Qian Jianting
Born in 1972 in Fan County, Henan Province, he settled in Shenzhen
He is a member of the Chinese Calligraphers Association
He is a member of Shenzhen Artists Association
Calligrapher and painter of Xiling Art Museum
A first-class artist at the China Academy of Chinese Painting
Special correspondent for the Calligraphy Herald
The state of life of a Chinese painter
Text/Cheng Dali
In Chinese painting, from the law to the reason, from the reason to the Tao, the Tao has become the highest learning of Chinese painting. Lao Tzu said, "The metaphysical is the Tao; the metaphysical is the instrument." (1) In The Six Dynasties Wang Wei's "Narrative Painting", it is said that painting is "with a pipe of brush, imitating the body of the too virtual", and this "too virtual" is "Tao". Zong Bing, a contemporary, said it more clearly--"The saint contains the Tao", "The landscape is in the shape of the Tao". (2) These early classical theories stipulate the general characteristics of Chinese painting: "chasing the body of the void", which is personal but far from the world, the shape takes its imagery and fades from the realism, emphasizes the spiritual dominance, and looks at things with a Taoist mind. Zong Bing also said that the purpose of painting is to "smooth the spirit". ③
"Ta family", 48x180cm
According to the philosophy of Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi, the farther away Chinese painting is from the world, the better, especially landscape painting, it is best to follow the route of "the unity of heaven and man", and the less fireworks (social life breath) in the world, the better, so as to achieve "independent contact with the spirit of heaven and earth". This view is similar to today's ecological and environmental awareness. Therefore, Chinese painting does not pursue fast pace, but calmly and calmly, such as clouds and flowing water, which is the art of calming down, fading down, and slowing down. The Song people have the view of "five days and one stone, ten days and one water" is this state of one chant and three sighs, which is somewhat like tai chi, endless and hidden needles, making people all around the body and strong. Chinese painting and calligraphy have always been good at pure mind and cultivating spiritual wisdom, so Confucians regard piano, chess, books, and paintings as a means of cultivating an ideal personality. Calligraphy and painting can be more "cleansed, broken, relieved, and calmed down." "(4) It is a good medicine for dispelling diseases and increasing longevity.
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Westerners have a strong interest in Chinese painting, but they are more optimistic about Chinese painting before the Qing Dynasty. Although it is not easy for them to understand the superiority of the brush and ink art of landscape painting, they can feel the spiritual realm in Chinese landscape painting and understand people's yearning for the natural world. They fully accepted the characteristics of Chinese painting that do not express tension, do not emphasize the sense of form, and do not pay attention to visual impact. Good Chinese painting pursues inner beauty, which may be very common at first glance, but after a long time, you will see the painter's mind floating under the pen. Take time to feel the enduring charm of a good painting.
"Spring Flowers Bloom Everywhere" 48x180cm
Sheikh's "Six Laws" speak of "vivid rhyme", which refers to a vibrant, dynamic and orderly rhythm of life formed by the interaction between "man" and "heaven". This is indeed different from the Western painting method of emphasizing "image". Traditional Chinese culture, whether Confucian, Taoist or Shijia, is infiltrated by the spirit of "the unity of heaven and man". In the works of traditional Chinese painters, we can realize a strong, far-reaching, sincere and simple love of heaven and man. This is true of poets, so are musicians, and so are painters. Under the influence of pre-Qin philosophy, ancient Chinese painters established a cosmology that regarded all things as one. In terms of the natural meaning of heaven, the unity of man and nature contains the idea of mutual tolerance between man and nature.
"Proud Wind" 48x180cm
As the "Zhuangzi Dasheng" section says: "The one who has the spiritual platform, the one who is in the heavens is also among the people." "The spiritual platform" is the mind, which is to say that the human heart contains the nature of heaven and earth. The Book of Rites and Fortunes says: "The deceased person has the virtue of heaven and earth, the friendship of yin and yang, the meeting of ghosts and gods, and the beauty of the five elements." Liu Xun's "Wenxin Carved Dragon • Original Dao" article put forward according to the person "for the show of the five elements, the heart of the real heaven and earth", etc., are all the play of this idea. After nature became the aesthetic object of man's self-consciousness, this idea was carried forward and expressed more deeply.
During the Jin and Song Dynasties, people appreciated the landscape from the real to the virtual and beyond the mysterious realm. Painter Zong Bingyun: "The quality of the mountains is watery and interesting. The People of the Jin and Song Dynasties admired nature and had the transcendent and far-reaching meaning of "seeing Gui hong, waving the five strings in their hands". This makes Chinese landscape painting a kind of "landscape in the artistic conception" from the beginning. The landscape of Zong Bing's painting hangs on the wall, and the cloud is said: "Fuqin exercises, in order to make all the mountains sound." Guo Jingchun has a poem: "Lin has no quiet trees, and the river has no stop flow." This mysterious and profound philosophical meaning is infiltration into the aesthetic feelings of ancient Chinese painters.
"Floating Incense Around the Curved Shore Round Shadow Covering Hua Pond" 48x180cm
Pen and ink culture is a spiritual art derived from Chinese philosophy. The "mental image" expressed by pen and ink is fundamentally different from the "image" from nature to two-dimensional plane. Therefore, Chinese landscape painting is not called "landscape painting", but "landscape painting". This is because pen and ink are a means of expressing the mind, not just to depict nature. Chinese painting advocates the principle of simplicity: in ink or very few colors, objects are depicted in a two-dimensional way, and there is moderation in the use of space. Counting white as black, this is the minimalist principle of art, and the works of art produced by it are naturally less meticulous and realistic than Western classical oil paintings, but Chinese focus on "conveying the gods" rather than "transmitting the form". For the sake of this "God", even if the image is sacrificed. According to Zhuangzi's point of view Chinese, all existence is unreal for the individual, only the painter's own living life is the only truth that can be grasped, and the emotions of this life and life itself are also fleeting, leaving the traces of emotion on the paper, becoming recognizable, feeling, and playful.
"First Spring Color" 48x180cm
Chinese literati painters take themselves as the basis for natural expression, they believe in their inner experience, believe that they have glimpsed the essence of the universe, and believe that the rhythms and forms that flow out without thinking under their pens are the most real and profound rhythms and forms of nature, so they express this subjective feeling and form an image - this is the "mental image". Because of the mental image, there is a requirement for the quality of the mind.
The ancients advocated a simple, simple and elegant painting style, and pursued the purity and transparency of pen and ink, just like their pursuit of the purity of the heart. Accomplished painters often maintain a low profile in their attitude towards life. Low-key is a realm. It is a belief that art and life are one, and that art should be the unfolding and completion of life, not a means of exchange for worldly benefits. Emphasize the perfection of the quality of the mind. Therefore, the real person is not only a pen and ink practitioner, but also a person with a humanistic care spirit, reflecting the true nature of life through pen and ink, and purifying the souls of themselves and others through pen and ink.
Throughout the generations of painters, he is sincere and frank, and his knowledge is profound and profound, so the realm of his works is far away and deep. In the Book of Music, it is said: "Music comes out of the middle, so it is quiet; Etiquette from the outside, the old text. Traditional art uses "stillness" to suppress the instinctive impulses of human animality, so as to achieve the ideal state of "up and down" and "heaven and earth". Therefore, traditional painting works not only imply the information of individual emotions, but also pay more attention to the transmission of human emotions, showing a gentle and elegant gentlemanly style. Arrive at the realm of "the unity of heaven and man" that Zhuangzi said, "Heaven and earth are born with me, and all things are one with me." In the picture, whether it is mountains and rivers, pavilions and pavilions, or characters walking animals, flowers, plants, fish and insects, they all reveal the aesthetic mind of the painter to neutralize and calm, pursue a high degree of harmony between man and nature, and conceal the imprint of the self-improvement of the painter's personality.
"Gentleman's Friendship" 48x180cm
"Jing", this Chinese aesthetic temperament carries the fine cultural genes of traditional art, and was once revered by the world. "Quiet" is deep, can think about deeper problems, and embodies the consciousness and humanistic spirit of human nature. However, in the past hundred years, the "quiet" cultural gene of the painter has quietly disappeared in the noise of the so-called tide of the times. Artists who have copied Western art styles and claimed to be "avant-garde" or "avant-garde" have also displayed the "national spirit" by labeling a national art, such as "Chinese symbols", and the essence has been far from the national spirit.
The theory of painting in past dynasties has put forward "pure heart", "good at reading", "early reputation", "pro-style and elegance", "no opinion of fame and fortune", and cannot "indulge in wine, lust for sex, exploitation of wealth, willfulness in qi", etc., which means that noble character can affect pen and ink. Li Rihua of the Ming Dynasty said in the "Purple Peach Xuan Miscellaneous": "Wen Zhenglao's self-titled "Rice Mountain" said: 'The character is not high, and it is impossible to use ink. 'It is a matter of knowing that the ink is falling on the paper, and it is not a trivial matter, and there must be nothing in the chest, and then the smoke and clouds are beautiful, and the anger of the heavens and the earth is raw, and the natural berth is docked, and the pen is strange. If the camp is remembered, the bath snow is not exhausted, the same day to the hills, the day to imitate the miracle, in the end only with the work of the carpenter (referring to the painter, the clay smith) to compete with the millimeter. ”
"Quiet Pine Sound Away" 48x180cm
Shen Zongqian of the Qing Dynasty said more specifically: "The height of the pen is also like the character of the person, so all the records are passed down, and its outstanding people are only a few people, and they are covered in thousands of hundreds of people to obtain the ears of these people." How can the transcendence of Gou's character be passed on to the latter? There are four ways to seek the highest level of the husband: one is to be pure in heart to eliminate vulgar worries, the second is to be good at reading to clarify the state of reason, the third is to be known for being a few distances away, and the fourth is to be pro-style and elegant to the right style. With the four, the grid does not seek high but exalts itself. This specific requirement almost becomes the conscious consciousness of painters, especially literati painters, and thus the state of consciousness. It has been passed down for hundreds of years, forming the personality tradition of ancient painters.
The Qing Dynasty painter Sheng Dashi once wrote an article criticizing the world style, which is somewhat similar to today, he believes that "the modern scholars are indulged in the field of lust, and their poems are only to ask for qingxiang, make friends with nobles, and take advantage of goods to fatten their ears." Painting is the same, when you first write a pen, you have a calculation in your chest, a certain painting given to a certain dignitary will not be false, and a certain painting will be generously favored, so that its despicable and ugly view can no longer be turned, whether it must not be worked, that is, work is not the ear of poetry and painting. ”⑤
The painter's impetuous mentality can be reflected in the picture, and the works that strive to please others often have the intention of "doing", which is not really moving, and even they are perfunctory, how can they impress the viewer? Therefore, the deep problem of the picture is closely related to the character.
The character is not high, and it is rare to have a realm. In ancient China, there was an extremely harsh criticism of painters, and they believed that "ordinary diseases are difficult to cure". However, The Qing Dynasty King Shuo prescribed a prescription: "There is no other way to go to the customs, and if you read more books, the atmosphere of the books will rise, and the atmosphere of the city customs will decline." (6) It is often the layman who does not read, reads less, or does not read into books.
"Celestial Machine"
48x180cm
The Ming Dynasty painter Dong Qichang emphasized the enlightenment of the heart, emphasizing that the heart should respond to things, and the heart should be responded to with emotions, and painting was not a servant of creation. Dong Qichang's calligraphy and painting art has no utilitarian color. In his mind, art is entirely the need of the heart. He wrote and painted, completely entering a state of tranquility and tranquility, loose and flushed, the heart and the work became one, painting is no longer a burden, but becomes a pleasure without pain, only pleasure. Because of this, Dong Qichang discovered the health care method of "smoke cloud offering" from the art of calligraphy and painting. He wrote: "The way of painting, the so-called universe cares about the hand, there is nothing but life in front of the eyes, so its people often live longer." As depicted as meticulous, for the creator of the servant, it can damage life, and the cover has no vitality. This sentence has been proven by history, which is the wonderful thing about the art of Chinese painting and calligraphy. It is also about what makes it difficult for Westerners to understand. ⑦
"Field Paradise" 48x180cm
Dong Qichang also believes that "in the matter of painting, the creation in the chest is revealed at the end of the pen, and the trance changes, like its object." It is enough to enlighten people's lofty ambitions and inspire people's arrogance. In his view, painting is a spiritual activity of noble aspirations, not a casual play. It represents a spiritual pursuit. Dong Qichang advocated that artists should purify their hearts. Because only a pure, quiet mind can extract and express the great beauty of heaven and earth, like Ni Yunlin, "wash away the dust and remain alone." "Like Yun Nantian", "migrate and create and travel with the sky." "In order to experience the spirit of nature, so that the clear natural mountains and rivers reflect their own bright and clear hearts; Talent is not carved, natural; Talent is like mountains and rivers with clouds, grass and trees with brilliance, full of lushness and seen outside the object. He is proficient in Zen, understands simplicity to be high-flying, but complex but inferior, so his paintings are naturally simple, hidden but not revealed, virtual and ethereal, entering the highest realm of pen and ink art.
"Fairy Muscles Are Not Afraid of Bitter Cold Invasion" 48x180cm
Talent alone cannot reach this realm, and must be supplemented by knowledge cultivation and life experience, which also reflects the literati characteristics of Chinese pen and ink culture. Chinese painting and calligraphy need a knowledge platform, and without the nourishment of culture, calligraphy and painting have lost their roots.
Everyone has maintained a peaceful attitude throughout the ages. "An" is the self-feeling and expression after the tranquility of consciousness; Auspiciousness is auspiciousness, the meaning of goodness, and it is the expression of all kinds of goodness that is full of vitality. Anxiang is a state after understanding life, a comprehensive embodiment of "joy, nature, and dignity", and the result of the dilution of contradictions in the field of consciousness and the unification of body and mind. Now in appearance, it will show kindness, kindness, stability, forgiveness, and even freedom of action, and the mind can stop what it does and do what it does, which is the state of "freedom and self-consciousness" in which the mind is at ease and is not disturbed by external objects. The pen and ink under this realm is naturally relaxed, natural and vibrant, and is in harmony with the laws of the universe and the world.
Xu Fuguan believes: "Chinese landscape painting is produced by the oppression of long-term authoritarian politics and the reality of the desire for profit of ordinary scholars and doctors, who want to transcend and go to nature in order to obtain spiritual freedom, maintain spiritual purity, and restore the fatigue of life. (8) But the landscape paintings produced by this alone cannot reach a very high level. The motivation for painting is not only to escape, the literati have a natural affinity for the landscape, the so-called "benevolent Leshan, wise man Leshui" is the artistic state formed by the high degree of consistency between man and nature reflected in classical Chinese philosophy.
"Spring in the Countryside", 48x180cm
The painter's heart should be clean, the so-called "Chenghuai Guan Dao", "Cheng Huai" is the premise of "Guan Dao". Good works must be based on the cultivation process of the painter's personality and moral perfection. Wang Yu of the Qing Dynasty emphasized: "Those who learn to paint first have noble products. The person who establishes the product has a kind of positive light outside the pen and ink. Otherwise, although the painting is considerable, there is a vague sense of injustice. Therefore, the word 'correct' has always been extremely important. "Since the Song Dynasty, such a discourse has become a grand view." Painting like its people" has become an ancient precept of Chinese pen and ink culture. The painter pays attention to cultivating the character of the heart, "then the rational and righteous qi are clear, the spontaneous and vast thoughts in the chest, and the bottom of the wrist is the fun of life and ease." (9) "The Twelve Taboos of Pictorial Sects" and the taboos of using pens discussed by various schools since the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as "avoid slipping", "avoiding sharpness", "avoiding flow", "avoiding thinness", "avoiding floating", "avoiding lightness", etc., are also the taboos of being a human being.
Resurrection, 136x68cm
Wang Wei of the Six Dynasties advocated painting landscapes to "descend with gods." Tang Zhang Yanyuan further elaborated that "the nest is imitated, the forest is in love, and the gin and wine are suitable, and the smoke is beautiful and the lonely". (10) In the Qing Dynasty, Fang Fu was more specifically "a painter with a hill and a valley, a grass and a flower, all of which make the looker rest in his heart, and the viewer moves the color, thinking that it is a complete structure." The painter Wang Yuanqi pointed out in combination with the practice of brush and ink that the brushwork "can understand the temperament and release hesitation, the painter does not know it, and the viewer can know it", and the painting has entered the state of pranayama, which is related to health maintenance, so "most of the ancient families enjoyed the great age." (10) It is natural for painters to live long.
Classical Chinese philosophy believes that the universe is naturally endless, the human body is also the flow of true qi, and the care brushwork should be full of vitality, such as clouds and flowing water. When the external adverse environment affects the psychology and physiology, the yuan qi will change, and the qi deficiency and irritability will appear, which is reflected in the pen and ink as "floating" and "manic". When cultivation is not enough, it is difficult to overcome. A painter who pleases the outside world and is eager to get the praise of others often appears to be ingenious. Therefore, nourishing qi is the homework of Chinese painters, and it is necessary to be able to achieve continuous pulse, no sleepy pen, no astringent ink, stable vitality, and idle mind. Do not rush, do not slacken, do not sharpen, do not scatter, do not be too comfortable, and think about the heavens first. Mountains and rivers, forest location... With my temperament, I am not inside the mountains and rivers, and the spirit drives outside the mountains and rivers. Here has revealed the magic of "qi rhyme" - the heart is high and deep, and the mood is broad and high.
In this way, there are still many problems that contemporary painters need to solve.