying Waterfall Map" was selected as the book "40 Years of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting". The book focuses on the representative figures and classic works of art of Chinese calligraphy and painting masters since the reform and opening up 40 years ago. Other artists selected for the book include: Yao Zhihua, Shen Peng, Jin Shangyi, Ouyang Zhongshi, Liu Wenxi, Li Duo, Huang Yongyu, Feng Yuan, Liu Dawei, Su Shishu, He Jiaying and others.
Mr. Zheng Shanmeng is an outstanding person among Chinese calligraphers and painters.
I hope to see more works by Mr. Zheng Shanmeng in the future that are full of ancient charm, innovation and thought.
(Author Xiong Heigang: Professor and doctoral supervisor of Beijing Union University, Ph.D. of Peking University, former member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference)