This topic of practice theoretically reflects Susanne K. Langer’s philosophic and visual psychological theories in Feeling and Form (1953), Clive Bell’s argument about the ‘significant form’ (1914), and Wassily Kandinsky’s claim of ‘spirital organism’ in Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1912). Creating a kind of feeling of movement or ‘form of life’ is what my pursuit in which to combine the Chinese calligraphy and Western contemporary painting.
This practice of work is not attempt to bring a fresh visual form that combines styles between Chinese calligraphy and Western modern art, but make the painting itself as an object to tell, and to demonstrate the cultural, art stylistic, natural and historical implication. In this I try to develop my current landscape practices into a diversely academic context.
This practice of work is not attempt to bring a fresh visual form that combines styles between Chinese calligraphy and Western modern art, but make the painting itself as an object to tell, and to demonstrate the cultural, art stylistic, natural and historical implication. In this I try to develop my current landscape practices into a diversely academic context.
Flowing Border Ink and Watercolour 38-45cm Durdle Door and the West Lulworth in Dorset Ink and Watercolour 38-45cm
Flying in the White Cliff No.2 Chinese ink and Watercolour 45-38cm 2014
Flying in the White Cliff is a recent studio practice inspired by the structure and method of ancient Chinese calligraphy as well as the practice of Abstract Expressionists Jackson Pollock in the 20th century West. The subject of this work is England and world heritage coast – the White Cliffs of Dover, which itself represents both historical and geological significance. Physical changes in the long-term crustal disturbances have been bringing England’s south coast a unique geological feature of rocky appearance. To reflect the geological erosion and fusion, and to penetrate a kind of invisible vicissitude of nature, I referenced the shape of ancient Chinese hieroglyph ‘之’ that means ‘moving’, ‘flowing’, ‘transition’, etc., and used this structure of character as a main pattern of composition, in which the hieroglyph is able to combine with and fused into the natural shape of Cliffs. In this, I attempt to evoke a deeper level of cultural and historical implication through the painting.
The Purple Melody Chinese ink and Watercolour 45-38cm 2014 The Old Harry Rock Chinese ink and Watercolour 45-38cm 2014
Since the ancient China, painting has been developed and influenced by the method of writing Chinese calligraphy; creating a painting was more like to write an abstract calligraphy. The pictographic nature of Chinese calligraphy and the interrelation and correlation between the text and image make it possible for me to combine the structure of character with the natural shapes of the cliffs, and also to bring the landscape painting some kind of literal meanings in a different cultural context.
Lighthouse and White Cliffs of Dover ink and watercolour on Chinese paper 38-45cm Each 2014
In the most paintings here, I was attempting to absorb the composing of Chinese calligraphy and practice my interest and understanding on Western modern art, for example, the control and chance in Pollock’s drip painting, as well as the theories of visual element in Kandinsky’s monograph: Kandinsky’s reflection on how movement, direction and tension that the visual elements can provide and evoke psychological effect in the painting is what I was concerning here; While, Pollock’s creative process – the moving action of making painting as methodology of art is also my reference.
Yuping Li Flying in the Sky Ink and Watercolour in Chinese XUAN Paper 92-69cm 09/2014
Clouds, birds and cliffs Ink and Watercolour in Chinese XUAN Paper 92-69cm 09/2014
Durdle Door in Dorset Ink and Watercolour in Chinese XUAN Paper 92-69cm 09/2014
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