An Attempt To Explain The Modern Significance Of WuGuanzhong's Art Of Painting

The paper tries to summarize and describe the prominent artistic achievements and his great contribution to the art history from three aspects-the formation, development and significance for modern times of Wu Guan-zhong's drawing art and the emphasis will be put on the significance for modern times. The intention is to give hints to the present researcher of Wu Guan-Zhong's art that they should not research only for research's sake but should have a positive and definite direction in their minds. Only in this way, can it play an important role in the inspiration and promotion of artistic innovation and reformation. This is the original intention of my writing this paper.The research of formation and development of Wu Guan-Zhong's art is inseparable from his artistic experience full of twists and turns. In his early times, he abandoned his work to learn drawing art form the prominent artists, such as Lin Feng-Mian, Pan Tian-Shou and Wu Da-Yu in Hangzhou Art Institute; and then went to France to learn from J·M·Souverbie. The solid basic skill, systematic theory accomplishment, wide exposition between Chinese and west art, the uneven living experience and the unbendable diligence,all play the important roles in the formation and development of Wu Guang-Zhong's art and also shape his aesthetic view, life outlook and creation concept which lay sound foundation for the art development. After his returning to China, the special national situation and severe political environment are of great tests to Wu Guan-Zhong that impel him to reconsider and reconstruct himself. From the time that he abandoned portrayal painting to take up landscape painting to primarily explore the nationalization of canvas to the time that he became the"Dung basket artist"with great concerns to our country although in a vulgar position, he felt out the essence of the nationalization and modernization of painting; The artistic standard that"Applauded by the experts and approved by the common people"widened the view of painting modernization and naturally the phase of mutual development of oil painting and traditional Chinese painting arrived. Up to that time, Wu Guan-Zhong's art has step onto another height, become more mature with wider view and more consummate techniques, presenting a vast mind state and universal passion. In his late years, he achieved thorough artistic enlightenment and reached freedom realm and his work is imbued with humanistic feelings with great love.The paper lays great emphasis on Wu Guan-Zhong's artistic achievements and its significance for modern times. It can be divided into two main blocks:Ideological innovation, artistic thought and artistic language which are mutually dependable since theory and practice are inseparable. Wu Guan-Zhong's artistic theory constitutes great part in his artistic career that is not only academically systematical and scientific but also with thought on a deeper level. This all embodies in his several important works, such as"form beauty","abstract beauty","beauty of artistic conception","form decides the content"and"physical beauty", etc. He analyzes the connotation and essence of beauty and those that are considered as"pretty"is not necessarily true"beauty", and the formative arts should pursue the science of beauty. The form beauty has its unique, scientific and regular and to point out the regularity and principle of form beauty is the key point in art creation. The scientificity of form beauty is like the microscope and scalpel of formative arts and great emphasis should be laid on it. The form beauty should be considered as the most important common ground of both Chinese and west arts and it is should be considered as the basis of Chinese and western integration, but he didn't consider the form beauty as the ultimate artistic result; Also Wu Guan-Zhong thought that"abstract beauty lays at the core of the form beauty"and there are two main common points for them: universality and objectivity, both indispensable. He also made scientific dissertation on the"beauty of artistic conception"and"physical beauty"and challenged the two artistic guiding concepts"content determines the form"and"theme first" which he considered as a breach of the law of artistic creation. What's more, he gave deeper consideration to the theories, such as"kite line should not be broken","pen and ink equals nothing"and"style". Seen from the large quantity of his excellent works and artistic practice, his main contribution is embodied in the innovation of artistic thought and artistic language, including the exploration of"painting nationalization","modernization of traditional Chinese painting"as well as the application of techniques, the diversification of the themes that keep pace with the times, color of mind frame, the integration of realism and romanticism, and the combination of art and science.Generally speaking, Wu Guan-Zhong's life is innovative and his art is the bridge that connects the Chinese and western culture. Even in his late years, his continued his exploration, innovation and diligence. His artistic and striving spirit is a great inspiration for the modern art development in the transformation period.