Mural Project: Amorous Rivers, Affectionate Mountains
Details of Lijiang Studio¡¯s invitational and remotely executed mural project plan by Yu Xudong
TITLE OF THE MURAL: AMOROUS RIVERS, AFFECTIONATE MOUNTAINS
Villagers in cooperation: ¢Ü He Zhanwei family
It is a family of 3 people. The son is 18 years old, a tour guide with the horse group at Lashihai. He Zhanwei is a farmer of Jixiang Village at Lashihai who has some disease in his leg, but is good at carpentry. His wife is an ordinary village woman.
Location of the family: in the First Commune of Jixiang Village, at the side of the main road of the village, near the basketball court and the little store.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 1 & 2 show the outside wall in the strip form at both sides of the gate, facing the main road of the village
Demands of the family: landscapes please, such as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. No human figures, please. Beyond that, they defer to the artist¡¯s opinion.
Advice from Lijiang Studio: artist is expected to make good use of the outside wall¡¯s feature of strip form. Experimental attempts are encouraged on condition to respect the demands from the family.
THE PLAN: 1) Cover the whole wall with golden acrylic paints.
2) Paint after ¡°A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains¡± (by Wang Ximeng, about 1095-1119 A.D., Song Dynasty) with dense-black-ink technique on one side of the wall. Materials in the original painting could be removed; it is OK as long as it looks like ¡°A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains¡± in form. (The reason why dense-black-ink technique is required: it is more possible to capture the spirit in the image by using mere lines in a short time, and it is strong in form, the final effect is pure and powerful.)
3) Artists make another landscape painting cooperatively with similar techniques on the other side of the wall after taking a trip at Lashihai.
4) When the paintings are done, make the stencil prints of the main title, ¡°AMOROUS RIVERS, AFFECTIONATE MOUNTAINS¡± (both English and Chinese) in bold font with back spray lacquers. The height of the letters and characters is about 45cm.
EXPATIATION OF THE PLAN: We are going to express our doubts and uncertainty for the situation of traditional culture by transforming landscape paintings, in a pop art way. As far as the locale is concerned, since it is actually in the form of propaganda poster, it is pop.
Regulations of the event for the mural project by Lijang Studio:AMOROUS RIVERS, AFFECTIONATE MOUNTAINS
- The cooperative event of ¡°New Countryside New Landscape¡± Mural Project of Lijiang Studio
Brief intro to ¡°Mural Project of New Countryside Laboratory¡± of Lijiang Studio: ¡°New Countryside Laboratory¡± project supervisor: Jay Brown
¡°Mural Project¡± manager: Li Lisha
Lijiang, the city of tourism, has an abundant heritage of natural beauty and at the same time accelerates its exploitations in the peripheral villages, bringing new opportunities and challenges, while diminishing the traditional farming life. Taking the idyllic Lashihai as a base, Lijiang Studio is reflecting on rural life and its cultural status these days. While it is clear that the countryside needs to be supported and re-invigorated, it is not yet clear how the central government's "New Countryside" policy will play out.
Lijiang Studio invites urban Chinese artists to join the Mural Painting Project to help re-imagine the role of art in the countryside, which will add a publicly visible element to the various types of nonsense we have added to the village already. The process is just as important as the result. We suggest that the artists apply various methods to their creations and maintain the originality of their works while taking into account the local inhabitants¡¯ requests. Lijiang Studio assumes the role of organizer & coordinator during the whole process and the responsibility to facilitate the progress and the realization of the project. We also have to live with these paintings.
10 families in the village have provided the wall for the project, of which at time of writing 7 are finished, respectively by one of 7 different participating artists from different places.
Reason of ARAM:Under the invitation of Lijiang Studio, Yu Xudong, a famous contemporary artist from Guangzhou, as the planner of other-place-realized event for the 8th mural, is setting out the literati spirit of nowadays society in the countryside of Lijiang.
Idea of ARAM: From ancient times till nowadays, numerous intellectuals and artists have traveled, intoned and delivered their emotions among mountains and rivers. The ancients wrote about mountains and rivers, trying to capture the inner spirit and meaning, to reach a kind of mental perfection. Go back from today's busy city life to the ancients' journeys and recitals among the mountains and rivers; go back from today's clamorous city to the ancients' amorous rivers and affectionate mountains. Restore the past and forget about today. What the spirit of intellectuals has precipitated throughout so many changes of time and space, can also be heard in our times.
Participants of ARAM: Outstanding local literati artists of Lijiang (In no particular order):
He Yong, Zhou Ying, Zhang Zhihong, Yang Hongrong, Zhang Yinong, Tang Xinhua, Yang Lijun
Details and explanations of ARAM (2 days):Saturday, May 23
Theme: Back to Ancient Times
10: 00, participants arrive at Lijiang Studio.
11: 00, Lijiang Studio members take the artist to the painting location to have a look.
12: 00, lunch at Lijiang Studio.
13: 30, preparations for the work.
14: 00, the making of the mural begins. Size available: 1.3¡Á14m, actual size for the painting of the mural: 0.62¡Á14m (enlarged by the ratio of the original piece of ¡°A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains¡±).
Content: Artists painting after Wang Ximeng¡¯s (about 1095-1119 A.D., Song Dynasty) landscape masterpiece ¡°A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains¡± together.
Style: with blue-green landscape technique. (The artists were all against the dense-black-ink technique, which was in the plan. In the participants¡¯ opinion, only by using the blue-green landscape technique could they represent the spirit of the original piece. Even Picasso reborn could not find a better choice.)
19: 00, dinner at Lijiang Studio. Drinking, chatting, mah-jong playing and then staying in Lijiang Studio for the night.
The purpose:
Is to experience the artistic conception and the moves of brushes and ink in an ancient landscape painting by cooperative copying. The ¡°A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains¡± painted by the artists is obviously no longer the original piece, but the reflection of the ancients by nowadays people, who will be farther endowed with literati feeling and pursuit of spirit.
Sunday, May 24
Theme: Through Nowadays
10: 00, artists arrive at Lijiang Studio with their families.
11: 00, people have lunch at Lijiang Studio.
12: 00, trip at Lashihai Lake.
14: 30, preparations for the work.
16: 00, the making of the mural begins.
Content: Artists paint cooperatively a new landscape of Lashihai, with their feelings from the trip they took in the morning.
Style: with blue-green landscape technique (in accordance of the mural they painted the day before). Size available: 1.15¡Á8m.
17: 30, the main-title-revealing ceremony, hosted by Yang Lijun, the Secretary-General of Lijiang Studio. The persons who make the action should spray black lacquers on the stencils that have been pasted on the wall before, leaving the marks of the main title of the event: AMOROUS RIVERS, AFFECTIONATE MOUNTAINS (both English and Chinese) on the wall. The mural project ends with the completion of the ceremony.
18: 30, people have dinner at Lijiang Studio.
20: 00, after dinner, artists have an online chat with Yu Xudong, the planner of the event, to communicate some ideas upon this cooperation. [This was cancelled due to the time limits of the artists and their families.]
The purpose:
Is to review the mental status of the ancients on journey by taking a trip at Lashihai Lake. Then artists return to their own feelings and pursuit of spirit, and paint the ideal mountains and rivers of their own, to make a new landscape painting cooperatively. By comparing two landscape paintings, one is of mountains and rivers back in the ancients' times and the other as they are nowadays, we will make ancient and modern artistic conceptions and spirits to join and respond each other.
Purpose of ARAM: It is a social welfare activity that played by artists themselves and has presented the artists¡¯ caring for the cultural life in a rural community. The event aims to present sincerity, cordiality and passion.
Final production of ARAM: As the record of the event, photos and videos will be used for non-commercial publication and exhibition, along with the whole ¡°Mural Project of New Countryside Laboratory¡±. Each participant will own a publication, a video disc and a CD of photos of the event.
Notice:£º
1) The location of the event is by the road of countryside, the surroundings are kind of harsh, with unavoidable dirt and dusts all around, so please be at ease and tolerant. Lijiang Studio will provide the participants with dusk masks, please prepare to avoid getting sunburned.
2) The wall to be painted on is provided by the local villager. The surface is pretty rough, can¡¯t be compared with the smooth ones. Please don¡¯t be disgusted with the situation and get ready for it.
3) We will provide life-saving equipment while boating on the lake. Everyone must obey the arrangement of the organizer and the boatman, make it a safe trip. Since it is a group activity, anyone who makes activities on his/her own is at his/her own risk.
4) Lijiang Studio will make video and photo recordings during the whole process. Please understand and be cooperative.
Announcement:1) The idea of this event is provided by the performance artist from Guangzhou, and the making process is realized by invitational local artists. With many people involved in this event, there could be things that are not well organized, please be understanding and supportive, and put overall situation on first consideration. Please be in accordance with Lijiang Studio¡¯s arrangement upon the base of ¡°mutual respect and harmonious coexistence¡±. Thanks for your cooperation!
2) Lijiang Studio is a non-profit organization. As the organizer of the event, we provide painting materials, a trip out, room and board etc., as well as the fees for publication and exhibition afterwards. The production of the event will not be in commercial use. Artists participate in the event out of free will, with no talk of payment or copyright.
3) Final right of interpretation is reserved by Lijiang Studio.
Photos of the event:
In accordance with the plan provided by Yu Xudong, the mud wall was directly covered with golden acrylic paints before the event
Artists (L-R): Zhang Yinong & Zhou Ying
Another joyful thing. Dudu our dog giving birth to her baby under the gaze of a group of artists
¡°A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains¡±
Zhou Ying (lower right) painting after ¡°A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains¡± on the rough mud wall as a lead
Artists (L-C-R): Zhang Zhihong, Zhang Yinong and Zhou Ying
All the artists insist on painting with a blue-green landscape effect, despite the dense-black-ink technique was prescribed in the plan.
Our Neighbor He Siyuan sitting in front of the mural, a wonderful background to take pictures with
Playing mah-jong
Going out
Winds and lights of Lashihai
Overjoyed Zhang Yinong, with his wife and daughter
Artists and their families on one boat
Singing out of excitement
Into the wonderland
The whole group of artists and their families
With the feelings from the trip at Lashihai, artists working together on the ¡°Lashihai Landscape¡± painting. From left: Yang Lijun, Zhou Ying, He Yong, Yang Hongrong.
Yang Hongrong (closer) and He Yong (farther) painting their ideal scene of mountains and rivers of Lashihai
Zhang Yinong¡¯s daughter posing for photo shoot
¡°Lashihai Landscape¡± about to be done
Beginning of the Main-title-revealing ceremony, Yang Lijun, the Secretary-General of Lijiang Studio giving a speech
Main-title-revealing: Artist Tang Xinhua making the stencil prints of the main title: Amorous Rivers, Affectionate Mountains with a black spray lacquer. Others participated: Yang Hongrong, Zhou Ying, He Yong, Tang Xinhua, Yang Zemin, and Er Ge, etc.
Main title being appeared
End of the ceremony. From left: the house owner, Alistair, Er Ge, Tang Xinhua, Yang Lijun, He Yong, Yang Zemin, Yang Hongrong, Zhou Ying
A happy ending. From left: Er Ge, Zhou Ying, Yang Zemin, Yang Lijun, Tang Xinhua, Yang Hongrong, He Yong.
Final effect. He Zhanwei the house owner gave it a full score mark.
Photos by Hu Jiamin
Special effects by Li Lisha
Special thanks to Xuemei, Er Ge and Si Ge
Appendix:YU XUDONG
1972 Born in Hunan province, China
2000 Graduated from oil paint apartment, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts
Living and working in Guangzhou, China
E-MAIL: xudong_yu@126.com
Group Exhibitions
2008 Article: the site that is disappearing, ShunDe, Guangdong province, China
The third exhibition series about artistic phenomena and situation since 1985:
Guangzhou station - Special Exhibition for Contemporary Art of Guangdong Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangdong, China
ART Shanghai 2008, Shanghai, China
2007 Indulgence, Orange Gallery, China
June - Alliance, Song Zhuang, Beijing, China
FCA -129 Guest Contemporary Art Exhibitions, Fei Contemporary Art Center, Shanghai, China
A - ONE 2007Exchange Group Exhibition KOREA/CHINA/JAPAN, KOREA
The 2st Youth Art Exhibition of Guangdong, Guangdong Museum of Art, China
2006 New wave, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China
Voice and Text, Hong Kong Art Center, Hong Kong, China
Displace, Time gallery of art museum of Guangzhou, China
Ping Yao International photography Festival, Ping Yao, ShanXi ,China
The 21st Asian International Art Exhibition, Singapore, China
City expressions, Talin Art Hall of Estonia
2005 Spanish - Guangzhou Picture Mosaic, 1203, Guangzhou , China
Contemporary Guangdong Art Document Show 1995-2005 He Xiangning Art Museum, China
Inward Gazes Documentaries of Chinese Performance arts, Macao Museum of Art
The 2nd Guangzhou Triennial, Self - Organizing and Planning Fengjian of Shunde, China
Macao International Performance arts Festival, Macao
2004 Now - park19 Art Space, Guangzhou, China
2003 The 18th Asia International Art Exhibition, Hong Kong, China
Recurrence, Hong Kong, China
Where are You Going, Borges Libreria
The 14th Brazil Electronics Festival, St. Paul
The 1st Youth Art Exhibition of Guangdong, Guangdong Museum of Art, China
Microwave, Park19 Art Space, China
2002 On - site Feeling, Guangxi, China
Neo Metropolism, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangdong, China
The 17th Asia International Art Exhibition, Korean
Light of the City, Guangzhou
2001 Depart - New Youth Paint Show, Shenzhen Art Museum, China
City Engine, Guangzhou, China
