Xue Yongnian: Chen Fanggui's era responsibility
△ Chen Fanggui and Xue Yongnian teachers in Beijing Fanghulu 2018
▽Please view the painting horizontally▽
"Shaofeng Shen yun" is now hanging in the foyer of the hunan provincial government governor's office building Reporter: Teacher Xue, what is your deepest impression of Chen Fanggui's paintings? Xue Yongnian: I can talk about my impression from three aspects. First, he has a very exquisite pen and ink work, which is the tradition of Chinese painting. Second, his paintings have a very strong atmosphere of the times. Third, his paintings have a very distinct personal face, which is different from others, and it is contemporary at first glance. To sum up in one sentence, he has both a thick cultural heritage and a strong sense of the times.
△ Long Sky Bright Sword 240cmx184cm 2009
Reporter: You are more impressed by Chen Fanggui's paintings, can you briefly comment on two sentences, I see that you wrote in your article "Great Wall Suite Song" and "Ode to the Cornerstone", can you say it separately.
Ode to the Cornerstone (expanded picture) Ink on paper, comprehensive materials 230cm×760cm×40cm 2014 Xue Yongnian: I mainly wrote about his landscape paintings in the article "Pen and Ink Mounds and Art Patterns", "Great Wall Song" and "Ode to the Cornerstone", I have talked about it, there is no special analysis, because someone has analyzed it very comprehensively. Here, I mention. "Great Wall Suite" and "Ode to the Cornerstone" are the subjects he created as a military painter after he came to The Rocket Force. Artistically, "Great Wall Suite Song" is characterized by combining traditional Chinese ink painting and installation art, painting leading figures, older generation revolutionaries, and heroic figures, showing the spiritual characteristics of the characters, showing the revolutionary martyrs casting a great "Great Wall of Flesh and Blood" with their lives, the thinking is very profound, the artistic expression is also very shocking, and the impression is very deep. Of course, this is different from his landscape paintings, his characters are basically realistic, depicted very deeply, very expressive, landscape painting is imagery. As for "Ode to the Cornerstone", it is closely integrated with the life, work, combat, and exercises of the rocket force. He assumed the responsibilities of the times as a military painter, reflected the life of the troops, and boosted morale.
Heling Shengjing Ink on paper 97cm×180cm 2017 Reporter: What are the characteristics of Chen Fanggui's landscape paintings? Xue Yongnian: Landscape painting is more of his painting, and he originally specialized in landscape painting for a period of time. Landscape painting has a very large mass demand in China, but it is very difficult to paint. How to create a new in traditional landscape painting? After a long period of exploration and in-depth study in many aspects, his landscape paintings have formed their current appearance. His hometown is also Qi Baishi's hometown in Xiangtan, Hunan, he came from a peasant family, but also worked as a carpenter, this natural connection, so that he drew a lot of nutrition from Qi Baishi art, some bold attempts. After his professional studies, he learned the tradition, practiced pen and ink, and practiced traditional formulas. After practicing kung fu, he began to learn Huang Binhong. Huang Binhong's artistic characteristics are very distinct, black and thick. Chen Fanggui studied Huang Binhong and communicated Qi Baishi Huang Binhong at the same time. In order to further develop, he went to worship Li Baolin as a teacher. Li Baolin was a student of Li Keyan. Under the guidance of Li Baolin, Chen Fanggui found a new way from the tradition, and painted a large number of houses at this stage. After a period of tempering, it gradually formed its current appearance. Qi Baishi's strengths are also there, Huang Binhong's strengths are also there, Li Keyan's strengths are also there, his teacher Li Baolin's strengths are also there, of course, there are other broader absorption. He has integrated many good things, combined with the spirit of our time and his personality, forming the characteristics of his landscape paintings. This face is very strong, very powerful, a magnificent beauty.
Magical Zhangjiajie Ink on paper 160cm×595cm Chen Fanggui in 2015 is to combine the beauty of the south and the north. The mountains and rivers in the north are very bold, and the grass and trees in the south are very lush, and he has combined. He painted his hometown, painted the lake and xiang landscape, sublimated the beauty of nature, and painted an ideal of his. Not only to paint the beauty of the southern trees, but also to paint the big weather, he is to the motherland landscape and water biography, not casually take a camera to take pictures, nor sketch, there is a deeper expression, a stronger spirit. For example, he painted the smoke and rain of Wulingyuan in Zhangjiajie, using a long composition, which has a very strong atmosphere of the times. He combined the brush and ink of Chinese paintings, the rubbings of prints, the rubbings of gold stones, and the content of graphic design into his paintings. So, one look can catch you, take a closer look, and it's very enduring. What is precious is that his paintings are very simple, whether they are ink or slightly colored, they are very clear, and his painting style is very special in everyone's paintings, and the mountains and trees he paints are neither realistic nor abstract, which is what Qi Baishi said, "The magic is between the resemblance and the dissimilarity." He already had a personal symbol that connected with nature and elevated it. Whether it is pen and ink or composition, whether it is describing landscapes, he has worked hard and worked hard. Especially in the past few years, compared with his original leaps and bounds, he used to paint very well, and now he is growing by leaps and bounds. Therefore, in his paintings, in terms of meaning, figure paintings are more meaningful; from an artistic point of view, the one that explores more, and has been explored for a long time, and the most fruitful, is landscape painting.
Jiashan Yixing Figure Ink on Paper 48cm×156cm 2016 Reporter: You call Chen Fanggui "Concurrently Changpai" in the article, this evaluation is very high, what is the basis for this? Xue Yongnian: This is a reality, not a high or low. Because there is a kind of landscape painter who pays attention to the image of painting, saying that this has the breath of life, you can't paint Taishan like Mount Hua, this requirement is also correct, but it is not enough. Because landscape painting should not only depict objectivity, but also combine subjectivity and objectivity, and the unity of heaven and man, the author's own understanding of this era should be related. If it is only objective performance, it is only half right. Also pay attention to visual concepts, also known as "schemas". Everyone has their own symbol, and others recognize it at a glance, which is very distinct. He has both. Also, pen and ink, there is a kind of only pay attention to pen and ink, there is no landscape; only pay attention to the landscape, there is no pen and ink. He caught both of them, so I called him "concurrently long." Another very prominent is the basic work of his Chinese painting, Chinese landscape painting is a culture, the expression of this culture China has specific tools and materials, take the brush on rice paper to draw, the brush is particularly pointed, and the brush is not the same, how these sensitive things can show special effects, it is very difficult to practice. So in this regard, to practice the kung fu of pen and ink to the way he is now, it takes a long time to practice. For example, calligraphy, he has been practicing since he was a child, and now if you don't look at his paintings, we only compare his calligraphy with calligraphers, not bad, he uses the lines, rhythms, and compositions of calligraphy into the painting, not only a few words of the inscription inside. Of course, I study tradition, and I agree with him that he attaches importance to tradition and innovates and develops on the basis of tradition. At the same time, he also constantly absorbs the essence of Western art, such as his sense of light and bump. His artistic conception, brush and ink in traditional Chinese paintings have reached a high level in this regard. To say that he is a "part-timer" is, I think, it is more realistic.
Wuling Smoke and Rain Ink on Paper 70cm× 200cm 2016 Reporter: I think your evaluation is particularly pertinent. I see that you are quite familiar with Chen Fanggui, please evaluate what kind of person Chen Fanggui is in your impression. Xue Yongnian: First, he is a very hard-working person. He was a worker, in the mine, the original name is Chen Manganese, manganese ore, later changed to the name of Chen Fanggui, he is different from the greenhouse, the parents are covered differently, he is completely his own efforts, because all kinds of situations will be encountered, need to face alone. Second, he was very involved in art. He is not only a genius, but also very good at learning, the guidance of teachers and friends, he will listen carefully, integrate, and understand immediately. He paints nature and values tradition, and he takes a spiraling path. Third, he has great respect for his teachers and friends. Successively, he studied under Zhou Zongdai, Deng Huichu, Zhong Zengya, and Li Baolin, who seriously learned from the teacher, and he was very friendly to other friends and thought very thoughtfully for others. A person can succeed is his comprehensive ability, and all aspects must be done well, otherwise people will not help you. So I have the impression that he is a very hard-working person, and he is also very sensitive to finding the people who solve the problems of our art creation today. Therefore, his precision, his refinement, his height, are very prominent. Now there are not many paintings that can be seen in people's hearts, he can paint into people's hearts, and at the same time he can catch the eyeballs.
Zhangjiajie Smoke Cloud Ink on Paper 136cm×68cm 2015 Reporter: What are your expectations for Chen Fanggui's future creations? Xue Yongnian: Now that we have entered a new era, the new era has new tasks, as a military painter, embarking on a new journey, the task is heavy and the road is long, we must hold more exhibitions, not only to invite everyone to review and accept everyone's encouragement, but also to "not forget the original heart, keep in mind the mission." Special attention should be paid to absorbing more nutrients from the life of the troops and from the great rivers and mountains of the motherland, and I hope that he will make greater progress and achieve greater achievements.
△Zhangjiajie autumn color Ink on paper 180cm×97cm 2015 Reporter: Thank you. (Finishing: Jiang Puying)