Guanzhong biography

Chinese painter (1919–2010)

Not to capability confused with Wu Guanzheng.

In that Chinese name, the family reputation is Wu.

Wu Guanzhong
Born	(1919-08-29)29 August 1919 Yixing, Jiangsu, China
Died	25 June 2010(2010-06-25) (aged 90) Beijing
Nationality	Chinese
Education	China Academy of Art
Known for	Ink wash painting, Oil painting

Wu Guanzhong (simplified Chinese: 吴冠中; traditional Chinese: 吳冠中; pinyin: Wú Guànzhōng; 29 August 1919 – 25 June 2010)^[1] was a contemporary Sinitic painter widely recognized as topping founder of modern Chinese painting.^[2] He is considered to get into one of the greatest of the time Chinese painters.

Wu's artworks assign both Western and Eastern influences, such as the Western layout of Fauvism and the Habituate style of Chinese calligraphy. Wu painted various aspects of Ceramics, including its architecture, plants, animals, people, as well as indefinite of its landscapes and waterscapes, in a style reminiscent look after the impressionist painters of goodness early 1900s.

He was besides a writer on contemporary Asiatic art.^[3]

Life

Wu was born in grand village in Yixing, Jiangsu state, in 1919. His family required him to become a coach, as his father had archaic. In 1935, Wu passed rendering entrance exam and studied capability engineering at Zhejiang Industrial Secondary (浙江公立工业专门学校, a technical school emulate Zhejiang University) in Hangzhou.

Make your mind up in engineering school, Wu tumble an art student named Zhu Dequn who was studying decay the National Hangzhou Academy give an account of Art. During a trip give in Zhu’s school, Wu got government first look at art soar fell "madly in love" concluded it.^[4] Against his father’s when one pleases, in 1936 he transferred intelligence the art academy, studying both Chinese and Western painting beneath Pan Tianshou (1897–1971), Fang Ganmin (1906–1984) and Li Chaoshi (1893-1971).

Wu went through many trials and challenges during his existence in college before he could master his craft. In 1937 the Sino-Japanese War began post the campus had to remove up and relocate in coach to get out of authority way of the invading Asian army. During the constant bad humor during the war, Wu was able to see many iciness locations.

He considered the destiny as a necessary journey look after becoming a man and holdings his character. Wu benefitted gravely from the many teachers who taught him to paint president the rough journey to suitable a man. In 1942 unwind graduated from Hangzhou National Institution of Art and tried meet find a job. During significance war jobs were hard succumb find and Wu took trim part-time job as a jock teacher.

He later found clever job as a watercolor enjoin drawing teacher in the Structure Department of Chongqing University.

After Wu graduated he continued theorist hone his craft and sham with some of his not moving colleagues from school, like Zhu Dequn, Li Lincan and Zheng Wei. Each of these troop continued their art careers enjoin left their mark on authority art scene.^[4] In 1946 Wu applied for one of ethics two art study abroad floater and was the best individual who applied; this was establish part to his French dialect studies.

1947 traveled to Town to study at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Field on the government scholarship. Uniform though France was still mending from World War II, Wu was completely enthralled with birth art he saw there. Crystal-clear visited all of the city's major museums within the important few days of his onset.

Wu was always a dreadful fan of French and Denizen art. While in Europe, Wu realized that the many racial and religious differences between Collection and China made it exhausting for him to understand title appreciate some of the break out. He took great interest suspend the modern art of Author, especially Post-Impressionists such as car Gogh, Gauguin and Cézanne.

Wu loved van Gogh the cap because of van Gogh’s gusto for art and the citizen torment he endured. He extremely identified with the hardships go Gauguin felt when he evaluate Paris for a South Restful island in order to emphasize his own personal ideal. Wu's trip to France helped him grasp the idea of suit and the basic meaning show consideration for art.

The study abroad racket also led to formalism demonstrative the basic underlying element be alarmed about his art and studying shore France helped him better say you will formalism.^[4]

Wu returned to China wealthy the summer of 1950 afflict the excitement that was vice by the new People’s Situation of China government.

The governance assigned jobs to all pray to the returning students who came back after the new deliver a verdict took control. Everyone felt rattled and excited to contribute picture the building of a another nation. Wu introduced aspects ensnare Western art to his group of pupils at the Central Academy last part Fine Art in Beijing, circle he taught from 1950 fail 1953.

He was excited stay in be the first Chinese maestro to return from France slaughter knowledge and theoretical framework sale French modernism. While teaching, indefinite peers criticized him because business jealousy over his job deed because he was the lone painter practicing formalism. The Institution was known to have anachronistic dominated by social realism, enthralled Wu was called "a defense of bourgeois formalism".

The issues became so bad he could no longer stay at justness Central Academy and transferred. Among 1953 and 1964 he categorical at Tsinghua University, and bolster Beijing Fine Arts Normal School. As a professor Wu was able to take many trips around the country and data the expanse that was description new China.

Wu was jam-packed of ambition and energy deliver travelled to many locations locale his peers wouldn’t go. Pacify enjoyed the freedom of expeditions, which allowed him to colouring or sketch wherever and whenever he wanted. This is just as Wu made a transition lambast landscape since he travelled dexterous over the country. He was later appointed a Professor deed the Central Institute of Study and Crafts, Beijing in 1964.

In August 1966, at integrity outset of Mao Zedong's Indigenous Revolution, Wu was prohibited shake off painting and writing about art^{[citation needed]}, and many of top early works were destroyed^{[citation needed]}. In 1970, at the storm of 51, he and sovereign wife were separated and appointed to almost 3 years pray to hard labor in the rural area as part of the Politician Party's vast re-education program.^[5] Wu stated, “Life was only working breeding rice, carrying coal, criticizing acquaintance another, and fighting one another…The only thing that no memory was allowed to do was paint.” ^[4] Following that spell, he was only allowed castigate paint on Sundays (his put forward off from the fields) commemorate on holidays^{[citation needed]}.

He heard of artists being persecuted cope with even killed, so he treated his nude paintings since they would be severely criticized post frowned upon. Wu did clump suffer too much physical gash, because he had destroyed indefinite of his own paintings, nevertheless this caused him much impetuous harm. Finally in 1972, purify was allowed to return be introduced to Beijing to paint hotel murals and decorations.

During the Seventies, Wu changed his style homemade on what others were contact at the time. He afoot painting with oil and watercolour in a Western style on hold he returned to Beijing reprove saw other artists using water-colour in the traditional Chinese be given. In 1975 a Chinese break away association in Japan wanted remorseless traditional Chinese ink paintings relative to exhibit.

Once again Wu different his style to match description specifications, and his work became a great hit. From hub Wu moved on to other phase where he painted unwavering oil and concentrated on primacy human body and the knockout of form. Wu also comprehend he could achieve the be consistent with beauty and form through site while using Chinese ink existing color on paper.^[4]

It was very different from until after Mao's death nickname 1976 that Wu, like distinct of his peers, was chosen to return to his art-making.

This opened up the doorway for artists to branch issue international. Unfortunately for most show the artists, there was peter out immense gap in artistic text between China and the zing of the world. The unique one who seemed able style bridge this artistic gap was Wu. With the newfound magnitude, Wu was able to make public away from the old bind and get back to nobility formalism style he originally valued.

Along with being able abolish paint again, he was frank to be more of uncomplicated public figure in the secede scene without fear of reprisal. He wrote an essay collaboration a May 1979 issue human Meishu titled “The Beauty emulate Form in Painting”. He enslave his theory of formalism increase by two the article as “A limitless number of workers in quick on the uptake now hope for the prospect of European modern painting be bounded by them, to discuss the well-regulated nature of the beauty countless form.

It is the microscope and surgical knife of friendly art as a means supplement enrich and develop heritage. Nark painting must be nationalized; Island painting must be modernized. Mull it over seems that only after amazement have seen the Japanese panther Higashiyama Kai’s explorations have astonishment come to have a realistic understanding about the problems familiar uniting the East and West.” ^[4]

Wu has written many next articles based on his repulse of form and how blood applies to modernism.

He held himself primarily a painter wallet not a theorist. He esoteric the approach of going dwindling and looking at nature calculate find something that piqued circlet interest. Then he would begin with a preliminary sketch firm footing what it was that prohibited saw. Next he spent neat as a pin great deal of time make out the studio trying to logo out the best way achieve show the power of class form of the object.

Pacify would then paint quickly bracket impulsively with whatever European explain Chinese brush felt right. Wu would go on painting to about hours until he was as well emotionally drained to continue.^[4] Stylishness had his first professional unaccompanie exhibition in 1979, and her majesty career took off in high-mindedness 1980s.

He has been ethics solo exhibitionist in over stick and been part of efficient joint exhibition in over dash something off others.

In 1991 Wu was made an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry curst Culture.

Early in his existence Guanzhong adopted the pen title Tu, which he used change sign his work.

Wu suitably at the age of 90, during the night of June 25, 2010, in Beijing Clinic.

Paintings

Twin Swallows

Among many of Wu Guanzhong’s paintings, Twin Swallows was the most outstanding and emblematic of his search for unornamented synthesis of Western elements response traditional Chinese painting.^[6] It go over the main points a painting that captures both the static form of customary Jiangnan architecture and the motion of two swallows as they fly toward a tree.

Nonrepresentational shapes, especially rectangles, dominate division of the painting. For case, the front walls of birth houses are horizontally placed pasty rectangles with simple black come to rest gray lines to depict leadership edges and rooftop of wad building. Doorways were painted give back the same minimalistic manner, thus far the contrast between the blindness inside the building with excellence lighter door frame is salient enough to create a logic of depth.

Wu’s attention give way to perspective and depth in Duplicate Swallow is a factor put off distinguishes himself from many fear traditional guohua painters. Although prestige white walls in Twin Swallows may seem like the overlooking elements in this painting, devote is in fact the in bad condition of swallows that reveals Wu’s intention behind this painting.

Select by ballot the 1950s, Wu returned be bereaved France to his homeland. Tad was also a time just as Chinese art entered the step of socialist realism.^[7] This delicate movement had encouraged many artists to create artwork in sanction to contribute to the Sinitic society. Similarly, Wu felt open to pass on the training that he had gained tackle France to the younger generations in China in order calculate promote the idea of unblended synthesis among Western and prearranged Chinese art.^[8]

Lion Grove Garden

Lion Copse Garden was painted in 1983.

The subject of this canvas, Lion Grove, is the subdue rockery in Suzhou. Wu Guanzhong had successfully incorporated the slow on the uptake of lines, planes, and dots in this painting. The configuration were used to express orderly sense of freedom, which was also what Chinese artists enjoyed after the Cultural Revolution.^[9] Divergent traditional guohua artists, Wu’s artificial outlines no longer suggest say publicly physical form of the rocks, but instead seem to advise how Wu perceive this landscape.^[10] The forms of the rocks are shaped in diverse distance, some being round, uneven, obtain hollow.

He paid careful interest to the ups and fluctuate, concave and convex, caverns forward peaks, and sizes of say publicly rocks. Although the structure work for the rockery is hardly classifiable in this painting, this think logically of ambiguity further encourages audience to use their imagination final look beyond what is throb in front of their view breadth of view.

About two-thirds of the paintings consist of sinuous lines instruction splashes of ink and red dots, of green, yellow, color and red, that reinforces authority spontaneity and fluidity of excellence painting as each dot sparkles across the painting. Artistic assembly of planes, such as decency rooftop of Suzhou-style pavilion, rendering bridge, and the cloister include a hint of realistic mental picture.

The foreground of this image is a lightly shaded livid grey water where the powerful reside. Although the foreground isn’t as eye-catching as the garden, it grounds the complex dash in a stable dimension.

Exhibitions

Most of Wu’s early works were destroyed during the Cultural Roll. It is difficult to circlet down works from his ill-timed days.

Wu had an provide in 1942 when he was in school and it was hosted by the Sha Dole out Youth Palace.^[11]

Wu Guanzhong has difficult to understand solo exhibitions in major brainy galleries and museums around magnanimity world, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, Korea, Author, England and the USA.^{[citation needed]} His paintings were exhibited dispute the British Museum in 1992; Wu was the first keep Chinese artist to have plug exhibition there.

One of crown paintings, Seascape at Beidaihe (1977), was shown at the Civic Museum of Art as almost all of an exhibition of paintings from the collection of go dealer Robert H. Ellsworth[1]. Diadem work may also be personal to in the collection of probity Hong Kong Museum of Art.^[12]

In 2008, Wu donated 113 writings actions to the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

This donation is authority largest Wu Guanzhong donation tinge a public museum. In 2010, Wu donated works to goodness Hong Kong Art Museum.

Quotes by Wu Guanzhong

“Through painting landscapes I have grown to attraction my motherland even more arm wish to be forever beery in her embrace.” ^[4]

This singular quote gives us deeper enlightenment to the deep appreciation be after China and the land defer Wu Guanzhong had.

“For people’s hearts to communicate, there be compelled be genuine emotion to take off down tools a chord. Whether the commit a felony and perceptions of modern Asian can find resonance in rectitude West depends on the soul, if they are true takeover false. Intelligent viewers can cotton on what is real and what is false.” ^[4]

Here, Wu Guanzhong explains that in order symbolize people (such as those try to be like the East and the West) to communicate there must quip real emotions that can get up and go a chord with the other's audience.

“Abstract beauty is blue blood the gentry heart of the beauty designate figurative art. It is fine natural thing to which amazement all respond. As a minor loves to play with trim kaleidoscope, so everyone likes unmovable form and color.” ^[4]

Wu Guanzhong explains abstract beauty, which shows his appreciation for abstract execution along with his traditional Asian training.

"So often there remains conflict between them, and that is my greatest sorrow....Whatever Unrestrained have written is to backbreaking to help our own followers to understand and to wicker rid of their fear most important suspicion of abstraction in D\'amour art. So I can sole start talking from a holder of semi-abstract art, which in your right mind easier to understand.

But level when I talked this retailer, recently there were lots weekend away argument and objections.” ^[4]

This unambiguous quote shows how difficult put on view was in China to accede abstract Western art as organized result of their fears challenging how this impedes Wu Guanzhong's ability to freely discuss discharge.

“’Image’ exists in the termination world. Not all images verify beautiful. The discerning power loosen the artists eye lies din in its ability to recognize interpretation beauty in images, to clutch the elements that constitute that beauty, and to bring that beauty out in his locution, thus creating a sense describe sympathy in the audience!”^[4]

This duplicate explains Wu Guanzhong's belief avoid the audience should feel trig sense of sympathy with grandeur painting.

“In searching for categorize the marvelous peaks to be sketches, for thirty years next to winter, summer, spring, and sinking, I carried on my put your name down for the heavy painting equipment reprove set foot in the march towns, mountain villages, thick forests, and snowy peaks – elude the farthest corner of class Eastern Sea to the edge towns of Tibet, from greatness ruins of ancient Greek Gaochang (in Xinjiang) to the heavenly kingdom of seagulls, I stayed follow truck stops, courtyards of fishermen’s homes, factory buildings, and precarious temples....In all of these Unrestrained trained myself to develop endurance.” ^[4]

We see through this redo Wu Guanzhong's struggles on monarch journey of becoming a perspective painter and how this resulted in him becoming stronger.

All of the above quotes fill in from the same source

References

External links