ChinaDaily[980209-8]

[Chinese News]

China Daily

98 / 02 / 09 /

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1. A man who draws flowers and birds
2. Freehand artist wins fame
3. Notes ( Page 9, Date: 02/09/98 )
4. Tears and joy at circus school
5. Literary monk learns of everyday life at college
6. What's on (Page 10, Date: 02/09/98)
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A man who draws flowers and birds
PAINTER Gong Wenzhen's art of gongbi (meticulous realism) flower
and bird painting has burst into full blossom following years of
quiet, painstaking endeavour.
Gong's artistic world is one of great depth, laden with beauty,
splendour and grace.
In a corner of the forest depicted in one of Gong's works, cork
tree trunks are wound with ivies and cranes.
Wild flowers of various colours stud the scene like stars. The
dark mossy rocks contrast with the brilliance of the flowers. The
gurgling brooks and chirping birds lend vitality to the picture.
Gong's work, which conveys a kind of wild flavour, marks a
departure from traditional flower and bird paintings. The
traditional paintings, with their regular and minutely wrought
images and magnificent colours, catered to the tastes of emperors
and nobility tucked away cozily in palaces and mansions.
Chinese flower and bird paintings came to be seen as an
independent form of art during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). As
the art form was enriched and perfected by generations of
painters, it became a pearl in the Chinese arts. Careful
observation of real objects has always been emphasized. Song
Emperor Huizong, a master of gongbi flower and bird painting even
though he was a weak and dissipated ruler, noticed the minute
detail in the peacock first raising its left leg when it became
airborne.
Under the patronage of the highest ruler, gongbi flower and bird
painting made great headway. Its systematic and comprehensive set
of skills became highly descriptive.
Gong Wenzhen is now developing this fine tradition.
"His work is full of simplicity, purity and richness of nature,
and rich deposits underlie his images," said the late renowned
painter Ye Qianyu. "It is unlike the traditional work that can be
seen through at the first glance to be too flat and shallow."
Gong's large format painting, "Spring on the Earth," now decorates
the reception room of the General Secretary of the Chinese
Communist Party. His works are often presented to foreign
dignitaries as gifts from the Chinese leaders. When China and
Indonesia re-established diplomatic relations in 1990, Gong's work
"Peony Flowers" was given to Indonesian President Suharto by
Chinese Premier Li Peng as a State gift.
Gong's works also decorate Chinese embassies in Germany, Britain,
Cuba, Brazil and New Zealand.
Gong was born in 1945 in Beijing. He was introduced to the world
of art by his father when he was very young. During his youth, he
often drew images on the ground with chalk.
While attending art class at the Young Pioneers Palace, Gong
received initial systematic art training, learning how to draw
sketches and paint using watercolours.
When Gong first saw the albums of the gongbi flower and bird
paintings of the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279), a period when classic
flower and bird painting reached its peak, he was struck by the
beautifully minute pictures. This experience determined the
direction of his future life as an artist.
After the early death of his father, Gong tasted the bitterness of
life at an early age. His mother's meagre income was not enough to
allow him to go to regular school. In 1961, he entered the Beijing
School of Arts and Design, which offered free boarding to
students, similar to normal schools. In 1979, he entered the
postgraduate class of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, majoring
in gongbi flower and bird painting. He is now a professional
painter at the Research Institute of Chinese Painting.
Initial poverty actually proved to be beneficial for Gong. He was
particularly hard working, and made numerous sketches of Beijing's
parks and scenic suburban spots.
During 20 consecutive summers, Gong travelled to Zhongshan Park to
make sketches of peony flowers. Subsequently, as the images of
peony flowers in various positions under varying weather
conditions are stored in his memory he can depict them on paper.
In the same way, he has mastered the depiction of the physical
attributes of dozensn of kinds of other flowers.
The old Chinese saying, "having ready bamboo groves in mind," was
first used to describe the artistic proficiency of the Song
painter, Wen Yuke, who was skilled in painting bamboo. Gong
Wenzhen is now able to readily call up images of about 1,000
flowers.
These images are brought out into the physical world in fluent,
smooth and resilient lines, constituting the paramount means of
expression in Chinese painting. "Few people in today's Chinese
painting circles are a match for him in terms of applying lines,"
said art critic Wang Yuliang.
Art consists of more than skills and the ability to document the
physical world. In Chinese painting, the possession of a certain
tone, spirit or mood means all the difference between artistic
superiority and inferiority.
Art critic Wang continued that vitality and the poetic flavour of
nature well up in Gong's pictures. "The pictures often feature a
corner of the forest, a scene in the depth of bamboo groves, fruit
bearing trees in the orchard or the downward flow of a waterfall,"
said Wang.
The restrictive and complex procedures involved in executing
Chinese gongbi flower and bird paintings remain beyond the ability
of many artists.
"The meticulous composition, the steel-spring resilient lines, the
minute depiction of localities and images, and the delicate shades
of colours all provide great challenges for the painter," said
Wang. "This is prohibitive to artists who are always on the watch
for shortcuts in art. Only the single-minded and hard-working
painters choose this difficult road, and manage to reach the peak
of this type of art."
During the past couple of decades, freehand painting has become
very popular in Chinese painting circles. "Being expressive" and
"ink splashing" are often on the lips of many people.
"As a matter of fact, the number of serious freehand painters is
few," said Wang. "The majority are graffiti makers who lack the
skill to create realist images. They are anglers who fish for
fame.
"Over a long period of time, gongbi flower and bird painting has
been elbowed to one side. Those who cling doggedly to this type of
art are in small numbers. Gong Wenzhen is one of them."
Gong has never wavered in his love for gongbi flower and bird
painting and in his confidence in himself. He quietly attends to
his paintings of birds and flowers, never distracted by the
kaleidoscopic happenings of the "vanity fair,", according to Wang.
"He lives like an aesthetic monk and has the faith of the
aesthetic monk," said Wang. "But whenever there are paper and
brush, he can create a brilliant world of flowers."
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_Date: 02/09/98_
_Author: Hua Jia_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Freehand artist wins fame
MIN Xueling, a professor at the Hangzhou-based China Academy of
Fine Arts, is rising to fame with his freehand painting.
His mural, "Grapes in ink and wash," 15 metres in length and 1.76
metres in height, was selected as a work which best suited the
mood and style of the Moon Window Temple in Japan in 1993.
Min's works predominantly deal with traditional subjects, such as
orchids, plum flowers and rocks. While preserving typical Chinese
painting techniques, he tries to inject his own feelings and ideas
as an artist in modern times.
In painting a piece, Min takes into account the relationships
between poetry, calligraphy, seals and painting. In this way, he
has developed his own unique style during the past few years.
Min was born in 1946 in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province. In
1980, he completed his graduate schooling in Chinese painting in
the China Academy of Fine Arts. As an amateur painter, before
beginning regular schooling in art, Min learned from renowned
painters and calligraphers, such as Sha Menghai and Lu Yanshao.
Each year, art students from art institutes in Japan, the United
States and Europe come to Hangzhou, a beautiful city in East
China's Zhejiang Province, to learn theories and techniques of
Chinese painting. Many of the art students are impressed by Min's
art.
Professor Min was a Chinese painter in the traditional sense, one
of the students said. However, at the same time he was a modern
artist who displayed a modern consciousness and way of expression.
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_Date: 02/09/98_
_Author: Cao Gonghua_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Notes ( Page 9, Date: 02/09/98 )
Play staged
A PLAY, "Pavel Korchagin," adapted from the former Soviet Union
writer Nikolay Alexeevich Ostrovsky's novel "How the Steel Was
Tempered," was staged yesterday at the China Children's Art
Theatre in Beijing.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the novel, "How the Steel Was
Tempered," was very popular in China. It affected an entire
generation of Chinese people.
The actors appearing in the play originate from different drama
troupes, while most graduated from the Central Academy of Drama.
Cai Shangjun, director of the play, said that "Pavel Korchagin"
was an exciting story, while it was presented with novel stage
effects. The performance will employ various modern stage methods,
such as those involved in film, TV and projection productions.
The play is produced by Solo Performances Productions & Artist
Management Co LTD.
Calligraphy show
THE 20th Century Calligraphy Show, which opens tomorrow in the
China National Art Museum, continues until February 15.
The exhibition, sponsored by the Chinese Calligraphers'
Association, depicts the trajectory of the development of Chinese
calligraphy during this century.
The exhibition is divided into four parts.
The first part is "the Exhibition of Works by Late Renowned
Calligraphers." This includes pieces by Chairman Mao Zedong, Wu
Changshuo, Qi Baishi, Xie Wuliang and Sha Menghai.
The second part, "the Exhibition of Famous Calligraphers in
Contemporary Times," features the works of famous living
calligraphers.
The third section of the exhibition is the "Exhibition of the
Calligraphic and Seal Carving Works by Young and Middle-Aged
Artists." The pieces on show demonstrate the strengths and
potentials of the young and middle-aged Chinese calligraphers and
seal carvers, who represent the future of the art.
The fourth part is "the Exhibition of National Seal Carving
Works." The 300 pieces on show reflect the highest national level
of the seal carving art.
(CD News)
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_Date: 02/09/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Tears and joy at circus school
AT 6 o'clock every morning, Alesha and his classmates start their
day with running, jumping and gymnastics in the China Acrobatics
and Circus School.
Alesha, one of 20 children from Russia's Republic of Yakut,
arrived in Beijing in October for acrobatic training. The
seven-year training programme, approved last June by the Chinese
school and the organizations concerned in Yakut, might turn the
children into promising acrobats, or even stars, for the
northernmost Russian republic.
"The exercises are very tiring but interesting, and I've learned
many things from here," said Alesha, who is 11 years old.
Acrobatics sometimes mean sweat and tears. After an hour of
morning warm-ups, the children receive skills training, which
usually lasts three hours and includes gymnastics, calisthenics
and exercises for body shaping. A two-hour class then awaits the
children.
Liang Anna, the Russian pupils' instructor, described them as
"lively, earnest and hardworking."
She went on: "But the Chinese teachers are more gentle with the
Russian pupils than with their Chinese classmates, especially in
their early days. "They need time to gradually adapt themselves to
life here."
Although they live with kindly coaches, thee children admitted
that they have cried on occasion.
"When I couldn't do some difficult movements or when I hurt
myself, I did cry," said Alesha, who is regarded as the top
student by his companions.
These Russian children can take pride in their achievements. They
were chosen from more than 3,000 competitors who applied for entry
to the Chinese acrobatics school, the only one in China to enroll
foreign pupils. The State-sponsored school recruits only 70
trainees nationwide each year.
Besides acrobatics training, the Russian children are being taught
Russian, Chinese, mathematics, music and art history.
"They love studying Chinese because they want to understand the
Chinese teachers better," said Liang, adding that they can speak a
few words of everyday Chinese.
The teachers take good care of them, but are strict with them in
classrooms, the pupils said.
In the past two months, they have visited the Great Wall, the
Summer Palace, the Palace Museum and Tian'anmen Square.
Nearly all children are enjoying their life in China. They can
even eat bortsch, a Russian traditional soup, every day.
However, they feel homesick sometimes. Apart from Kosha, group
leader of the 20 children, whose mother Valja is with him in
Beijing, the children can only alleviate the homesickness by
telephoning their families regularly.
"I often write home, and all of us write letters," eight-year-old
Aena said. "But I still long for the summer vacation."
Success at acrobatics, however, is the children's highest
aspiration. Alesha wanted to choose one or two suitable acrobatics
courses after training in basic skills.
"Our coach said that excellent pupils can also join the nationwide
performance tours of Chinese children," he said.
Valja said: "The tradition of Chinese culture and the quality of
training here will provide them good opportunities in acrobatics."
(Xinhua)
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_Date: 02/09/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Literary monk learns of everyday life at college
KUNMING (Xinhua) -- A young Buddhist monk, wearing his gown and
beads, comes into contact with everyday life in a university, but
not theological one.
Renkong from Panlong Temple, 60 kilometres from Yunnan University
in Kunming, spends more time reading literary works than chanting
Buddhist scriptures.
"This is the first monk that Yunnan University has enrolled in its
70-year history," said Xu Yangfu, director of the university's
Student A dministration Office. He added that religious personnel
have always been allowed to receive higher education.
Renkong, 24, has already studied for three years at the Fujian
Buddhist Theological Institute, several thousand kilometres from
his hometown.
"Freedom of religious belief in China includes equal educational
opportunity for all people," said Na Zhonglun, director of Yunnan
provincial religious affaris bureau.
Monks and nuns can study in secular educational establishments in
addition to theological ones, Na said. However, most religious
people still choose theological institutes, which can provide
special treatment and plan particular courses for them, he said.
With his love of ancient Chinese literature, especially the poems
of the Tang and Song dynasties, Renkong persisted in starting his
university life reading literature.To continue his daily routine
of reciting scripture, Renkong rented a room in a house near the
university. He follows the tradition of rising early.
After chanting the required religious works, he reads ancient
Chinese poems aloud and then goes to class.
"Reading those ancient poems will also make me attain a lofty
realm," said Renkong, who also likes plucking musical instruments.
"The school has required the same of Renkong as other students in
most aspects," said Yang Xingxing, his instructor. "He is now
doing well in his studies."
A classmate said: "We were even reluctant to talk with him at the
very beginning because of his peculiar attire.Now we are getting
along well with each other."
After all, Renkong is a monk. He dislikes pop songs, most of which
he claims are about love affairs between men and women.
He said that love is unintelligible and painful, and that he would
not have a love affair, which is forbidden for monks by Buddhist
principles.
Panlong Temple is paying for tuition during his four years at
university, a cost of 10,000 yuan (US$1,200) each year.
Renkong said he will return to the temple for the enhancement of
Buddhism.
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_Date: 02/09/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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What's on (Page 10, Date: 02/09/98)
STAGE
Sartre tragedy -- From February 12 on, the Central Experimental
Modern Drama Theatre will restage "Death without Burial" by Jean
Paul Sartre.
Sartre (1905-80) was a French novelist, playwright and exponent of
existentialism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in
1964, but declined it.
"Death Without Burial" raises questions about the value of human
life, human dignity and the significance of death.
The play portrays a group of French Resistance fighters struggling
in Vichy Regime jail during World War II.
Young dramatist Zha Mingzhe directs a cast including Feng Xianzhen
and Han Tongsheng.
Time: 7:15 pm, February 12-16
Place: The Central Experimental Drama Theatre, A45 Mao'er Hutong,
Dongocheng District
Tel: 6403-1099
Irish drama -- Samuel Beckett's classic "Waiting for Godot" is a
recent hit in the capital.
The 40-year-old absurdist drama, first staged in Paris, now makes
its China premiere.
The play portrays two comic vagabonds waiting for a mysterious
"Godot." His arrival is still pending at the end of the play.
"Waiting is the core of the play," said director Ren Ming,
"Everyone is waiting, for something clear or obscure. In this
case, it doesn't matter who Godot is, as waiting in itself assumes
various meanings. Godot is no more than a symbol."
Ren has left his own stamp on the work for the audience to think
over.
Time: 7 pm, 10-15
Place: Small theatre of Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie,
Dongcheng District
Tel: 6525-0996, 6525-0123
CONCERTS
Symphony concert -- The China National Symphony Orchestra will
present a concert of Chinese and foreign symphonic works including
"Overture for the China National Symphony Orchestra" (Wang Xilin),
"Erhu Concerto, the Great Wall Caprice" (Liu Wenjin) and "A London
Symphony" (Ralph Vaughan Williams).
Chen Chengxiong will conduct.
Time: 7:30 pm, February 13-14
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Chinese songs -- Sponsored by Beijing Concert Hall, famous Chinese
singers will give a concert of Chinese songs including "China,
Today Is Your Birthday," "I Love the Plums of Meiyuan Garden," "I
Love You," "At the Place Afar," "The Sun Rises on the Grassland,"
"Toast," "I Love the Blue Sea" and "Land of China."
Time: 7:30 pm, February 20-22
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Haydn's works -- Sponsored by Beijing Concert Hall and Beijing
Youth Daily, the Festival Orchestra of Beijing Concert Hall will
present a concert of Franz Joseph Haydn's symphonies.
Zheng Jian will conduct.
Time: 7:30 pm, February 21
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Film songs concert -- The Chorus of China National Symphony
Orchestra will present a concert of world famous film songs.
Wu Lingfen will conduct.
Time: 2:00 pm, February 22
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
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_Date: 02/09/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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