The year 1986 was an unforgettable year for me, when the Lanzhou Military Region accepted the task of fighting back in rotation for self-defense and counterattack operations on the southern Xinjiang border. At that time, I was the art editor of the People's Army Newspaper, and I was fortunate to go to the front line with the backbone of the army's art creation to create and collect style, and go deep into life.
At that time, he was the author of the art editor of the People's Army Newspaper.
I remember that Guan Qiming and Zhu Wei of the Shenyang Military Region, Ye Yuzhong and Zhang Dexiang of the Xinjiang Military Region, Liu Jiancai and Ren Huizhong of the Lanzhou Military Region's Creation Office, Tian Liwei of the Military Region's Song and Dance Troupe, Yan Fei of the Military Region's Repertory Troupe, and Gu Guojian of the People's Army Newspaper Office.
The author (first from right) took a group photo with Ye Yuzhong, Zhu Wei and Liu Jiancai on the front line.
When we rushed from Kunming to Malipo, the commander of the unit, in order to ensure safety, did not allow us to go to the frontline position, and only allowed us to conduct activities in the garrison organs. For this reason, everyone is very anxious and eagerly hopes to go to the front-line troops to live in depth. I immediately contacted my good friend, Ma Fu, a military photography officer, and he promised to help us solve the problem. After coordination, the troops sent a special truck with tents to ensure our trip.
The big truck that accompanied the author to the front.
We went to the reconnaissance brigade on the front line, a certain artillery position, and the main peak of the Laoshan front line to collect wind and activities. We went to the front-line company to paint portraits of the soldiers, drew sketches in front of the camouflage nets of the artillery positions, listened to the vivid stories of the scouts who went deep behind the enemy lines to capture the enemy, and also went to the forward positions to feel the living conditions of the soldiers.
Take a photo of the main peak of the old mountain.
Yuan Xi, a photographic reporter of a regiment of the 47th Army, took me to the front line and accompanied me to draw sketches and shoot precious creative materials. In May, after I returned to the Lanzhou Military Region, I received many front-line images from Yuan Xi, and I immediately selected a few of them to be published in the People's Army's newspapers. In his letter to me, he said that except for the ** that has been published, the rest is reserved for my creation. I am very grateful for his help.
The author sketches at the front line.
In January 1987, our army launched the fiercest battle against the enemy after recovering Laoshan. On the battlefield filled with gunpowder, Yuan Xi took precious footage of the heroic battles of the officers and soldiers. During one of the shoots, he was unfortunately hit by a cannonball and died a heroic death.
When Yuan Xi sacrificed, he clenched the camera with both hands, and his eyes were wide open. His valor in the face of death made the enemy afraid to come near him. Several commandos of our army broke into the enemy position and risked their lives to snatch the body of martyr Yuan Xi back.
Yuan Xi's photo in the position.
I was very saddened to hear the news of Yuan Xi's unfortunate death. Especially when I saw those battlefield ** he sent me, my heart was so heavy! I couldn't hold back my sadness and excitement, after thinking about it, and reading many contemporary art works, I decided to draw on the painting creation and expression techniques of contemporary art ** collage, and sent Yuan Xi to me**, some of which were torn apart, some of which were scorched with fire, and irregularly put together a huge steel helmet, rising in the maroon sky. At the same time, I used strong and heavy colors of black, red, and yellow to draw a small grass left on the battlefield at the bottom of the picture, and the combined work "A Little Grass" was born! She deeply entrusts and carries my nostalgia and sorrow for the martyr Yuan Xi.
The grass in front of the tomb of the martyrs in Malipo.
On the occasion of the upcoming all-army art exhibition for the 40 th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, I submitted "A Little Grass" to the General Political Department as requested, but there was no response to it. I called ** to the comrade who was in charge of the army's art creation at that time to inquire about the situation, and he was very dissatisfied with the creative style of "A Little Grass". He said, you graduated from the ** Academy of Fine Arts, how can you paint like this, you should give full play to your basic skills! However, I have a very different view from him. I believe that only by creating in this way can we express our inner condolences to the martyrs.
In April 1988, with the help of Lu Xiaozhong, a photojournalist from the National Pictorial, the combination of photographs and paintings "A Little Grass" participated in the 88 Exhibition of Modern Photography held in Beijing. This work was exhibited in a prominent position in the exhibition hall and was affirmed by the organizing committee and relevant experts. On the evening of April 5th, ** TV station "News Network" introduced the artistic style of the 88 exhibition of modern photography, and made a special introduction to it.
The success of the creation of "A Little Grass" comforted the martyrs under Jiuquan and expressed my deep nostalgia and high respect for the martyr Yuan Xi!
Combination of Photography and Painting "A Little Grass" Yuan Xi Photography Gu Guojian Creation.
According to the combination of film and painting "A Little Grass", I created a small grass, which was selected for the 7th National Art Exhibition held in 1989 and published in the fourth issue of "China *** 1990".
When "A Little Grass" was published on the back cover of "Chinese Heroes" magazine, the famous poet Shu Xing's work "A Little Grass" was accompanied by a poem:
The sky is high, the ground is wide, the wind is clear, and the water is beautiful.
Winter plum, autumn chrysanthemum, summer lotus, spring willow.
No one is more dazzling than you.
No one is more romantic than you.
But. You are the only one who has sacrificed your life under the soil of history.
Only the sacrificial flesh and blood can carry the boat and overturn the boat!
(Wen Gu Guojian).
The author poses for a photo at the front line.
The following are some of the author's works that reflect life on the battlefield:
**Selected pages from "A Little Grass".
**Selected pages from "A Little Grass".
**Selected pages from "A Little Grass".
**Selected pages from "A Little Grass".
The illustration "Anecdotes of the Western Front" was selected for the 7th National Art Exhibition.
Artillery emplacements (sketches).
Combat intervals (sketches).
Thirst (illustration) oil painting "The Gate of the Country" In 1986, he was selected for the Southern Xinjiang Front Art Exhibition of the whole army.
*: West Wind Literature and Art).
Artist Profile
Gu GuojianGraduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, under the tutelage of Mr. Jin Shangyi and Mr. Wen Lipeng. He is a member of the Art Committee of the People's Liberation Army Academy of Fine Arts, a national first-class artist, a member of the Chinese Artists Association, a consultant of the Xi'an Artists Association, and a consultant of the Oil Painting Art Committee of the Xi'an Artists Association. He used to be the vice chairman of the Gansu Artists Association and the deputy director of the Literary and Art Creation Office of the Lanzhou Military Region. Representative of the 8th National Cultural Congress. His works won the Outstanding Works Award of the 8th and 9th National Art Exhibition, the Silver Award of the 10th All-Army Art Exhibition, the Silver Award of the 9th Chinese Population Culture Award, the Bronze Award of the 80th National Art Exhibition of the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the Army, and the Gold Award of the National Art Exhibition to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Long March. The work was selected for the first place.
The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th National Art Exhibition, the 3rd National Oil Painting Exhibition, the 3rd Beijing International Biennale, the Special Exhibition of Chinese Painting and Art of the Great Cause of the Century, and the International Art Exhibition to Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Anti-Fascist Victory have been held more than 60 times in the country. The oil painting "Summer 1998" was successfully auctioned at the Beijing Poly Autumn Auction. The oil painting "Fathers and Villagers" won the 2016 National Art Funding Project. Some of his works have been collected by the National Art Museum of China, the China Affairs Museum, the Museum of the Chinese Revolution, the Central Committee Building, and the China Museum of Posts and Telecommunications. **The TV station once made a special report with the title of "Chasing the Colorful Clouds on the Edge of the Sky - Military Painter Gu Guojian".