Guardian of Life Wang Yexiang 197×184cm 2020
It is not only the presentation of skills, but also the need for a kind of feeling
Text/Sho Ohno
When the epidemic hit, the virus was raging, and in the face of life struggling on the death line, I felt that the brush seemed so pale and powerless, and it did not help. You can only pay attention to the progress of epidemic control every day, take A4 paper to screen sketch, and record some news reports about the fight against the epidemic.
Whenever a disaster occurs, our nation will burst out a strong cohesive force, there are always so many people who move forward without hesitation, they block the disaster in front of them to protect life, they are our heroes, they are the most lovely people of the times. Every person with a conscience will have a heartfelt respect for them and be grateful! This is the most simple emotion of all professional and amateur painters, including me, to sing the praises of their brushes in their hands.
What works of art give people is spiritual relief, allowing us to empathize and work together to face disasters. At the same time, as a witness of history, it will be passed on to future generations and warn the world.
Major historical themes occupy an important place in the creation of fine arts. This is due to the important function of fine art works in visually recording and restoring major historical events. In terms of the representation of human disasters alone, there are many masterpieces in the history of art that express such subjects, such as the Dutch painter Bruegel's "The Triumph of the Grim Reaper", the Spanish painter Goya's "Plague Hospital", "Borgia and the Dying", Paul Foster's "The Bird's Beak Doctor of Rome" that treats the Black Death in Europe, the French painter Rico's "Raft of the Medusa" reflecting the shipwreck at sea, Mr. Jiang Zhaohe's "Map of displaced persons", Picasso's "Guernica" exposing the Nazi bombing of innocent civilians, and Toshiko Akamatsu's "Atomic Bomb Map" And so on, some of these works use realistic techniques to truly restore history, and some use symbolic techniques to express war killings.
The creation of art works with major historical themes is not only a presentation of painting skills, but more importantly, it is necessary to have a feeling. Specific to the performance of disasters, without the emotional basis of compassion, how can the power of shocking the soul be conveyed by revealing the tragedies caused by disasters? Of course, devoting yourself to this kind of creation places special emphasis on having a sense of presence, if you do not have personal experience, and lack of evidence-based image materials, it is difficult to get a personal feeling of the disaster, and the work cannot move people.
Therefore, so far, most of the works reflecting the theme of the fight against the epidemic have only stayed in the pictures transplanted from the photos. For such a major event that profoundly affects the fate of mankind, it is far from enough for the painter to stop here, and the masterpiece that profoundly reveals the deep things behind the disaster has yet to be explored and excavated by the painters.
First Kuomintang-Communist cooperation Wang Yexiang 300×450cm 2020
Testimonials
Text/Sho Ohno
The purpose of "reading thousands of books and walking thousands of miles" is to wash the soul, filter impurities, increase insight, broaden the mind, purify the soul of the person, and sublimate the spirit of the person. Therefore, the ancients emphasized that kung fu is outside the painting, which is to put spiritual values in the supreme position. The rapid development of the times is constantly changing the world and at the same time changing people's way of life and way of thinking. However, the persistence of the spiritual homeland is the soul of the painter as a cultural person, and the improvement of cultural cultivation and the cultivation of the spiritual world are the lifelong compulsory courses of the painter.
The times are developing and changing, and people will constantly put forward new demands for aesthetics. Fu Baoshi emphasized with the sense of mission of "renewing his life" that "when the times have changed, the pen and ink have to change." "If they had only painted new elements of life such as reservoirs, bridges, and high-voltage telephone poles in their works, and only made some tinkering and subtraction in technique, I am afraid that it would be difficult to produce convincing success in art." The painter's task is not to illustrate life, only to subvert the original aesthetic habits with a new visual aesthetic experience can arouse the strong shock and resonance of the audience's heart. Therefore, if the painter does not have a new breakthrough in the change of way of thinking and aesthetic concepts, it is impossible to really make a difference.
Enan Spirit Sho Ohno 200×400cm 2021
"Thinking of the spring breeze, looking at the autumn clouds, the gods are flying." It is a realm of freedom to think freely. In the face of nature, the painter's mind is enlightened, the imagination can be fully exerted, the pen is sent, and the emotions are indulged, so that the painting is full of vitality and appeal. If in the face of nature, according to Tu Suoji, without giving up, passively led by the nose, then what is the meaning of painting?
Balzac's definition of the novel is "great lies", from an aesthetic point of view, all literary and artistic works that express human spiritual activities should actually have such attributes, and creation is actually a process of borrowing the topic, in this process, the author's thoughts and feelings, aesthetic ideals, value orientation, and cultural accumulation must be conveyed with the help of the image in the work. Chinese painting pays attention to writing the heart and creating the environment. Isn't that a "great lie"?
Bells of the Red Chamber Wang Yexiang 300×300cm, 2021 (Jiaxing South Lake Memorial Collection)
The popularity of the camera provides convenience for the collection of painting materials, and the ability of the camera to capture details and vivid moments is difficult to match for sketching, so the painter will not ignore the advantages of modern tools and blindly reject the photo. However, it is not advisable to rely entirely on photos in the creation, and it is not advisable to put the photos on the picture accurately and unchanged, and the fine art works are to evolve the prototype of life into a visual language through the refining and generalization of life by the painter, presenting a form different from reality, so as to evoke people's perception of aesthetics. Therefore, only by giving full play to one's own mind and using photo materials reasonably and effectively to create a visual style that is different from others is the work of the painter.
Northern Jiangsu Councillor Wang Yexiang 240×200cm 2021
Beauty and beauty are not the same thing, beautiful and pleasing appearances often obscure the real beauty, painting should not be keen on the dazzling appearance but should pursue the expression of inner beauty.
Cézanne's apple represents the structure of objects and the rhythm of color, revealing the painter's subjective world's perception of beauty.
Van Gogh's sunflowers are the passionate release of his restless heart.
Rodin believes that "character is beauty", so the old and ugly prostitute "Omiyer" can move and shock the soul through time and space.
Freud's muscular human body shape conveys the visual tension and inner wildness with sonorous brushstrokes and thick shapes.
When the painter is too obsessed with the appearance of things, obsessed with exquisite and delicate depictions, and pleasing the audience with dazzling techniques, he actually loses the basic judgment ability of beauty, and is at the expense of the loss of inner emotions in exchange for cheap praise.
Artist Profile
Sho Ohno
Former deputy director of the Institute of Character Painting of Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Chinese Painting
He is a member of the China Artists Association
Researcher of the Academy of Painting of the Central Research Museum of Culture and History
Former director of Jiangsu Artists Association and secretary general of figure painting art committee
National first-class artist
He has won the honorary title of Outstanding Expert of the Ministry of Culture and Pacesetter of Education, Science, Culture, Health, and Art of the National People's Congress
Winning
The 8th National Art Exhibition Excellent Work Award (No Grade Award)
Bronze Award of the 11th National Art Exhibition (The 1st Government Creation Award)
The 12th National Art Exhibition was nominated for the award
Gold Medal of the First "Jinling Hundred Families" Painting Exhibition
Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of reform and opening up, the National Art Exhibition Outstanding Work Award
The 50th Anniversary of the Founding of the Army", the "Excellent Work Award"
Silver Award of the 80th Anniversary national art exhibition of the founding of the army
Outstanding Work Award of the National Art Exhibition on the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China
Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the Outstanding Work Award of the All-Army Art Exhibition
Central Party History Museum "Exhibition of Fine Art Creation Project Works commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Party"
publication
Sho Ohno Art Book, Tianjin Mine Publishing Co., Ltd.
"Wang Yexiang Gongbi Figure Painting", Beijing Arts and Crafts Publishing House
"Ink Collection - Wang Yexiang Volume", Shandong Pictorial Publishing House
"Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Chinese Paintings Boutique Painting Library * Character Volume - Wang Yexiang's Works Collection", Jiangsu Fine Arts Publishing House
"Gongbi Character Painting Technique", Jiangsu Fine Arts Publishing House
"Into the Famous Studio - Wang Yexiang Volume", Tianjin Fine Arts Publishing House
"Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Chinese Painting Creation Research Series - Wang Yexiang Volume", Jiangsu Fine Arts Publishing House
"Teaching Model of National Higher Academy of Fine Arts- Selected Works of Wang Yexiang", Beijing Arts and Crafts Publishing House
"Fine Arts", "Chinese Painters", "Chinese Painting", "Chinese Painting Studies", "China Art News" and other professional publications have published works or special editions of the introduction.