True painter Li Weiqing
Author: Zhang Erbin
I know that Mr. Li Weiqing's name was painted with flowers and birds of shrimp of Qi Baishi, horses of Xu Beihong, Chen Banding and Li Weiqing in Baixia, which were sold in department stores in the early 196s. I just know that Li Weiqing is a painter in Nanjing. At that time, "White Li Weiqing" was a household name in Nanjing, and Li Weiqing and his Chinese painting art entered the homes of ordinary people in this way.
Li Weiqing has experienced twists and turns, bumps and even some legends. He is an old Nanjing native, born in a scholarly family, and has been fond of calligraphy and painting since childhood. At the age of 9, he was instructed by the famous Shi Chijun in the late Qing Dynasty, and later learned from the famous Huang Xueming. He also moved to Liang Convention, Xiao Junxian, Xie Gongzhan, Ma Geli and other famous people. He was engaged in postal statistics and accounting in his early years. As early as 1935, he drafted and presided over the formulation of the first postal law in China, and at the same time became the national director of posts and telecommunications, a famous expert.
After liberation, before the establishment of the Painting Academy, Li Weiqing, like most painters, was a "part-time" painter, and some were teachers, such as Zhao Lianghan and Zhang Zhengyin. Some are freelancers, such as Xu Gongze and Hu Guoshi; There are also bank employees, owners and civil servants, such as Wang Jingshan and Zhao Zhen Yun. Of course, they are all cultural people with status and status, and Li Weiqing is not only proficient in his major, but also proficient in French, English, good at calligraphy and painting, and familiar with the history and theory of painting. He has published many works such as "Talking about Chinese Painting" and "China Painting" in newspapers and periodicals, and once held an exhibition of paintings with Huang Junbi in Chongqing. Hu Xiaoshi, a famous professor, said that his works were "powerful with pen, and profligate like Zhao's middle-aged sorrow", which shows that he was highly appraised. In 1985, Mr. Zheng Zhenduo, then the five-time Minister of Culture, recommended to publish the Li Weiqing Flower Album with Qi Baishi at the same time, which was distributed by international bookstores at home and abroad, which was very popular and reprinted for seven consecutive times. Have a wide influence.
Like the intellectuals in China, people who came from the old society always had "historical problems". Coupled with the influence of ultra-left ideological trend, Mr. Li Weiqing was attacked by "unwarranted" in the early 195s, dismissed from public office, with no salary and no source of livelihood, and only supported a family of three with his wife's salary of more than 4 yuan as a primary school teacher. At this time, Li Weiqing was in great sorrow and no tears. "Qiu Lai looked for a sentence, and the maple leaves sang red chrysanthemums and dyed yellow." I remember that after the ninth festival last year, the ups and downs of the old people's village. " In that stormy era, although the old man felt helpless, he was more cheerful and optimistic. He still smiled at life, attached his feelings to Dan Qing and played with pen and ink. Regardless of the cold and heat, riding a company to practice boxing, reading and painting, for decades, I knocked on the ice with a frozen pen, made square bricks into paper, and used clear water as ink, and practiced the hard work of drawing silver hooks with iron.
pen, ink and paper are needed for painting. Li Weiqing, who works hard every day and only depends on his wife's salary and his meager contribution fee, is very hard up. Besides using square bricks and clear water, he used up newspapers, wind-proof paper (for pasting windows) and even yellow grass paper, which is even more responsive to those who come to the door with paper for painting. He said, "Why not buy paper and I paint?"
when I was young, I learned painting from many teachers, and I also consulted Mr. Li and was enlightened by him. Among the older generation of painters I have known and contacted, Mr. Li Weiqing can be said to be a childlike and innocent old man, with no worldly wisdom and a clear heart like a mirror. I often get it off my chest, and then I have "offended", but I don't know it at all.
When Jiangsu Painting Academy was founded, Mr. Li was invited to a symposium. He was the only Nanjing-born painter. Unexpectedly, at the symposium, he talked loudly, no one was watching, and even "boasting" was too "crazy" and "pedantic". In addition, there were "historical problems", which was obviously incompatible with the current situation. In the future, there were Qian Songnie from Wuxi, Max Zhang from Suzhou, Yu Tongfu, Ding Shiqing from Zhenjiang, Lou Xian from Yangzhou, Wang Qinfang from Xuzhou, and Fang Huqing from Changzhou in Jiangsu Painting Academy, but there was no Nanjing-born old painter. However, Li Weiqing was a "folk painter" who was willing to make a living, regardless of the day and the land.
A painter has always been divided into a ruling party and an opposition party. Because of this, he is like a wild crane in the clouds, detached from things, unrestrained and unrestrained, and freely galloping in his own artistic world.
He admires the Ivy League, the Eighth National Congress, Shi Tao, the Eight Eccentrics and Wu Changshuo, and he is obsessed with talking with them. At the same time, he lingers in sketching, and his sketches are fast and accurate, and he also writes his spirit in a freehand way, which has his own unique views and methods.
There is such a thing. There is a big rooster in the neighborhood of Li Weiqing. I have seen this rooster with a red crown and bright feathers. It is magnificent and magnificent, and it is very picturesque. It fascinates Mr. Li to sketch the rooster every day. Observing its various gestures and movements, I am familiar with it. Once I came back from sketching, I looked a little depressed. When I asked, it turned out that the owner saw an old man biting his rooster every day and killed the chicken because he thought it was a plot. However, he has obtained several sketches. During this period, he painted a number of works with both spirit and form, and cockfighting was the representative work of this period.
During the Cultural Revolution, most painters were shocked and stopped painting. At this time, Li Weiqing was left out in the cold. However, because he was in the charge of the residents' committee, he lived in the bamboo pole of an ancient Pingshi street in Nanjing, calling himself a "bamboo pole man", with four gentlemen, Mei Lan Zhu Ju, as his companion. During this period, the title of his works was meaningful. On the title of plum painting, "Wind and rain send spring home, flying snow welcomes spring"; On the blue painting, "Welcome to Spring for the World"; On the title of chrysanthemum painting, "yellow flowers in the battlefield are particularly fragrant" and on the title of bamboo painting, "a thousand tears of spotted bamboo". Mr. Li is still a fool in his wits. Once, a cadre of neighborhood committees came to plead guilty. He said that I was not engaged in funding repairs, but promoting Mao Zedong Thought. That's it. Although the art world was cold and silent during the Cultural Revolution, Mr. Li was lucky to be able to paint every day while hiding in a bamboo pole. Sometimes the works are titled "People's Commune is Good"; Words that are insincere, such as "The Four Volumes of Xiongwen Point to Navigation", are just a cover for painting. Now it seems that these works are particularly precious.
a few years have passed, and sometimes he looks up at the clouds and clouds above the patio, and the flowers and flowers on the wall in the corner are falling, and the painting and calligraphy are detached. The upside down outside the wall has nothing to do with him. It was not until the Gang of Four completely collapsed at the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee and the injustice of 26 years was completely rehabilitated that he felt that the world had changed, and the more people asked for paintings.
The good times didn't last long. After the policy was rehabilitated, he was probably overexcited, had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and was in a coma for more than 2 days. When his family was ready to handle the funeral, he miraculously woke up and recovered quickly and well. Like ordinary people, he was able to pick up a brush and paint again. An old man in his 6 s turned out to be 2 years without any symptoms. During this period, the works were even more profound and vigorous, and their intention reached a supreme level.
Summer in Nanjing is like a furnace, and it is extremely hot. One day I went to visit Li Lao. I saw him playing chess shirtless with an old neighbor under a big tree by the river in front of his house. Li Lao is a master at chess. He plays chess with a broken banana fan in one hand. Seeing his concentration, it is like a "two-old game map." Looking at him, I felt a pang of sadness. I am over 8 years old, and I have painted tens of thousands of works all my life. Almost all Nanjing folk lovers of calligraphy and painting have Mr. Li's works. It can be said that "Li Weiqing's paintings are everywhere". And he himself is still so poor, I discussed with his daughter and asked her to accompany Li Lao to the hotel to avoid the summer, but he wanted to go home in half a day. I understand that Li Lao's heart is as clear as water for decades, and he is used to the cold and dull days. He lives in peace and contentment, seeking nothing from the world and others.
The ancients called the painter "on the top of the rice", "Ni's pedantry" and "Huang Zhi's infatuation", and this painter's true temperament is also true. Where there is more sophistication, there is more wit, and more wit is less elegance, therefore, the temperament of the unruly, pedantic and infatuated person is closest to painting. "fame and fortune are impatient, and true painting will not work; Although the work will not be elegant. " Mr. Li Weiqing knows human feelings but doesn't know the way of the world. He is good at painting and calligraphy without seeking fame and fortune. He can't stop painting when he wants to, and he wants to be happy when he paints, which makes others happy. He often writes the title "Playing a few games is quite enjoyable" in his paintings. "Letter and pen come, regardless of gains and losses"; "bite the root of the vegetable, Pepsi can do it." The purpose of his painting is simple and clear, which reflects Li Weiqing's sincerity, character, spirit, realm and common mind as an artist. There are many amazing and immortal masterpieces among his works of game pen and ink.
Fortunately, in his last days, at a pen meeting, we met again at Song Ziwen Mansion in Nanjing Arctic Pavilion. He happily wrote a couplet for me, "The storm is the avenue, and the dust is affectionate." Unexpectedly, a few days later, he really walked away quietly with a lifetime of turmoil, walking so peacefully and calmly, without disturbing anyone.
pen and ink temperament
—— Re-understanding of personalized creation of Chinese painting
Wen/Zhang Erbin
Personality is the expression of people's understanding, cognition and behavior of objective things, especially for artistic creation. As a spiritual activity, painting art will lose its aesthetic value if it has no personality, and there is no real art at all.
We often say that "painting is like a person", style is a person, style is me, and "I" is personality. The creation of artistic style is the embodiment of the artist's personality. However, affirming the individuality factor in artistic creation cannot deny its social attribute, but should be the unity of subjective and objective, that is to say, individuality exists in * * * and is reflected in * * *.
The paintings in the Tang Dynasty and the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the paintings in the Song and Yuan Dynasties and the Ming and Qing Dynasties all have obvious characteristics of the times. Yuan Sijia's paintings and Ming Sijia's paintings, the Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou and the Eight Schools in Jinling and even the Jinling School today also have their own characteristics of the times, but due to the Confucian ideological tendency, personality traits, cultural accomplishment, life experience and the relationship between teachers and students. There are differences in various aspects such as means of expression, and there must be differences in understanding and judgment of real life and artistic expression. This difference is the difference in understanding objective things and subjective expression, and this difference is personality.
Artistic creation is a process of thinking with strong feelings. The painter's style cannot be static, nor can it have only one face. In the process of long-term study and creation, there are not only works that focus on learning and learning from traditional techniques, but also works that boldly study and express themselves; There are works with similar styles, as well as works that are constantly changing and new. I especially emphasize the painter's pen and ink temperament, which is a tool as well as a skill, and has become the standard for appreciating Chinese painting. The temperament is the embodiment of the painter's thoughts, feelings and cultivation realm, and pen and ink are the necessary conditions for every painter, while the embodiment and difference of personality lies in the painter's temperament. I think freehand brushwork is the aesthetic character and pursuit of Chinese painting, and it is the highest embodiment form and realm. Pen and ink shows "writing" and "temperament" shows "meaning" Every painter has a certain pen and ink skills and techniques, and everyone is different, such as the use of dotted lines. The pen and ink form of Chinese painting has the human characteristic factor of "I", which is the main expression of the artist's artistic skills and personal unique style.
the development of personality needs innovative spirit. I think the expression of personality lies in "changeability", and the unchangeable personality means no personality. Change needs ability and courage, change is inheritance and development, change is the display and embodiment of personality, change is new, new and beautiful. When we talk about "innovation", we should also talk about "creating excellence", because the society calls for new masterpieces.
In short, Chinese painting itself has its own personality. As a cultural form of China, Chinese painting also contains China's humanistic spirit. With its independent and uninhibited personality, it has always continued its own traditional development and has not been replaced by other national arts, which also proves that this pursuit is scientific and vital in artistic creation.
It's a pleasure to listen to music and paint. BLACKPINK Danqing is in harmony with himself.
Wen/Zhang Erbin
The extensive and profound cultural heritage of Kunqu has nourished the traditional culture and art of the Chinese nation. The academic seminar on Kunqu Opera held by Jiangsu Institute of Culture and Art this time is a groundbreaking academic research, which is of great significance. It is not only beneficial to the study of Kunqu opera, but also to other traditional cultures and arts, and it is of referential significance. I am a painter of Chinese painting, and I have a profound experience in being influenced by Kunqu Opera in my painting practice. From the title of this article, I can think that I am enjoying Kunqu Opera. Therefore, I wrote a doggerel on my own feelings and understanding as follows:
The moon is bright and clear, and the sound is clear and accompanied by pictures. There is a new artist on the stage, and Linchi is a water mill. Writing is like reading and singing, and there is also a splash of writing. Wu Dai is comfortable with long sleeves, singing and dancing away snakes and dragons, listening to music and painting for pleasure, which was originally the same as that of Dan Qing and BLACKPINK.
This is my feeling and wonderful understanding as a painter who loves Kunqu opera for many years.
The first Kunqu opera I came into contact with was the film Fifteen Passes. Although I didn't know much about it at that time (including dialects), I found it very novel, especially the performance of the actors, which was very exaggerated and enjoyable, but it was also very reasonable and true. In 1983, I attended a concert held by professional actors and amateur Kunqu fans in Mochou Lake. Unexpectedly, several Kunqu masters came, including Wang Chuansong, Shen Chuanzhi and Ni Chuanyue, as well as Shi Xiaomei and Lin Jifan, who were young actors at that time. Since then, I have forged an indissoluble bond with Kunqu Opera. In 1987, Nanjing Shizhuzhai resumed and held the 36th anniversary commemoration. I was in charge of the Art Research Department. After the meeting, I invited Zhang Zhidie, Shi Xiaomei and Gu Yu from the Provincial Kunqu Theatre to sing, which won high praise from experts and scholars at home and abroad. They said: I didn't expect Nanjing to retain such an authentic traditional culture. With the step-by-step understanding of Kunqu opera, my love for Kunqu opera is increasing day by day, and I gradually feel that Kunqu opera has a subtle effect on my painting creation. My painting focuses on the display of pen and ink and temperament, with pen and ink expressing "writing" and temperament expressing "meaning". Freehand brushwork is the aesthetic character and pursuit of Chinese painting, and it is the highest expression and realm of Chinese painting. Although painting is a space art, drama is a time art, the function of painting is to create space, and the function of drama is to use space, while my painting focuses on the use of space, which is the result of the influence. Relatively speaking, opera actors not only make full use of space on the stage, but also create performance space for themselves. The two are complementary. After watching Zhang Jiqing's "Crazy Dream", Xin Fengxia said: "One person is present, and the whole stage is a play." "Freehand brushwork" provides an infinite space for China painters and dramatists to display their individuality and talents.
Kunqu opera and Chinese painting are both excellent traditional cultures in China, and they have the same aesthetic character and taste. Righteousness, grandeur, clearness and elegance are my pursuit of Chinese painting aesthetics. Product is the essence of aesthetics; Tolerance is an aesthetic temperament, and tolerance is great; Elegance is aesthetic taste; Cleanliness is the aesthetic mentality. And Kunqu opera just has these aesthetic qualities.
Ni Yunlin (Ni Zan), a great painter in the Yuan Dynasty, became friends with Gu Jian, a great lyricist, and was proficient in lyrics. Xu Wei (Qingteng), a great painter in the Ming Dynasty, recorded that "Nanqu was sung by the flute and pipa", and Wen Zhiming once recorded Nanqu in Zhang Guangde's Record of Authentic Daily.