SketchatU.S.WestCoast,168脳96cm.
ASketchoftheYellowMountain,96脳178cm,2011.ThelonghistoryofChinesepaintingartissatedwithnumerousgreatartistsandworksalike.Howcanpeopletodayinherittraditionwhiledevelopinganewartisticlanguagethatcapturesthespiritofthetimes?DongXiyuan,acontemporaryChinesepainter,hascomeupwithsomeanswers.Afteralongperiodofexploringspecifictechniquesandpaintinglanguages,DongsuccessfullyinternalizedthemostimportantelementsoftraditionalChinesepaintingandinjectedthemintohisownexperiencesandexpressiveness,resultinginanimpressivecombinationoftraditionandinnovation.
Asanartist,Dongisfirmlygroundedinhisowneraanddeterminedtodoitjustice.Chinesesocietyiswitnessingdramaticchanges,andChinesecultureisreceivingincreasingattentionfromaroundtheworld.Formanyyears,Donghasremainedpassionateandidealisticinhisartphilosophy.Heisdeterminedtowriteachapterinarthistorywithhisbrush.
TheoverallgoalsforChinesepaintingofthisnewerahaveposedseriouschallengesforpaintingpractitioners:Howshouldtheyinterprettradition,andwhatspecificlanguagestyleshouldbeused?Atthesametime,thiserahasalsoprovidedmanypossibilities.Donghasworkedhardonlandscapepaintingsandflower-and-birdpaintings,andbecomeproficientinvisualexpressioninbothfields.
TraditionalChineselandscapepaintingsmustdepictobjects,andmoreimportantly,expressemotionsbecausethepracticeembodiesthespiritualpursuitof鈥渉armonybetweenmanandnature鈥漣nancientChinesephilosophy,aweandrespectfornature,andconnectionsbetweentheartistandtheworld.Dong鈥檚landscapepaintingsdemonstrateaharmoniousfusionofobjectsandemotions.Hispaintingsareknownfortwodistinctivefeatures.Thefirstisthepursuitoftheaestheticbeautyofmountainsandrivers.DongfollowedtheacademicmethodofancientChineseartiststo鈥渟ketchadraftfromnatureitself.鈥滺eoftenventuredthroughmountainsandoverwaterstoinjectthesceneryintohislandscapeart.Inhiswork,weseemyriadmountainsandvalleys,tumblingclouds,runningstreamsandmajesticwaterfalls,allofwhichdemonstratethemagnificenceofnature.
TheothertraitisthatDong鈥檚landscapepaintingsfeatureaningeniouscombinationofrealisticandfreehandstyles.Ingeneral,hislandscapeworksfeatureelaborateandfinebrushwork,butareabitdifferentfromtraditionalChineserealisticpainting.Heprovidesdetailsonthelandscapestructureandremainsmeticulousintheusageoflinesandcolors.Withhiscontemporarylandscapepaintings,Donghasformedauniquestylemarkedbycloseattentiontodetails,whichevidenceshisexcellenttechniquesinpainting.
AnoldChinesesayinggoes,鈥渇ullnessisbeauty,鈥漣nreferencetoanaestheticstateoffullnessandabundance.Inthisrespect,Dong鈥檚landscapepaintingshaveachievedararebalancebetweenafascinatinglymajesticappearancefromadistanceandmeticulousdetailsupclose.Despitethefactthathisstyleremainsimperfectfornow,Dong鈥檚pursuitrepresentshisindependentexplorationoflandscapepaintings.
Dong鈥檚bird-and-flowerpaintingsshareasimilarinnerstructure.Hedepictsvividformsofflowersandbirdsthesamewayhecomposeslandscapepaintings:withintricacyofdetailandoutstandinglineshaping.Butinthesepieces,thefocusisondisplayingalifeformofhope.
Bird-and-flowerpaintingsandlandscapepaintingsaretwodifferentrealms,butDonghasmanagedtotranscenddifferentrealmsofart.Hecanexpresshisfeelingsnaturallywithhispaintings,embodyinghisdeepimmersioninart.Heisalsoanartistpersistentincreationandhaspaidhisduesinexploringart.Moreimportantly,heconsidersithisowndutytopromotethedevelopmentofChinesepaintingintheneweraandviewsinnovationinChinesepaintingashisacademicgoal.Thismotivateshimtokeepmovingandchallenginghimselftoreachnewartisticheights.TheessenceofChinesepaintingisacontinuousmarchtoahigherspiritualrealm.Dongiswell-experiencedjustashereachestheprimeageforartisticcreation.Inthefuture,hispaintingstylewillprobablybranchoutintomorediverseforms.Fromtheperspectivesofpaintingtechniques,spiritandcompetence,hehasgreatpotential.
ScenicViewofToweringMountains,375脳145cm.