ChinaDaily[980321-8]

[Chinese News]

China Daily

98 / 03 / 21 /

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1. Jia strips work to essentials
2. Peng Youshan art show to open
3. Culture Notes (Page 9, Date: 03/20/98)
4. Lens focus on conferences
5. What's on (Page 10, Date: 03/20/98)
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Jia strips work to essentials
ARTIST Lao Jia's freehand work is all things to all people.
Detractors insist it is merely scrawl, nothing more than an
accumulation of ink smudges. Some enthusiasts say it is strongly
expressive, while others claim it is modernism with Chinese ink
brushwork.
"They are all correct in their different positions. The sum of
their views is what my art is," says moustached Lao Jia.
Painter Zhang Renzhi hits the nail on the head: "Beating the huge
drum with heavy drumsticks. That's my impression of his work."
With large, aggressive ink smudges and wild strokes, Jia brings
out images, or to be more accurate, partial images of horses and
bulls. The details -- eyes, ears, mouths, manes -- are often
absent. But strength, power and movement are all clearly there.
The images might be fleeting. But what sticks in the mind are
impressions of galloping, stampeding, everything associated with
force, speed and obstinacy.
Jia also does landscapes. But his landscapes are not characterized
by mild breezes, wooded hills, gurgling brooks, misty mountains
and refreshing drizzle. Again, one sees in his landscapes a mass
of ink smudges and rugged strokes, set off by deliberate blank
spaces.
The impression is one of the rudimentary state of nature at the
time of creation, before man started to meddle with it. The
earth's surface is organized into faults, mountains, gullies and
basins by the primeval forces of the prehistorical era.
"In my opinion, a painter's artistic identity is forged in
childhood," he says. "I was born in a mountainous village. I
herded cattle and horses, collected firewood, planted crops,
climbed trees, caught fish in the water...
"I like coarse things, vast wildernesses and stampeding cattle. I
like mountain flowers, roaring rapids, bucking colts and butting
bulls. All this has become an inexhaustible source for my artistic
creation and helps set the tone for my works."
Lao Jia was born in 1938 in Zunhua, Hebei Province. He grew fond
of painting while a young cowherd. As the cattle grazed on the
mountain slopes, he used his whip as a pen to draw everything
around him, the rising and setting of the sun, the rivers and
mountains, the horses and bulls, the birds and insects. When he
was hungry, he ate cucumbers. When he felt cold, he wrapped
himself in tattered cloth.
In 1952, he entered No 1 Provincial Middle School of Hebei in
Zunhua County. He came to Beijing in 1954, enrolled in a
vocational school. But it wasn't long before he quit school,
determined to try his luck in the field of art.
His perseverance paid off. In 1958, he entered Beijing Art
College, where some of the country's best artists had gathered,
including Wu Guanzhong, Wei Tianlin and Yu Zhizhen.
Once embarked on an artistic career, nothing could stop him. In
the words of famous feature writer Chen Zufen: "From then on, his
life and career as an artist have been punctuated with commas
rather than full stops. Lonely and obstinate, he has trekked along
the endless artistic road like a monk."
After graduation in 1962, Jia taught in his alma mater and was
then transferred to the Chaoyang District Cultural Centre in
Beijing as an "artist cadre." In 1978, he joined the Beijing
Painting Academy and has stayed there as a professional painter
ever since.
In working his artistic formulae, Lao Jia concentrates on
subtraction -- shedding superfluous details of images, then
not-so-superfluous details, then substantial details and finally,
in the eyes of many people, vital details, until nothing is left
but his feelings. As a result, viewers with unsophisticated tastes
often shy away from his work.
"Shades of ink and colour, perspective, spatial relations,
accuracy in depicting the images and so on are all watered down or
even reduced to nothing in Jia's work," says Lang Shaojun, one of
the country's most prestigious art critics. "The texture and size
of the images no longer count. The narrative nature of the
painting is replaced by a kind of psychological symbolism."
His horses and bulls are so simplified that they have no
recognizable limbs and heads. Many a time, an animal in his
painting could be either a bull or a horse.
"When you say it is not a bull or horse, that's because it doesn't
exactly resemble either one. But if you decide it is a bull or
horse, it doesn't seem right," Lang says
"What is important here is not what the image looks like. What is
important is that the painter is emphasizing his intuition and the
feelings acquired during his life.
"The painter retains only those things that are stripped of all
superfluous elements and are related to his unique feelings. This
supplies momentum and force.
"In other words, Jia is painting the sense of movement and
strength he felt when he saw herds of cattle or horses racing,
jumping, fighting or seeking food on the grasslands. He is not
painting what he sees but what he senses," says Lang.
Critic Bao Limin says Jia's freehand work reminds him of Chinese
"caoshu" cursive calligraphy. With the slashing vigour and wild
movement of its strokes, this calligraphic style is the most
exhilarating and expressionistic of all scripts.
Caoshu was originally associated with drunkenness and complete
spontaneity and is therefore the best vehicle to convey one's
feelings. It explodes across the page with an almost insane
passion.
"Although Lao Jia does not reach the state of insanity, he gives
vent to his feelings with explosive strokes," Bao says.
In Bao's view, Jia's ink patches are actually thick strokes and
lines in disguise. "So I think his paintings are written, rather
than painted," he says.
Lao Jia doesn't care a jot what the critics think of him and his
art.
He says: "What I do is to search for myself, study myself,
establish myself, let myself go. This explains why I stand where I
am now."
Discovering oneself means discovering the fountainhead of the
river. When the confusion of relationships has been sorted out,
the next step is to swim in the river, he says.
Sitting in the spacious studio of his newly completed two-storey
art gallery, situated halfway between central Beijing and
Changping County, Lao Jia has more time to ponder on the essence
of art.
"I agree with the slogan that art should be for the people.
Everything that harms humanity, such as drugs and pornography,
should be done away with. But at the same time, there should no
rules as to which way art should go. This is because different
paths present different vistas, he says.
The history of art is one of loving the new and loathing the old.
This is where art's driving force comes from, he says.
An artist must be honest and sincere, but does not have to make
declarations of honesty. His work says everything, he says.
Every painter has his or her unique symbol, the epitome of the
painter's spirit and soul.
"It is the most expressive and moving of all the means possessed
by a painter. It is an expression of the combination of the
painter's experience, artistic attainment and personality. Once it
takes shape, it becomes the artist's patented style. Nobody can
steal it," he says.
He gazes ahead thoughtfully, reflecting on his own unique painting
language.
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_Date: 03/20/98_
_Author: Hua Jia_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Peng Youshan art show to open
AN exhibition of the paintings of the late artist Peng Youshan is
to open on March 26 in the China National Art Museum, Beijing.
On show are his paintings of tigers, flower-and-bird works and
landscapes.
Peng was especially good at drawing tigers in various postures and
moods. Some are roaring, some ready to pounce, some frolicking
with each other.
With his brush, he created an imaginary haven for tigers,
expressing thus his love for this graceful and powerful animal now
on the brink of extinction.
The show, which is organized by the Chinese Artists Association,
Jiangxi Provincial Artists Association and the Research Institute
of Chinese Painting, will continue until March 31.
Peng was born in 1911 to a scholar's family in Yugan in Jiangxi
Province and passed away only last year.
Influenced by the strong cultural traditions of his family, Peng
showed an early interest in painting. His teachers included Xu
Beihong and Qi Baishi, two of the most renowned Chinese masters of
his time. Later, he devoted himself to forging a style that
combines elements of Chinese and Western painting. He never
wavered from that path.
Peng rose to fame as early as the 1930s.
His best-known works at the time included "Nightmare," "Companion"
and "Hero and Beauty."
His huge painting "The People Leap with Joy for Peace," which was
done in 1945 to celebrate the Allies' victory over Japan, was sent
to US President Harry S. Truman through George Marshall in 1946.
The piece, which features hundreds of chirping sparrows flying
around a plum tree, is still in the Harry S. Truman Library
collection.
Another three of his pieces -- "Chicken Perched atop the Hedge,"
"Long Roar" and "Chicken and Chrysanthemums" -- have entered the
collection of the China National Art Museum, the most prestigious
art museum in the country.
Peng was also an art educator, having worked for many years in the
Art School of Jiangxi Normal University.
His books include "Ten Major Painting Techniques," ''The Art of
Tiger Painting" and "An Album of Peng Youshan's Works."
(CD News)
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_Date: 03/20/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Culture Notes (Page 9, Date: 03/20/98)
One-woman show
FRENCH woman artist Sophie Tedeschi's painting exhibition is
slated to open in the Art Museum of Shanghai on April 14 running
through to April 27. She is expected to stage her one-woman show
in Beijing starting on May 1. Tedeschi's work is marked by
exuberant colours and joyful tones.
Miao festival
THE Sisters Festival of the Miao Nationality, currently being
staged in Beijing's Chinese Nationalities Park, is attracting a
lot of visitors. Miao girls from Anshun Prefecture in Southwestern
Guizhou Province entertain guests at the gala.
The festival offers visitors "sisterhood meals," symbolizing the
sweetness of love.
Visitors can also enjoy other Miao entertainments such as dancing
to the beat of lusheng (wind pipes) and jumping across bamboo
dancing poles.
Brecht events
CHINA plans to host a series of cultural activities throughout May
to mark the 100th birth anniversary of famous German playwright
Bertolt Brecht.
The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Writers
Association, primary sponsors of those events, will host an
international commemoration meeting and symposium on Brecht.
Various Chinese theaters will stage a number of Brecht's famous
dramas, and several publishing houses will print collections of
his works.
Brecht's major works include "The Caucasian Chalk Circle," "Days
of the Commune," "Herr Puatila and His Servant Matti" and ''The
Good Woman of Szechuan.'' (CD news)
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_Date: 03/20/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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Lens focus on conferences
THE eyes of the world have been focused on the First Session of
China's new legislature, the Ninth National People's Congress
(NPC), over the last two weeks.
It was here that the deputies put in place the new leadership that
will guide the world's most populous country towards the 21st
century.
More than 2,000 journalists from around the world covered the
session, which ended yesterday.
The 2,950-plus deputies greenlighted a radical reform scheme to
trim bloated government bureaucracies, and approved the
government's work report that mapped out the country's development
plan for the next fiscal year.
The sessions of the NPC and the Ninth Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference -- China's top advisory body -- provided
ample opportunities for China Daily photographers Wu Zhiyi, Xu
Jingxing and Li Taihang to zoom in on the new leaders and depict
major proceedings.
Busy as they were, they still found time to turn their cameras
away from the presidium and steal a few shots of the rank and file
-- grassroots deputies, journalists, and passers-by eagerly
awaiting the results of the sessions.
The photos on this page are the results of their inquiring lenses.
(CD News)
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_Date: 03/20/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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What's on (Page 10, Date: 03/20/98)
CONCERTS
German Conductor -- Renowned German conductor Johannes Goritzki
will stage a concert with China National Symphony Orchestra at the
Beijing Concert Hall on March 21.
They will perform a classical program of Haydn's Symphony No 85 in
B Flat Major, Mozart's Jupiter Symphony in C Major and Telemann's
Concerto for Two Horn-Soloists in F Major.
Time: 7:30 pm, March 21.
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District.
Tel: 6605-5812.
A Conversation between Good Friends -- A concert of traditional
Chinese music titled "Good Friends' Talk" will be held at Beijing
Concert Hall.
The concert features six musical troupes including Central
Orchestra of Traditional Chinese Music and China Friends of
Broadcasting Chorus, programming a variety of works from different
regions of China.
Sponsor of the concert Longyin Musical Producing Company was
founded by Hong Kong erhu player Tan Yaozong five years ago. The
company is devoted to the spreading of traditional Chinese music.
Time: 7:30 pm, March 28.
Place: Beijing Concert Hall.
Tel: 6605-5812, 6605-7006
Tea and jazz -- The Wide Angle Jazz Band will perform on the
second floor of Sanwei Bookstore.
Audience members can enjoy hot tea, cold beer and cool jazz at the
teahouse.
Time: 9-11 pm, every Friday
Saturday night is a time for Chinese folk music at Sanwei
Bookstore. Enchanting Chinese melodies will flow from the Chinese
dulcimer, zither and bamboo flute.
Time: 8:30-10:30 pm, every Saturday
Place: Sanwei Bookstore, 60 Fuxingmennei Dajie, Xicheng District,
across the street from Cultural Palace of Nationalities.
Tel: 6601-3204
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_Date: 03/20/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

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