A preface to the collection of calligraphy and painting

Recently, Comrade Yang, a young army painter who has been guarding the border in our province for a long time, sent a batch of China paintings and calligraphy he created in recent years. Because he is going to hold a personal painting and calligraphy exhibition and publish a collection of works. He will go to Fu Zi soon. Let me write some comments as a preface. The calligraphy and painting circles have not heard much about the name Yang. Perhaps it is because I quit my job in name only, and I am dizzy when I am old, and I don't ask about the activities of the book industry now. My ignorance is inevitable. But there is another situation, that is, there are many young artists who are really interested in and committed to exploring and creating excellent works of art, so they are not so eager for quick success and instant benefit and do not promote themselves. In our era, there are too good media information dissemination means, as well as convenient and quick publishing methods and channels, and the phenomenon of mixed fish and dragons, mediocre talents and artistic rubbish in calligraphy is particularly lively. Art explorers who are not good at self-promotion and publicity are rarely noticed. It doesn't matter whether I haven't seen Chinese in the media or just because I'm indifferent. Because since ancient times, artists have dedicated their works to the times, not manuscripts. So, I took the time to read China's paintings and calligraphy carefully several times, so let's talk about the people in the works. China's calligraphy and painting are mainly official script and cursive script. Its official script comes from the Han tablet, which is the source of official script. Anyone who has made achievements in learning official script almost always started from the Han tablet. It is not advisable to copy only those books that have been handed down from the Tang Dynasty to the present, or even point to the silkworm head and draw the goose tail, pretending to be weak and dull, and become vulgar books. China people are sons and daughters of the Central Plains from the fertile soil of eastern Henan, with a heart of serving the country and full of blood. After more than ten years of military training, he realized the long-term life in the army, and the ups and downs created the unrestrained character of northern men. Therefore, in the study of official script, he mainly studied under Han Li. The wind of great men once swept the Central Plains and gained a foothold in the world. Lishu is the artistic representation in the heyday of Han Dynasty and the core of Central Plains culture. China people choose Lishu as the creative subject and Han Li as the patriarch, showing a military temperament. During the Han Dynasty in China, in the long history of more than 400 years, the writing style of official script was established and improved. Reached the peak that future generations can't reach. It was not until the middle of Qing Dynasty that archaeology rose, and thousands of inscriptions were unearthed, which had the influence of the revival of modern stele studies. In the process of learning from others, China people have absorbed the essence of Hanshu with their wise choices and excellent learning methods. He rooted traditional art in his heart and was familiar with all kinds of calligraphy techniques and the methods of each tablet. Among them, the simple, square, calm and vigorous structure of Haojing Monument is taken as the framework, and the smooth and natural lines of Chu bamboo slips are omitted. The structural modeling is bizarre and changeable, and the pen is firm and sharp, resolute and powerful, which often makes the viewer dumbfounded. In the creation of official script, the Chinese language is full of charm and ethereal spirit overflows between the lines. In the concrete structure and pen, he dares to explore new ways and write his own face. His words didn't completely conform to Han Li's dignity and neatness, but went with the flow. His white cloth is random, his font size changes at will, his pen is more free and unrestrained, and many new images are derived. He also learned from the ups and downs of Han bamboo slips, the combination of rigidity and softness in the center of seal script, and even the crisscross of cursive script and the agility of the side. These innovative calligraphy creation methods are far from being limited to the stylization of traditional official script. The pursuit of such a new artistic atmosphere is worth exploring anyway. Although we may think it is not perfect, Chinese is taking its own creative path. If we take the road of exploration with the ancient as the body and innovation as the purpose, the image of beauty should be expected. Besides official script, China people are good at cursive script. To tell the truth, I have a preference for cursive script, so I inevitably have more prejudice. The hands are not high, but the eyes are very strict. Now cursive script in China calligraphy circle is ridiculous because of two kinds of calligraphy (if it is really cursive calligraphy art). One is that a large number of "scholars" who mistakenly regard "writing brush" as calligraphy are flooding junior high schools. His "brush" not only lacks traditional skills, but also lacks the meaning of words and the taste of monuments. It is "pen-based, ink-gathering" (Sun Yu), and the writing style is stupid and slippery. Some people simply use hands and sticks instead of pens. It seems that China people can become calligraphers as long as they can write Chinese characters on paper with ink. The other is the popular book style that completely abandons the traditional aesthetic perception, which is full of all kinds of "authoritative" book fairs and even wins prizes again and again. These "calligraphers" are capable, but they are deliberately funny, self-restrained, swept away, and ugly is beautiful. Because some people occupy the book world and encourage "ugly books" with "gold medals", the result is to make great efforts and fight for ugliness. I don't know if China's calligraphy has any historical and cultural background and aesthetic appreciation. I read Chinese cursive script, and I feel that he has made some efforts in traditional learning. Although he can't say that it is well written, his Original Book of Wei and Jin Dynasties Monuments is also well written, with strict words and Gu Zhuo without losing elegance. It is a work that completely emphasizes tradition, which shows his efforts. His cursive script is especially suitable for sketches and banners. The words in his book are beautiful, almost every word has an ancient meaning, and he is free and easy with his pen. It is dangerous when writing, but it is not grotesque, which makes the whole composition full of changes. Remove the dangerous words in the volume, it will be elegant and beautiful, all the way to tradition, no less. But if there is no danger, it will inevitably be monotonous, so the whole article can generate innovative images in the tradition. Some works can be harmonious, quick-thinking, flowing, magnificent, boundless and colorful, or inscribed, or created, often revealing a demeanor. Some cursive scripts are naive, and there are many changes, including the brushwork of Qin bamboo slips and Han calligraphy. I feel that he is striving for a fashion and occasionally explores and tries popular calligraphy styles. This kind of exploration can open a new picture as long as we grasp the "degree". Unlike today's judges who deliberately write "ugliness" because they are "masters" and "masters", Chinese has the basic skills of learning from Han Li. If it is used in cursive script, its artistic creation path should be improved. It is gratifying that China people are so young and have such a sense of beauty. As a young art explorer, China people are struggling to pursue the world of art between tradition and modernity, simplicity and fashion, which deserves support and encouragement. In the Qing Dynasty, there were schools of inscriptions and numerous celebrities. China people also learned something from the Qing people. As long as you keep improving, you will get better grades in the future. In the history of art, paintings often hide the title of the painting, and books also hide the title of the painting. China's calligraphy will always serve painting. Before joining the army, it was famous for its meticulous painting. Characters, flowers and birds have their own spirits, solid modeling skills, elegant colors and tough lines. But he also knows that the soul of Chinese painting is calligraphy, so when calligraphy reaches a certain height, he unconsciously enters into freehand brushwork, making his creation get better and better. Before joining the army, he studied Chinese painting in the Academy of Fine Arts, so his meticulous painting creation has a solid modeling foundation. Coupled with his sensitivity to color, his understanding of calligraphy and pen and ink skills, and his creative passion for military camp life, Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest has experienced several years of real life. Facing the creative source endowed by nature, he has been unable to accept it, and thousands of sketches have appeared. He took flower-and-bird painting as the creative subject, and collected a large number of pen and ink skills and expression techniques of ancient masters such as Ivy League, Eighth National Congress, Changshuo, Pu Hua, Xugu and Baishi. And refined the natural landscape of the rainforest, which became the most expressive artistic shaping in his works. His paintings are elegant and clever, and his brushwork is dripping, and his pen is relaxed and interesting. Sometimes with the feeling of long postscript, his poems and paintings leap from the page. In terms of brushwork, he tries to avoid the stereotyped composition mode of non-Chinese painting with strong layering, rich colors and dense composition, and paints with emotion, which is not only his love for the frontier land in Yunnan where he lives, but also a true portrayal of the life in the frontier military camp. These are my feelings after reading some paintings and calligraphy by China. There may be some compliments, but I think it is reasonable. It should be noted that China's paintings and calligraphy, especially the calligraphy symbolizing the traditional art of China, are too long and profound. It is really rare to have a real calligrapher nowadays. For a young painter from the army, a talented and pursuing young artist, we should encourage him to grow up. I also saw a new man who was born on the Yellow River, grew up in red soil, was cast in the army and devoted himself to art coming towards us. We should also thank our great party and glorious army. Only the correct political quality and excellent training style of the army can cultivate many young and promising artistic talents and make more and greater contributions to the future of our army and even the whole China painting and calligraphy art, which is a sequence.