| In 20 th century Chinese art,Li Shutong(Hongyi Fashi)is well known for his versality,capability to practice both Chinese and Western arts,individualistic features and aesthetic education.He is also a typical example of combining the Chinese and the Western elements into his own and undergoing the experience of knowing different fields into specializing in one field.All through his art career,his decision to become a monk is a comparative turning point.Before that,the formative phase is one of wide access to all arts and primitive formation of his own character.After that,it is the phase of deepening his understanding and advancing his individual features.From the historical logical point of view on his artistic individuality formation,the thoughts,paths and individual methodology formed in the former phase is the decisive all through his life.The thesis mainly discusses his calligraphy,together with art materials on his music,poetry,seal cutting,and design.Five aspects of his early years are probed to find out the core reasons and the basic models of his artistic individuality formation: the intellectual background of old and new schools,artistic teachings and apprenticeship,the scope and direction of his artistic learnings,his references and individual methods,artistic friendship and conditions.The thesis considers that the Li family of Tongda in Tianjin provided him the social and cultural resources for his artistic initiations and primary formation of his individuality;he was thus assisted by celebrities and masters like Xu Yaoting,Tang Jingyan,Zhao Youmei,Wang Enzhong,Li Hongzhang,Li Chengxi,and so on.But Li Shutong also applied his sensitive pathos and characters of openness and independence,rational practice,and philanthropic concerns to reconstruct what he had learned.Based on this,between 1899 and 1905,he set up his own position in the cultural circle as a young calligrapher and seal cutter in Shanghai;he also established friendship with Xu Huanyuan,Chen Shizeng,Xu Xingzhou,Li Kuchan,and even Wu Changshuo and Li Ruiqing.At the same time,he entered Nanyang Public School to realize his transition from a student of Old School to a pioneer of New School.Up on his return from Japan,he changed from seal style calligraphy to Wei Bei(stone panel carvings of Wei Dynasty)while expanding to western art.Nevertheless,since the very beginning of his study on western arts,he had already established his artistic path based on national ground,the ideals of Chinese art thought and the style of primitive and crude grandiosity.His art works,be it the combination of “bei”(stone panel carvings)and “tie”(model calligraphy with ink on paper)in calligraphy,the compositional tune choice and song writing in music,or advertisement design within small space,all present the self-consciousness of digesting the ancient and creating the new as well as the immersion of western elements in Chinese art.On the other hand,his experiences in learning and teaching western art propelled him to supplement the western structural techniques into calligraphy and seal cutting practice.He had formulated a whole series of methods to help him revolutionize the technical route.His research on Buddhism and spiritual cultivation in his latter phase is actually well-connected to his experience as a Confucius student and self-discipline.So he had reached the level of plain and naivete presentation and calm and hollow pursuit,which laid the thinking route of his latter phase calligraphy.The artistic individuality formation of Li Shutong is imbedded in the historical and cultural context of modern China in seeking salvation and renovation.From the level of his individual spiritual pursuit and his suggestion on cultural industry to save the nation,there is continuity in his secular phase and his Buddhist phase.Therefore,he is also a special example of modern artist turning from Confucianism to Buddhism. |
