In 1989, Li Yi went from Shandong to study at the Graduate School of the China Academy of Arts
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the China Academy of Art, I received the invitation to write a proposition of "I and the China Academy of Art", and I was deeply honored and willing to do it, but I found it difficult to write. The China Academy of Arts is the highest comprehensive art research institution in China, with a large number of talents and a large number of talents. I am only a very ordinary member, and I feel honored to have the opportunity to write some words for the celebration of the academy. I was included in the list of invitations, perhaps because I have multiple relationships with the China Academy of Arts. As far as the teacher-student relationship is concerned, I was first a student of the China Academy of Arts, and then a teacher of the China Academy of Arts; I first studied for a master's and a doctorate here, and then I took a master's degree and a doctorate here. From the beginning of graduate school until retirement, I worked hard at the China Academy of Arts for decades, and until today, after retirement, I still teach at the podium of the Graduate School. In terms of identity, I am not only a researcher at the China Academy of Art, but also engaged in research work in the Academy of Fine Arts for many years, and a senior editor of art observation magazine, with the dual identity of researcher and editorial staff. In terms of artistic pursuit and direction of efforts, the years of cultivation and tempering of the China Academy of Arts have enabled me to establish the academic path and goal of "holding the art boat and achieving the success of learning and art" and striving to practice. It can be said that the China Academy of Art is not only the artistic holy land that I admired and longed for in my early years, but also the place where I worked hard and paid hard in the future; it is not only the starting point and destination of my academic research, but also the base and base camp for my calligraphy creation. Time is rushing, and most of my life has been spent at the China Academy of Arts. To be fair, the China Academy of Arts has provided me with good learning opportunities and academic platforms, and my growth is inseparable from the cultivation and cultivation of this research institute. In my life journey and artistic creation and research experience, it can be said that the China Academy of Art is the most critical stage and the most important station. Zhi En Tu Bao, I should thank the China Academy of Arts. The past rolls up and down from the mind, and the deceased people walk back and forth in their minds, with mixed feelings and imaginations. The scene of studying in Gongwangfu, the days of undertaking scientific research projects with teachers and friends, and the past of editing art observation magazine with colleagues in the editorial department all come to mind one by one, trying to capture the vivid moments in the past years, but I don't know where to start. After thinking about it, I will write a few feelings under the titles of "Begonias of Prince Gong's Mansion", "Lights of the Editorial Office", and "The Kind Eyes of Two Gentlemen".
Begonias of Prince Gong's mansion
In his early years, when he was a graduate student at the China Academy of Arts, the site was still in Gongwangfu. My memories naturally begin with the study life of Prince Gong's mansion. Prince Gong's mansion is the largest in Beijing, and in this quaint courtyard of deep mansions, the various research institutes and graduate schools of the China Academy of Arts have been hidden for many years. The graduate school where I studied is located in the southeast corner of King Gong's mansion and has a relatively independent teaching building. After graduation, the research institutes of fine arts, the institutes of opera, and the institutes of dance are located in the back cover building of the backyard (commonly known as "ninety-nine and a half rooms"). Most of the places where academic conferences are held in the Baoguang Room and Jiale Hall. My study life began in Prince Gong's mansion, where I ate, lived and studied, and then worked here for many years, obtained master's and doctoral degrees here, and joined the Communist Party of China here, so I miss this quaint deep mansion compound very much.
In 1991, Li Yi (second from left) and fellow graduate students Meng Xianli, Ma Wenqi and Xu Jing took a photo at Gong Wangfu
32 years ago, in 1989, after the end of my life, I temporarily left my wife and daughter, came from Shandong to Beijing Gongwangfu, entered the graduate school of the China Academy of Arts for further study, first studied for one year, then studied with Mr. Chen Shouxiang for a master's degree, then studied with Mr. Deng Fuxing, and after graduating with my doctorate in 1996, I was assigned to the Institute of Fine Arts to engage in research work, until 2002, before the China Academy of Arts moved to the new site of Huixin Beili in Chaoyang District, I studied, worked and lived in Gongwangfu for more than ten years. Before coming to gongwangfu to study, although he had been studying calligraphy and painting for many years and had written several papers, he still could not satisfy himself in terms of level. After coming to the Gongwang Mansion, after the gentlemen's pointing and systematic study, the understanding has been deepened, the level has been improved, and the official entry into the door of art research has begun. Although Prince Gong's mansion was in the center of the capital, it was not open to the public because it was an art research institution at that time, and it was usually very quiet, which was very suitable for reading and learning. It was in the quaint and relatively quiet environment that I completed my master's and doctoral dissertations on schedule, and wrote monographs such as "Where to Go: Postmodernism and Contemporary Painting", "Outline of the History of Ancient Chinese Art Criticism", and "Comparison of Chinese and Western Art Criticism".
In 1994, li Yi took a group photo with his supervisor Mr. Chen Shouxiang (right) and Mr. Shen Peng (center), chairman of the defense committee, after defending his master's thesis
In 1994, Li Yi took a group photo with his mentor Mr. Deng Fuxing (left).
During my study and work at Gongwangfu, I participated in two major collective research projects at the China Academy of Arts. The first is the 12-volume "History of Chinese Art" edited by Mr. Wang Chaowen and Mr. Deng Fuxing, and the second is the 14-volume "General History of Chinese Art" edited by Mr. Li Xifan. Participating in the compilation of the "History of Chinese Art" began in the early 1990s, and participating in the compilation of the "General History of Chinese Art" began in the late 1990s, and participating in such a big project was crucial to my growth. In a big way, only a comprehensive art research institution such as the China Academy of Arts can complete such a large-scale project, and only people like Wang Chaowen and Mr. Li Xifan can lead such a major academic project. In a sense, these two sets of big books are not only milestones in the academic research of the China Academy of Arts, but also milestones in the study of modern and contemporary art history and art history. I had the privilege of participating in it and listened to the teachings of Mr. Wang Chaowen, Deng Fuxing, Li Xifan and others many times, and I gained a lot. Participating in the compilation of "History of Chinese Art" made me realize that the key to the study of art history is the occurrence and development of aesthetic consciousness embodied in the phenomenon of art with aesthetic relations as the main line, and is an important research object for the study of art history. As Mr. Wang Chaowen emphasized, the creation of fine arts, the existence and development of art theory, and their position in history, all reflect the changes and development of aesthetic relations. The mission of art historians is to reveal the phenomenon of art in the past and other factors that are interdependent and interact with art, and to reveal the inevitable characteristics of their inheritance and innovation in the process of development. Participating in the compilation of the "General History of Chinese Art" made me realize that all kinds of art in China have their own characteristics, but also have the characteristics of interconnection, mutual influence and mutual promotion; not only to take the in-depth study and summary of the history of each type of art as a solid foundation, but also to base on the overall social situation and the overall grasp of artistic development, attach importance to the overall macroscopic research, focus on summarizing and summarizing the common and lasting laws of art in each era, and strive to reflect the achievements of various types of art that are symbiotic in the same social environment or cultural atmosphere. The general history of art is difficult to pass. Researchers should have the vision and thinking of "understanding people". These two topics have concentrated the wisdom of more than 100 experts in the whole hospital and even the whole country, and I can participate in them, learn and communicate with many experts, and indeed learn a lot of things.
June 1996 The 96th Doctoral Dissertation Defense Conference of the China Academy of Arts was held at the Gongwang Mansion from left: Deng Fuxing, Xue Yongnian, Tian Zibing, Shao Dazhen, Chen Shouxiang
Li Yi at the thesis defense meeting
Prince Gong's Mansion is located in the south of Houhai and the west of Qianhai in Shichahai, and the address is No. 17, Qianhai West Street. Because of the wide influence of art research of the China Art Research Institute, which is hidden in it, he founded a sect in the art world, known as the "Qianhai School". A major feature of the "Qianhai School" is that theory is integrated with practice, and artistic research is combined with creative practice. I remember that at the opening ceremony of the Graduate School, Mr. Zhang Geng, director of the Graduate School and a famous opera scholar, stressed the importance of linking theory with practice. The combination of theoretical research and creative practice, the two complement each other, with theoretical thinking to drive creative practice, creative practice to promote theoretical thinking, is the tradition of the China Academy of Arts. Huang Binhong, Wang Chaowen and other elders have set a brilliant example for those who came after them with the fruitful results of theoretical research and creative practice. Since I entered the Gongwang Mansion to study, I have also consciously inherited this tradition, and for many years I have taken the road of combining art history research and calligraphy creation practice.
Many past events, the most memorable is the reading life of Prince Gong's mansion. At that time, we lived in a simple building, cold in winter and hot in summer, and the food in the canteen was relatively light. Although life is poor, as soon as I read a book, I am full of happiness. In the morning, I went to the Tianxiang Courtyard to recite the painting theory, waved a few pages of "Anxious Chapter" after breakfast, and walked with my classmates in qianhai or houhai after dinner, which was a very pleasant thing. In particular, during the reading interval, watch the begonias of gong wangfu, watch their flowers in spring, and enjoy their fruits in summer. I once had a poem "Reminiscence of gong wangfu begonias" to recall the scene at that time: "The ice muscle jade bone belongs to Yanchun, and the wind and sun are gradually even. Accompanied by reading delicate words such as explanations, no incense attack is also affectionate. ”
The lights of the editorial office
One of the characteristics of the China Academy of Arts is that there are many academic journals under the institute and its influence is widespread, and the magazine "Art Observation" where I once worked is one of them. For quite some time, I shared my fate with this magazine. Doing editing for publications was something I had never thought of when I was in graduate school, when I thought about my own academic research and calligraphy creation, and I wanted to turn a deaf ear to the outside of the window after graduation and concentrate on studying my own subjects. Who knows if the sky is not the way people wish. After graduating with my Ph.D., I was just assigned to the Institute of Fine Arts, where I was used by the newly launched Art Observation, and since then I have been inseparable from this magazine, starting as a column host, and then as the deputy editor-in-chief, editor-in-chief, and legal representative of the journal. I worked as an editor of Art Watch, starting in 1996 and working until I retired at the end of 2017, for more than 20 years. Chronologically, I was the longest-serving veteran at Art Watch. To be honest, this magazine has cost me and my fellow editors a lot of hard work. The editors of Art Watch have always had a tradition of diligence and perseverance, and the staff, young and old, did not dare to slacken off, and I just couldn't be lazy in it. In the final analysis, editing work is to make wedding clothes for others, and most of the time and energy is spent on topic selection and manuscripts. It's funny to say that I, a senior researcher and doctoral supervisor at the China Academy of Arts, can only be regarded as an editorial work before I retire.
As a national art core journal and a large-scale comprehensive art monthly, the academic content and social impact of Art Observation cannot be underestimated, and its position in the minds of readers cannot be replaced. Its promotion of the process of contemporary Chinese art, its constructive opinions on art creation, art theory, art education, art market, art exchange and dissemination, especially its keen observation and analysis of various art phenomena, have produced great social repercussions and promoted the healthy development of contemporary Chinese art. The academic image of "Art Observation" is as commented by researchers: a distinct personality and its interests; sincere questioning, but not confined to study; focusing on construction, but unremitting criticism; focusing on forward-looking and diligent reflection; striving to be comprehensive and avoiding superficiality; respecting objectivity and advocating conscience; and the tone is serious and full of enthusiasm. For more than 20 years, Art Observation has always adhered to the purpose of "examining art with the eyes of an observer, observing the world with the eyes of an artist", always standing at the forefront of scholarship, firmly grasping the major issues and focal issues related to the development of art to analyze and judge; always carrying out creative work with a broad vision of "great art"; always revealing the "great art" with an open mind and an inclusive mind; always having a distinct Chinese cultural stance. Closely link academic thinking in the field of fine arts with the country's cultural development strategy. We have always adhered to the editorial principle of academic supremacy and quality first, and given full play to the advantages of scholars running journals. Fellow editors know that academic quality is the life of the journal, and always put academic quality in the first place when compiling journals, focusing on the planning of selected topics and the control of quality. Editing work is linked one by one, always busy, editing this issue, listening to the feedback of the previous issue, thinking about the progress of the next issue, everyone often drives a night train for planning topic selection and editing, revision, and unified manuscript, so the lights of the editorial department are often on. Whether in the Gongwangfu period or in the HuixinBeili period, overtime was the norm for the editors of Art Observation. In 2003, at the symposium of the 100th issue of art observation, I once expressed the feelings of my colleagues in editing the magazine: "The hundred issues have passed and the new period, and it is precisely when the East wants to be white. The Three Broken Wei compiled the letter of the present day, and the bitterness of the three parts of the letter was known. ”
Although the editing work takes time and energy, so that I cannot concentrate on writing books and making arguments, there are losses and gains. It is necessary to be able to be at the forefront of academics, adhere to the academic position, understand academic trends, broaden academic horizons, improve academic insights, discover cutting-edge problems, propose academic topics, organize academic forum activities, and have the opportunity to interact with peers, which is of great help to academic construction. For example, the "Discussion on Contemporary Standards of Calligraphy" was initiated by Art Observation at my suggestion. Since 2006, Art Observation has discussed the contemporary evaluation standards of calligraphy for many consecutive issues, and invited nearly 100 experts to express their opinions through symposia and pen talks. This thematic discussion has persisted for 10 years, and has been fully affirmed by all sectors of society, especially the calligraphy community, and has had a positive and extensive impact, becoming a very meaningful cultural event in recent years. The results of the discussion were not only collected into the book "Contemporary Calligraphy Standards", but also further explored the evaluation system of contemporary Chinese calligraphy on this basis. The editing of the magazine has also changed my academic research, because I am in the forefront of academics, prompting me to think more about academic issues related to reality, gradually shifting from ancient to modern, from history to reality, paying more attention to the inheritance of cultural context and creative transformation, innovative development.
The kind eyes of the two gentlemen
The two gentlemen are Mr. Wang Chaowen and Mr. Feng Qiyong. I have been fortunate to listen to the teachings of the two gentlemen for many years and to be cared for by the two gentlemen, which is a great blessing in my life. Although they have been dead for many years, their voices and smiles, especially the kind eyes, often appear in front of my eyes.
When Mr. Wang Chaowen lived in the Red Temple, I went to the house many times to consult. Later, his family moved to No. 2 Huixin North Lane A, and we lived on the first floor together, and the contact was more. Elder Wang is the honorary editor-in-chief of Art Observation, and every time a new issue comes out, I often send it to his home and report on his recent work and listen to his opinions. As early as when I was a graduate student, Elder Wang was concerned about my study, knew that I loved and studied calligraphy, and encouraged me to study theory and practice calligraphy at the same time, and could not be a short theorist. My doctoral dissertation, Mr. Wang once wore a magnifying glass to review, and after reading it, he wrote me a long letter, which not only fully affirmed, but also put forward some deficiencies. In his later years, Mr. Wang Chaowen became more and more concerned about calligraphy. The last major topic he led was the Commentary on the Theory of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting in Past Dynasties. In 1999, the 90-year-old Elder Wang personally invited me to his home at the Red Temple and was ordered to participate in the compilation of this topic, and the scene is still vividly remembered. Elder Wang repeatedly interviewed or wrote to the members of the research group about the importance of studying traditional calligraphy and painting theory and the methods of research. I still treasure several letters from Elder Wang on how to study the theory of traditional calligraphy and painting, and every time I re-read them, I am always touched by Elder Wang's spirit of "going to the Tao, not willing to die at night".
What moved me even more was that Elder Wang discussed the problem of calligraphy with me again and again, and used interesting life words to comment on my calligraphy work. Talking with Elder Wang, in addition to feeling enlightened, I will further understand the close connection between art and life. Expressing the essence of art with life feelings is a prominent feature of Dynasty Wen scholarship. He embodies the principle of art in the discussion of artistic phenomena and life phenomena full of personal feelings and experiences, revealing the mystery between art and life. In May 2002, my first solo exhibition of calligraphy was held in Shandong. On the eve of the exhibition, Elder Wang gave encouragement and wrote an inscription on rice paper with a brush: "Li Yi listened to the calligraphy, and sprouted in Qilu." In the hometown of the new work exhibition, the enlightenment is pro-new rain. The fine artist Li Yi, a fellow Confucius scholar who started his studies in Qufu, will exhibit his new works in Shandong and wish him an open mind to listen to suggestions. In 2002, the dynasty was heard in mid-spring. This inscription has been hanging in my study since it was exhibited, and I always look at it, look at its face, and think of its style.
In 2002, Mr. Wang Chaowen gave Li Yi an inscription
In 1999, Li Yi went to the hospital to visit Mr. Wang Chaowen and reported on the work of Art Observation. On the right is Lady Wang Chaowen Xie Yizhen
Mr. Feng Qiyong is a scholar-type calligrapher and painter. My association with Mr. Feng also began with calligraphy. Before I came to Beijing to study, I visited Mr. Feng in the dormitory of Zhang Zizhong Road People's Congress in Beijing. Mr. Feng knew that I practiced Zhangcao and gave warm encouragement. After I went to Gongwangfu for graduate school, because I was in the same unit, the opportunities for contact with Mr. Feng gradually increased. I often carry calligraphy to Mr. Feng's office for advice, and Mr. Feng has given me ink treasures many times and often takes out his own collections for me to observe. Mr. Feng has traveled extensively in his life and is good at traditional art, so his collection is very rich. In Mr. Feng's place, I have seen famous calligraphy and paintings such as Xie Wuliang, Liu Haisu, Zhang Zhengyu, Zhu Qizhan and Tang Yun, as well as many literary treasures. One of the most impressive was the 18 letters written to him by his teacher, Mr. Wang Yuchang, in his later years. The traditional style of Chinese calligraphy is that the letter is as natural as the face, and the practical and aesthetic nature are integrated, which is both a work of art and a carrier of emotion. Mr. Wang's 18 letters, also known as the "Eighteen Theses", are masterpieces in the history of contemporary calligraphy, as well as a true portrayal of the inheritance of the context and the friendship between teachers and students. Mr. Feng is very fond of the "Eighteen Posts", once I went to the Gua Dining House to ask for a study, Mr. Feng specially held out this beloved object for me to study, and at the same time carefully talked about the context, writing content and calligraphy characteristics of this post. Mr. Feng told me that reading posts requires learning to distinguish carefully. There are two types of Chapter Grass of Mr. Wang Yuchang, one is written with a bald pen, the style is ancient and elegant, and the other is written with a relatively new pen, the strokes are sharp, appearing dashing and fluent. The letter was written with a new pen, with a broken pen, and the last two posts of the "Eighteen Posts" were written a few days before his death, completely with a broken pen. To learn the difference between the two types of pens, it is necessary to carefully distinguish the differences between the two types of pens. Talking about the interaction with the teacher, Mr. Feng was very excited, immersed in the good memories of the past, and praised the teacher as "the article TaiShishi, calligraphy Lu Pingyuan", and his sincere feelings for the teacher deeply touched me.
In 1993, Li Yi and Mr. Feng Qiyong (right) talk at the National Art Museum of China
When I was a graduate student, Mr. Feng was the Vice President of the China Academy of Arts and the Director of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of the Academy. He attaches great importance to the cultivation of academic talents, and has made many pertinent suggestions for the selection and writing of students' master's and doctoral dissertations. My master's thesis and doctoral dissertation were consulted more than once during the writing process, and when it was completed, it was personally reviewed by him. Mr. Feng fully affirmed the paper from the point of view of love, and his enthusiastic encouragement increased my confidence in sitting on the cold bench. Until now, I still use Mr. Feng's method to motivate students and myself, and strive to do what Mr. Feng hopes, not arrogant, diligent and down-to-earth.
In 2005, the China Academy of Art and the China Calligraphers Association hosted my calligraphy exhibition at the National Art Museum of China, and Mr. Feng, who was more than 80 years old, first arrived at the National Art Museum of China to leave an on-site signature and personally wrote an article to introduce it. As before, he affirmed my efforts while at the same time raising higher hopes. In the commentary, Mr. Feng expounded his own calligraphy ideas: to learn calligraphy, we must attach importance to reading knowledge, attach importance to copying the ancients, attach importance to absorbing the present, and gradually improve the scholarly education of scholars in reading and copying, and form a personal style. Style is by no means made, style is the natural presentation of the scholar's cultural accomplishment and artistic personality in long-term practice. Every time I revisit these words, I feel a sense of enlightenment.
In May 2005, the "Li Yi Calligraphy Exhibition" was held at the National Art Museum of China. From left: Long Rui, Feng Qiyong, Zhou Weizhi, Wang Wenwen, Feng Yuan, etc. attended the opening ceremony
Memories of the past, unforgettable feelings. Mr. Wang Chaowen and Feng Qiyong have gone, and I have also retired for 3 years. Time flies, the deceased is like a si, looking back on the road, a little more relieved, a few more sentimental. I will continue to follow the path pointed out by the gentlemen, and do my best to do my best to revive Chinese culture, and perhaps this is exactly what the two gentlemen hope. (Li Yi)
(Source: Biographical Literature, No. 9, 2021)
Artist Profile
Li Yi, born in 1957 in Qufu, Shandong, is a doctor of fine arts, art historian and calligrapher. He has been engaged in art research, publication editing and postgraduate teaching at the China Academy of Arts for many years. He has successively served as the deputy editor-in-chief and editor-in-chief of Art Observation, the deputy director of the Fine Arts Research Institute of the China Academy of Arts, and the director of the China Artists Association. He is currently a member of the Academic Committee, a member of the Teaching Steering Committee, a researcher and a doctoral supervisor of the China Academy of Arts, the deputy director of the Theory Committee of the China Artists Association, the director and member of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, and the academic advisor of the Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum.
The main exhibitions are "Li Yi Calligraphy Exhibition" (National Art Museum of China, 2005), "Yizhou Shuangyu - Li Yi Calligraphy Exhibition" (National Art Museum of China, 2013), "Consistent - Li Yi Calligraphy Exhibition" (Zhejiang Art Museum, 2015), "One Yuan Fu Start - Li Yi Calligraphy Exhibition" (Shandong Art Museum, 2016), etc.