Download Article
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 310 3rd International Conference on Culture, Education and Economic Development of Modern Society (ICCESE 2019) The Philosophical Thoughts of the Five Elements and the Expression Techniques of Chinese Painting* Yi Li City College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan, China Abstract—The traditional Chinese painting art has a long line drawing and ink painting. If the properties of “metal, history and is prosperous. After thousands of years, it still has wood, water, fire and soil” in the theory of the five elements a unique artistic charm. The reason why Chinese painting has are corresponding to the characteristics of the “technique of such a shocking and moving charm is because of its rich expression” in Chinese painting, the corresponding internal cultural connotation and the unique external form relationship can be as follows: means. There is a close connection between traditional Chinese philosophical thoughts and Chinese painting arts, and these “Wood”: corresponds to “boneless painting”; connections have always been the ideological orientation of “Fire”: corresponds to “freehand brushwork”; Chinese painting theory, and they have dominated the thinking mode and aesthetic concepts of Chinese painting. It can be said “Soil”: corresponds to “line drawing”; that Chinese five elements philosophy makes Chinese painting form its own unique Performance measures and expressive “Metal”: corresponds to “gongbi”; technique. We can talk about the expression techniques of “Water”: corresponds to “ink painting”. traditional Chinese painting from the perspective of China’s Five Elements Philosophy. In the following, the corresponding relationship between the attribute of “metal, wood, water, fire and soil” and the Keywords—philosophical thinking; Chinese painting; five “technique of expression” of Chinese painting is elaborated elements philosophy; the expression techniques with their mutual connection: I. INTRODUCTION A. The “Boneless” Painting Method Is the Expression of The traditional Chinese painting art has a long history the Five Elements of “Wood” and is prosperous. After thousands of years, it still has a The “wood” is said the “bend and straighten”. The “bend unique artistic charm. The reason why Chinese painting has and straighten” means the straightness of the branches of such a shocking and moving charm is because of its rich trees. This refers to the form of the growth of trees. internal cultural connotation and the unique external form Therefore, the “bend and straighten” has the meaning of means. There is a close connection between traditional growth, germination, tenderness, freshness, and stretch. In Chinese philosophical thoughts and Chinese painting arts, ancient China, everything that has the functions or properties and these connections have always been the ideological of growth, germination, relaxation, etc. in nature belongs to orientation of Chinese painting theory, and they have the “wood” of the five elements. dominated the thinking mode and aesthetic concepts of Chinese painting. It can be said that Chinese five elements Here, according to the nature of the “wood” of the five philosophy makes Chinese painting form its own unique elements and the characteristics of “boneless painting” Performance measures and expressive technique. We can expression techniques, we attribute the expression of talk about the expression techniques of traditional Chinese “boneless painting” in Chinese painting to the “wood” in the painting from the perspective of China’s Five Elements five elements. (See “Fig. 1”) Philosophy. II. THE PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHTS OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS AND THE EXPRESSION TECHNIQUES OF CHINESE PAINTING From the perspective of the classification of the techniques of expression in Chinese painting, Chinese painting is generally divided into five kinds of techniques of expression, gongbi, freehand brushwork, boneless brushwork, Fig. 1. Flower and bird painting, Yun Shouping, Ming dynasty. *Fund Project: Hubei Province Education Science Planning 2017 Project No.2017GB101 Copyright © 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). 403 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 310 The “boneless painting” of Chinese painting is the body structure of the shrimp in real life is 6 sections. Under meaning of “submerge and hiding”. The “boneless” painting Qi Baishi's brush, the body of the shrimp is 5 sections, which method means that the painter does not need to use ink lines is because Qi Baishi believes that 5 sections of shrimps are to depict the outer contours and boundary lines of things, but more better reflect the fresh and clever shrimp than 6 to describe things directly in color or ink. In the painting sections of shrimp. However, the five-section shrimp does process of Chinese painting, the lines of the pens are not exist in real life. The five-section shrimps only exist in particularly concerned with the “bone method pens”. Where the artist's mind, and the artist paints the image of “in the the pen front passes is called “bone”, and there is no visible mind” on the drawing paper, which is “freehand brushwork”. line in the picture of the “boneless” painting method. The (See “Fig. 2”) artist is required to combine ink, color, and water to make the lines submerge in ink, color, and water on the drawing paper. There are no lines in the brush, but mainly through color and ink to describe things. This is the “boneless” representation of Chinese painting. Therefore, the “boneless” performance method requires the painter to not sketch the drafts and not to delineate the outlines. Instead, “boneless” performance method needs the painter to conceive and complete the painting ideas before the paintings, embody the meaning in mind, The “implication” in the artist's mind is highly demanded. The “implication” of this kind of heart is like the nature and state of the growth of trees, and it is in line with the characteristics of the “wood” of the five elements. Therefore, we attribute the five element nature of “boneless” painting to “wood”. B. The “Freehand Brushwork” Painting Method Is the Expression of the Five Elements of “Fire” The “fire” is said the “hot and up”. The “hot and up” means “warm, rising, bright, sporting, release” and so on. In Fig. 2. shrimp, Qi Baishi, Modern. ancient China, everything that has the functions or properties The “freehand brushwork” depicts the artist's image in of warm, rising, bright, moving, and releasing, etc. in nature his mind. According to the theory of five-element philosophy, belongs to the “fire” of the five elements. the heart of the human body belongs to “fire”, and the “fire” Here, according to the nature of the “fire” of the five of the painting comes from the author's “thoughts and elements and the characteristics of the “freehand brushwork” intentions”. The “thoughts and intentions” in the human of Chinese painting, we attribute the expression of “freehand heart have a warm, rising, ascending, bright and moving brushwork” in Chinese painting to the “fire” in the five character, which is consistent with the nature of the “fire” in elements. the five elements. Therefore, we attribute the expression of “freehand brushwork” in Chinese painting to the “fire” in the The “freehand brushwork” meaning of Chinese painting five elements. is the meaning of “idea and imagination”, which is a method of deciphering the “idea and imagination” of the artist. The C. The “Line Drawing” Painting Method Is the Expression “freehand” is different from the “realism”, the “realism” is of the Five Elements of “Soil” the depiction of real things in real life, which is a true representation of real life. The “realism” requires the artist to The “soil” is said the “farming and harvesting”, it means be faithful to the original, and to describe all the details of the soil will help with planting and harvesting. That is to say, things in real life. However, “freehand brushwork” is not the “soil” has the ability to biochemical, carrying and receiving case. The “freehand brushwork” is not a true faithful object, plants. There is a saying that the soil is the mother of all but it mainly describes the artist’s psychological feelings and things. Soil is an important basis for the growth of all things. emotions of things in real life. “Freehand brushwork” is to In ancient China, everything that has the functions or paint the image of things in real life in a painter's heart. properties of growth, cultivate, bearing and receiving, etc. in “freehand brushwork” is to depict the image in life in the nature belongs to the “soil” of the five elements. artist's heart. This “image in the heart” may not be exactly Here, according to the nature of “soil” of the five the same as the original things in reality; it may only be the elements and the characteristics of the “line drawing” same in certain spiritual qualities or sensations. painting method of Chinese painting, we attribute the Therefore, the things depicted by “freehand brushwork” expression of “line drawing” in Chinese painting to the may not exist in real life, the things of “freehand brushwork” “soil” in the five elements. only exists in the mind of the painter. The artist paints the Chinese painting's “line drawing” expression method is image of the mind on the drawing paper. For example, the different from the “boneless” expression technique. The famous shrimp painted by Chinese painter Qi Baishi, the 404 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 310 “boneless” painting method requires the artist to use ink and expression of a simple line delineation and description of color to depict the image of the object. In “boneless” things, which is to outline and depict things with lines alone. painting, the lines of the brush are submerged and hidden.