The Record of Time and Sincerity under the Cloudy Sky and New Moon
About the Printmaking Art of Zhenqian Guo
There are three types of printmaker respectively emphasizes on concept, skill and material. Printmaking is an art starts from print and falls back to the category of painting, from the existence of substance to the presentation of spirit. The process is either long or short to define the comprehension of printmaking and the orientation of the creator of three types. As a concept-oriented printmaker, Zhenqian Guo alternates among different skills and material based on assigned concept. This is the right path for Zhenqian Guo, as he presents in the society activities directly despite of the years of stay in academic studio and has dynamic ideas and urgent desire in printmaking. The fact of living keeps him from spending more time and efforts to make repeated adjustment and endless exploration in the creation. Since the advent of exhibitions, ideas and performances are near at hand. Artists in his situation are serving as a indispensable element In the biological chain of contemporary culture, they determine the quality of contemporary culture and art. However, the situation of contemporary printmaking embracing the three types is not optimistic. It is difficult to get the three qualities in one work but for masters. There are amount of printmakers represented themselves as experts, but few of them deserve the title of a “master”. Besides, it’s better for artist to get obsessed in one area rather than to get triple advantage. Basically, obsession is the opposite of confidence. But too much confidence will cause diffidence and in turn the latter will lead to the stage of a little bit obsession to prevent desperation. While, a little bit obsession and diffidence in the artist generally alternates the stress of the creator into pitiful works. The scarce resource of masters and masterpieces is the crucial reason and bane of the lacking of professional network and the disappointing climate of contemporary printmaking. The contemporary printmaking can only survive on the artists like Mr. Guo and their persistence.
In the face of society and reality, Zhenqian Guo reflects his sentiment to ideological themes in the works. He makes important judgment on content and utilizes his intuition upon formal aesthetic. The works “Rainbow”, “Counting the Age of Greatwall”, “The Tempo of Strength and Beauty”, “Life & Society”, “Outside”, “Cloudy Season”, “The Whirling” and etc. impress the spectators with a wide range of topics, various forms of performances and in-depth aesthetics. He applies different kinds of print, the copper plate, woodcutting, screen printing plate, intaglio print and paper cutting to express the changing ideas. These are the evidence of his adept skills and excellent creation. All the works are associated with his persistence. He repeats and tests on various changes and possibilities to get a pertinent creation to the theme, ending up with the most suitable material, innovative skill and distinct concept. He always finds out the best performance to present his ideas in the first place, following with the transition of his sentiment to daily life to visual aesthetic during the creation and the evolution of exploration in history to his responsibility in art. On this aspect, he produces a series of large historical and epic printmaking namely “The Return of Hong Kong to China”, “Stepping out of the Framework of History”, “Antecedent’s Speaks ”,”March in to the New Era” and so on.
He develops the sentiment to aesthetic from the rich experience in life. The historical responsibility in his personality is derived from the fact that he never circumvents the reality or falls into fantasy. Starting from the first day he picked up the woodcut knife, he is obsessed in art rather than the desire to be an artist. However, the indifference to become an artist has gained the achievement of art for him. Aside from particularity and extravagance beyond work, he faces the truth of himself. This is demonstrated in the historical works namely “The Return of Hong Kong to China”, “Stepping out of the Framework of History”, “Antecedent’s Speaks ”,”March in to the New Era” and etc. Taken “The Return of Hong Kong to China” as an example, Mr. Guo regards the returning of Hong Kong as a critical chance for creation. Both for politics or art circle, the occasion was considered as a major event to wipe out national humiliation of China and rise to a powerful country and an inevitable truth no matter in history or at present. Painters usually present the changes of life in their stances, but only those with grand ambition take the progress of his country and nation as his progress. Such kind of historical responsibility and braveness decides the status of a great painter or a normal painter. “The Return of Hong Kong to China” is a screen printing generated from hundreds of thousands pictures in the search of vast historical materials. Mr. Guo traveled from Ningxia, Guangdong to Beijing to acknowledge almost all materials about Hong Kong to prepare for the photoengraving work subject to screen printing. It is not a rare case to showcase the fact of history with candid pictures, but the personal and subjective expression of the artist towards objective existence is not common. In this work, the intersperse and splicing of scenes of varied time and space embodies the ever-changing situations of history, while the composition and performance of active or passive figures are strengthened or constrained to the background. The work was awarded with silver medal in Chinese Art Exhibition in accordance with expectations and regarded as the great leap in art for Zhenqian Guo.
Not every work of Zhanqian Guo can stand out in the field, some of them may not be understood for a short while even they are fancy and fresh in style. “Stepping out of the Framework of History” represents the objective affirmation of Mr. Gao to the progress of Chinese communist party which going through the limits and frameworks of history and going towards mature and development. It suggests that, the development of a party also follows the laws of the universe since the objective laws determine that everything rise at the beginning and decline in the end. However, the party has its capability to step out of historical frameworks and to produce a everlasting and prosperous stage in the history accounting for it’s subjective effort, the respect of objective laws and the adherence to assume power for the public and for the people. Even with the clear position and unique concept, the work was sent to Chinese Art Gallery but put off from the showcase after a few rounds of assessment as it aroused doubt to the officials. After then, the artist along with his work was delisted from the exhibition booklets. It is an adventure for to tell the truth and a price for artists to express their thought. Finally, the hard work was paid off and successfully entered the 12th National Printmaking Exhibition. Apparently, Mr. Guo outwits in grand vision and holds broad perspectives and faith in the ideas of assuming power. The advantage has laid a solid foundation for him to be the principal of Ningxia Artists Association and to promote the overall development of Ningxia art with full passion and confidence.
Not every work of Zhanqian Guo can stand out in the field, some of them may not be understood for a short while even they are fancy and fresh in style. “Stepping out of the Framework of History” represents the objective affirmation of Mr. Gao to the progress of Chinese communist party which going through the limits and frameworks of history and going towards mature and development. It suggests that, the development of a party also follows the laws of the universe since the objective laws determine that everything rise at the beginning and decline in the end. However, the party has its capability to step out of historical frameworks and to produce a everlasting and prosperous stage in the history accounting for it’s subjective effort, the respect of objective laws and the adherence to assume power for the public and for the people. Even with the clear position and unique concept, the work was sent to Chinese Art Gallery but put off from the showcase after a few rounds of assessment as it aroused doubt to the officials. After then, the artist along with his work was delisted from the exhibition booklets. It is an adventure for to tell the truth and a price for artists to express their thought. Finally, the hard work was paid off and successfully entered the 12th National Printmaking Exhibition. Apparently, Mr. Guo outwits in grand vision and holds broad perspectives and faith in the ideas of assuming power. The advantage has laid a solid foundation for him to be the principal of Ningxia Artists Association and to promote the overall development of Ningxia art with full passion and confidence.
The debut defines the superior art awareness and acute aesthetic experience of Mr. Guo, It provides support for his mature status of an influential printmaker in China to go through a variety works with copper place, woodcutting, screen print painting, new prints, coloured engraving, PVC and the other new materials invented by the artist. He takes a place in the circle of printmaking with innovative performance, various themes and in-depth objectives. He is omnipotent in many categories, covering the sculpture, oil painting, Chinese painting, ink and wash painting, watercolor and artistic design. On this account, he has no boundaries in different kinds of painting and possesses intense power in expression and unique style. All the creation are based on his sentiment and understanding to reality and historical phenomenon. They are presented to the face of the spectators with rich expressions, fresh forms and distinct skills.
In his middle age, there is yet no clear signal about the departure of his art journey-he was indulged in music in his childhood and technique in the factory. Now he is in the equivalent long and persistent obsession to painting.
In his middle age, there is yet no clear signal about the departure of his art journey-he was indulged in music in his childhood and technique in the factory. Now he is in the equivalent long and persistent obsession to painting.
There is either no given stage to his creation-he alternates freely among varied themes, skills and painting categories like an unconstrained horse patrolling in the endless universe.
There is no more destination for the artist. Having given up several chances to be successful in both politics and business and always kept a long distance from the temptation of fame and wealth, Mr. Guo reaffirms the promise to dedicate his life to creation along the journey. Excellent art is bound be live on forever, so as the excellent pursuit of art belong to artists like Mr. Guo, who take his lifetime to measure the dimension of creation and pursue the spirit of creation.
From: Northwest Art