Mountain Forward by Ode To Art

Mountain Forward

Wang Tiande

O d e to A r t 2 0 1 4 So l o Sh o w S i n g a p o re A r t F air 新加坡艺术博览会 Wa ng Ti a n d e 王天德

Mountain Forward

Ode to Art 2014 !1

Mountain Forward

Ode to Art 2014 !2

O de t o A r t 2014 S o lo Exhibit ion of Wang Tia n de

This exhibition offers a multi-dimensionedaccess to Wang Tiande’s arts. Around 17 pieces of his most-recent artworks are presented, named Houshan[1] Series. While preserving the aesthetics and philosophy of traditional literati paintings as in his earlier works, an intensive interplay with Chinese art history is reﬂected in this exhibition.

Houshan Series best represent the artist’s signature style of a double-layered painting, with ink landscapes illustrated

with scripts topped by an upper-layer of burned landscape using incenses, which then juxtaposed with monotypes from

antique stela collected by the artist. The way that they are mounted together echoes with ancient Chinese paintings illustrated with poems which are usually mounted side to side with remarks from successive art collectors or critiques.

In literati paintings, mountains stand for the personality and merits of the artist. Wang Tiande is one of their contempo-

rary inheritors. While creating peaceful mountains using his signature visual language, he hides away the tensions faced by every contemporary ink art practitioner, that between the individual contemporariness and Chinese art history, and seeks for a balanced connection to the lost traditions.

[1] literarily “mountain behind” in Chinese Mountain Forward

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展览展出艺术家王天德《后⼭山图》系列17件近作，这批作品延续了艺术家早期作品中的传统⽂文⼈人画美学和哲学，同时表现出了强烈的中国艺术史倾向。后⼭山图系列反映了艺术家的代表性艺术语⾔言，底层是⽔水墨加书法的底稿，上层是⾹香烫的⼭山⽔水，双层绘画与艺术家收集的⽯石碑拓⽚片并置。其装裱形式与传统⽔水墨画中收藏家及评论家将⾃自⼰己的评论裱在原画旁的形式⼀一致。⽂文⼈人画中的⼭山往往象征了艺术家的⼈人格。在当代王天德⽆无疑是该传统的继承者之⼀一。在静穆的⼭山后，他隐匿了每⼀一个当代⽔水墨艺术家必须⾯面对的当代性与中国艺术史的⽭矛盾，并努⼒力去平衡，再与传统对接。

Mountain Forward

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从断裂到重新与传统对接 ─ 王天德的艺术及其关怀 (节选) 王嘉骥⼀一、負空間與空缺 2002 年在巴黎期間,王天德偶然因為煙頭掉落宣紙上,引起畫⾯面意外的燃蝕效果。此⼀一場景讓他靈機⼀一動,進⼀一步發展為創作⼿手段。從此,為⽔水墨藝術揭開了另⼀一新的空間維度。最初,他就以⾹香煙為⼯工具,在預先繪寫了⽔水墨書法或⼭山⽔水畫⾯面的紙本上,進⾏行燒燙的動作。耐⼈人尋味的是,書法或繪畫的筆墨形體在經歷這道鏤空的⼯工序之後,也從原來⽔水墨媒介所塑造的“正空間”(positive space),變異或易位為⼀一種“負空間”(negative space)。藉此反轉,王天德為⾃自⼰己的藝術形式提供了第⼀一層的視覺辯證。不僅如此,在這層以“負空間”形態呈現的鏤空畫⾯面之下,藝術家預先鋪設了第⼆二層的⽔水墨書法或⼭山⽔水畫⾯面;同時,在裝裱的⼿手法上,刻意維持兩層之間若即實離的烘托性。由此猜測,他似乎有意凸顯這種表/裡、正/負的雙重性 :兩造既成對⽐比,又有滲透,甚⾄至以⼀一種互為⽂文本的形式和空間關係,彼此依存,卻又共榮。從內容來看,他畫中的⼭山⽔水不僅給⼈人殘⼭山剩⽔水的聯想,更像幾經劫難,勉強從廢墟餘燼中搶救回來的斷簡殘篇。特別值得注意的,還在於他作品中的書法:雖然字字看似可讀,通篇卻無具體內容。王天德本⼈人亦不諱⾔言,無論純粹書法之作,或看起來像是為⼭山⽔水畫⾯面所寫的題識,都是無從閱讀起的。隱藏在這些徒具其表的書法背後,王天德昭然若揭地隱喻了中國當代⽂文化⾃自⾝身的⼀一種“空缺”狀態。⼆二、“⾹香”與藝術史式⾵風格 [2]

雖然⼀一開始從⾹香煙⼊入⼿手,王天德很快就改⽤用更具宗教意味的⾹香。

從中國禮俗和信仰傳統來看,燒⾹香是儀式性的⾏行為;

如果不是為了拜神禮佛,就是為了慎終追遠,祭祀往⽣生先祖。王天德以⾹香取代煙,有意為“燒燙”這⼀一動作賦予並增添更深刻的 [3] ⽂文化意味。可以再問的是,改⽤用“⾹香”介⼊入之後,王天德持續在作品中營造的“負空間”,連帶潛藏其內的“空缺”涵義,是否因此得到昇華?

Mountain Forward

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[4] 以⾹香“燙”畫, “⾹香”⾃自來蘊含的信仰和傳承性,⾃自然⽽而然地⽐比煙崇⾼高,且散發出不⾔言⽽而喻的神聖感。再者,王天德所描繪的紙上煙雲,⼤大抵也以臨古、仿古和摹古為主,常⾒見的⾵風格不外元四⼤大家以⾄至明清兩代的⽂文⼈人畫⾵風,充分展現以傳統和經典為師的藝術史語感。不難看出,⾹香和藝術史式⾵風格的並置,明確表達了⽂文化傳承的意識。然⽽而,就實際的創作⽽而⾔言,⾹香作為引申性的⽂文化符號,雖然承載“延續”之能指,藝術家卻更多地發揮了⾹香的物理性,向其求借點燃之後的熱⼒力,作為燒蝕他所繪寫的藝術史式書法和⼭山⽔水圖像之⽤用。王天德此⼀一象徵性的消解之舉,儘管破壞了畫⾯面既有的形式體制,實際⽬目的並不真正為了破壞,⽽而是以破壞做為臨時性的⼿手段, 意在彰顯“傳承”因為無以為繼,甚⾄至遭到毀損之後,所呈現的⼀一種空缺之境─ 更具體地說,即是“斷裂”。強制性的燒燙所造成的斷裂,不僅隱喻傷⼜⼝口,更是⼼心理和精神的創傷。可以這麼說,藝術家採取了⼀一種相對的暴⼒力,將中國⽂文化主體空洞化的歷史事實暨當代現狀,強迫性地顯影在觀眾的⽬目光之前。就在反映時空失序、歷史斷裂, 以及⽂文化主體空洞化的同時,他洩露了個⼈人對於時代和社會的傷感及憂鬱。三、燌燒的記憶王天德在 2007 年時,也⼀一度運⽤用燌燒的⼿手段,為他的影像作品《孤⼭山》系列建⽴立物質⽂文本。他以歷史碑帖的複製品為藍本,點⽕火燌燒之後,匯聚其灰燼,塑造為⼭山脈起伏之形 ;據此,他拍攝影像之後,再於電腦中進⾏行數位後製的定景與呈像輸出。雖然燌燒,藝術家卻再次表達了其⽬目的不在於毀滅,也不是為了顛覆傳統。相反地,仔細端倪《孤⼭山》系列,不難發現 :對王天德⽽而⾔言, 即使傳統燒成了灰燼,仍舊成為創作的養分,更是⽤用以印證他個⼈人⽂文化信仰和精神價值觀的核⼼心⽂文本。

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Foreword Weightless ink framed by ethereal vacancy, laid upon diaphanous paper hollowed out by singed edges; the art of Wang Tiande is a veritable study in the dynamics of positive and negative relativity and space. Contrasted, combined, contradictory and reformed, the simultaneous transformation and resolve that the artist provides to the field of Chinese Ink culminates in questions that have become vital to the creation of contemporary Chinese art, quantifying definitions of contemporary itself, and toeing the lines between cultural homage and revolution. These, however, are only bricks in the towering wall that has established Wang Tiande as one of the most important Chinese Ink artists of our time. Born in 1960 in China, Wang Tiande is a graduate of the Chinese Painting Department at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts and is now dean and professor at the Art and Design Department of the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai. A scholar of calligraphy and ink, the artist discovered his unique style of burn marks along Ink through an accidental cigarette burn, eventually progressing into the symbolic use of incense sticks to consciously manipulate his representational space, and create windows of visual and conceptual exploration. Essentially practicing the literati style of ink, the artist embodies the characteristics of the style through his inclusion of distance as a tool of perception, while depicting his landscapes through the eye of expression more than representation- seeking inner realities and expressing them through the expressions of nature.

From Rupture to Reconnection with Tradition -The art of Wang Tiande and Its Concerns

Considering this, however, the tangents that the artist has taken through his explorations of the form has left his work Chia Chi contemporaryJason Wang neither nullifying, nor exemplifying, but simply placing into perspective the exposure of traditional distinctly forms and meanings and what forms their essence. This is how the artist can create positive space through ink, or even piles of charcoal maintain proximity to an archaic style. Burning remains both art form and a highly conceptual I. Negative Spaceand andyet, Absence aspect to the artist’s work, seeking not to signify destruction, but the transformation of the old, the inclusion of new, and of course, theinessence of theTiande’s age old cigarette medium- butt considering that the baseatopiece ink, charcoal and charred paper itisto allhollow the very During 2002 Paris, Wang accidentally fell onto of Xuan Paper and caused same carbon. For a style that has retained an almost timeless artistic grandeur, Wang Tiande is both fearless and deeply out from the burning, which he drew inspiration from and further developed into a creative technique. A new dimension of respectful through practice, and provides complex and, in present times, necessary reasoning to what Chinese Ink Chinese ink art hashis been unveiled since. holds as meaning, and what may define its construction and contemporary alterations. He started with tool, outwork, sections his pre-sketched or landscape. TheCarrying Calligraphy, too,cigarette forms a as vitalhis part of burning the artist’s andfrom provides more fuel to ink his calligraphy burning flame of inquisition. provokingas part of this is, as figures go throughthe thiscalligraphic hollowing process, they turnbyorthe shift fromform the original meaning characters, butwritten devoidorofpainted it as actual paragraphs, elements used artist further positive space created by the medium of ink, to a negative space. Through this inversion, Wang Tiande provided a first avenue for exploring the ambiguity of a cultural form in contemporary times. These solid scholarly bases, however, lead layer of visual dialectic for his ownfrom art form. to compellingly soft visuals, rising heavy academics into vistas of absentia, creating auras of Zen so characteristic of literati artists. The representational landscapes cross over barriers of the superficial to become expositions of the artist’s Furthermore, under this layer the of hollowed picture detachment presented intothe negative the artist has embedded inner nature- communicating same peaceful allform whoof view it. Thespace, contrasts and usage of positivea and second layer of ink orthe landscape. thehumanity seemingly unified yet actually separate nature of negative space arecalligraphy reflective of energiesMeanwhile, found within itself, making his art quintessential expressions of accentuation was deliberately maintained during thethat process of framing. Making an assumption based on the above, he extremes, balance, and the hollowed out ambiguity lays between. seems to consciously highlight the paradox between interior/exterior and positive/negative, the mutually contrasting yet infiltratingthis andexhibition even inter-textual relationlandscapes of form andand space, and the inter-reliance co-prosperity between. Through of scintillating experimental mediums, I and invite you to viewbetween not onlyin aesthetic innovations, but to delve into the conceptual introspections that form the framework of Chinese art perception today. Join Theascontent hisbeyond landscape painting not gives impression of amonumentally scattered landscape, parallel to us we areofled the mountains ofonly history andthe tradition, moving forward but withdraws revolutionary steps of fragments fire and ink.of scripts that made it through calamities and rescued from the ashes of ruins. Also worth noting is the calligraphy in his works, while readable as separate characters, never make sense in paragraphs. Wang Tiande also admitted himself, that both his pure calligraphy and the inscriptions that seems to be written for his landscape paintings Jazz Chong are unreadable. Behind the empty shells of calligraphy, Wang Tiande openly implied the absence of Chinese contemporary culture. Director, Ode to Art

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From Rupture to Reconnection with Tradition -The art of Wang Tiande and Its Concerns Chia Chi Jason Wang I. Negative Space and Absence During 2002 in Paris, Wang Tiandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cigarette butt accidentally fell onto a piece of Xuan Paper and caused it to hollow out from the burning, which he drew inspiration from and further developed into a creative technique. A new dimension of Chinese ink art has been unveiled since. He started with cigarette as his tool, burning out sections from his pre-sketched ink calligraphy or landscape. The provoking part of this is, as written or painted figures go through this hollowing process, they turn or shift from the original positive space created by the medium of ink, to a negative space. Through this inversion, Wang Tiande provided a first layer of visual dialectic for his own art form. Furthermore, under this layer of hollowed picture presented in the form of negative space, the artist has embedded a second layer of ink calligraphy or landscape. Meanwhile, the seemingly unified yet actually separate nature of accentuation was deliberately maintained during the process of framing. Making an assumption based on the above, he seems to consciously highlight the paradox between interior/exterior and positive/negative, the mutually contrasting yet infiltrating and even inter-textual relation of form and space, and the inter-reliance and co-prosperity between in between. The content of his landscape painting not only gives the impression of a scattered landscape, but draws parallel to fragments of scripts that made it through calamities and rescued from the ashes of ruins. Also worth noting is the calligraphy in his works, while readable as separate characters, never make sense in paragraphs. Wang Tiande also admitted himself, that both his pure calligraphy and the inscriptions that seems to be written for his landscape paintings are unreadable. Behind the empty shells of calligraphy, Wang Tiande openly implied the absence of Chinese contemporary culture. II. Incense and the Art Historical Style Mountain Forward

Ode to Art 2014 [2] Starting out with cigarettes, Wang Tiande soon turned to the more religious incense. From the standpoint of traditional Chinese customs and belief, burning incense is a ceremonial gesture, done either to worship the gods or to pay homage !7 with incense, Wang Tiande intends to endow the gesture to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own ancestors. Through the replacement of cigarettes [3] of burning with deeper cultural meaning. This leads to the questions if the negative spaces that Wang Tiande constantly constructed in his works, along with the its implication of absence, could be taken into the sublime by the addition of incense.

III. Memory of Flames In 2007, Wang Tiande also adopted the technique of burning to construct materialistic text for his visual media work Gu Shan. Setting fire on paintings modeled after historical stela and scripts, he collected the ashes and from it sculpted the peaks and valleys of a mountain, then digitally processed the recording of the events to render a final version. In spite of the burning process, the artist has once again expressed that his purpose is not to destroy or overthrow tradition. Quite conversely, if one takes a good look at the Gu Shan series, it would occur to him that to Wang Tiande, tradition even in ashes still greatly nourishes his works, further verifying the core of his cultural beliefs and spiritual values.

Mountain Forward

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象征与唯美的对话⺩王天德的媒介

⾼高名潞，哈佛⼤大学博⼠士，美国匹兹堡⼤大学艺术史及建筑史系教授

⺩王天德在⼆二⼗十年的⽔水墨创作中，⼀一直尝试把传统⽔水墨媒介转化为当代艺术语⾔言。⺩王天德也是第⼀一个尝试⽤用⽔水墨媒介做“装置”的艺术家。在这⽅方⾯面他是⼀一个先⾏行者，同时⼜又是⼀一个温和的改良者，⽽而⾮非以破坏为先的激进⾰革命者。尽管，⺩王天德也采⽤用了当代艺术的⼀一些激进⼿手段,⽐比如，⽤用⽔水墨宣纸和实物⼀一起做装置（《⽔水墨餐桌》）；把旗袍的形象和⼭山⽔水形象合为⼀一体；⽤用⾹香烟在宣纸上烧出空洞的、然⽽而⼀一样具有韵律和节奏的书法;把⻄西泠印社的字贴烧成纸灰，并⽤用它做成⼀一座“孤⼭山”；在这个展览中，⺩王天德⼜又别出⼼心裁地⽤用煤堆成⼀一座“煤⼭山”。⺩王天德总是在尝试把⽔水墨的界限打破，融⼊入⽣生活和三度空间的形式。但是，⺩王天德对⽔水墨技法和材料的突破，都不是想破坏传统⼭山⽔水画和书法的美学，不是想⽤用装置或者录像去替代⽔水墨这种艺术，相反，在⺩王天德的所有作品中，这些⽔水墨画之外的物质（中国餐桌、纸灰、绸缎、煤炭等）都是⼀一种美学隐喻，隐喻了⽔水墨美学的本质。另⼀一⽅方⾯面，这些物和材料也隐喻了某种社会意义。但是，⺩王天德的独到之处就是能够把美学隐喻和社会隐喻不露声⾊色地结合在⼀一起。把这些似乎和⽔水墨⽆无关的材料和⽔水墨画在视觉和联想上达到统⼀一和谐。这恐怕不是来⾃自理性和逻辑的推断，相反来⾃自⼀一种敏感，⼀一种“意在⾔言外”的联想。⽽而这正是⺩王天德艺术创作的⼀一贯性“逻辑”。也就是说，和很多⼈人在尝试新媒材和引进⻄西⽅方观念艺术的时候基本放弃掉⽔水墨媒介不⼀一样，⺩王天德仍然努⼒力保留传统⽔水墨的美学性格，这是⾄至关重要的。这倒不⼀一定是出⾃自⺩王天德的某种宏⼤大叙事的理论，很可能直接与⺩王天德的个⼈人趣味和价值观有关。也就是说,这是个⼈人性和偶然性的问题，不⼀一定是中国当代艺术的整体结构和必然性的问题。

所以，⺩王天德在选择⼀一些现成品材料的时候，可能⽆无意把⽔水墨变成现成品的观念艺术，尽管它可能不⽢甘⼼心只做⼀一个传统类型的书画家。所以,在他选择以某种物质作为⽔水墨媒材的替代物或者承载物的时候,⽐比如，选择绸缎（旗袍）、纸灰甚⾄至煤炭作为直接的媒材替代传统⽔水墨材料的时候，⺩王天德不但没有放弃⽔水墨的美学性格，相反，⺩王天德为我们提供了某种开放性解读传统⽔水墨美学的可能性。⽐比如这次展览⾥里,⺩王天德⽤用煤堆成⼀一座⼭山。“煤⼭山”让⼈人联想到⽔水墨⼭山⽔水。同时，⺩王天德也想⽤用煤隐喻当前中国的城市污染和能源问题。他把“煤⼭山”的美学性和⼯工业化的社会问题⾮非常视觉化地绑在了⼀一起。 Mountain Forward

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“烧”在⺩王天德的作品中成为⼀一种美学表现的重要⽅方法。⽐比如,在旗袍上烧灼出书法诗词，⽤用焚烧字帖遗留的纸灰做成“孤⼭山”。在这个展览中，⺩王天德把三度空间的纸灰“孤⼭山”⽤用摄影的形式转化为平⾯面的“⼭山⽔水”。“孤⼭山”的摄影和雕塑⼿手段都和⽔水墨⽆无关，但是最终的结果仍然是⽔水墨美学的组成部分。⼀一般⽽而⾔言，我们都会直觉地感到，“烧”是⼀一种破坏和消灭的意思。⼈人类通过“烧毁”来表达他们对某种有记忆的物质彻底根除掉的意愿。⽂文化⾰革命中有烧“四旧”。“烧”因此也成为现代艺术的⼿手段之⼀一，因为，现代艺术的哲学就是反传统，破坏旧有的东⻄西。⼋八⼗十年代的“厦⻔门达达”就曾经在展览结束后，把所有的作品都烧掉了。但是，⺩王天德的“烧”似乎和破坏没有任何关系，相反，通过烧，⺩王天德希望获取⼀一种特殊的美。这种美⾸首先建⽴立在⼀一种永恒性之上。焚烧是⼀一种奉献或者精神升华的过程，因此，“焚烧”作为⼀一种宗教仪式在东⻄西⽅方都曾经存在。极端者甚⾄至通过“⾃自焚”⽽而达到圆寂。扩⽽而⼲⼴广之，“焚烧”虽然是对物质物理形式的彻底毁灭，然⽽而，它可以转化为纯粹的精神“涅磐”。但是，中国传统的“烧”却有另⼀一层美学和⽂文化学意义。那就是对焚烧之后所遗存的灰烬，也就是“残存”的迷恋。因为经过熊熊烈⽕火之后的遗存物质，才是真正的精华，它是真正有⽣生命⼒力的物质。⽽而且它可以带来新⽣生命，所谓“野⽕火烧不尽, 春⻛风吹⼜又⽣生”。这与中国美学中的残缺美有关。所以⺩王天德作品中的这些纸灰、那些烧灼后的绸缎痕迹甚⾄至煤炭都和传统⽔水墨画的美学趣味有关。由于，⺩王天德的⺫⽬目的是在扩展传统⽔水墨媒介的仍然保持和⽔水墨美学的⼀一致性，⽽而不是冲突性，⽽而且，他在创作中注重对直觉想象的、“意在⾔言外”境界的追求，所以,他的作品向我们提出了⼀一个迫切的问题：如何在表现当代的同时，不损坏传统⽔水墨美学的精华？也就是说，由于当代艺术必须⾯面对当代⼈人对社会现实和⽂文化批判的关怀，那么传统⽔水墨美学是否还有它的当代价值？如果有，怎样把这种美学性和当代⽂文化的隐喻（或者象征性）结合⼀一起，达到完整的平衡？⾃自从⼋八⼗十年代的新潮⽔水墨的⾰革命以来，⽔水墨领域似乎总有⼀一种⾰革命情结：从破坏传统⽔水墨媒介⼊入⼿手，直接⽤用⻄西⽅方绘画图像，或者观念艺术以及装置艺术语⾔言取代传统媒介和语⾔言。这种⾰革命情结⼀一⽅方⾯面认为⽔水墨在今天只不过是⼀一种技法⽽而已，⽽而那种古典⽔水墨美学在今天已经死亡。另⼀一⽅方⾯面,这种⾰革命情节⼜又把⽔水墨推向了⼀一种“⽂文化乌托邦”。所以，激进的艺术家更注重⽔水墨的⽂文化象征性,⽽而⾮非它的美学本质。他们只看到⽔水墨的东⽅方⽂文化的代表性，看不到⽔水墨是⼈人类审美和艺术哲学的智慧结晶之⼀一。因此,当⽔水墨的⽂文化象征性变为纯粹的知识分⼦子的东⻄西⽅方⽂文化和现代性⾔言说本⾝身的时候，⽔水墨的美学性也就丧失了其存在意义。从这⼀一点看，⺩王天德的多年“⽔水墨”实践是有意义的。因为，他在如何平衡⽔水墨的“⽂文化象征性”和它的美学本质特点⽅方⾯面，确实做出了属于他⾃自⼰己的尝试和成果。 Mountain Forward

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The Negotiation Between Aesthetics and Symbolism: The Substance in Wang Tiande’s Art

Gao Minglu, Ph.D Harvard University, is currently a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Department of History of Art and Architecture

In his 20 years endeavor in “experimental ink” (shiyan shuimo), Wang Tiande has been in unwavering pursuit of transforming traditional ink painting media into a contemporary art language. Wang Tiande is the first artist to attempt to apply ink in making an installation. In this respect, he is a pioneer and moderate reformer rather than a radical revolutionary resorting to destructive measures.

Nevertheless, Wang Tiande has also adopted some “revolutionary” methods. For example, he combined traditional ink painting and “ready made” objects in his installation work Ink Table (1993); integrated the image of the Qipao (Chinese Cheongsam) with Shanshui (Chinese landscape); burnt hollow yet dynamic and rhythmic calligraphy on Xuan paper with cigarettes; and produced a Melancholy Mountain (Gushan) out of the burnt ashes of calligraphy books published by the Xiling Engravers’ Society, one of the most canonical calligraphy printing houses in the world. Particularly in this exhibition, Wang Tiande ingeniously piles a “mountain” with coal (Meishan). He has always been trying to break the boundaries of ink painting and embraces traditional elements into actual daily life.

With his breakthrough in water and ink painting techniques as well as materials, Wang Tiande never intends to undermine the aesthetics of traditional landscape painting and calligraphy. Neither would he intend to simply replace ink painting with installation or video to make a conceptual artwork. On the contrary, the materials (Chinese dining table, ashes, silks and satins, coal, etc.) applied in his works are actually aesthetic metaphors, metaphors for the nature of ink aesthetics. Furthermore, these objects and materials imply some social significance. What makes Wang Tiande’s art special is his seamless combination of aesthetic and social metaphors. He combines water ink painting and seemingly unrelated materials to fulfill a harmonious unity in vision and imagination. This is probably not from rational and logical deduction, but from a kind of sensitivity -- an imagination “beyond words”. Mountain Forward

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In other words, as many people have abandoned traditional “brush and ink” (bimo) and shifted to new media and Western art concepts, Wang Tiande has never discarded the aesthetic characteristics of traditional ink painting, nor its formal principle, in his creation of ink art. This may not necessarily originate from any grand cultural theory that may interest Wang Tiande. On the contrary, it may have to do with his personal tastes and indulgence in ancient ink aesthetic. It perhaps has nothing to do with any framework of contemporary Chinese conceptual art. Therefore, Wang Tiande doesn’t attempt to associate his three dimensional ink art with “ready made.”

Thus, when he chooses some materials such as ink substitutes or carriers, particularly when he selects silk and satin (Qipao-Chinese Cheongsam), paper ashes, or even coal as direct media to replace conventional ink washing material, Wang Tiande is not giving up the aesthetic characteristics of water and ink. Quite the opposite, he provides us with possibilities that are open interpretations of traditional ink painting aesthetics.

In the exhibition, for example, he has piled a mountain of coal. Coal Mountain (Meishan) reminds people of traditional landscape painting, not only because the darkness of coal is the same as ink, but also because ink is made of carbon. Meanwhile, Wang Tiande intends to use coal to refer to urban pollution and energy issues in China. He vividly ties the aesthetics of meishan with social problems of industrialization.

“Burning” becomes an important method in Wang Tiande’s recent works, as seen in the poem calligraphy burned on Qipao, the Gushan, or Melancholy Mountain piled with the burnt ashes of calligraphy books. In this exhibition, Wang Tiande turns the three-dimensional ash Gushan into traditional landscape painting (shanshui) through photography. The photography and sculpture applied to Gushan seems to have nothing to do with ink painting, but the completed work is still composed of water and ink aesthetics.

Our intuition usually links “burning” with destruction and elimination. Through burning, the human being eradicates certain materials contained therein. There was the “Burning of the Four Olds” (Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Ideas) during the Cultural Revolution. Due to the anti-traditional and destruction of the “olds” nature of modern art philosophy, “burning” has become one of the tools of modern art. In the 1980s, the “Xiamen Dada”, one of the most radical Chinese avant-garde groups in the 1980s, burnt all their works after the end of the exhibition. Mountain Forward

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Nonetheless, Wang Tiande’s “burning” seems to have nothing to do with destruction. Rather, he hopes to achieve a special beauty by burning. The beauty is first established on top of eternity. Incineration is a sacrifice or process of

spiritual distillation. For this reason, “burning” has existed in both eastern and western religions in ritual form. Extremists even practiced “Parinirvana” by burning themselves. To generalize, although “burning” is the complete destruction of the physical form, it can achieve pure spiritual “Nirvana”.

But “burning” has another layer of aesthetic and cultural significance in Chinese tradition, which is infatuation with the remaining ashes after burning. What remains after a raging fire is the true essence, as well as vigor, that can bring new life and reflect the core of the ancient Chinese poem which says, “Wild fire can’t burn it up; again the spring wind revives it”. This correlates with the “imperfect beauty” or “ruined beauty” (canque mei) in Chinese aesthetics. Thus, the paper ashes, burn marks in the silk and satin, and even coal can relate to the aesthetic tastes of traditional Chinese ink painting.

When extending the media of water and ink paintings, Wang Tiande still maintains consistency with traditional aesthetics instead of conflict. Moreover, his works are characterized by stressing intuition, imagination and meaning “beyond words” (yizai yanwai). In this way, his works raise a pressing question: how can we represent contemporary art without undermining the essence of traditional ink painting aesthetics?

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Since the “New Wave” ink revolution of the 1980s, a revolutionary attitude has been persisting in ink painting practice to replace traditional media and language. It started from the destruction of traditional ink painting media to the direct application of western painting techniques and various conceptual art ideology. On the one hand, this revolutionary sentiment views traditional ink painting as only a technique – classical painting aesthetics have come to an end in modern time. On the other hand, it pushes the revolution of ink painting to a “Cultural Utopia”.

More emphasis is put on certain kinds of cultural symbolism, such as the East versus West, instead of its universal aesthetic essence. People only see the ink as a representative of oriental culture and ignore the fact that ink painting is one of the fruits of human aesthetics and artistic philosophy.

Therefore, when the cultural symbolism of ink painting turns into purely intellectual discourse by merely focusing on the debates of cultural differences between the East and West, as well as tradition and modernity, the aesthetic essence of traditional ink painting ceases to be meaningful. In this regard, Wang Tiande’s years of persistence in creating a balance between ink’s cultural symbolism and aestheticism are fundamentally significant.

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后⼭山图系列

Hou Shan - MLST 043 (2014)

材料：拓⽚片、⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Rubbings, Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 55.2 x 185.5cm

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Hou Shan - HLXOT031、032、033、034 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 64 x 99.8 cm

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Hou Shan - HLXOT031 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 64 x 99.8 cm

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Hou Shan - HLXOT032 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 64 x 99.8 cm

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Hou Shan - HLXOT033 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 64 x 99.8 cm

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Hou Shan - HLXOT034 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 64 x 99.8 cm

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后⼭山图系列

Hou Shan No14-SMHST 079 (2014)

材料：拓⽚片、⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Rubbings, Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 56 x 62cm

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Hou Shan - JHNF 001、002 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 39 x 30.3cm

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Hou Shan - JHNF 003、004 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 39 x 30.3cm

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Hou Shan - JHNF 005、006 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 39 x 30.3cm

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Hou Shan - JHNF 007、008 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 39 x 30.3cm

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Hou Shan - JHNF 009、010 (2014)

材料：⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 39 x 30.3cm

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Hou Shan - SHLST 057 (2014)

材料：拓⽚片、⽪皮纸、墨、焰 Materials: Rubbings, Bast Paper, Ink, Burned Mark 188 x 36.5cm

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王天德

1960

⽣生于上海毕业于中国美术学院（原浙江美院）中国画系、书法系现复旦⼤大学教授。博⼠士。个展: 2014 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

2005 2004 2003 联展: 2014 2013 2012

2011

2010

2009

《開⾨門》，今⽇日美术馆，北京《后⼭山》，苏州博物馆，苏州《孤⼭山》，杭州三尚当代艺术馆，杭州《孤⼭山》，新画廊，台北《3720》，前波画廊，纽约《船》，久久画廊，德国《3720》，前波画廊，北京《双双》，悉尼艺术⼤大学，悉尼，澳⼤大利亚《上·下》，斯宾塞美术馆，堪萨斯，美国《⼀一⽶米·七⼭山——王天德个展》，对⽐比窗艺廊，上海《王天德个展》，Xerxes Fine Arts，伦敦，英国《天德再制造》，前波画廊，纽约，美国《⼭山·⽔水》，艺倡画廊，⾹香港《王天德个展》，HAN ART，蒙特利尔，加拿⼤大《⾹香⽕火》，艺术空间，温哥华，加拿⼤大《天德制造》，前波画廊，纽约，美国《王天德个展》，Galerie 99，德国《王天德——⼆二⼗〸十⼀一世纪⽔水墨形态》，艺倡画廊，⾹香港

《Within & Without》，斯坦福⼤大学博物馆，加利福尼亚《⽔水墨艺术在当代中国》，纽约⼤大都会博物馆，美国《意象》，喜马拉雅美术馆，上海《现代中国画展》，⼤大英博物馆，英国《新⽔水墨》，萨奇画廊，英国《2012国际⽔水墨⼤大展》，台湾师范⼤大学，台北《红旗——中国当代艺术展》，蒙特利尔博物馆，加拿⼤大《汉字——⼤大陆当代艺术展》，华⼭山艺⽂文，台北《飞度》，巡遥汉字艺术馆，成都《纸——中德当代艺术作品交流展》，东外滩艺术空间，上海《同⼯工异曲》，尚东当代艺术中⼼心，南京《墨·界》，⼤大德堂，上海《⽆无中⽣生有》，⾹香港会展中⼼心，⾹香港中央图书馆，⾹香港《新⽔水墨》，明园艺术中⼼心，⼴广州《中国当代⽔水墨艺术展》，特兰西⽡瓦尼亚⼤大学美术馆, 肯塔基，美国《墨⾮非墨──中国当代⽔水墨展》，费城，美国《⼭山⽔水⾯面⾯面观》，汉雅轩画廊，⾹香港《“意派──世纪思维”当代艺术展》，今⽇日美术馆，北京

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《⽔水墨演义》，哈佛⼤大学东亚研究院，美国《⽔水墨书法第三种抽象》，对⽐比窗画廊，上海 2008 《第⼆二届2008当代⽔水墨双年展》，台湾《墨⾮非墨——中国当代⽔水墨》，深圳美术馆，美国费城⼤大学博物馆《⽔水墨演义》，北京当代艺术馆，柏林，RAAB GALERIE 《意派——中国抽象艺术三⼗〸十年》，拉·卡沙·弗罗姆美术馆，帕尔玛，西班⽛牙《变易的⽔水墨》，德累斯顿国家美术馆，德国《2008中国新视像》，拉斯佩齐亚当代艺术中⼼心，意⼤大利《新⽔水墨艺术》，⾹香港艺术馆 2007 《延承、演绎、渗透——墨，单⾊色的世界》，旧坡本，东京《开FUN——台北国际书法双年展》，台北市⽴立美术馆，台北《CHINA ONWARD》，路易斯安那博物馆，丹麦 2006 《⽔水墨:中国的书写艺术》，⼤大都会美术博物馆，纽约，美国《书法现场》，恒庐美术馆，杭州《2006世界书艺展》，⾸首尔，韩国《照耀中国艺术的⼀一代》，Palazzo Caponi，佛罗伦萨，意⼤大利《中国⽔水墨⽂文献展》，江苏省博物院，南京《⽔水墨再⽣生——2006上海新⽔水墨艺术展》，上海多伦现代美术馆《中国⽣生意》，当代亚洲艺术中⼼心，温哥华，加拿⼤大《渡·当代⽔水墨⽅方式》，天津美术学院美术馆《60视线⽂文献展》，今⽇日美术馆，北京 2005 《第⼆二届成都双年展》，成都国际展览中⼼心《献给⾹香港的礼物》，⾹香港艺术馆《韩中当代⽔水墨展》，⾸首尔市⽴立美术馆，韩国《艺术崛起》，加拿⼤大多伦多国际艺术博览会《“字·⾮非字”现代书法艺术展》，中国美术学院美术馆，杭州 2004 《龙之梦：中国当代艺术展》，爱尔兰当代美术馆，都柏林《上海摩登》，Museum Villa Stuck，德国《美术⽂文献提名展》，武汉《Galerie Karin Sachs 6⼈人联展》，慕尼⿊黑，德国《第四届深圳国际⽔水墨双年展》，关⼭山⽉月美术馆，深圳 2003 《开放的时代》，中国美术馆，北京《东⽅方既⽩白：中国⼆二⼗〸十世纪绘画展》，⾦金门宫，巴黎，法国《点·辐射与深⼊入——来⾃自纸墨的视觉表达》，马来西亚国家美术馆 2002 《⽔水墨新纪元：海峡两岸当代⽔水墨展》，台湾师范⼤大学《墨分五⾊色》，前波画廊，纽约，美国《中国艺术三年展》，⼴广州博物院《O材料艺术展》，中央美术学院美术馆，北京《东+西：中国当代艺术展》，维也纳艺术家之家，奥地利 2001 《⽔水墨本⾊色》，中国美术馆，北京《中国感觉》，长沙《重新洗牌》，深圳雕塑院《中国，⽔水墨实验⼆二⼗〸十年》，⼴广东美术馆《第32届杜塞尔多夫国际艺术⼤大展》，杜塞尔多夫，德国《⼆二⼗〸十⼀一世纪年度艺术家提名展》，南京博物院《抽象⽔水墨邀请展》，西安国际展览中⼼心

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2000

《新中国画展》，上海刘海粟美术馆，江苏美术馆《观念⽔水墨》，ETHAN COHEN FINE ART，纽约，美国《FINE CONTEMPORARY CHINESE ART》，ALICE KING GALLERY，⾹香港《东亚的位置——中、⽇日、韩现代艺术展》《第⼆二届深圳国际⽔水墨双年展》，深圳 1999 《⿊黑与⽩白》，汉代艺术 1998 《上海美术双年展》，上海美术馆《中国美术⼆二⼗〸十年启⽰示录》，北京《回⾸首长安：现代⽔水墨收藏邀请展》，陕西美术馆《张⼒力与表现⽔水墨展》，北京国际艺苑《第⼀一届深圳国际⽔水墨邀请展》，深圳 1997 《中国艺术⼤大展·⽔水墨展》，上海图书馆《97深圳南⼭山雕塑展》，深圳《中国当代艺术家作品展》，⾹香港会议中⼼心《上海艺术家作品展》，圣彼得堡，俄罗斯 1996 《上海墨展》，亚利桑那⼤大学美术馆，美国《重返家园》，瑞曼画廊，世界⽇日报画廊，旧⾦金⼭山，美国《当代中国⽔水墨现状展》，中国美术馆，北京《上海美术馆当代艺术展》，汉堡，德国《现实·今天与明天，96中国现代艺术展》，北京 1995 《墨与光·中国现代抽象⽔水墨》，根特，⽐比利时 1994 《第⼋八届全国美展》 1993 《全国⾸首届中国画展》，中国美术馆，北京《全国⾸首届中国⼭山⽔水画展》，安徽省美术馆《上海现代艺术展》，横滨市政厅，⽇日本《上海·台北现代⽔水墨展》，上海美术馆 1992 《上海海平线绘画、雕塑展》 1989 《第七届全国美展》

收藏: ⼤大都会博物馆、波⼠士顿美术馆、⾹香港艺术馆、中国美术馆、⼤大英博物馆、上海美术馆、⼴广东美术馆、深圳美术馆、堪萨斯⼤大学斯宾塞美术馆、蒙特利尔博物馆等

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60’s Vision Documenta, Today Museum of Art, Beijing, China 2004 Contemporary Chinese Art, Dublin Contemporary Art Museum, Dublin, Ireland Contemporary Art from Shanghai, Museum Villa Stuck, Italy 2003 An Opening Era, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China Dots and Beyond, National Art Museum, Malaysia 2002 Variations of Ink, Chambers Fine Art, New York, China Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China 0 Material, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China 2001 Ink Color, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China 20 Years of Experimental Ink Paintings, Guandong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China 1998-99 Inside Out: New Chinese Art, P.S.1., New York, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Monterey, Mexico, Tacoma Art Museum and Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, USA 1998 Shanghai Biannual, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China Looking Back on Chang’an: the Invitational Exhibition of Modern Ink Painting Collection, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China 1997 Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Artists, Hong Kong Convention Center, Hong Kong Exhibition of Shanghai Artists, St. Petersburg, Russia 1996 Shanghai Ink Painting Exhibition, the Art Museum of Arizona University, Arizona, USA Homeland Revisited: the Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Experimental Ink Paintings, the Gallery on the Rim, San Francisco, USA Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Painting from Shanghai Art Museum, Frankfurt, Germany’96 Chinese Modern Art Exhibition, Beijing, China 1993 The 1st National Chinese Painting Exhibition, the Chinese Art Museum, Beijing, China Shanghai Modern Art, Yokohama Art Gallery, Yokohama, Japan Shanghai-Taipei Modern Chinese Ink Painting, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China 1991 Four Chinese Artists, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China Selected Public Collections Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong National Art Museum, Beijing, China the British Museum, London, Britain Shanghai Art Museum, China Guangdong Art Museum, China Shenzhen Art Museum, China Spencer Museum of Art, USA Montreal Museum of Art,Canada

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Od e t o Art 2 0 1 4 So l o E x h i b i t i o n of Wa n g Tia n d e

This exhibition offers a multi-dimensionedaccess to Wang Tiande’s arts. Around 17 pieces of his most-recent artworks are presented, named Houshan Series. While preserving the aesthetics and philosophy of traditional literati paintings as in

his earlier works, an intensive interplay with Chinese art history is reﬂected in this exhibition. Houshan Series best rep-

resent the artist’s signature style of a double-layered painting, with ink landscapes illustrated with scripts topped by an

upper-layer of burned landscape using incenses, which then juxtaposed with monotypes from antique stela collected by the artist. The way that they are mounted together echoes with ancient Chinese paintings illustrated with poems which are usually mounted side to side with remarks from successive art collectors or critiques.

In literati paintings, mountains stand for the personality and merits of the artist. Wang Tiande is one of their contempo-

⽂文⼈人画中的⼭山往往象征了艺术家的⼈人格。在当代王天德⽆无疑是该传统的继承者之⼀一。在静穆的⼭山后，他隐匿了每⼀一个当代⽔水墨艺术家必须⾯面对的当代性与中国艺术史的⽭矛盾，并努⼒力去平衡，再与传统对接。

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装桢设计：卞雅雯 Designer：Bent Lea

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