"Today I'm sending out a set of two-form works to answer simple questions that someone asks about a picture.
The simplicity and complexity of the picture are forms, styles, pursuits or needs, and there is no need to comment on them. Some people like to chat about a few strokes and express a kind of interest, just like the Bada Shanren, or literati painting, it does not pursue a large area, a large scene depiction, with a simple summary, and then enriched with poetry books.
And some people focus on large themes, large scenes depicted, and strive to bring the environment, scenes, characters, props, etc., useful things to the theme must be involved, can more fully show the depth, thickness and strength of the painting, which is different from the "simple" painting. For example, the Song Dynasty painted the Qingming River Map, only because the author can describe the human feelings of the society at that time very fully, and the buildings, bridges, boat branches, and market scenes are portrayed as real. Only this informative depiction can reflect the society, life, and prosperity of that time.
Jiang Zhaohe's "exile map" is also a big scene depicting the hardships of the people's life before liberation, and if there are fewer characters, there is no atmosphere. Throughout history, modern and world masterpieces, most of them are historical records, special evidence of the times, depictions of major events, these works are only precious and have been passed down through the ages, because they are carved into detail, enriched and complete, true and vivid, touching and profound, and superb. Those sketches, literati paintings are unable to do this.
I like to paint big scenes, big subjects. Limited by the level and conditions, it does not reach the ideal height in performance, but it can show the purpose and pursuit of my expression. For example, Yan Jun and I painted the large-scale porcelain vase "The Leader and the General" (Fig. 7) and the porcelain plate painting "The Journey of Difficulty" (Fig. 8).
Figure VII depicts the leaders and the ten marshals, the ten generals and 57 admirals, a total of 87 celebrities, who are more fully depicted in the form of sketches in the form of expression. It can't be jane. In the Long March painted in Figure 8, only by vividly portraying the scenes and many characters can we show the difficulties of the Long March. There are many characters, and the scene is a display of atmosphere. Figure 9 is a ceramic mural, this kind of painting needs to be full and plump in order to achieve the strength and height of the painting.
I also like sketch painting, which is used to express a kind of interest, idea, active life, and is a good art form. But it must not be compared with large-scale paintings, and there is no comparison between them.
Some people like to eat salty, some people like to eat light. People's tastes are different, people's hobbies are different, and they have a wide range of interests and diverse forms.
Never judge or dismiss anything else because of your hobbies. ”
(Picture and text from Mr. Yan Xiangong, a master of Chinese ceramic art)
