Miami University Art Museum - Spring 2015 - Chinese Art Capstone Exhibition Guide by Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum at Miami University

Gallery Guide â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2015

The Ideal World in Chinese Art

Introduction 庭院 Figures in gardens show how an ideal space was constructed according to long-established Chinese beliefs. Gardens, especially those of the educated elite, were designed to model the perfect balance among heaven, earth and people. This idea of balance is deeply embedded in traditional Chinese thought. For example, the Confucian concept of an orderly society is one in which each person has a given role. If the roles are played well, the result is peace among people and balance in nature. According to Confucian ideas, a virtuous emperor following the proper rituals could appeal to heaven to ensure fertile land and prevent natural disasters. Daoist philosophy also promotes a beneficial relationship between people and nature. Even Chinese adaptations of Buddhism emphasize finding

Figure 1

the“middle way”between strict austerity and worldly indulgence. Around the 10th century in China, educated gentlemen, or scholars, adopted a philosophical blend of Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism called Neo-Confucianism. The primary goal of Neo-Confucians was selfcultivation—intellectually, spiritually and morally. Those who passed the imperial civil service exams were given prestigious positions in the Chinese bureaucracy with the potential of advising the emperor. The works in this exhibition picture gardens designed for these scholars’meditation, places where one’ s vital essence could be refreshed. The landscapes, figures, birds and plants symbolically represent elements of the ideal Chinese world—nature in balance, harmony among all.

Periods of Chinese Art 2500 BCE

2000 BCE

Neolithic: from 7000 BCE 新石器时代

Xia Dynasty: ca. 2205-1766 BCE 夏朝

Shang Dynasty: ca. 1766-1045 BCE 商朝

1000 BCE

Zhou Dynasty: ca. 1045-221 BCE 周朝

Qin Dynasty: 221-206 BCE 秦朝

0 CE

Han Dynasty: 202 BCE-220 CE 漢朝 Period of Disunity: 220-589 Three Kingdoms: 221-265 三國時代 Northern Dynasties (Wei, Qi and Zhou): 317-581 北朝 Southern Dynasties: 420-589 南朝

Sui Dynasty: 581-618 隋朝 Tang Dynasty: 618-907 唐朝 Five Dynasties: 907-960 五代十國 1000 CE

Song Dynasty: 960-1279 宋朝 Northern Song 960-1127 北宋 Southern Song 1127-1279 南宋

Liao Dynasty 916-1125 遼朝 Jin Dynasty 1115-1234 金朝

Yuan Dynasty: 1260-1368 元朝 Ming Dynasty: 1368-1644 明朝 Qing Dynasty: 1644-1912 清朝

2000 CE

Republic: 1912-1949 中華民國 People’ s Republic: 1949-present 中华人民共和国

Landscape 山水 “It is now possible for subtle hands to reproduce [nature] in all [its] rich splendor. Without leaving your room you may sit to your heart’ s content among streams and mountains.” Guo Xi 郭熙 (11th century), The Significance of Landscape 1 The ancient Chinese revered mountains as the home of lofty immortals and the source of life-giving rivers. Daoist adepts meditated in the mountains, believing that the highest concentration of qi 气, or liferestoring essence, could be found there. Confucian scholar-gentlemen professed a longing to retreat from the bustle of urban centers to live a simpler life in a natural setting. As early as the 4th century, the painter Zong Bing suggested that paintings of mountains could serve as proxy, allowing vicarious journeys through nature. By the 10th century, landscape paintings

consistently emphasized harmony with the natural world. The ideal landscape included mountains, water, and vegetation, depicted with human figures or dwellings to indicate people’ s place in the world. Mist indicated the mountain’ s qi, or revitalizing energy. Artists typically did not paint actual landscapes, rather a combination of the best features of nature from their memories of outings in the mountains. In the case of paintings by scholar-gentlemen, the viewer was meant to admire the calligraphic brushwork, which was thought to signify the artist’ s high moral character.

1 Translation from Early Chinese Texts on Painting, compiled and edited by Susan Bush and Hsio-yen Shih. Harvard: Yenching Institute, 1985, pp. 150-151.

Figure 2

Sakuma Tetsuen 佐久間銕園 (Japanese, 1850–1921); Chinese Scholars in a Garden (Leisure Pursuits for Gentlemen: Music, Chess, Calligraphy and Painting); Late Meiji (1868-1912) or early Taishō (1912-1926) Period; Six-panel screen: ink and colors on paper, wood and metal; Inscription: 銕園“Tetsuen,”Gift of Walter I. Farmer; 1972.P.1.4

The scholar’ s garden first arose during the Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE) and later became the setting for legendary gatherings such as the calligraphy contest held by Wang Xizhi (303-361) in the Orchid Pavilion; the“Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden”of Northern Song scholar Wang Shen (11th century); and the“Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden”hosted by Yang Rong (1371-1440) during the early Ming Dynasty. These famous gatherings inspired the construction of Song and Ming gardens and were frequently illustrated in painting. The paintings depict the activities of the guests, including admiring antiques, painting, playing chess and composing impromptu poems. Sakuma Tetsuen depicted one of these idealized gatherings on this six-panel gold screen. The figure in red (center) is shown playing a qin (琴), a stringed instrument.

The three figures (left) are playing qi (棋), a game of strategy akin to chess. These are two of the four arts of the scholarly gentleman (四藝). The other two are calligraphy (書) and painting (畫). Scholar-artists use the same brush techniques as calligraphy to paint Chinese landscapes, such as the one seen behind the figure playing the qin. Despite its purely Chinese style, this screen was actually produced in Japan during the late 19th or early 20th century. It is a prime example of the Nanga “ ( Southern Painting”) School of Japanese art. Originating in China during the Song Dynasty, this school came to Japan during the 18th century where it was adopted by Japanese artists who wished to express their admiration of Chinese painting and their knowledge of Chinese culture.

Written by Jim McClanahan

Figures 人物 In the same way that paintings served as a substitute for nature, gardens represented a place where one could escape worldly cares. Because of their high status in Chinese culture, scholars successful in the imperial exams could afford to build personal gardens. Gardens designed in the late Song (1127-1279) and Ming (13681644) periods are characterized by the inclusion of the same elements required for landscape paintings—mountains (symbolized by rocks), trees, water and people. The most valuable rocks, prized for their eccentricity, came from the waters of Lake Tai near Suzhou, and are referred to as“scholars’rocks.” Scholars engaged in leisure pursuits

Figure 3

in a private garden are a familiar subject and can be identified by their court robes and winged hats. Their lofty activities include calligraphy, painting, music, chess and the appraisal of antiques. Children at play in a garden setting are an especially auspicious version of the ideal world. Sons were important to all social classes in China, both to preserve the family lineage and to perform the ritual offerings to the ancestors. Some of the boys’garden activities imitate the scholars’leisure pursuits. Plants and games form multiple puns, all of which refer to success in the imperial exams. A second generation of civil servants could prolong the family’ s fortune and prestige.

Yang Jin 陽晋 (1644-1727); A Hundred Children at Play; Qing late 17th–early 18th century; Hanging scroll: ink and colors on silk, and wood; Inscription: 野鹤 Yehe (artist’ s studio name); Artist’ s Seal: He 鹤; Miami University Art Museum purchase; 2006.4

Children playing in a garden is a common theme in Chinese art from as early as the 10th century. Children are a particularly auspicious symbol in Chinese culture because they reflect the desire to carry on the family name and bring honor and prosperity to the family. The children in this hanging scroll should not be taken literally as 100 children, but instead as a symbol of success. They are imitating scholarly activities to represent the desire for sons to succeed in the imperial exams. Groups of boys can be seen writing calligraphy, painting, practicing archery and pretending to ride in the parade home from the imperial exams. The two cranes on the roof represent the wish for long

life, which talented posterity will ensure. Visual puns with complex meanings abound in this work. For example, the boy climbing the plum tree, known to bloom first in the spring, is a pun for earning first place in the imperial exams. Deer are a symbol for abundance; thus, a boy riding a deer in a parade not only represents a successful return from the exams, but also the wealth he will bring as a scholar official. The deer itself wears the mask of the qilin, a mythical beast said to have appeared to Confucius’mother shortly before his birth, indicating that this boy will become a great Confucian scholar.

Written by Delaney Lee

Pair of Pilgrim Bottles; Qing dynasty, ca. 1860; Porcelain with overglaze enamel; Gift of Richard and Carole Cocks; 1988.40

Chinese pilgrim bottles originated as functional wares for travelers as early as the 7th century and refer to the specific shape of the vessels. These examples, however, were likely produced as purely ornamental wares. The images that decorate these vessels are associated with NeoConfucianism and Daoism. The rim depicts stylized ruyi 如意 “ ( as-you-wish”fungi) encapsulating Chinese coins, denoting the wish for wealth. The body is decorated with the“100 flowers”motif, popular during the Qing dynasty. Most of the flowers are peonies, also known as“Wealth and Rank Flowers”(富贵花). The handles are in the shape of chilong 螭龍 “ ( hornless dragons with split-tails”), which originally appeared on Shang and Zhou dynasty bronze vessels owned by families of high social rank. Cartouches enclose scenes of boys in a garden, a well-known motif expressing

a family’ s desire for sons who will pass the civil service exams. The boys are surrounded by auspicious symbols, such as multi-colored clouds that signify good fortune, and cranes and immortal mushrooms representing longevity. The roughly-clad individual with a muscular physique could be a representation of Shen Nong 神農, a sage emperor associated with agriculture and medicine. The reverse shows a Chinese scholar robed in red, an example to which the boys can aspire. The mountain and waves motif at the foot of each bottle symbolizes the universe kept in order by the Chinese emperor. The waves might also represent the tide (潮 chao), a pun for“audience (at court)”(朝 chao), expressing the wishes that the boys become court officials.

Written by Jim McClanahan

Children Celebrating the New Year; ca. 1980s; Wood block print: ink and colors on paper; Private Collection

The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar and falls sometime in January or February. It is a time to spend with family and friends and to wish for blessings for the coming year. New Year prints (年畫 nianhua), auspicious words written on red banners, and paper cuts pasted in windows are used to decorate the home. The children depicted in this wood block print celebrate with brightly-colored clothing, firecrackers and a noise-making rattle. Exploding firecrackers are meant to ward away evil spirits. A fish-shaped lantern in the foreground refers to the Lantern Festival, held on the last night of the 15-day festival. The garden setting

includes a blossoming plum tree, a signal that winter has ended. New Year prints usually include word plays with auspicious meanings. Several examples appearing in this print, include: fish (魚 yu), a pun for“surplus”(餘 yu); butterfly (蝴蝶 hudie), which sounds like“accumulate blessings”(福疊 fudie); rooster (公雞 gongji) a pun for“auspicious” (吉 ji); rooster comb (雞冠 jiguan) a play on the word for a court-appointed“official ” (官 guan); and firecracker, a symbol for the New Year because it breaks into“tiny pieces”(碎 sui), a pun for“year after year” (歲歲 suisui). Written by Wilson Pittman

Auspicious Birds and Plants 花鳥 Pictures of birds or animals with plants was firmly established as an important genre at the painting academy of the Song dynasty emperor, Huizong 徽宗 (reigned 1101-1126). The catalog of the imperial collection commissioned by Huizong lists 6,400 paintings, nearly half of which are designated“Flowers and Birds.”Birds and animals with plants have continued as an important category for painting

Figure 4

through the centuries, even to this day. While beautiful to look at, nearly all depictions of plants, animals and birds have symbolic meaning beyond their aesthetic appeal. Each bird, for example, has a specific meaning by itself. When combined with a certain plant it can form a rebus, or pun, with an additional meaning that was commonly understood among Chinese viewers.

Common Motifs and their Symbolic Meanings: Flowers

Lotus: purity; revival; rising above the mud of the world Peony: wealth; high social status Chrysanthemum: longevity Plum blossom: perseverance; purity

Plants

Bamboo: strength; flexibility; longevity Pine: longevity Osmanthus: academic success; pun for“noble” Wutong tree: pun for“together”

Birds

Chicken: pun for“lucky” Crane: longevity; high rank, as in highranking official; pun for“together” Magpie: pun for“happiness” ; arrival of guests Phoenix: mythical bird; appears only in times of peace and prosperity; motif of the empress of China

Other

Bat: pun for“good fortune” Butterfly: happiness; accumulation of blessings Butterflies hovering in the air: heaven and earth expressing joy Deer: wealth; the salary of a scholar-official Fish: abundance

Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was a prominent painter during the twentieth century, a time of great political turmoil in China. He found his own way, however, to overcome this political strife by turning to traditional Chinese subjects and brushwork. The subject of this painting is the lotus, a flower with roots at the bottom of a muddy pond that rises to bloom above the water. The lotus represents both purity and rising above difficulties. The inscription on Qi Baishi’ s hanging scroll is directly translated as“Eightyeight-year-old man, Baishi, 1948.”If he were eighty-eight years old when this painting was completed, however, it would have been dated 1952, not 1948. Qi was making a general statement about his age, using the number eightyeight because it is poetic and auspicious. Old age was significant to Qi because it served as a reference to his own longevity, and to the fact that he did not find his own expressive style until he was in his sixties.

Written by Alexandra Czajkowski

Qi Baishi 齊白石 (1864-1957); Lotus flower with cicada, 1948; Hanging scroll: ink and pigment on paper, and wood; Inscription: “Eighty-eight-year-old man, Baishi, 1948”; Seal: Jieshanweng 借山翁 (studio name); Gift of Edna M. Kelly; 2006.41

An influential painter in the early 20th century, Xu Beihong was known for time-honored subjects, such as horses and birds-andplants, that were rendered in traditional calligraphic strokes on paper. The magpies in this hanging scroll are symbols of joy. Paired with the wutong tree, they refer to connubial bliss. This painting would be an appropriate wedding gift. Xu Beihong was also celebrated for his large, oil on canvas, historical paintings of Chinese figures. He admired realistic paintings from both the East and the West. He is regarded as one of the first Chinese artists to speak out about the need for artistic expression that was relevant to modern China.

Written by Gabrielle Turner

Xu Beihong 徐悲鸿 (1895-1953); Magpies, 1944; Hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper, and wood; Inscription: 甲申悲鸿 “Beihong, ( 1944”); Seal: Xu 徐; Miami University Art Museum purchase; 1986.70

This painting is a collaboration between two artists, Liu Zigu and Zhang Shuqi. Liu Zigu painted the bamboo in China and mailed it to Zhang Shuqi, who was visiting the United States. Zhang added the chickens and an inscription. Zhang Shuqi studied at Liu Haisu’ s Shanghai Academy in 1921 where he learned western painting techniques and media such as charcoal drawings and oil on canvas. He taught Chinese brush painting at the National Central University in Nanjing. In 1940, Zhang was commissioned to paint a large work, Messengers of World Peace, as a gift for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which he subsequently presented to the American ambassador in Nanjing. In 1941, he traveled to the United States to help raise money for the war effort in China. Zhang Shuqi was one of the earliest Chinese artists to visit America. He remained in the U.S. for five years and had several solo exhibitions at major museums. He used traditional Chinese ink, colors and brushwork, but his training, technique and approach was modern.

Written by Danielle Riggs Liu Zigu 柳子谷 (1901-1986) and Zhang Shuqi 張書旅 (1900-1957); Chickens and Bamboo, 1957; Hanging scroll: ink and colors on paper, and wood; Inscription: 丁酉五月, 子谷寄余黑竹.

紧補城之. 余适在病中, 草草作雙鳮, 聊以應命而已. 工拙非所記也. 張書旅客美洲金門.

“In May of 1957 [Year of the Rooster], Zigu mailed me this ink bamboo [painting] and requested I complement it. I am sick right now, but I tried my best to add two chickens on the same painting. Good or bad, let it be. Zhang Shuqi, a visitor in America, San Francisco”; Seal: Shuqi 書旂; Gift of Peggy Rogers Rogers; 2012.37

Continuity and Change in Late 20thâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Early 21st Centuries ç?žäťŁ Chinese traditional subject matter and materials are often included in Chinese painting even with changing styles throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. In the 1930s, Chinese artists who had studied in Europe established Western-style art academies in China. Both traditional Chinese and European painting were included in the curriculum; students usually chose one or the other. Some artists felt strongly that Western and Eastern styles could be combined into a single personal style. While it is less meaningful in the twenty-first century to categorize contemporary art by nationality, the works included here are among many examples of ways that Chinese artists draw on traditions inherent in their culture. For example, Wang Ming (Focus, 1967) borrowed from Abstract Expressionism to paint an updated version of the Buddhist patriarch, Bodhidharma, who meditated 9 years in a mountain cave. Zeng Shanqing ( Ready to Depart , 1986) and Huang Yongyu (Winking Owl, 1990) used traditional ink and colors

Figure 5

on paper, but their choices of subject matter were influenced by the persecution they endured during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Qing-Min Meng (Autumn Lotus, 1988) used oil on canvas to paint the timeless subject of the lotus. More than twenty years later he used the quick strokes of a Chinese watercolor brush on paper to depict a contemporary scene of fashionable women (Chatting in the Park, 2009).

Yang Yanping 楊燕屏 (b. 1934); Lotus Pond, 1986; Painting: ink and colors on paper; Inscription: 燕屏 Yanping; The top seal is a personal, calligraphic-like mark, also seen on other works by the artist; Bottom seal: 楊 Yang; Private Collection

Yang Yanping is a Chinese American artist, born in Nanjing, who graduated with an architecture degree from Tsinghua University. She was interested in the modernist works of Zao Wou-ki, a Chinese artist living in Paris. At the same time, she also explored traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. Later she studied in the Oil Painting Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Yang Yanping excels in the traditional subject of the lotus flower, working mainly in the traditional brush modes of xie yi 寫意 “free ( sketch”) and mogu 没骨 “boneless” ( ). She developed her own technique of diluting ink with an excess of water and brushing it randomly on paper. Before the ink dried, she pressed another inked painting onto the paper. Another technique used in Lotus Pond is the wrinkling of the paper, which changes the surface appearance. In this way, Yang

combines Chinese traditional brushwork and the style of Western Abstract Expressionism. Lotus Pond is not just a subject in itself; it also reflects the artist’ s personal thinking and suffering during the Cultural Revolution. Shortly after the end of this tumultuous period, she made a series of autumn lotus paintings, which she said was the best way to express her personal feelings. Art historian Michael Sullivan wrote,“In her words, the sight of the flower‘set in the glowing light of an autumn sun seemed to reveal the lotus as a representation of all living things, with all its different destinies, some weaker, some stronger.’ ” Citation: Michael Sullivan, quoted by Visual Arts Today, in“Michael Goedhuis to Open Yang Yanping’ s LOTUS HEAVEN Exhibition 10/30”July, 16, 2014.

Written by Naren Gao

Qing-Min Meng (b. 1954); Chatting in the Park, 2009; Album leaf: Chinese ink, acrylic and pencil on paper Inscription: 他们一早就在公园里了。不知在谈什么。不像是去锻炼的。那天也不是周末。

“They’ re just in the park early in the morning. I really don’ t know what they’ re talking about. I doubt they are there for exercise. Also, it’ s not the weekend.”

Gift of the Artist; 2010.12

Qing-Min Meng was born in Shanghai. He received his BFA from the Shanghai Teachers’University and his MFA in painting from Miami University in 1988. He has taught as an art lecturer at Wellesley College in Massachusetts since 1997. Chatting in the Park is from his 2009 series Beijing Diary: Recent Works on Paper. Selections from this series were exhibited in Hiestand Gallery as part of the Miami bicentennial celebration in 2009. After the exhibition, the artist generously donated this work to the Miami University Art Museum, even though it had been scheduled for his gallery opening in Texas. Speaking about Beijing Diary, Meng said: “I started this group of work as a warmup for some large paintings I intended to make. … [But] I became more engaged with these small works on paper. I like

that one idea leads to another and I can spontaneously start and finish a piece in a relatively short time. “Most of the images are from my photographs taken in Beijing this year. At the beginning I just wanted to paint some images with less meaning attached. However, once I painted them on paper they either revealed new meanings or became a different image altogether.” While this work was made with traditional Chinese painting materials and calligraphy, it is juxtaposed with abstract brushstrokes and well-shaded figures. Meng combines his finesse in both Eastern and Western styles of art while capturing the daily life of people in Beijing, like chatting in the park early in the morning.

Written by Abbigail Crawford

Acknowledgements Figures in a Garden: The Ideal World in Chinese Art was envisioned by senior Art and Architecture History majors enrolled Fall Semester 2014 in ART 498, the art history capstone course, under the guidance of Dr. Ann Barrott Wicks, Professor, Department of Art. The students planned the theme, selected objects from the Miami University Art Museum collection, and conducted primary research on each work in the exhibition. Jason Shaiman, Curator of Exhibitions, served as the project manager. He tutored the class about museum practices, the important elements of a successful show, and how to function as a team. Laura Stewart, Collections Manager and Registrar, worked with Professor Wicks during the spring and summer of 2014 to identify possible pieces for the exhibition, then allowed students access to the objects to make final choices. Preparator Mark DeGennaro discussed installation issues with the class, and carried out the installation of the exhibition. Sherri Krazl, Coordinator of Marketing and Publicity, not only coordinated graphics and publicity, but also taught the students about interactive tools and created these components around studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideas. Cynthia Collins, Curator of Education, used student input to coordinate

auxiliary programming. Due to the enormous generosity of Dr. Robert S. Wicks, Director of the Miami University Art Museum and the MUAM staff, and the support of Department of Art Chair, Peg Faimon, the students acquired valuable hands-on experience in museum work. Appreciation is extended to Sean Krause and Helen Armstrong for their generous loan of paintings for this exhibition; to Dr. Michael A. Vincent, curator, Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium, for plant identification; Dan Meyers, Interactive Language Resource Center, for video assistance and to graphic design major, Morgan Murray for designing the gallery guide and text panels. Special acknowledgment is also made to Gao Shan of Ningxia, China; Dr. Gordon H. Chang, Olive H. Palmer Professor of Humanities at Stanford University and son of artist Zhang Shuqi; Dr. Yang Haosheng, Assistant Professor, Chinese language and literature; Dr. Huang Quyuan, Director, Asian and Asian American Program; and Professor Hu Qingyuan, Tsinghua University, who assisted with the translation of Chinese text found in the various artworks and provided historical context for the works included in this exhibition.

Dr. Ann Barrott Wicks

Capstone class from left-right: Wilson Pittman, Danielle Riggs, Jim McClanahan, Delaney Lee, Alexandra Czajkowski, Abbigail Crawford, Naren Gao, Gabrielle Turner and Dr. Ann Barrott Wicks