Tan Weiping
Xiao Jiamo, who is still studying for a doctorate, is already widely famous among hunan teachers and students and in the art circles of Hunan Province. In March 2017, Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House published "The Whisperer of Landscapes - Xiao Jiamo's Oil Painting Collection"; his oil painting works were published by the National Museum of China Journal, Contemporary Film, Fine Arts Newspaper, Contemporary Oil Painting - Landscape Album, Contemporary Oil Painting - Young and Middle-Aged Artists Album, And Other Publications. In my impression, he was a rare young man who worked hard and worked hard, a painter with artistic talent and a fanatical obsession with art. In his oil painting world, the landscapes and trees of his hometown always occupy a conspicuous and eye-catching position; in his pen, the past, present and future of his hometown naturally become the main materials of his performance, and present four creative characteristics:
First, nostalgia in memory
Xiangxi Phoenix is a place with a strong romantic legend, Xiao Jiamo has lived here since he was a child, and his ears and eyes have been infiltrated with its charm and style, and in his oil painting world, it naturally flows with its years and years, mountain and river style, regional characteristics, national character, etc. For example, "Alleys of Hometown", created in 2009: one stone slab step after another, winding forward between crowded houses, is both realistic and reminiscent. The past time is difficult to forget, and using pictures to retain the old appearance of the hometown is a way to choose to record the historical stage in the development of civilization.
Created in 2013, "Mu Gui" is a typical expression of this strong nostalgia: a person (which can be an old farmer or a child) leads a healthy scalper and walks on a canal in the countryside, the surrounding grass is miserable, and the trees are withered... The hardships of life and the hopes of the fields are contradictoryly concentrated in the picture. The same allegory, as well as "Morning Return", through the depiction of life scenes returning from early morning labor, depicts the hope and effort of the industrious Miao people for life, hard work and perseverance.
Pastoral Return
"Morning Return"
Created in 2014, "Several Cypress Trees at the Mouth of the Village", surrounded by several dense cypress trees, surrounded by a circle of grass stacks, a stone road leads to the mouth of the village, bringing endless reverie...
Some people think: "Jia Mo lives in Xiangxi, where the water is beautiful and bright, and is blessed with many paintings about the scenery of Xiangxi. His works are not to reproduce the clear sweetness of the natural scenery of western Hunan Province, but to create the charm of the light and shadow of the picture. In the language of oil painting, he abandons the traditional expression method of oil painting and rubs into the unique straightforward character of Xiangxi people in the light and flexible picture. (Bai Yuping: "The Whisperer of Scenery - Xiao Jiamo's Oil Painting Collection", Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, March 2017)
Only by remembering nostalgia and recording nostalgia can we cultivate the cultural self-confidence of our descendants in the advance of our civilization. In this regard, Xiao Jiamo's landscape paintings have his special significance.
Second, nostalgia in the heart
What is nostalgia? "Your figure, your singing, is forever imprinted in my heart." The song "Nostalgia" interprets its connotation in artistic language. And Xiao Jiamo used the paintbrush in his hand to artistically express people's unforgettable love for their hometown.
For example, the "Hometown Sunset Photo" created in 2010 will realistically copy the whole picture of the ancient city of Phoenix, with the Tuojiang River as the center, the water of the bridge, the courtyard of the pavilion, and the tile house fence, which are clear and vivid, and vivid. It can be said that if there is no unforgettable true love for the hometown, it is difficult to express such a realistic scene, such a delicate emotion, such a vivid scene, and such a beautiful scenery on the screen. A piece of affection is in the painting!
"Hometown Sunset"
Created in 2016, "The Road Out of the Mountain Village" places hope for the hometown on the green fields. In an artistic way, it expresses the meaning of "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains".
"Wangxiang", created in 2018, presents the old appearance and new appearance of the hometown through the gaze of the wanderer returning to his hometown. The author's deep friendship for his hometown also jumps out of the paper and is immersed in it.
As his doctoral supervisor Professor Chen Hexi commented: "With his unique artistic understanding, through realistic artistic skills, he vigorously publicizes the vitality of art, and shows a simple and persistent spirit in his works, presenting the infinite passion and fluttering thoughts of his youth, and also showing the fiery feelings for his hometown." (Chen Hexi: "The Whisperer of Landscapes- Xiao Jiamo Oil Painting Collection and Preface", Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, March 2017) The hometown is full of deep love in the eyes of the author, as Ai Qing's poem wrote: "Why do I often have tears in my eyes?" For I love this land so much..."
Third, the change in color
In Xiao Jiamo's oil painting creation, the deep feelings for his hometown are not only reflected in the memories and expressions of the past, but also in the meticulous depiction of the changes in his hometown now, he uses his unique interpretation and understanding of landscape painting to paint the great changes in the mountains and villages of his hometown with color, and the most prominent feature is his "Mountain Trace Series".
For example, the second of the "Mountain Traces" series uses red as the background color to express the shocking power of the mountains in his hometown with the color language he perceives, giving people a strong visual impact. The third of the "Mountain Traces" series is mainly black and brown, highlighting the strength and pressure of the mountain, and setting off a cloud of smoke in the sky above the picture, showing the determination and confidence of the mountain people to move the mountain like a fool. The 6th and twelfth of the series "Mountain Traces" uses similar colors and imagery to imply the will of man and the traces of the mountain. Xiao Jiamo uses the painting language of gradual changes in landscapes (colors and mountains) to express the philosophy of life of seeking movement in stillness and seeking change in stillness.
Third
Sixth
Twelve
In the creation of oil paintings such as "Light under the Shadow of the Clouds", "Summer and Wind", "Water Reflecting Lanshan", and "Spring Water Is Green as Blue", the author borrows color scenes to express his mood for new changes in his hometown, which is more prominent than the "Heart Trace Series".
Xiao Jiamo is good at using brilliant ambiguous colors, placing his yearning for a better future on the landscapes, plants, landscapes and objects in his hometown, etc. It can be said that everywhere is a landscape language, everywhere is also a human language, achieving the effect of "not writing a word, doing everything possible".
"Water Reflects Lanshan Mountain"
"Summer Breeze"
"Spring Water Is Green as Blue"
Fourth, the dream of the country in anticipation
Most of Xiao Jiamo's oil paintings are realistic landscape paintings, but it is not difficult to appreciate the emotions he sends in his paintings, as well as the efforts of "freehand" sexual thinking. I think this effort is worthy of recognition, and it is not impossible to combine it with traditional Chinese "imagery" and perhaps open up a new road. I saw this effort of his in his paintings, although it seemed a little green and shallow. For example, the "5G Era • New Look of Xiangxi" created in 2021, the author can keenly capture the great changes brought by the information revolution to the lives of people in the xiangxi mountains, and through the picture of crowd gathering, we can see the great changes that the future society will bring to the lives of people in remote mountainous areas! "Spring River Water Duck Prophet", a trace of water waves in real life, can foreshadow some directions in the future of society, and also provide a certain possibility for artistic creation to go to life and to the folk. A glimpse of the whole leopard, Xiao Jiamo's exploration and efforts are worth advocating. Of course, there is still a long way to go, and it still needs to be painstakingly worked.
In a group of "Dixi Chronicle Series", the author expresses people's love for beautiful nature, hope for rural revitalization, and expectations for a new life in the future through pictures. Xiao Jiamo very much agrees with the Swiss Amiel's point of view: "A natural landscape is a world of the mind". Therefore, in his oil painting creation, he can integrate subjective wishes with objective scenes, and consciously express "I think that in addition to respecting the natural objects I am facing, it is more important to express my unique feelings about the scenery in the painting." ...... Sketching should have the feeling of the artist's heart, reflecting life but not equal copying life. We hope that he can show the new life on the field of hope more fully and perfectly through the reshaping of natural landscapes.
"The New Look of Xiangxi in the 5G Era"
Looking at Xiao Jiamo's landscape oil painting creation, I feel that he is walking on the country road, reflecting everything with his heart, speaking for the mountains and rivers, and expressing his emotions, positions and attitudes through the picture: sunny and bright, lively and quiet; full of hope and longing in memories, eager to move forward and change in nostalgia; both the flavor of pastoral songs and the charm of happiness... Scenes blend, scenery follows feelings, and emotions are scenery. A smile was written on his face, humming a small song of the country house, and let his thoughts fly in the evening wind. How much loneliness and sorrow, they are scattered with the evening wind, forgotten on the country roads." May Xiao Jiamo be able to freely wield the colored pen in his hand and draw a beautiful new life on the country road.
Xiao Jiamo, who is growing up in joints, looks forward to his youth flying!