In the busy hall of the main media center, a huge decorative painting of snowboarding with glittering colors attracted the attention of visitors, which was one of the three works invited by artist Song Lianmin for the Winter Olympics, "The Song of the Winter Olympics". It is reported that Song Lianmin is the only artist whose paintings are stationed in the main media center.
▲ Song Lianmin's work "Song of the Winter Olympics". Courtesy of respondents
What is the meaning and spirit conveyed by these three works? Why did you choose snowboarding, plum blossoms and lotus flowers as imagery elements? What are the challenges and difficulties in creating huge works? On February 13, a reporter from the Beijing News interviewed Song Lianmin and asked him to chat about the story behind the work.
▲ Song Lianmin. Beijing News reporter Wang Guibin photographed
"The Olympic spirit is the best presentation of the community with a shared future for mankind"
Beijing News: You created three works for this Winter Olympics, "Song of the Winter Olympics", "Ruixue Red Plum" and "Qinglian Yicai", and the theme of creation was chosen by yourself? Why these three themes?
Song Lianmin: The theme of these three works was jointly selected by me after many exchanges with the leaders of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee.
Initially, during the exchange, the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee wanted to put a work in the space where the main media center held a press conference. The press conference is one of the most important windows for transmitting information, so at that time we thought that this work should try to reflect the most characteristic ice and snow sports of the Winter Olympics, so there was "Song of the Winter Olympics".
The second work is "Ruixue Red Plum" hanging in the conference room of the chairman of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee. Why Plum Blossom? Because in traditional Chinese literature, plum blossoms are the object of many literati chants, and the image of plum blossoms is constantly being given new connotations. "Plum blossom fragrance comes from the bitter cold", reflecting its noble and fearless character; "no intention of fighting for spring, a group of people are jealous", I think, this is a very self-disciplined, very humble national nature.
▲ Song Lianmin's work "Ruixue Hongmei". Courtesy of respondents
Many friends say that I should not only paint winter, because in addition to looking at the present, we must also look at the future, so "Qinglian Overflowing" is to show the summer scene and convey our vision of the future.
▲ Song Lianmin's work "Qinglian Overflowing". Courtesy of respondents
Beijing News: In the creation, what kind of painting form and content will you use to better express the theme?
Song Lianmin: For example, "The Song of the Winter Olympics", the theme of its performance is ice and snow sports. I chose the sport form of snowboarding, which is a personal sport, the degree of freedom is very high, and the constraints of group coordination are relatively small, so I am easier to compose in the creation, and the creative freedom is greater. In addition, the undulating dynamics of snowboarding are very cool, especially showing such a life form that is full of vitality in sports.
The picture is full of peace doves, representing the spiritual presentation of the core of the Winter Olympics, that is, peace - the tradition of the "Olympic Truce" is the sacred principle of the Olympic Games, people put aside their differences, enhance mutual understanding and friendship, and world peace, fraternity, interaction and integration. At the same time, the Peace Dove also embodies the enthusiasm of the Chinese people to welcome participants from all over the world.
Another element that everyone can see at a glance is the Great Wall. The Great Wall not only expresses the determination of Chinese to defend its territory, but also embodies a concept of our Chinese culture: to stick to the homeland and never expand aggression. It is also a maintenance of world peace. In addition, the dragon-shaped ski resort in the picture is full of romance. The dragon is the totem of our Chinese nation, this kind of imagination, creativity and creativity of the idea into a reality of the ski resort, I think it is an important landmark facility, so I also show it in the work - both auspicious and full of romance.
▲ In 2021, Song Lianmin is creating a work "Song of the Winter Olympics". Courtesy of respondents
In terms of color, in the context of the ice and snow world, I used particularly bright colors and even fluorescent colors to reflect the costumes of the characters, and through the jump of color, reflected the sportsmanship of "faster, higher, stronger".
The whole picture is full of composition, but the color is so single, with a very deep blue as the background, this background means the universe, in the vast universe there is such a planet, the people on this planet are pursuing beauty and peace. I think that the Olympic spirit is the best presentation of a community with a shared future for mankind.
"An experience of self-breakthrough and self-growth"
Beijing News: When did you start creating? How long did it take to create?
Song Lianmin: This is also an opportunity. Three years ago, I went with a friend to visit the office area of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee in Shougang and saw the environment built with modern steel structures.
Since then, the white snow, the throbbing lines, the colors of the athletes, the dots and lines of the paintings have jumped in my mind. I have been thinking about how I can do something for the motherland, how can I let the world feel our new Chinese culture – inheriting our traditions while at the same time being able to show the diversity of cultural integration – in the process, I began to be very active in contacting the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee and expressing my wishes.
The creation of these three works should still have a period of one year from the beginning of the draft. Since February and March last year, I have been conceiving, drawing a lot of sketches and small drafts, and the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee has reviewed them.
In August last year, the three works were finalized and entered the formal drawing stage. At this time, the construction of the media center was also nearing completion, and we went to the site many times to inspect the site, constantly adjusting, and working around the clock for the next few months. "The Song of the Winter Olympics" was completed almost last October, and two other works were completed in November and December.
▲ In 2021, Song Lianmin is creating the work "Qinglian Overflowing". Courtesy of respondents
In the past few months, not only painting, but also the understanding of the Olympic spirit, watching sports films, including the recognition of sports facilities, the selection of picture dynamics, are all a creative process, during which it is necessary to repeatedly try with experience. For example, pigeons, I have also drawn pigeons, but it is the first time to draw so many pigeons. Each pigeon cannot be repeated, I collect various materials to portray individually, and constantly deliberate on the integrity of the composition.
Because I have a belief in my heart that this is to be created for the country. The works that embody the concerns of the people of the world for the Winter Olympics, we cannot be sloppy and cannot be lost, so to some extent, the spirit has always been highly tense.
Beijing News: In the process of creation, are there any difficulties? How did it break through?
Song Lianmin: Yes. One is the creation of "Song of the Winter Olympics", whose theme is quite different from my usual creative theme. Most of the subject matter of my creation is the things and feelings in life, the world that my eyes see; and the theme of the Winter Olympics in my understanding, is intentional, thematic, not purely personal, it has to convey a lot of connotations, but also through the expression of artistic language, so that the meaning is more clear and prominent.
From the beginning of the idea, it is necessary to find the inspiration for creation. I watched a lot of sports programs, ice and snow worlds, snow mountains, watched all kinds of videos, and studied what kind of posture can better convey the power of skiing. The fusion of thematic expression and technical expression is probably the biggest challenge I have faced in this creation. But the ideation process allowed me to acquire a lot of conceptual things that I hadn't felt in the past. So I think it's also an experience of self-breakthrough and self-growth.
▲ In February 2022, Song Lianmin was working on a new creation in the studio. Beijing News reporter Wang Guibin photographed
In addition, there are some technical small problems, such as "Song of the Winter Olympics", I originally hoped to use rice paper Chinese painting to express, but Chinese painting pays attention to not making the foundation, in one go, using Chinese painting to express such a grand theme, such a bright color, it is also a challenge for me. At the same time, when exhibited outdoors, the handling, installation and preservation of rice paper are also prone to problems. But with the canvas, will it weaken the connotation of traditional culture in our works? Thinking about it, the hall was a whole, and I finally decided to use acrylic paint and canvas to represent "The Song of the Winter Olympics", and the other two paintings focused more on my technique and the chinese and Western fusion style that I was familiar with.
"This is the wish of every Chinese of our country"
Beijing News: What kind of mood are you when you see that the works you created have finally been hung up on the main media center of the Winter Olympics?
Song Lianmin: After the completion of the first work "Song of the Winter Olympics", I walked into the main media center and saw a painting as large as 14 meters long, divided into seven plates, and more than 30 people were hanging work. I think it said everything I wanted to say to the Winter Olympics without leaving any regrets. That kind of spatial impact will bring you a strong desire to create.
▲Song Lianmin's work "Song of the Winter Olympics" hanging in the main media center of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Courtesy of respondents
We have experienced so many days and nights, and finally we have completed the work very safely and have been recognized by everyone. The on-site staff and installers usually see a lot of things that are iconic, relatively rational, and the artistic factors are relatively small, and they are also very excited when they see our theme paintings.
Beijing News: What kind of feelings and expectations do you hope to express for the Winter Olympics through your own creations?
Song Lianmin: These paintings are not works that I create with the mentality of a single artist, when I received the task of creating, I was thinking that we must integrate the emotions of the real Chinese people that we understand, and at the same time convey the charm of our Chinese culture.
We all look forward to the success and success of the Winter Olympics, and we all hope that this world event of peace and friendship will come to a successful conclusion without interference from any other factors, and that every athlete can spend their most pleasant and special winter in Beijing and achieve the best results in their personal history. This is the wish of every Chinese. This is not my personal, individual, haphazard creation, it represents our country, our people.
Beijing News reporter Xu Yang Wang Guibin
Edited by Li Binbin Proofreader Liu Yue