A New Beginning Part III
Finding Meaning Beyond Forms: Hope and Light
by Rita Lee
In the late Northern Song Dynasty, artists, including the most renowned scholar/artist/poet Su Shi, started a trend of literati paintings. These paintings embodied a coexistence of forms and personal expression. Painting was no longer a pursuit of imitating forms but a medium of expressing oneself. Therefore, painters no longer strove to seek resemblance to reality in their art. When painting objects, painters attached greater importance to the expression of their own thoughts. Take one of Su Shi’s rare paintings, DEAD TREE AND JAGGED ROCK, for example. This painting transcends the works from the Tang Dynasty, which were often created with rich colors and multiple layers. Instead, it uses simple strokes to create uncomplicated compositions, demonstrating the impressionistic aesthetics of the Song Dynasty.
The Sancai (Tri-Color Glazed Ceramics) from the Tang Dynasty is famous for its rich colors. However, during the Song Dynasty, the literati began to adopt a simpler and finer style. Most of the time, ink was the only color seen in paintings from this period, and the themes often revolved around plum blossoms and dead branches. This change resulted primarily from historical factors. The Northern and Southern Song Dynasties were faced with invasions from external tribes, leading intellectuals of the Song Dynasty to develop a tenacious spirit. In literary works and paintings, overall strength and impression were more emphasized. Painters attempted to envision how objects in nature persevered in the face of difficulties. This simple and reserved style reveals an artist’s ability to appreciate the value and beauty of every little thing after going through life’s ups and downs.
Irene Chang’s art series, A NEW BEGINNING, represents the process of how Chang creates art. From the emulation of shapes to the articulation of ideas, the creation process of A NEW BEGINNING V and A NEW BEGINNING VI exemplifies the concentration on the underlying meanings within the art. Su Shi’s work, DEAD TREE AND JAGGED ROCK, was not created because the painter could only paint with simple strokes; instead, through such simplicity, viewers are urged to delve deeper into the ideas the painter intended to convey through the art. This spring, Chang made art by painting the branches, leaves, and petals in great detail and then arranging the colors through free imagination, guiding us to enter her spiritual world.
“We have always had the chance to restart,” said Chang solemnly this Spring. The highs and lows in life and the changing seasons have made her realize that every moment can be a new start. In the past, she constantly sought a balance between rules and freedom. Now, art allows her to look at this issue from a non-binary perspective. Both rules and freedom are necessary to our lives. Human existence entails rules as well as discerning right from wrong. Being human also means having the ability to make independent decisions, and this freedom is undeniable.
Therefore, in both A NEW BEGINNING V and A NEW BEGINNING VI, we can see how a fundamental structure of rules accentuates intertwining branches and circles, enhanced by freely imaginative colors. Plants that might be easily identified as cherry blossoms or peach blossoms are transformed into abstract yet beautiful scenery. As if an illusion, we are led from a three-dimensional world of reality into a two-dimensional world of imagination, facilitating a connection with indescribable feelings. At the same time, “right and wrong” and “freedom” are more fully demonstrated in these two paintings.
Chang said that creating these two paintings brought her more happiness than ever before. Once she relinquished the insistence on exerting strenuous effort and working hard in creating art, she joyfully followed her heart and allowed her paintings to naturally develop their own personalities. The two paintings feature bold yet harmonious colors, expressing varied emotions towards a world that is filled with right and wrong. This is akin to Su Shi’s paintings, which always sought to transcend forms and extract the hidden meaning. Right and wrong are destined to exist in our world; how will individuals with the freedom of choice seize the opportunities to start anew?
Chang is able to express her optimistic, joyful, and positive character through her paintings, shedding the ostensible forms of objects.
A NEW BEGINNING V was painted with beautiful and welcoming green shades, which delicately integrate greyish-blue and spring green. This is not a scene that can be found in reality; it is a demonstration of the serene joy in Chang’s heart.
Meanwhile, the resplendent gold in A NEW BEGINNING VI reflects Chang’s passion and hope for life. Each choice is a heavenly gift, as we all have the ability to make active and positive decisions. These paintings, in particular, manifest a yearning for a bright future.
Photos by Irene Chang Studio
