British historian Toynbee: "What we are experiencing in our world, Thucydides experienced in his time, Thucydides had already experienced ......He and his generation were ahead of me and my generation, and we arrived at the scene of historical experience. In fact, his present is my future. ”
Wang Shuzhong was born in 1987 in a place called Lingbi in Suzhou, Anhui Province, where "the mountains and rivers are beautiful, and there are stones like bi", so it is called "Lingbi". Since he was a child, he has been full of love for painting, and even in his limited vision, he is still full of yearning for the distant Yellow Mountain. Perhaps it was just through the sparse geography books or the New Year's paintings such as the ubiquitous welcome pine that he stumbled upon a glimpse of the Yellow Mountain. The beauty of Huangshan deeply attracted him, and he dreamed that one day he would be able to be immersed in the scene, stay there, and paint her beauty with a brush to his heart's content, and paint her demeanor into a picture scroll. In Wang Shuzhong's eyes, Huangshan is no longer an unreachable distant mountain, but a source of eternal inspiration in the depths of his soul.
After receiving a master's degree from the Academy of Fine Arts of Shanghai University, Wang Shuzhong not only went to Huangshan, but also planned to ...... four times, five times, and even six, seven, and eight timesThen his journey of discovery went all the way west, extending to the ** plateau. During his travels, he would often see mountain tops or lakes, ruins of ruined castles on cliffs, mani mounds, printing institutes, grottoes and famous temples, all of which made him feel as if he had traveled through a long river of history. However, only the existence of the "Tui Temple" by the Pumu Yongtso Lake is alive and well, representing the present and the future. Tui Temple became a harbor for him to stay, as if it was a ship, rippling between heaven and earth. Tui Si is the boat of Tui villagers, the boat of Pumu Yongcuo, the ship of introverted religion, and the ship of the third pole – rippling in the interweaving of time and space. Of course, he would prefer that Tui Si was just a small boat - her existence was not so important to outsiders. He is not a person who asks questions like Liu Ziji in Nanyang, but like a fisherman who strayed into Wuling. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that you, me, Tui Village, and these snow-capped mountains and lakes have all become the boats of Tui Temple. Each piece of the boat was tied to her latch. In this way, when opening and closing, between spirit and reality, living beings can continue in the midst of misery!
Through thousands of mountains and rivers, through ancient time and space, Wang Shuzhong is not limited to calligraphy, painting and ink, he goes deep into the depths of the past. As a professional in art history, he has written articles for various art journals and has a profound research on the history and theory of painting. He spent five years presiding over the compilation of more than ten monographs such as "Wu Hufan Yearbook", "Meijing Book House Painting", "Green Pond Sketch Song" and so on.
Having a deep love for the ancients and an appreciation for contemporary art is the cause of Uncle Wang's previous life.
The Annals of Wu Hufan is one of the most important monographs in the Annals of Artists that we have seen so far. In addition to the life and travels of Wu Hufan, the leader of the Shanghai School Art Alliance, the book pays more attention to the collection and sorting of the paintings he created. During the five years of compiling the Annals of Wu Hufan, Wang Shuzhong and his wife Chen Hansu not only sorted out the documents, but also visited scholars and collectors from all over the country and abroad, carefully examining and verifying the materials. The first essence of the annals is to record truthfully and pursue faithfulness to history. Whether it is praise or criticism, they strive to be objective and truthful. Wang Shuzhong and Chen Hansu are also painters themselves, and they are in the first period of creation. After graduating from Fudan University, Chen Hansu continued his studies in the Department of Chinese Painting of the China Academy of Art, where he practiced deeply in the subjects of flowers, birds, and figures. In their extensive reading and academic research, they were deeply inspired by their intimacy with Mei Jing Danqing. This has had a profound and positive impact on their painting art, which has led to the improvement of their painting skills. This integration of dual identities allowed them to not only stop at the collation of written materials in the process of compiling the annals, but also to deepen their understanding of Wu Hufan through their own painting creation practice. "Meijing Book House Paintings" is the first collection and publication of Pan Jingshu's (Mrs. Wu Hufan's) calligraphy and painting works, including more than 100 Pan's calligraphy and painting works, including Pan Jingshu and Wu Hufan's collaborative works, as well as Pan Jingshu's calligraphy and painting, ancient painting inscriptions, poems and singing, which shows the interesting and elegant things of Meijing Book House's calligraphy and painting. "Green Pond Sketch Song" is a 1939 Wu Hufan to mourn his deceased wife Pan Jingshu, and invited friends to inscribe Pan's "Green Pond Grass". This time, it is a photocopy and reprint of the first edition of "Sketches of Green Ponds", and relevant written and historical materials have been added to make it more valuable as a document.
In the spring and autumn of the fifth time, they trekked through mountains and rivers, collected historical materials like gold panning in the sand, experienced the ups and downs, and only knew their own shortcomings. Although the final draft of the annals was completed, although we tried our best to avoid omissions, the documents were like a sea and the historical materials were like clouds, and it was inevitable that there would be omissions. They hope that in the future, they will continue to collect historical materials and improve them, because scholarship is the public instrument of all mankind, not the independent reputation of individuals. The unremitting study of Wu Hufan, a legendary art master, is a contribution to scholarship and a precious testimony to art history. Mr. Zheng Wei, a consultant of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States, a well-known connoisseur of ancient paintings and calligraphy, and an art historian, spoke highly of this, saying that this monograph is extensive and in-depth in the collection of historical materials, with a solid foundation and a spirit of exploration. In addition, Mr. Zheng Wei said that the author "punches in and pulls out", embeds himself in the history of his predecessors, and is not confined to history, extracts the essence from it, and finds his own existence in exploration, which is very valuable.
Through more than five years of hard work, these two young researchers have become new stars in the field of Wu Hufan's research, and have won the recognition and praise of the vast majority of people in the academic community.
In the massive documentary information, through Wu Hufan's personal life, specific humanistic scenes and art circles, Wang Shuzhong successfully restored the history of maritime painting and connoisseurship from the 20s to the 60s of the last century, allowing readers to get a glimpse of the art world of the last century, and the academic value of the chronology is truly reflected. While reviewing Wu Hufan, Wang Shuzhong also focused his attention on Zhang Daqian, the "first person in 500 years". Wu Hufan is Zhang Daqian's most admired master of the Shanghai School, Zhang Daqian once said: "I used to travel to Beijing, saw Pu Xinji, painted in and out of ancient and modern times, thought I had seen a person in my life." As for Shanghai, Mr. Hufan, who is very knowledgeable and magnificent, paints and casts the Song and Yuan Dynasty and becomes a family of his own, and he is very convinced of my heart, but he knows that the world's painters are not easy to measure. ”
As the youngest researcher at the Zhang Daqian Research Center in Sichuan, Wang Shuzhong paid more attention to Zhang Daqian's copying of ancient paintings and his follow-up to Shi Tao's painting concept of "searching all the peaks to make drafts". Zhang Daqian first spent more than 30 years to achieve the goal of integrating the ancient school, and then spent more than 20 years to transform, transform, break through, and sublimate from the tradition, thus creating the most modern Chinese painting style, and becoming the most rare cross-generational master in the history of Chinese painting, "borrowing the past to open up the present" and reaching the pinnacle in both aspects. Wang Shuzhong studied with Mr. Fu Shen for more than ten years, and Mr. Fu once said: "When you really understand Zhang Daqian's life's paintings, you have already reviewed most of the history of Chinese painting." He believes that Zhang Daqian's paintings have both a beautiful appearance and a dignified inner quality, which is a high level that cannot be surpassed.
Although Wang Shuzhong is a junior of the younger generation, he has similarities with his predecessors in thinking and practice. He took Mr. Fu Shen as his teacher, deeply studied Zhang Daqian's painting creation concept, and accumulated experience. Luo Zongliang, former director of the Sichuan Zhang Daqian Research Center, pointed out: "We need to re-understand Wu Hufan, Zhang Daqian and their generation, which is not simply 'taking' the knowledge of the past. This re-understanding is a deep understanding to a certain extent, rather than blindly following or being burdened by imitation. We need to keep feeling and appreciating the art they create and the emotions behind it with a new perception. More importantly, we need to understand the crises and opportunities of the times that that generation experienced at the same time, because they were closely connected to that era. These 'scenes of historical experience' that are fused together are also the scenes that our generation needs to explore. Wang Shuzhong is a new generation of artists who are both scholars and painters. ”
Mentorship is the tradition of the art world, and innovation is the personality of the artist. Modern painters have become popular in learning from the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the similarity is very high, Wang Shuzhong's landscape paintings are based on the main line of the two Song Dynasty landscapes, and he has deeply copied and studied the works of Li Cheng, Guo Xi, Wang Shu and other painters. However, he was not confined to the two Song Dynasty, but extended up and down at both ends, one was to chase upward, not only the scroll paintings of the Tang Dynasty and before the Tang Dynasty, but also to find the source of more ancient paintings from tombs or documents; On the other end is the painting of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, including the gold and stone paintings since the Qing Dynasty. He spent a lot of time in the northwest, where the early Chinese culture was born, and absorbed abundant nutrients from the murals of Dunhuang and the murals of the tombs of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. This cross-generational study has enabled his paintings to touch on a wider historical context, showing a deep understanding of traditional Chinese painting in all aspects.
Wang Shuzhong's contact with traditional Chinese painting was relatively late, mainly concentrated in the past ten years, especially the study of the Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan traditions. Despite this, he showed a high level of understanding, as if he had undergone a baptism of rebirth, devoted himself to the in-depth study of the classical tradition, and paid tribute to the famous classical masters of modern times, including Wu Hufan. By using a brush to study their paintings and organize historical materials, he studied the painting ideas of the ancients in depth, and through this process, he had a gradual dialogue with the ancients.
In recent years, Wang Shuzhong's paintings have shown more elements of today's exploration, reflecting a new way of artistic expression. At the same time, the study of Western art also provided new inspiration for his creation, forming an artistic language that blends East and West, showing his understanding and integration of multiple cultures, which makes Wang Shuzhong's paintings have an aesthetic and depth that spans Eastern and Western cultures. Wang Shuzhong's landscape paintings are known for their refined and mellow brush and ink treatment. He is good at capturing the atmosphere of natural landscapes, and shows a hazy and clear artistic conception through the depiction of Yanjiang and clouds. This expressiveness is not only reflected in the technique, but also in the high degree of conception and brushwork. His paintings are characterized by the delicate use of toner and are adept at expressing nuanced landscapes. Through deep ink colors and delicate brushstrokes, a unique atmosphere is created, showing the unique charm of landscape painting, making the picture appear sluggish in silence. Uncle Wang pursues the profundity of artistic conception, and uses light ink to render a far-reaching and ethereal effect through elegant and noble composition and brushwork.
These experiences and grinds are reflected in his insights after studying and completing the volume of "Endless Streams and Mountains". Compared with the original work on silk, the paper retains the atmosphere of the Yanjiang River and the clouds and mountains, and the pen and ink are refined and melt into it, and the atmosphere is hazy and has a sense of being out of the chest.
Guo Xi once said that learning painting is like learning books, and taking painters such as Fa Zhong, Wang, Yu, and Liu will be like it for a long time. Wang Shuzhong is well versed in the landscape method, and his painting must be precisely conceived, with loose brushwork and ink, noble style, and far-reaching artistic conception, and is considered to be the best among his peers.
Xu Jianrong, a well-known art historian, art educator, calligraphy and painting appraiser, and calligrapher and painter, was Wang Shuzhong's graduate tutor. He emphasized the influence of the Li Cheng School and the development of later generations such as Guo Xi and Wang Xu, praising his subtle and meteorological expression. Xu Jianrong recognized the inheritance of this traditional style of painting and spoke highly of the artist's artistic pursuit.
The article mentions the theory of "North-South Sect" advocated by Dong Huating, and believes that this view is dominant in the area south of the Yangtze River. However, the author points out that Wang Shuzhong was independent of the sect and conducted in-depth research on painters such as Li, Guo, and Wang, in an effort to understand their spiritual connotations. The proposed title of "Autumn Ji Picture of Streams and Mountains" spread the painting to North America, expressing the high importance of its artistic value.
Xu Jianrong emphasized that the innovation of painting is noble, and the innovator who abandons the classics is a very person, and the innovator who narrates the classics is an ordinary person, emphasizing the importance of independent thinking and the pursuit of individuality in artistic creation, and highly praised the innovative spirit of Uncle Wang.
These innovations are also perfectly reflected in the series of works by Wang Shuzhong Huangshan. In the 2022 series "Mountain 1" to "Mountain 4", the artist boldly abandons the traditional depiction of the mountain and transforms the mountain almost completely into a mountain shadow, presenting an extremely innovative and unique artistic style, profoundly challenging the traditional concept of landscape painting, and this abstract expression is thought-provoking.
In terms of color treatment, from the green landscape to the cinnabar series, and some other color systems, Wang Shuzhong was inspired by his early research and imitation of tomb murals. Through the use of color, the painter succeeded in replacing the traditional lines with abstract forms, showing a more free and expressive artistic language. The rich gradation and gradation of colors make the picture full of movement, as if the mountains are flowing in light and shadow. This substitution of color not only gives the work a unique aesthetic feeling, but also emphasizes the emotional experience and inner expression of nature. What is even more striking is the impressionistic technique adopted by the painter, through vague and general depictions, to give the picture a dreamlike effect. The shadow of the mountain flows in the interplay of light and shadow, giving the viewer a sense of unreality and profoundness, as if they are in an artistic realm beyond reality. This use of impressionism not only breaks through the constraints of traditional landscape painting, but also expresses the painter's unique understanding of natural landscapes. With his abstract, colorful, and impressionistic expressions, the painter has successfully transformed the magnificent beauty of Huangshan into a work of art with deep thinking and emotional resonance. This unique artistic practice not only enriches the expression of landscape painting, but also provides the viewer with a fascinating aesthetic experience.
Whether it is the Yellow Mountain or the holy mountain of **, these mountains and rivers are ethereal in the eyes of Wang Shuzhong. He walked into the past from the perspective of modern people, "walked in" through the experience of ancient experiences, "walked out" from the yesterday of the ancients, and integrated into his innovative today. In the cycle of time and space, only the soul interacts and communicates. This includes landscapes and inks, all of which are expressed through the blending of spirituality. He uses his pen to communicate with the landscape, and expresses the spirituality of the landscape with the impression in his mind.
Wang Shuzhong is not only a painter, but also a researcher of art history, and he clearly integrates historical elements into his paintings, reflecting his unique "historical view". He was deeply influenced by the seals engraved by Chen Julai, and especially loved the poems: "Look back at the sunny window several times a day" and "Lao Dong's romance can still be climbed", these seals made him feel as if he had seen Zhang Daqian's paintings, which were comparable to Zhang Daqian's "Xikang Ji Travel Atlas" and other works created in the forties and fifties, and resonated among his confidants.
Wang Shuzhong's academic exploration covers a wide range of subjects, and the study of calligraphy and fonts is also in his art history exploration. He must practice calligraphy every day, from the Shang and Zhou Jinwen to the oracle bone inscription, then chase the law of the two kings, study Yan Zhenqing's Tang Kai in depth, and then return to the calligraphy style of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. This kind of academic vision spanning different historical periods gives his paintings a richer historical depth.
In terms of calligraphy and painting, Wang Shuzhong's view of history influenced his creation. He borrows from non-Chinese cultures, including Japanese, Korean, European and American forms of calligraphy, and injects some visual and expressive elements. This comprehensive approach to learning and creation enables his work to demonstrate the integration and understanding of multiple cultures.
Looking back at the sunny window several times a day, Li Guo's romance is still climbable. ”
The young artist Wang Shuzhong, with modern ink colors, leads the audience across thousands of years, which is a dialogue between time and space, an artistic encounter across a thousand years. Take the beauty of Li Guo's landscape and go to the appointment of the modern soul.
Nian Qing Kangsang Snow Mountain Sketch "Colored gouache paper, 2021.
About the Author:
Pang Hui is a consultant of Jiangsu International Cultural Exchange Center, a consultant of Silicon Valley Asian Art Center, and a researcher of Zhang Daqian Research Center in Sichuan Province. In 2019, he began to edit and publish books on oracle bone inscriptions, "Dream of Red Mansions" calligraphy and painting, Chinese rice paper, the essence of ancient Chinese calligraphy classics, and Zhang Daqian's calligraphy and painting in Chinese and English.