What constitutes an exellent painting?

Last time I discussed the Rhythmic Vitality, Ya and Su, and composition with you. Today I would like to discuss Chung (weight); Da (vastness) and Chuo (awkwardness). These three words were first used by Wang Kuo-Wei to evaluate Chinese literature. Now I would like to borrow the same method to evaluate art.

A. Chung (weight) -- This really means high seriousness and profundity. Just like in a Greek tragedy: A girl loved her husband deeply, but she also loved and respected her father. When the two men were engaged in a duel, she was torn between her love and loyalty to both. In despair, she killed herself. This tragedy moved people profoundly. In simple words, weight is the force which touches people's hearts deeply. It should be penetrating and lines must be lively and forceful. Thus a strong work like this may reach the depth's of one's heart and hold forever in one's memory. The Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu, wrote impressive tragic poems -- they deeply touch people's souls. Li Ko-Jen's landscapes carry a lot of weight. Qi Bai-Shi and Wu Chang-Shuo's paintings also carry much weight and their depth of thought and expression is beyond the mere rendering.

B. Da (big) -- It means vast feeling, just as a Tang poet Li Po's poem: "Can't you see that the water of the Yellow River comes from heaven." The expression of "heaven" is so exaggerated that the distortion is extremely effective. The force almost reached the orbit. We often say "there is more painting beyond the canvas." It means the whole paper can hardly be enough for the picture rendered. Some painters limit the whole composition in the center of the paper or canvas -- making the picture look caged, with no movement at all. The expression of Chang Da-Chien and Wu Kuan-Chung's paintings are quite forceful. The forces extend beyond the artwork.

C. Chuo (clumsiness) -- Literally means clumsy or awkward. Basically it is not a good work, but in Chinese esthetics, it refers to a lovely quality. For example, a baby walks awkwardly, yet people love to watch it. The honest way of using the brush without trying to please others is what we call chuo. My teacher, Qi Bai-Shi, never studied drawing, he has no idea about proportion and perspective in painting. Consequently, his work is very much like children's drawing. Because of this, he became one of the best artists in China.

Art is creative. That is why I always say that a five year old can be a natural, true and good artist. We adults have a lot to learn from the children, especially in the way of creativity.

The qualities of weight, big and chuo have a lot to do with one's disposition and knowledge. Of course, it is difficult to possess all three of these qualities. Du Fu's poem is more heavy or serious, Li Po's work is vast and the Tang scholar Han Yu's work is more chuo. Most famous contemporary artists possess these three qualities.

This time I choose Picasso's Guernica as an illustration because it has these three aspects. It describes the great tragedy when the Nazis bombed the Spanish city in 1937. This masterpiece has been on loan at the Museum of Modern Art in the United States for many years, and now it has been shipped back to Spain. Everyone can respond to this forceful painting with a deep aesthetic experience.

-- Da-Wei