The Guangdong Academy of Painting joined hands with painters from all over the country, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, to make three major achievements, which symbolized the historic leap of standing up, getting rich, and becoming strong
Text/Yangcheng Evening News reporter Zhu Shaojie
A few days ago, "Always Follow the Party and Forge Ahead on a New Journey -- An Exhibition of Fine Art Calligraphy and Photography of Guangdong Provincial Organs Celebrating the Centenary of the Founding of the Party" was exhibited at the Guangdong Academy of Painting.
Three large-scale series of theme works "Nanyue Xiansheng - Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China", "The Wind of the Southern Country - Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Xiamen Special Economic Zone", and "A Hundred Flowers Blooming - Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China" were unveiled on the same stage for the first time. They were all done by the Guangdong Academy of Painting in conjunction with painters from all over the country, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
"At this important historical juncture in the centenary of the founding of the Party, the Guangdong Academy of Painting has the obligation and responsibility to give back to the country and the people with its ideological and artistic masterpieces." Lin Lan, president of the Guangdong Academy of Painting, said in an interview with the Yangcheng Evening News reporter: "These three works reflect the historical leap of the Chinese nation from standing up and getting rich to becoming strong. ”
Lin Lan
With the innovative spirit of "pen and ink with the times", he paints a thick and colorful artistic appearance
Yangcheng Evening News: As the main person in charge of this collective creative team, how do you balance and deal with the styles of different artists?
Lin Lan: His undergraduate degree is Chinese painting, his master's degree is in mural painting and public art, he has been engaged in mural painting creation for more than 20 years, and relevant experience has also been applied to large-scale collective creation in recent years:
First of all, we must set up a clear creative framework, organize the corresponding creative team, and let the members of the team collaborate to carry out local creation under a clear framework, in this process, we must also pay attention to the unique artistic creativity of each person and incorporate it into the overall framework.
Of these four steps, the first is the most important. In the 118 days of creating "The Wind of the Southern Country - Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen Special Economic Zones" last year, our conception of the manuscript accounted for almost 80% of the time, on the one hand, the screening of content, how to extract the most representative creative content that can best reflect the theme in the massive basic materials.
For example, the key construction achievements of the four special zones in the past 40 years and the unique cultural and social landscapes and natural landscapes of each special zone, and so on. Since there are many historical materials that are only suitable for text narrative and are not necessarily suitable for expression in the form of images, we must also select those creative contents that are suitable for artistic presentation.
"Southern Guangdong Pioneers - Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China"
Yangcheng Evening News: The members of the team who have created these times have a great age span, how to divide the work?
Lin Lan: In these major creations from 2020 to 2021, in addition to all the Chinese painters of the Guangdong Academy of Painting, we also invited the chairman of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Artists Association, the chairman of the Shenzhen-Shantou-Zhuhai-Xiamen Special Economic Zone, and young painters from the four special zones.
The longest of them is Mr. Ou Hao, who was born in Taiwan in 1935, and the youngest is a post-90s student of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and dozens of authors span nearly 60 years.
Due to the needs of epidemic prevention and control, we cannot organize all painters to collect and create for a long time, so we take the combination of online and offline methods, first gather young people to form a creative "sharp knife class", concentrate on completing the core framework part of the picture, other painters carry out their own pen and ink creation on a relatively stable framework, and the opinions of foreign experts are continuously summarized in stages through online means and injected into the main picture in a timely manner.
Despite the epidemic and the fact that each creation lasted more than 100 days, the old, middle-aged and young authors maintained a high enthusiasm for creation, and many creative surprises were generated from it.
A Hundred Flowers Blooming : Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China
Yangcheng Evening News: This newly created "Southern Guangdong Xiansheng" and "A Hundred Flowers Blooming" seem to continue the working method of "The Wind of the Southern Country"?
Lin Lan: With the trial and exploration of "The Wind of the Southern Country" last year, how to carry out large-scale thematic collective creation, we have more clear and feasible creative methods and steps. In 2021, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, we have completed two large-scale collective creations, "The First Voice of Southern Guangdong - Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China" and "A Hundred Flowers Blooming - Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China".
"Southern Guangdong Xiansheng" takes the 23 outstanding revolutionary martyrs who were active in guangdong in the early days of the Communist Party of China as the performance object, and continues the "dotted line surface" method of "The Wind of the Southern Kingdom" in composition, and in terms of individual shaping, the creative team has also been repeatedly deliberated and studied.
Due to the relationship of age, the image of the martyrs is usually relatively vague and the details are difficult to discern, and the creative team has sensitively captured their images by repeatedly studying the revolutionary deeds of the martyrs, and polished the glorious images hidden in the dust of history one by one.
"A Hundred Flowers Bloom" uses "flowers" as the element to run through the whole canvas, with the horizontal extension of the map of China as the general section of the work, while the partial section of the picture is composed of 34 large and small sections including 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 municipalities directly under the central government, 2 special administrative regions and Taiwan.
In terms of specific object shaping, the modeling creation of Hundred Flowers is based on a large number of sketches and graphic data collection of objects, in order to grasp the morphological characteristics and spiritual characteristics of flowers. At the same time, from "flowers, leaves, regions, and countries", from point to surface, from part to whole, the artistic transformation from authenticity to decoration to symbolism and symbolism has been realized.
These three large-scale series of theme creations reflect the historical leap of the Chinese nation from standing up and getting rich to becoming strong. At this important historical juncture in the centenary of the founding of the party, we hope to tell the story of party history and the story of China well in the unique way of expression of fine arts.
"The Wind of the Southern Country - Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Xiamen Special Economic Zone"
Yangcheng Evening News: In the process of creation, what are the special considerations for "Nanyue Xiansheng" and "A Hundred Flowers Blooming"?
Lin Lan: "Southern Guangdong Xiansheng" does not use a collective group photo position arrangement in composition, but combines twenty-three martyrs in different time and space through a similar "scattered perspective" method.
The denseness, height, and relationship between the characters in the picture, and the blank space of the background are all hoped to highlight the independence of each character, and to convey the fusion of the revolutionary vanguard spirit in different time and space through such a seemingly simple and clean artistic technique, and the touching deeds of each character are not only separate chapters without losing the integrity of the work.
In terms of expressing the form of technique, "A Hundred Flowers Bloom" highlights "eclectic Chinese and Western, integrating ancient and modern".
The works use the artistic expression language of the Lingnan School of painting "part-time work belt writing, color and ink equal emphasis", the traditional artistic expression techniques of the Lingnan School such as "boneless method" and "hitting the water and hitting the powder method", the visual presentation of the flowers and leaves in detail, and the innovative spirit of "pen and ink when the times are contemporary", painting a thick and colorful artistic outlook.
In terms of overall tone setting, the work is based on gold, the ink stains are shaded layer by layer, and the texture is subtle and rich. With gorgeous, bright, calm and exciting bright tones, it expresses the prosperity of hundreds of flowers, and the flowers are purple and red, and strive to reflect the continuous enterprising and uplifting spiritual temperament of the Communist Party of China over the past hundred years, and convey the vigor and vitality of China's "strong".
Collective creation is not addition but multiplication, not physical action but chemical reaction
Yangcheng Evening News: What is the tradition of collective creation in the Guangdong art world? What are the characteristics of collectively created works?
Lin Lan: There is a long tradition of collective creation in the Guangdong art world. We can see that the collective creation led by the older generation of Guan Shanyue, Li Xiongcai and other old gentlemen paid attention to the theme of the times, refined the characteristics of Lingnan's artistic language, and produced classic works such as "Declaring War on the Ocean" and "Hexiang Wanqing".
I remember when I was studying, I saw "Declaring War on the Ocean" created by teachers and students of the Chinese Painting Department of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in the 1950s. There is no specific author's name signed on the screen, and the teacher and student group has pure enthusiasm and concentrates on creation, and what comes to the face is the huge energy generated by a collective creation, which is magnificent but emotionally simple.
In my opinion, collective creation is not addition but multiplication, not physical action, but chemical reaction.
The Broad American Painting Department collectively created "Declaring War on the Ocean"
Yangcheng Evening News: In the 60s and 70s of the last century, the collective creation of Guangdong can be said to have achieved a number of famous artists, including your father, Mr. Lin Yong. What does collective creation mean for painters?
Lin Lan: At that time, a group of eye-catching young painters emerged in the Guangdong art circles, such as Tang Xiaoming, Chen Yanning, Wu Qizhong, Zhang Shaocheng, Pan Jiajun, and so on, including my father Lin Yong, who concentrated on the creation of the Guangzhou Agricultural Lecture Institute.
In their view, painting does not mean individuals, does not mean fame and fortune, and devotes themselves to artistic creation without distraction, and painting a good picture is the most important. I think you don't paint well, then I will change it, the person said I think I paint better, then he will change, each painting can be said to be the crystallization of group creation.
Young people, especially outstanding young painters together, everyone put forward their own academic opinions, good is good, bad is not good, the collision of ideas, the collision of technology, and even the stimulation and linkage of the entire creative state, resulting in a very distinct artistic appeal, so that the batch of works they concentrated on creating in the 70s of the Guangzhou Agricultural Lecture Institute has become a standing red art classic.
Yangcheng Evening News: Looking back at the exploration and efforts of the predecessors of the art in this regard, what kind of enlightenment does it have for today's creation?
Lin Lan: For me, the deepest impression is their extreme commitment. I still remember the scene where they wore white vests, sweated profusely, and left their jobs behind.
They repeatedly polished the manuscript, countless small drafts, color drafts, each large oil painting, Chinese painting creation are made a one-to-one several sketches, each large painting details, parts have corresponding sketch materials, local manuscripts.
Many classic historical creations, such as Tang Xiaoming's "Never Truce" showing mr. Lu Xun's image in his later years, have at least three positive drafts, and Lin Yong's "Return from Investigation" has two original sketches of one to one.
At that time, they really polished a work repeatedly with great enthusiasm and devout investment, and it may take half a year or even a year or two for a work. Looking back at the unremitting search for their own artistic ideals, we really need to work hard today. Different eras have different responsibilities, but different eras also have the same responsibilities, that is, we must have the ambition to create epics of the times.
Tang Xiaoming", "Never Truce"
Yangcheng Evening News: In the past period of time, collective creation was relatively rare, and in recent years it has become a remarkable phenomenon and even a trend.
Lin Lan: Today, our creative methods should be more diverse, whether it is individual creation or collective creation, I think it can be carried out independently. After I arrived at the academy in 2018, I had this idea, and I must restore the fine tradition of collective creation of the Guangdong Academy of Painting, which is also the advantage of the academy.
If the academy as an educational unit has the main responsibility of art design education, the Art Institute has the function of organizing a wide range of art activities, but the academy is a pure creative institution, and the painters must do a good job in creating this, then, large-scale collective creation, a group of people, a long period of concentration, continuous improvement, this creative mode can only appear in the academy.
And in any case, what is a good artist, a good art team? The first is to have shocking works, the second is to be related to the general trend of the times, which must also be supported by good technology and artistic quality, which is also the most important place for the collective creation of large-scale thematic art, that is, not only the "small me", but also the "big me". We hope to learn from our predecessors and pay tribute to tradition!
【Introduction】
Genre: Chinese painting
Dimensions: 300cm (H) × 800cm (W)
Invited Consultant: Yi Li
Collective creation of Guangdong Academy of Painting: Lin Lan, Zheng Apan, Huang Guowu, Li Dongwei, Huang Weili, Zhou Zhengliang, Chen Yingxin, Chen Ji, Du Ning, Guan Jian
Invited Artists: Guo Chukai (Guangdong), Feng Xin (Guangdong), Tan Zhoujie (Guangdong), Liang Xingsheng (Guangdong), Chen Yubi (Guangdong)
Size: 300cm (H) × 1600cm (W)
Collective creation of Guangdong Academy of Painting: Lin Lan, Li Dongwei, Huang Guowu, Huang Weili, Zhou Zhengliang, Chen Yingxin, Chen Ji, Du Ning, Guan Jian
Featured Artists: Szeto Nai-chung (Hong Kong), Li Ying (Macau), Lin Tianxing (Hong Kong), Li Dezhi (Macau), Chen Xiangbo (Shenzhen), Gu Jinqi (Zhuhai), Xu Zijing (Shantou), Lin Tao (Xiamen), Liu Ming (Guangzhou), Yang Xing (Shantou), Lin Miao (Shenzhen), Luo Xiaoyan (Guangzhou), Chen Yubi (Shantou)
Featured Artists: Au Hao Nian (Taiwan), Szeto Nai Chung (Hong Kong), Lai Ying (Macau), Hu Jiucian (Taiwan), Lin Tianxing (Hong Kong), Li Dezhi (Macau), Xu Dunping (Guangdong), Liu Ming (Guangdong), Luo Yuxin (Guangdong), Lin Yusi (Guangdong), Chen Yubi (Guangdong), Li Jun (Guangdong), Wu Longqiang (Guangdong), Cui Yongqiang (Guangdong), Wang Aishi (Guangdong), Wu Chenlu (Guangdong)
Source | Yangcheng Evening News Yangcheng Pie