Art Criticism
Former central leader Wu Guanzheng:
If you are in a forest with flowers blooming like brocade, I will be a flower-gaze when I go out
Professor Qi Gong:
Mr. Fang Guoxing's "Xiao Zhuan" and "Molan" are the best today.
Mr. Tao Boyu:
When learning calligraphy, Mr. Fang is good at using the official pen as seal script, and also adopts the meaning of running script; Li Beibei's calligraphy is done in cursive style, melting all styles into one furnace, creating new pictures and creating his own look.
Mr. Fang's "Xiao Zhuan" and "Orchid and Bamboo" are contemporary masterpieces
Professor Kang Sun:
I think Fang Jun's calligraphy is beautiful, as are the flowers and birds. Bamboo orchid is more beautiful. His orchids are graceful and vigorous, and his black bamboos are strong and bold. They are worthy of the reputation of "Chinese Orchid and Bamboo King".
“The bamboo shadows and ink will be passed down to the ages, and the orchid lines will amaze the ages.”
Professor Yu Chungui:
Your orchids are elegant and free, with inherent power and endless changes, and their perspective is rich in connotations. Bamboo is tall and straight, with considerable strength and unique style. I think your orchid and bamboo can be described as "the best in the world". The flowers and birds are smart, fresh, and full of charm. The plum blossoms are dry and moist, and the ancient trees are new, leaving endless aftertaste. Looking at your traditional Chinese paintings, they are pleasing to the eye, fresh, charming and refreshing. The calligraphy is vigorous and simple, emphasizing tradition and seeking new ideas, making it unique.
Wang Xiliang, master of Chinese arts and crafts:
Mr. Fang, you have worked hard on calligraphy and painting at the same time and achieved excellent results.
"Use a solid calligraphy pen to write the flower of a gentleman on porcelain"
Chinese arts and crafts master Zhang Songmao:
Professor Fang's ceramic painting is very good , even better than his traditional Chinese paintings.
Chinese arts and crafts master Jingdezhen Rao Xiaoqing:
Teacher Fang’s understanding of pen and ink is full of the charm of "clumsy", but the clumsy is full of "skillful" charm. His understanding of nature Human concepts and the natural universe are expressed together, and the changes in heaven and earth are integrated together. It seems that vitality has never left his art! His ceramic paintings are elegant and refined, full of atmosphere and culture!
Chinese arts and crafts master Li Wenyue:
Teacher Fang has applied the painting methods of Chinese painting to ceramics, which is refreshing and special! The printing of poetry, calligraphy and painting, including the dripping effect of ink and wash paintings, is uniquely expressed on ceramics!
Professor Cheng Yun:
Mr. Fang’s calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, and ceramic painting are all a unity based on calligraphy. In this regard, there are few famous ceramic masters who are better than him.
Fang Guoxing's ceramic paintings emphasize the value of "pen and ink", which is rare since the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" and Wang Bu.
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——On Fang Guoxing Ceramic Painting Art
(Excerpted from "Jingdezhen Ceramics" Issue 4, 2007)
Cheng Yun
Jingdezhen in the Ming Dynasty It became the center of ceramic production in the country, and it was a grand occasion at that time that "craftsmen came from all directions and their pottery was made all over the world". Jingdezhen's porcelain craftsmen of the past dynasties are good at absorbing the strengths of hundreds of schools, drawing on and integrating the technology and experience of porcelain masters from all over the country, and combining local characteristics to transform and promote new ones. Jingdezhen's ceramics have gathered the best achievements in the country and gradually become the porcelain capital of China. This trend of openness, integration and innovation faces the whole country and even the world, attracting countless calligraphers, painters and ceramic enthusiasts who want to go to the porcelain capital to promote Jingdezhen ceramic culture. Jingdezhen's porcelain "CHINA" represents China and has had a profound impact on the world. Influence.
Ceramic art can also be said to be a fringe art, and is widely related to many art styles, among which it is most closely related to calligraphy and painting. Paintings on painted pottery, the origin of porcelain, are the beginning of traditional painting and porcelain decoration. The styles and features of paintings in different periods have penetrated and influenced porcelain art decoration to varying degrees. For example, Li Gonglin's realistic line drawing figure paintings in the Song Dynasty influenced the blue and white porcelain art of the Yuan Dynasty. The emergence of pastel porcelain was directly influenced by Yun Nantian's boneless flowers. The blue and white figures of Kangxi and the five colors of Kangxi reflect the shadows of woodblock prints of the Ming and Qing Dynasties to varying degrees. Jingdezhen's traditional ceramic decoration techniques and styles were produced and continuously improved in the process of drawing on calligraphy, painting and other sister arts. Jingdezhen porcelain art has a development footprint with the coexistence of ceramic decoration, ceramic painting and ceramic art.
Before the Republic of China, ceramic decoration was mainly used, which was characterized by the combination of patterns and ceramic paintings. Most of the patterns were decorated on the mouth, shank, feet and turning parts of the bottle. The painting quality was subordinated to the decorative quality, and production and production were divided. Completed by multiple people. Each one should do his best, each should show its beauty, pay attention to the beauty of technology and craftsmanship, and express the consciousness of imperial power. The characteristics of Jingdezhen's traditional ceramics are that ceramic decoration is the mainstream and main body. During the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the "Xin'an School" painters represented by Cheng Men were very popular in using traditional Chinese painting techniques to paint "light colors" on porcelain. This kind of porcelain painting weakened the decorative and craftsmanship of ceramics and emphasized the The expressiveness of calligraphy and painting art. On the basis of summarizing the gains and losses of "Qianjiancai", "Eight Friends of Zhushan" used pastel techniques, appropriately emphasized the characteristics of craftsmanship and techniques, and used calligraphy pens to write paintings on porcelain. Later generations called it "ceramics". painting". Since traditional painting emphasizes "writing" to connect the spirit and rhythm, the "brush" cannot be swallowed without breath. Most of the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" are masters of traditional painting and have mastered the "three tastes" of calligraphy and painting. Their ceramics only use craft materials to express the true meaning of calligraphy and painting. Each has its own unique lyricism. The "Eight Friends of Zhushan" perfected the ceramic painting art pioneered by the older generation represented by Cheng Men, and pushed it to the peak of history. With a unique painting form, it is innovative in the history of Chinese art and affects future generations. Traditional ceramic decoration is mainly based on "decoration", which means "carving", and pursues "ingenuity" arrangements. It is a requirement of arts and crafts and reflects the characteristics of ceramic art. This is the fundamental difference in the representation of objects in ceramic decoration and ceramic painting. "Decoration" can be "depicted", but painting requires "writing" and cannot be "depicted".
The development of contemporary Jingdezhen ceramic art is in a diversified pattern, with ceramic decoration, ceramic painting, and modern ceramics competing for excellence. In particular, ceramic painting has developed rapidly in recent years, mainly due to the promotion and influence of some great painters and young and middle-aged painters who have come to Jingdezhen to paint porcelain. Such as Wang Geyi, Tang Yun, He Haixia, Ah Lao, etc. Mr. Fang Guoxing, a researcher at the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, a national first-class artist, an academician of the Central Ziguang Pavilion Traditional Chinese Painting Academy, a painter who enjoys special government allowances from the State Council and a distinguished professor at Jingdezhen University, is known for his unique research and learning environment of historical works of art in the Provincial Museum and his deep understanding of painting. His persistent pursuit and innovation in art also made him one of the people who had the greatest influence on Jingdezhen ceramic painting after the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" ceramic literati freehand flower-and-bird painting. As mentioned above, ceramic painting must have the connotation and characteristics of painting art, and use ceramic materials to write vivid and charming objects that are pleasing to the eye. Therefore, masters and masters of ceramic painting must be masters and masters of calligraphy and painting. Just as all the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" are proficient in calligraphy and painting, so is Mr. Fang Guoxing.
Mr. Fang Guoxing's paintings and ceramic paintings are based on his calligraphy, and his artistic calligraphy ranks first. He is a famous contemporary calligrapher, vice chairman of the Jiangxi Calligraphers Association, and a member of the Appraisal and Evaluation Committee of the Chinese Calligraphers Association. He is good at all four styles of calligraphy, especially Li and Zhuan, and is highly praised by Master Qi Gong. His calligraphy has been well-known throughout the country as early as the 1980s. In 1987, "Calligraphy" magazine rated him as "one of the 37 outstanding young and middle-aged calligraphers in the country"; his calligraphy has won the gold medal of the "Japan International Cultural Exchange Exhibition" many times. He has also won many awards at national calligraphy exhibitions and has a huge impact. Mr. Fang has profound skills in seal script and official script. He has made in-depth research on Han Li, Wei stele, stone drum inscriptions, Deng Shiru's seal script and Kang Youwei's calligraphy. Based on his own life cultivation and personality, he integrated and combined them to form a simple, thick, vigorous and vigorous calligraphy. The calligraphy style is strong, elegant and elegant, with long rhyme and elegance. Mr. Fang's official script absorbs the strengths of classic Han official scripts, such as "Cao Quan Stele" and "Zhang Qian Stele". The pens are composed of square and round strokes, are appropriately retracted and extended, and are varied. He also uses northern stele and seal script as official script, and his seal script It is obviously influenced by Deng Shiru and Shi Guwen, and combined with the writing style of official script and cursive writing style, it created a new trend. Mr. Qi Gong, a master of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, said that "Xiaozhuan" and "Molan" are the best today!
Calligraphy is the foundation of traditional Chinese painting. If calligraphy is not good, traditional painting will be difficult to draw well. Generally speaking, the style of calligraphy is the same as the style of painting. The writing is like the person and the painting is like the person. Mr. Fang's paintings give people the first impression of simplicity, freshness, and majesty. They are unremarkable at first glance, but are thought-provoking upon closer reading. He is good at painting flowers and birds, especially orchids, bamboos and plum blossoms. His orchids are painted in seal script, with a round and thick stroke in the center, and the flowers are agile and elegant in cursive script, exuding elegance. His bamboo square brush and ink are painted with Wei stele and Lifa leaves, and his round brush with wet ink on the stick has the meaning of "seal". The contrast between the "five colors" of ink rhyme is rich in shades, dryness and richness. Its "ink bamboo" has the artistic conception of "moistening with spring rain and dry and cracked with autumn wind", giving people a beautiful, vigorous and vibrant beauty.
The late famous painter Professor Kang Shen, chairman of the Jiangxi Artists Association, once said: "I think Fang Jun's calligraphy is beautiful, his flowers and birds are beautiful, and his orchids and bamboos are even more beautiful. His orchids are unrestrained and vigorous, and his ink bamboos are strong and bold. They are worthy of the title of 'Chinese orchid and bamboo'." King's reputation". He also praised: "The bamboo shadows and ink will be passed down to the ages, and the orchid lines will amaze the ages." Mr. Yu Chungui, a famous calligrapher, painter and critic in Shandong, admired Mr. Fang's paintings and said: "Your orchids are elegant and free, with inherent power and infinite changes. The perspective is rich in connotations. The bamboos are tall and straight, with considerable strength and strength. They have their own style. I I think your "Orchid and Bamboo" is the best in the world. The flowers and birds are lively and fresh, the plum blossoms are soft and moist, and the ancient trees are new. Looking at your traditional Chinese paintings, they are pleasing to the eye, fresh and refreshing... they are self-contained. "Mr. Fang's painting of plum blossoms is unique. The branches are often painted with thick and light wet ink. There is light in the thick, thick in the light, dry in the wet, and dry and wet in nature. He writes with bold and bold ink, which is natural. The strong bones are revealed in the rhyme of the ink, and the spirit and pride of the plum blossoms are vividly displayed on the paper. The peonies he painted were simple and bright, with a unique sense of wealth and splendor. The chickens and birds he painted were exquisite in pen and ink, depicting spirit with form, lively and full of interest.
Mr. Fang Guoxing is not only a famous calligrapher and traditional Chinese painter, but also a famous ceramic calligrapher and painter. His ceramic painting has formed his own unique style and achieved remarkable results after twenty years of exploration and practice. His ceramic painting "Orchid" won the first prize at the "Chinese Contemporary Calligraphy and Painting Works Expo". There are also many ceramic paintings that have won awards at the "Arts and Crafts Expo" and "Masterpiece Exhibition". His ceramic works are highly praised by experts and loved by ceramic enthusiasts and collectors.
As mentioned earlier, the "Qian Jiangcai" group of painters pioneered traditional Chinese painting on porcelain. The "Eight Friends of Zhushan" perfected, developed and absorbed the strengths of literati paintings in ceramic painting, and also expressed the literati's Emotions have reached historical peaks. Mr. Kong Liuqing pointed out in the article "The Historical Position of the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" in the Field of Ceramic Painting": "The Eight Friends of Zhushan is not only the end of the traditional development form of ceramic painting, but also the beginning of the modern development form of ceramic painting." This insight is very insightful. From my point of view, the "end" means that this form of ceramic painting no longer needs to be superficial imitation, and the "beginning" means that this form of ceramic painting can inspire and open up a broad development space for modern ceramic painting. The "Eight Friends of Zhushan" is at a specific period when the old era is ending and the new era is gestating. When the foreign powers invaded China, traditional culture began to be generally impacted by Western culture. Most of the ceramic paintings of the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" are products of this era. , they all use pastels to express the feelings of literati with craftsman's skills. The works focus on the inheritance of the writing and artistic expression of traditional calligraphy and painting techniques. At the same time, the work also opens up the exploration of the relationship between the use of light and shade in Western painting and the composition of the picture. The ceramic paintings of the "Eight Friends of Zhushan" stand at the peak of ceramic history and end their specific era with inheritance and innovation. Ceramic painting still needs to develop and coexist with other ceramic art forms. This is the law of diversified development of art. There are talents in every generation, and Wang Bu's blue and white porcelain art represents the peak of a period. His painting style is obviously influenced by Mr. Qi Baishi's traditional Chinese painting, and he has exquisite blue and white water-dividing techniques, which expresses people's appreciation for Baishi's traditional Chinese painting works. The recognition of aesthetic style affects a generation. It shows that the relationship between ceramic painting and painting art is very close. The painting style that represents a certain period will definitely affect the ceramic painting of a period, because in this art, the craft materials serve the painting. Otherwise, ceramic painting will be eliminated by ceramic decoration.
Today, traditional Chinese painting is developing towards the coexistence of pluralism. The authority of Qi and Huang Duzun has been broken, and multiple opinions are extremely active. This is manifested as a social phenomenon in the era of tolerance, exploration, reform and harmonious development. This phenomenon is also reflected in the current field of ceramic painting in Jingdezhen. However, compared with inheritance and innovation in the field of painting art, keeping up with the development of the times is generally relatively conservative. Fortunately, in recent years, many non-local painters have come to Jingdezhen to create porcelain paintings, bringing new trends to the millennium city of porcelain and blooming brilliant flowers. Mr. Fang Guoxing's ceramic paintings are one of the most colorful and eye-catching.
The characteristics of Mr. Fang Guoxing's ceramic paintings are: first, they inherit the characteristics of "Eight Friends of Zhushan" and "Blue and White King" Wang Bu's emphasis on the characteristics and connotation of traditional painting "brush and ink"; second, they are insightful and relevant to today's Jingdezhen Like the masters, he is good at using modern technology to transform traditional craft materials; the third is that his works harmoniously unify "painting", "decoration" and "craft".
1. The characteristics and connotation of “pen and ink”.
"Brush and ink" in traditional Chinese painting has a lofty position. It not only conveys the traces of the subject's spiritual materialization, but also hides the spiritual connotation of Chinese culture. It is an information base for Chinese groups and individuals, as well as historical inheritance. As Shi Tao said, "'pen and ink' should adapt to the times." Most of the older generation of painters emphasize "pen and ink", while most young and middle-aged painters downplay "pen and ink". This situation is firstly due to social changes and the exchange of Chinese and Western cultures, and national inferiority complex leading to the loss of certain aspects of traditional culture; secondly, the young and middle-aged generation, some Or there is a lack of ambition but insufficient power, and there is a lack of foundation and environmental atmosphere; third, some scholars extend the concept of "pen and ink" and move away from the traditional transfer.
As mentioned before, Fang Guoxing's calligraphy, painting, and ceramic painting are all a unity based on calligraphy. Many classic sayings such as "calligraphy and painting have the same origin" and "painting bamboo should be based on the Eight Dharmas" have clarified the important role and profound influence of calligraphy on painting. The achievements of Mr. Fang's calligraphy and its influence on the country were introduced earlier. In this regard, there are few famous ceramic calligraphy and painting masters who are better than him. Mr. Fang's "Three Flavors" of calligraphy, incorporating calligraphy into painting, helped his paintings reach a considerable height. Mr. Tao Boyu, a master of literati painting, called "Zhuanli" and "Orchid and Bamboo" the best of his era. Therefore, it has the reputation of "a pen in the south of the Yangtze River, and the country of square bamboo flourishes in orchids". Mr. Fang's ceramic paintings can be seen from his "Orchid and Bamboo" blue and white underglaze red porcelain bottles, porcelain plates and inlays: the lines are silver hooks and iron strokes, and the "pen and ink" are steady and agile, reflecting the profound The art of calligraphy and painting. It is quite difficult to paint on the blank with blue and white or underglaze red raw materials, because the blank is extremely water-absorbent and the pen cannot be dragged on the blank surface. If you want to have higher calligraphy line quality, it is as heavy as a cone scratching sand. With agile operation, it would be impossible without the wrist strength gained from decades of calligraphy and painting, and a thorough familiarity with the raw materials. Therefore, the texture of lines in many ceramic paintings is slippery and lacks the connotation of "pen and ink". Fang Guoxing's ceramic paintings are easy to read and are not meant to be eye-catching, but to capture the heart. The plain and unpretentious appearance hides a rich language of "pen and ink". Every dot, line and surface handwriting can read the depth of Chinese cultural spirit with heart.
2. Be good at applying new achievements of modern science and technology and traditional craft materials. Mr. Fang, like today's insightful masters in Jingdezhen, is good at discovering the unique beauty of new craft materials and using them in ceramic paintings. For example, traditional underglaze red paint is often drawn with iron wire to draw hook lines. The color is uniform and does not spread out, and it is mostly done with gongbi techniques. Nowadays, in order to meet the needs of freehand brushwork, the raw materials of underglaze red have changed. Under the specific firing temperature and kiln environment, and in the harmonious situation of green body, glaze and painting brush, there will be changes in red and green, which will have a great impact on the painting. Reality and color have unexpected artistic effects, but if the materials used are not properly controlled, the high temperature of more than 1,300 degrees in the kiln may cause the paint to flow, and the work will be completely unrecognizable when it comes out of the oven. With the development of science and technology today, the shuttle kiln has changed the firing atmosphere of the wood kiln and the new formula of materials, showing new possibilities for aesthetic development. With his keen vision, Mr. Fang has worked hard for more than ten years, and the piles of failed and broken porcelain products are like a hill. I finally mastered the modern technique of underglaze red, and used it to "pen and ink" to integrate the "three flavors of true fire" of calligraphy, painting, and ceramics. I reached a very high level and never tire of reading it. For example, in his blue and white underglaze red flower and bird works, the center of the pen is used to penetrate the porcelain back. The red underglaze brush strokes are green in the middle, red like agate and green like emerald, neither gray nor black nor dull. There are flexible changes between virtual and real, which not only enriches the The layers further enhance the vivid charm. The contrast between the steadyness of the pen and the vividness of the hair color is interesting and enhances the artistic connotation. His blue and white paintings are "elegant, fresh, concise and grand" and can be described as generous. The blue and white material colors are used just right, the material color is as clear as ink, and the craftsmanship is exquisite. It is really not easy to write on a large area of ??deep material without any "material infatuation" (technical defects). The color of the material and the pen are harmonious and natural. The pen is due to the bone, the color has the rhyme of the pen, you can see the color when you see the pen, it is easy and comfortable , written with all my heart, this kind of state is difficult for ordinary people. Such as the blue and white "Four Gentlemen" porcelain panels with four screens, the blue and white peony porcelain panels, etc. The blue and white color of the work is stable and elegant, without any dazzling "fire" atmosphere, which is in harmony with the style of his calligraphy and painting.
3. The harmonious and unified characteristics of painting, craftsmanship and decoration. When painting on ceramics, you must first consider the harmony between the porcelain shape and the painting, which is determined by the decorative requirements of arts and crafts. Ceramic painting must make full use of the characteristics of craft materials, which is an independent decision of the form of ceramic painting. "Eight Friends of Zhushan" and Wang Bu's blue and white works have a very good grasp of this aspect and have high artistic achievements. Mr. Fang's ceramic art also fully reflects this aspect of thinking, deliberation, and lessons learned. experience.
He often uses the characteristic layout of porcelain shapes to determine the composition of the picture. He uses the echo of images to connect the top, bottom, left and right of the entire body of the porcelain. He uses the movement and rhythm of the brush to connect, "the pen is broken but the meaning is long" and the calligraphy strokes are "hidden". The inner relationship connects the "solidity" of the painting with the "emptiness" of the porcelain floor, making the whole harmonious and unified. His porcelain paintings resemble calligraphy and painting brushstrokes, showing the beauty of craftsmanship and materials, as well as their decorative elements. For example, in his overglaze orchid porcelain plate paintings, two orchids grow horizontally from right to left, and another orchid grows from upper left to lower right. The lines intersect with each other and intersect to form an irregular square, which is "in line with the horizontal porcelain plate". coincide". Another example is his blue and white celestial vase with underglaze red "Plum Blossoms Heralding Spring". The main body of the spherical picture has a plump composition, and the lines are drawn horizontally on the left and right. The prunes extend towards the shank of the bottle, and the thin and vigorous upward strokes echo the shank of the bottle. The shape and picture are harmonious, beautiful and grand, complementing each other. Mr. Fang Guoxing's ceramic art is the product of his profound attainments in calligraphy and painting and his extensive artistic accomplishment, as well as the materialization of his personality and spirit.
The glory of the thousand-year-old porcelain capital not only shines with the diligence and wisdom of local porcelain workers, but also embodies the hard work and experience of countless foreign craftsmen and painters attracted by Jingdezhen ceramics in their arduous exploration of ceramic art. We study the ceramic painting art of Mr. Fang Guoxing, a famous contemporary calligrapher and painter, and summarize his successful experience, aiming to promote the current ceramic painting art to meet the aesthetic needs of people at multiple levels, reflect the characteristics of the times, and promote the harmonious development of ceramic art in a diversified direction. .
(Professor Cheng Yun: a famous ceramic artist, theorist, and "Jingdezhen Studies" expert.)