Calligraphy
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Chinese
Painting
Just
as in calligraphy, the brush, paper, ink, and ink stone
are called "The Four Treasures." The brushes are
similar to watercolor brushes, except they are pointer at
the tip. Wolf hair and goat hair are used. Wolf hair is
stiff and highly resilient. Because it is so stiff, it can
be used to paint leaves and branches. Goat hair is soft
and pliable, and is used to paint delicate flower petals
and animal fur. Inks and paints are made from minerals,
plants and semi-precious stones. Rice paper is used to capture
an artist's work; however a vareity of different paper consistencies
can be used, changing the effect of the ink.
History
The earliest paintings found were in tombs in present-day
Manchuria and North Korea. Later, during the Tang dynasty
(618-906), paintings of people and courtly life were popular.
Although
still popular today, it was during the Song dynasty that
most of the painting styles we are familiar with today emerged.
In the Song dynasty (960-1279), nature overtook people as
a common theme for paintings. Reflecting Daoist beliefs,
people became mere dwarfs in awesome paintings of mountains
and other natural developments. Painters also focused on
natural elements, such as a bird, bamboo, flowers, trees,
etc. Monochrome also developed, which means that the artist
uses only black ink with varying shades of gray to show
depth, atmosphere, distance, etc. Under
the Yuan dynasty (1260-1368), Chinese arts flourished. Building
on the themes of the previous dynasty, and in rebellion
to foreign rule, paintings flourished. Painters focused
on still life. The surface of paintings became important,
such as style and number of brushstrokes. During the Ming
dynasty (1368-1644), a revival of past styles evolved, and
birds and flowers were a common theme. During the latter
part of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), art production declined.
Modern
Paintings
Finally, during the current Communist rule, art became more
propagandized, reflecting the movements, attitude and soul
of the "New China." Paintings during this time
had the distinction of being mass-produced and shared with
the masses, as was the communist theme, mostly to get a
message of solidarity to the people. These paintings came
in the form of posters, and replaced traditional forms of
art in Chinese homes. Mao himself became an icon of the
times, with a craze of selling not only paintings and posters,
but also pins, carvings, knic knacs, and more.
Modern
Chinese art is has an artistic theme, with more a social
flavor, with themes such as modernity, old mixed with new,
a new perspective on old, homosexuality, globalization,
the female nude, etc. It also includes photography, computer
graphics as well as painting. In some respects, Chinese
art has a relation to other art around the world in that
it deals with modernity, but also is uniquely Chinese in
that an ancient culture has to deal with casting off old
moldings.
