泰 祥 洲
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等 觀
M I N D W I T HO U T D ISCRIMI NAT IO N TAI X IANG Z HO U
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前言 成師之路始於夢，得力於欲。途中需予以無窮的渴求、好奇心和求知慾。靠努力獲取技能，再揉 合對直覺和潛意識的肯定，拋開以比較和識別作為知識基礎的固有想法，容許潛藏的意識去呈現 事物本質。這就是達到 等觀 境界的發展過程。 對唯美的無比追求和好奇心，驅使泰祥洲在成師路途上不僅學得以水墨和毛筆作畫的功力，並取 到對水墨畫傳統物料如紙、造紙術、絲絹、毛筆、墨石和水墨更深刻了解的無價經驗。他在這尋 覓的旅程中不斷走訪良師；並幸運地遇上當代水墨大師劉丹。祥洲歸功劉老師為他開啟了對古代 繪畫的廣闊視野，引導他認識古代繪畫；並於臨摹古代大師作品時，教導他直觀性繪畫的過程。 兩者的師徒關係直接啟發泰祥洲深入研究中國山水畫的根源，厚實的知識往後亦為他奠基獨特的 個人風格。祥洲將引導內心對風景直觀性的洞悉，轉化成畫作，並向眾歷代水墨大師致敬；其所 展現的作品是壯麗、新穎且當代的。於過去一年，泰祥洲的畫作已分別在三大洲包括北京大學賽 克勒考古與藝術博物館中展覽，證明他的才華得到肯定。泰祥洲正向當代水墨運動的聚光燈大步 邁進。 2012年，萬玉堂畫廊踏入在港致力推動水墨畫的第二十五個年頭。這些年來，我們一直有幸與眾 多如泰祥洲般天才橫溢的藝術家合作，這亦往往成為我們最大的鼓舞和樂趣。是次很高興能為祥 洲舉辦其於香港的首個個人展覽《等觀》；並預計這位優秀的藝術家於不久的未來將被推舉至大 師的殿堂。為此我代表萬玉堂感謝泰祥洲的這次展覽機會；亦希望藉此向萬玉堂同事於籌備展覽 的過程中作出的貢獻表示謝意，多謝簡家鼎統籌展覽及提供翻譯的努力，及傅詠彤為畫冊設計的 出色工作。我深切希望所有收藏家和朋友在欣賞畫作的同時，能洞察到泰祥洲的 等觀 世界。
麥史鏑 二零一二年 四月
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F OREWO RD The path to mastery begins with a dream and is fueled by desire.It requires boundless curiosity and an unrelenting appetite for knowledge. The skill set acheived through all this hard work must also be tempered with the recognition and acknowledgement of intuition and the subconscious mind. The knowledge base with its focus on comparison and discernment must be put aside to allow the subconscious to manifest its intrinsic nature. This is the development of Mind Without
Discrimination. Tai Xiangzhou has been travelling along the path to mastery. Along the way his desire and curiosity led him to not only study and acquire the skills of ink and brush painting but also invaluable information about the traditional materials of ink painting including papers and papermaking, silks, brushes, ink stones and ink. Tai has sought out the best teachers along his journey and was fortunate to have come into the orbit of Liu Dan, the great contemporary ink master. Tai credits Master Liu with opening his eyes to ancient painting and to the process of intuitive painting while emulating the creations of the ancient master painters. The relationship also led Tai to launch into his study of the roots of Chinese landscape painting. That information has provided the basis for the development of his own unique painting style which pays homage to the masters of his medium from whom Tai Xiangzhou channels his intuitive landscape insights as paintings. The paintings are magnificent and fresh, contemporary. Testimony to the recognition of Tai Xiangzhou’s paintings are exhibitions mounted on three continents and a museum show at the Sackler Museum in Beijing all in the past year. Tai Xiangzhou has been propelled into the limelight of the Contemporary Ink Painting Movement. Plum Blossoms Gallery is celebrating our 25th year of promoting contemporary ink painting in Hong Kong during 2012. We have had the pleasure to work with many great artists in that time. It is always the greatest pleasure to work with a talent like Tai Xiangzhou. We are proud to introduce
Mind Without Discrimination, Tai Xiangzhou’s first Hong Kong solo exhibition. It is my prediction that Tai Xiangzhou will soon be acknowledged as a Master himself, so I thank him for this opportunity to showcase his paintings at Plum Blossoms Gallery. I would also like to acknowledge the work of my Plum Blossoms colleagues in mounting this exhibition and catalogue. Thanks to Khadinn Khan who was the project coordinator and translator and to Monica Fu who did a great job wth the catalogue design. I hope that all our collectors and friends will enjoy this insight into Tai Xiangzhou and his Mind Without Discrimination . Stephen McGuinness April 2012
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M Y PA I N T I N G DRE AM Learning painting was my childhood dream. This dream lives deep inside my heart and has never left me. My father worked in a news agency back in the days of my youth. He had a notebook that was made out of white newspapers and it became my first sketchbook. In my childhood memory, I recall that a carpenter from Jiangnan named Mr. Shen who made furniture for my mother’s dormitory in No.5 Hospital taught me to paint in his leisure time. After I started school, my favorite activity was to go to my father’s agency to look at paintings in the Art Department. In those days, newspaper insertions, propaganda columns, signs held by demonstrators were all painted by hand. Whenever I saw a painting being created, I felt very excited. After the Cultural Revolution ended, different kinds of workshops sprouted up across the city and I was fortunate to enroll in both calligraphy and painting courses. The calligraphy class was in Yinchuan No.1 Middle School. Coincidentally, my calligraphy teacher in my old school, Wang Wenjun later became my class teacher when I attended middle school. Mr. Hu Gongshi had just been exonerated, and I often brought my calligraphy to him for comments. My art class was in Yinchuan Cultural Center where my painting teacher Song Ming taught us everything from sketching, watercolor painting, oil painting to calligraphy. Every time I visit my family in Yinchuan, I always make an effort to visit my early teachers. I did not choose art as my major when I joined my university in Beijing. Seeing friends from the painting classes of my youth enrolled into the Art department, I could not hide my admiration for them and overcome my feelings of dejection, so I wrote letters to my calligraphy teachers in Yinchuan, asking for help to find a mentor to continue my learning in Beijing. I went to visit Mr. Ke Wenhui with recommendation letters from Mr. Hu Gongshi and Mr. Cai Jianfang and expressed my desire to learn landscape painting. Mr. Ke told me in order to learn painting one must start by reading. He took me to visit Mr. Feng Qiyong, who gave me a book list and brought me to Jiangnan to find a teacher. Mr. Ke Wenhui is known as the genius of Shanghai. He became Liu Haisu’s secretary after the end of Cultural Revolution. During those years whenever he went to the South, he would take me along with him to cities like Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou to visit scholars and painting masters who lived there including Zhu Jihai, Lu Yanshou, Shen Zicheng, Tang Yun, Jiang Fengbai, Qian Junyao, Wan Laiming, Lu Yifei, Wu Ouding, Dan Jiancheng and Ren Weiyin. During these visits friendships were built amongst us, yet still deep in my heart I did not feel I had found my mentor. After being asked a few times by Mr. Ke, I finally decided oil painter Ren Weiyin was the right mentor for me. I found that Mr. Ren’s paintings did not have a rigid “typical” style like other masters. Every painting of Ren’s had its own unique elements, but oil painting was ultimately not my preferred medium, so painting slowly faded into a distant dream.
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After my graduation from university, I stayed in Beijing and by chance I apprenticed under Mr. Cun Yuren and Li Zhenjian to learn paper mounting and restoration of ancient paintings. I earned myself sound knowledge on Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty’s paper, silk and ink, and especially I embraced the personal experience in making and processing paper. In 1996, I went abroad to New Zealand to study media design. Upon my return I joined a group of pioneering designers in China to enter the new media world of the Internet. I seemed to be further away from my childhood dream. In 2003 I visited a friend in Shanghai. At his house, I flipped through an exhibition catalogue of artist Liu Dan, and his painting Aceldama created a strong reaction in my heart. My passion for painting was suddenly rejuvenated. My initial thought was that I had waited for ten years and finally, I had found a teacher from whom I really wanted to learn. After seeing Liu Dan’s long landscape painting Ink Handscroll , I was more determined to journey along my path. Not long after, I met Liu Dan at an art auction in Beijing. After a few sincere exchanges of ideas, he accepted me as his student.
Detail of Hermit Resting in a Pavilion by the Stream
In 2005, Master Liu Dan moved from New York to Beijing. At the beginning he stayed temporarily at the Rosedale Hotel, and he painted a hand scroll in the styles of the Four Great Masters of the Yuan dynasty as a learning template for me. He taught me one must begin by learning from the Yuan’s Four Great Masters if one desires to learn painting on paper, because only then one could learn the ‘essences of painting’ from Dong Yuan to Ju Ran, Dong Qichang to the Four Wangs. Since then, I have been fortunate to paint in the same studio with Master Liu Dan. Under his guidance, I
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practiced and imitated works by Four Great Masters of the Yuan dynasty such as The To See
Large Within the Small album which includes Dong Qichang’s inscriptions, and Wind in the Pines of a Myriad Valleys attributed to Ju Ran. In every imitation class, Master Liu Dan taught me to magnify the original painting scaling up the details, so that on the painting surface there were many compositional details that required me to complete. Gradually, I began from not knowing how to handle, to learning how to control my brush, which gave me a lot of satisfaction. Master Liu Dan later summarized the notion in an interview with China Life magazine, “The essence of imitating is to have a deep understanding of brush control, showing how our predecessors deploy ink, paper, silk, and what was their working process in creating classical paintings? Soaking them all through the process of imitation and fulfillment by tracing with brush and ink, very much like “Scanning”, downloading the process into one’s muscles and nerves to form a memory. In this way, it enhances our senses not only subjectively but our objective senses enter the state of mind of our great ancestors. When you enter that spiritual level, you can freely interact with the master you are imitating, and that is the real meaning of how Dong Qichang enjoyed having dialogue with his predecessors when creating”. On the technical side, like ink wash and wrinkle strokes, Master Liu Dan virtually held my hand and taught me. On the other hand, we discussed on how to make papers and brushes. We invited masters from Anhui and Jiangsu to experiment repeatedly. One day, when Professor Fang Wen visited us in our studio, he encouraged me and said, “Nowadays there are not many students who can have the privilege to experience this kind of one-on-one teaching that Zhang Yanyuan championed. You are the luckiest student I have seen in many years.” One day, Master Liu Dan asked me if I have ever thought about why I paint? I could only answer, “Because I love to paint”. I knew this answer was too simple for a grown-up. I have thought about it many times since then, wanting to find a perfect answer to convince myself. I decided to open the
Ink Handscroll my Master had given to me in order to regain my old feeling from years ago, and I looked at catalogues of ancient masters. I had a strong desire to go back to school and study more to earn a serious and convincing answer. In 2006, I entered Academy of Art and Design, Tsinghua University to pursue my doctoral degree under advisor Professor Bao Lin. My research is actually based on Master Liu Dan’s Ink Handscroll and goes back into history from there. My readings and research even include astronomy and cosmology. After five years of research and study, I wrote my book Concept and Structure: The Study of Schema in Chinese Landscape Painting , published by Zhonghua Book Company. To say the least, writing this book offered me a clear astronomical view towards landscape paintings for my future studies. At the same time, it provided me with a more feasible explanation to my understanding of Master Liu Dan’s concepts of painting. People often ask me to explain the modernity of landscape painting. I smile and do not offer them an answer. To me, modernity is nothing more than how one perceives the universe and the world in front of us, not what is popular at this moment and what is being reported in the news. A good work of art must be an eternal work that can endure the challenge of time and space. This is what Master Liu Dan is achieving and this is my ultimate goal. Tai Xiangzhou Left-hand page : Detail of Tai Hong Scholar’s Rock
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學 畫 札 記
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KZ0001
Tai Hu Scholar’s Rock at Mi Wangzhong’s Shao Garden 米萬鐘勺園石 Ink on paper Signed “Made by Xiangzhou”, dated “Nineteenth of the First Month of 2012” in Chinese with one seal of the artist, “Tai Xiangzhou” 216.5 x 120.3cm 2012
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Previous Spread 前跨頁 KZ0003
Watching the Spring Water in the Ravine Bordered by Pines 松壑觀泉 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Tai Xiangzhou” 182 × 140 cm 2009 Left-hand page : Detail 左頁：細節圖
KZ0002
Scholar’s Rock 石 Ink on paper Signed “Made by Xiangzhou”, dated “Autumn of 2007” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Tai Xiangzhou” 182 x 145cm 2007
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KZ0005
Wondrous Peaks and Multitudinous Gully 千岩萬壑 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou Painted at Deng Guan Tang”, dated “Chong Yang of 2011” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Tai Xiangzhou” 76.5 x 170cm 2011
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KZ0010
Emulating Wuzhen’s “Mountain Peaks and Trees” 仿吳鎮中山圖 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou Emulating Wuzhen’s Mountain Peaks and Trees”, dated “Summer of 2007” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Xiangzhou” 27 x 91.5cm 2007
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KZ0006
Emulating Wang Meng Messages Conveyed Through His Brushwork 仿王叔明山水圖 Ink on paper Signed “Made by Xiangzhou”, dated “2012” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Tai Xiangzhou” 216.5 × 68.5cm 2012 Following Spread : Detail 下一跨頁：細節圖
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KZ0004
Tai Hong Scholar’s Rock 泰鴻 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou Painted at Jing Shi Deng Guan Tang”, dated “First Month of 2012” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Tai Xiangzhou” 96.5 x 139.5cm 2012
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KZ0018
Spring on River Bank 江岸春色 Ink on paper Signed “Made by Xiangzhou”, dated “2012” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Xiangzhou” 23.5 x 124cm 2012
KZ0009
Hermit Resting in a Pavilion by the Stream 溪亭坐隱 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou Emulating”, dated “Winter of 2007” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Xiangzhou” 28 x 141cm 2007
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KZ0008
Mind Without Discrimination 等觀圖 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou Respectfully Written”, dated “2012” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Xiangzhou” 134 × 36.5cm 2012 Left-hand page: Detail 左頁：細節圖
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KZ0011
Water, Clouds, Trees and Rocks 水雲樹石 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou”, dated “2011” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Tai” 33 x 32cm 2011
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KZ0007
Solitary Temple by the Pine Cave 松岩蕭寺 Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Xiangzhou” 133.5 x 57.7cm 2012 Following page : Detail 下一頁：細節圖
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KZ0017
Landscape in the style of Guoxi 2 仿郭熙山水圖 (二) Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou”, dated “Summer of 2011” in Chinese, with one seal of the artist, “Xiangzhou” 44.7 x 65.6 cm 2011
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KZ0012
Landscape in the Style of Yuan Dynasty 2 仿元人冊頁(二) Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou”, with one seal of the artist, “Xiangzhou” 46.2 x 59.5 cm 2008
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KZ0013
Genesis 1 創世紀 (一) Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou”, with one seal of the artist, “Tai” 32.5 x 43.8cm 2010
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KZ0014
Genesis 6 創世紀 (六) Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou”, with one seal of the artist, “Tai” 33 x 44cm 2010
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KZ0015
Genesis 8 創世紀 (八) Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou”, with one seal of the artist, “Tai” 32.8 x 44cm 2010
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KZ0016
Genesis 10 創世紀 (十) Ink on paper Signed “Xiangzhou”, with one seal of the artist, “Tai” 32.8 x 44cm 2010
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簡歷 1968 1975 1991-1996 1993 1999-2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2007 2006-12
泰祥洲又名曉陽，出生於中國寧夏，銀川 師從王文均、胡公石學習書法 師從崔玉潤、李振江學習古代書畫裝錶和修復 日本泛亞文化交流中心，北京區代表 新西蘭媒體設計學院, 數碼媒體系, 奧克蘭, 新西蘭 中國 Macromedia 藝術設計總監 中國 中央電視台 《公益廣告大獎賽》評審會委員 中國 中央電視台網站 藝術設計總監 《中華遺產》雜誌創辦人兼總策劃 師從 劉丹老師學習傳統水墨山水畫 與北京大學 考古文博學院 杭侃合作，研究和試製作唐、宋以來書畫用紙 師從 包林老師攻讀 清華大學美術學院繪畫糸博士學位
展覽 2012 2011 2010 2009 1989 1986
香港 萬玉堂畫廊《等觀》 阿聯酋 沙迦 阿拉伯書法博物館 《沙迦書法藝術雙年展》 美國 紐約 The Chinese Porcelain Company 《仰觀垂象》 中國 北京 北大賽克勒博物館《心物一元－泰祥洲水墨山水作品展》 中國 北京 798藝術空間 《仰觀垂象－泰祥洲中國圖式山水畫文獻展》 德國 威斯巴登 《書寫的藝術:三種文化的當代藝術》 美國 紐約 The Chinese Porcelain Company《劉丹、曾小俊和泰祥洲水墨畫展》 美國 紐約 《2011 年度亞洲文化周》 中國 北京 今日美術館 《2010當代藝術院校大學生年度提名展》 中國 上海 上海世博會 《紙的文明》 中國 北京 韓國文化研究院 《第二屆中韓青年藝術家交流展》 中國 北京 中國美術館 《天工開悟: 全國藝術院校博士研究生作品展》 中國 北京 《北京大學生書法展》 中國 北京 《全國大學生書法展覽》
獎項 2011 2001 1989 1986
中國 北京 新西蘭 中國 北京 中國 北京
今日美術館 《2010當代藝術院校大學生年度提名展》優秀獎 新西蘭媒體設計學院 新媒體專業設計獎 《北京大學生書法展》二等獎 《全國大學生書法展覽》一等獎
美國 美國 中國 中國
坎薩斯城 納爾遜藝術館 哈佛大學 阿瑟 M．賽克勒藝術博物館 北京大學 賽克勒考古與藝術博物館 北京 中華書局
典藏
密蘇里州 麻省
B IO G RAP H Y 1968 1975 1991-1996 1993 1999-2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2007 2006-2012
Born in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China Studied calligraphy under Wang Wenjun and Hu Gongshi Studied Chinese ancient painting restoration under Cun Yurun and Li Zhengjiang Beijing branch representative of Pan Asian Cultural Exchange Centre in Japan Studied in Media Design School, Digital Media Department in Auckland, New Zealand Artistic Director, Macromedia China On panel of judges of CCTV Public Interest Advertisement Competition Artistic Director of CCTV.com Founded Chinese Heritage Magazine, became its Production Director Began study of classical Chinese painting under Liu Dan Cooperated with Archaeology Academy of Beijing University Professor Hang Kai in researching paper-making techniques of Tang, Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties Pursued postgraduate studies under Professor Bao Lin at the Art Academy of Qinghua University, Beijing, China.
EXHIBITIONS
2012 2011 2010 2009 1989 1986
Mind Without Discrimination. Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong Transcending Reality. The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, USA Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial. Sharjah Calligraphy Museum, United Arab Emirates Homocentric Objective: Landscape paintings of Tai Xiangzhou. Arthur M. Sackler Museum Peking University, Beijing, China Solo Exhibition. 798 Art Bridge Gallery, Beijing, China The Art of Writing: Contemporary art from three cultures. ArtForum in der Kurhaus Kolonnade, Wiesbaden, Germany Ink Paintings by Liu Dan, Zeng Xiaojun, and introducing Tai Xiangzhou. The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, USA Asia Week New York 2011. New York, USA 2010 Exhibition of Selected Works by Art Students. Today Art Museum, Beijing, China The Civilization of Paper. Shanghai Expo, Shanghai, China The Second Exchange Exhibition by Young Chinese and Korean artists. Korean Cultural Service Centre, Beijing, China “Tian Gong Kai Wu” by Ph.D students of the Art Academies. National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China Beijing Calligraphy Competition by University Students. Beijing, China National Calligraphy Competition by University Students. Beijing, China
AWA R D S
2011 2001 1989 1986
Won “Excellence Award” at the “2010 Exhibition of Selected Works by Art Students” organized by Today Art Museum, Beijing Won “Highly Commended in Innovation” prize of the Industrial Panel Award with his piece, “The Eastern Universe” at Media Design School, New Zealand Won “Second Prize” in Beijing Calligraphy Competition by University Students Won “First Prize” in National Calligraphy Competition by University Students
MUSEUM COLLECT IONS
Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, USA The Arthur M. Sackler Museum of the Harvard University of Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, USA Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology At Peking University, Beijing, China Zhonghua Book Company, Beijing, China
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This catalogue was published to accompany an exhibition at Plum Blossoms Gallery, from 26 April to 22 May 2012
PLUM BLOSSOMS GALLERY G6, 1 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2521-2189 Fax: (852) 2868-4398 E-mail: info@plumblossoms.com Website: www.plumblossoms.com
T R A N S L AT I O N & E D I T I N G
Khadinn Khan & Monica Fu P U B L I S H I N G C O O R D I N AT I O N
Khadinn Khan DESIGN
Monica Fu PRINTING Asia One Printing Limited Foreword copyright © 2012 Stephen McGuinness Artist’s Statement copyright © 2012 Tai Xiangzhou All right reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, nor may any part of the book be reprinted in newspaper or periodicals, used in pubkic addresses films or dramatizations or broadcast in radio or television without the written permission of the artist. This applies as well to all text passages.
ISBN 978-988-19829-6-4