Recently I read a dialogue, Chen Dan-qing and Tian Li-ming, Wu Yi, Li Jin, Liu Qing-he four ink painters (In addition to Li Jin, all my teacher, all have a great impact on me) talked about ink. Chen Dan-qing came up and asked: "why do you want to talk this topic ”ink” with me?" I think the first is because Chen Dan-qing is one of the few artists in the country with cross-cultural perspective, considerable accomplishment, independent cultural insights; The second is because Chen Dan-qing dare to speak, not too much benefit disputes, dare to express a critical opinion, like him the people with cultural influence and voice in the country very rare. In other words, these ink artists hope to get Chen Dan-qing's "confirmed" through this conversation, in dialogue Chen Dan-qing fully controlled of the dominant right to speak and also very polite.
But Chen Dan-qing’s opinion for “ink”, I think that is limited. Chen Dan-qing said:”Why did you willing to think yourselves are “ink painters”? “I never seen a group of western people talking about a set of creation, the keyword is ‘oil painting’.”
Ackerman also said in seminar of “contemporary ink: cultural self-consciousness and art trend”, “ink” has "anxiety", but without "anxiety" in the west.
Oil painting certainly feels not anxious. Oil painting was invented by Netherlands painter Yang· Fan· Aike in 15th century, due to use vegetable oil as pigment blender, the change in color is very plentiful, can be covered over and over again, not dirty, has more strong expression. Oil painting itself is the product of the Renaissance, it is a kind of modern cultural form. It is the performance of more delicate, vivid and abundant, itself is the spirit of a modern culture. It has the expansion of human nature and the resistance of divine right. Oil painting as a kind of painting pigment, technique and art form, in the previous one thousand years solidification, static and theocratic, in the middle ages of humanity repression is not possible to arise. in more than 500 years, along with the west gradually occupy the dominant influence on the world, oil painting realized the world's cultural expansion, it certainly does not have the ink "anxiety". When west people talking about the creation, of course the "oil painting" not as the key words, because it has a global influence, and even the dominant.
But China and all non western countries are facing the impact of western culture and the realization of their own modern transformation and cultural transformation. Especially today, facing the biggest change in the world for five hundred years, the world economic center moving from west to east, China and the emerging countries all facing the problems of get rid of the influence of western culture one-dimension, and seeking the independence of own cultural value and cultural identity. So the transformation of "ink painting" (Contemporary Ink Painting) is not only a cultural issue in China, and it is a problem that must be faced in the process of society and cultural transformation, at the same time, it is not only the problem of China, but also worldwide problem, is a problem in the process of the world of structural transformation, all non western countries (and even the western culture of self adjustment) will be faced.
“Ink painting” as a kind of art form and culture symbol, it has the value and symbolic meaning in Chinese culture, and in the process of modern transformation of Chinese culture, for seeking the cultural value and cultural identity of Chinese independence, all has an irreplaceable role. In the process of historical transformation, for the understanding of “ink painting”, Chen Dan-qing lacks of the angle of history.
For Xv Bei-hong’s opinion of “traditional Chinese painting revolution”, Chen Dan-qing thinks that it broken the internal rule of the traditional Chinese painting, “those figures painting of Chinese painting revolution, not compared to the ancients.” This point, I think that it’s lack of historical logic. It’s not aesthetic comparison between Xv Bei-hong’s “traditional Chinese painting revolution” and traditional figure paintings, but it is the evolution of cultural history, is the part of the Mary Fourth New Culture Movement. Xv Bei-hong’s “traditional Chinese painting revolution” is the irreplaceable process of Chinese society and cultural transformation at that time.
Chen Dan-qing has accomplishment and knowledge, he ever said that “Asia culture is all pirate culture”, don’t know whether he remember or not? The meaning of “ink painting” exactly lie in if it can be realized own modern transformation (from concept to technique), it is not “pirate culture” anymore. (Li Sa)