In the view of artist Chen Xiangbo, art is not a small circle whispering, not a book theory and dogma, nor a pure spiritual world of poetry and distance. It’s that the artist transcends the ego and incorporates himself into the wider world. It’s the product of generate, who gained a greater artistic realm after breaking the small circle and gained inspiration from dialogue with the times.
For him, the work undertaken as the curator of the art museum, although occupying most of his time, is also a way to make his art more substantial, more free and closer to the times.
Artist Chen Xiangbo
01
Use multiple identities
Incorporate yourself into the wider world.
As the writer kevin kelly said, the most counterintuitive truth in this world is that the more you give to others, the more you get.
Chen Xiangbo, who has passed his destiny, is in one of the most innovative and dynamic cities — — Shenzhen,Wear several hats.. He is the secretary and curator of the Party branch of Guan Shanyue Art Museum, the master tutor of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and the doctoral tutor of Macau City University. He is the vice chairman of China Gongbi Painting Society, the vice chairman of Guangdong Artists Association, the vice chairman of Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the chairman of the Municipal Artists Association, and the founder of Chen Xiangbo Art Public Welfare Fund. He is also a representative of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress, an expert in Shenzhen Pioneer Demonstration Zone and vice chairman of Shenzhen Design and Art Alliance … … The busiest thing every day is the operation and curation of the art museum; Be a charity foundation to support young artists; Offer suggestions and suggestions for cultural construction projects in Shenzhen.
However,His most important identity is stillpainterBecause all identities are based on this identity and ultimately belong to his artistic creation.
Chen Xiangbo sketched outdoors.
During the interview hours, he was interrupted several times, came in to report all kinds of work and sign all kinds of documents, and he handled them neatly, just like the speed of his speech, never went straight to the point and never dragged his feet. It is not surprising that such efficiency allows him to take care of so many identities.
He said: "Look at the problem in a positive direction. These different identities do take up a lot of my time, but from another angle, I think it is very beneficial to my creation. I can participate in social practice through different channels, get a deeper understanding of society, and see the most cutting-edge changes in China.Experience yourself in different identities, so that you have a global view and a systematic view of art creation.The art museum has given me a platform, which can open my eyes and ideas and provide a good resource for artistic creation. These works seem different, but they are actually connected, which enables me to grasp the trend of this era from a more comprehensive, systematic and higher level. "
Chen Xiangbo’s "Lotus Evening Light" 41cm×53cm Silk Edition Color Setting 2017
For Chen Xiangbo, art is not lofty. To achieve something, he must return to the daily life. If artists want to develop, it is absolutely impossible to fight alone. They must integrate themselves into the network of the vast world. These seem to be easier to achieve in Shenzhen.
"Here, I think it’s interesting to be an artist.Artistic creation seems to be a personal matter, but in fact it needs the support of a huge social system.There are artists’ associations, painting academies, art markets, professional art fairs and galleries in Shenzhen, forming a complete artistic ecological chain. There are also various industries that are efficient and convenient, such as Dafen Village Oil Painting Village, which provides me with all kinds of art creation materials, mounting and other supporting services are also very fast and effective. In Shenzhen, if you want to go to other places or go abroad for exhibitions, the mounting, transportation and customs clearance of your works are very convenient. All the systems needed by artists can be easily obtained, which is very important for an artist, so that we can concentrate on painting. "
Chen Xiangbo’s 260cm×130cm Silk Edition of "Dream of Lotus" was colored in 2021.
Chen Xiangbo’s Four Seasons Autumn Wind 143cm×156cm Paper Color in 1994
02
Keep breaking the circle
Open the big picture of art
In 1994, Chen Xiangbo went to Shenzhen to build the Guan Shanyue Art Museum, and it has been 28 years since then. Chen Xiangbo worked around Guan Lao for a year and a half. In specific work, the most influential sentence for him was:"Don’t care too much, the important thing is to do things wholeheartedly first."
At first, he didn’t fully understand the meaning of this sentence, but through those days around Guan Lao, the way of thinking of taking care of the overall situation through words and deeds, hearing and hearing, has benefited him so far and benefited a lot.
From March 1996 to May 1997, I took a group photo with Guan Lao during my work.
In September, 1996, I took a photo with Guan Lao when I celebrated Mr. Guan Shanyue’s 85th birthday.
As a curator, he went all out, with the support of higher authorities and the joint efforts of colleagues in the whole museum, awarded the Guan Shanyue Art Museum as one of the first nine national key art museums by the Ministry of Culture, and became one of the national art museum models.
He does academic research., the editor-in-chief of the complete works of Guan Shanyue to achieve the highest national publishing award "the fifth outstanding Chinese publications", to control the old century exhibition to make a sensation in the industry.
He works as an art charity fund.He donated one million yuan before and after taking out his personal works. Since 2011, he has set up the "Chen Xiangbo Scholarship for Excellent Works of Master Graduates" in Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and tried his best to support the younger generation and promote the development of fine arts.
He is an expert in Shenzhen cultural field.Take design art as one of the academic directions of the art museum and strive to provide academic support for "Shenzhen Design".
Chen Xiangbo, who was born in Shaoyang, seems to have the boldness of Hunan people, but he is not reckless, but keeps groping and changing his ways until he does it well.
Chen Xiangbo is creating big paintings in the studio.
After doing so many things, Chen Xiangbo gradually realized the profound meaning of Guan Lao. It is not the only way for artists to make their works more alive is to improve their techniques. It is also a way to do more for more people by deeply participating in social practice and serving the society. In this way, artists can open their minds and broaden their minds.The promotion of life realm is the only way to improve creativity.Many artists only pay attention to their own creation, and it is difficult for them to connect with the world without listening to what is going on outside the window.
Chen Xiangbo’s "Ailian Theory II" 66cm×82cmcm Paper Color in 2014
Chen Xiangbo said: "In fact, we are easily confused. In our circle of friends, we feel great when people like us every day. Only by breaking the circle can you find yourself nothing. A person’s energy is so great. If you want to make things bigger, you must have the ability to constantly break the circle. "
"Broken circle" is also a remarkable feature of him.This also comes from the influence of Guan Lao. He said that Guan Lao is a person who always faces the social reality and does not set limits for himself. He dares to try and innovate constantly. Therefore, Chen Xiangbo will not allow himself to be confined to his best meticulous brushwork, but will try his hand at ink painting, installation art and even trend art.
03
Time is the support.
The ultimate system of artistic value
Chen Xiangbo believes that the value of the final artwork lies not only in the artistic level, but also inThe artist’s ability to talk to the times.
In 1960s and 1970s, the national literary and art circles were greatly impacted, and Guan Shanyue, as an important artist in Guangdong painting circle, was inevitably affected. However, Guan Lao has never complained about this. As long as he has the conditions, he still insists on creating, dancing in shackles and constantly creating works with a sense of the times and responding to the times.
The artistic value of Guan Shanyue’s works lies in constantly breaking the pattern, reflecting the social reality and connecting with the spirit of the times. As Guan Lao advocated, "articles should be written in time" and "pen and ink should follow the times"
Chen Xiangbo said that many artists are like meteors, but Guan Lao’s position in art history is very stable because heAlways insist on growing bigger at one point. The persistence and systematization of a person’s life is the most important thing, so is everything. Without persistence and systematization, nothing can be done.
Chen Xiangbo’s 78cm×42cm Silk Edition of "Xu Yin Tang Jian Bu" was colored in 2012.
In 2003, Shenzhen proposed to build a "design capital", and in 2006, Chen Xiangbo proposed "Research and Exhibition of Contemporary Design Art" as an academic brand and an important academic direction of Guan Shanyue Art Museum to provide academic support for the development of Shenzhen design. When digitalization, informationization and networking come to the fore,Chen Xiangbo began to preside over the construction of the first digital art museum.Including digital art collection system, office system, virtual exhibition hall exhibition system, digital technology of collection protection and future development of digital art, let the art museum keep up with the changes of the times.
After living in Shenzhen for nearly 30 years, Chen Xiangbo’s understanding of the city culture of Shenzhen is: "Whether a city has culture or not does not depend on how many historical sites it has and how long its history is. Shenzhen culture is not the traditional social culture of human feelings, but a kind ofA more advanced and equal modern cityCitizen culture, which is also the best culture of the present era. There are not too many burdens and obstacles. It is a modern urban culture that emphasizes rules and innovation. In such a cultural atmosphere, as long as you work hard, you will achieve results. "
Chen Xiangbo’s "Bottle Flowers Elegant" was colored on 63cm×82cm paper in 1994
Being in Shenzhen, an efficient city, Chen Xiangbo learned to turn around at any time, switch ideas and open up a new situation. When he is inspired, he picks up the brush at any time, puts it down when he has no feeling, and goes to other things. But he will always think about the problem of art creation, constantly collect information from all sides, seize an opportunity, and finish it quickly while his ideas are fresh.
For him, the inspiration of artistic creation lies not in the dogma in books, nor in the theory in his mind, but inIt lies in the living social life, the relationship between people, and the cognition of the times.
In his view, art is a natural product after a person obtains as comprehensive and free development as possible, gives full play to his potential and fully releases his energy. From this point of view, the complicated and trivial affairs every day are not a stumbling block on his artistic path, but a spiritual ladder leading to a rich connotation of artistic works.
"The value of art and techniques are only the most basic level, and what supports the value of art is a knowledge system. Artists must jump out of the single concern about techniques, invest in the construction of urban culture, and establish a concern about the development and trends of the times. " Chen Xiangbo said.
Chen Xiangbo’s "Clear Night Tulip" 68cm×89cm paper color in 2018
04
Confidence in traditional culture
It is the foundation of innovation.
As a post-60s artist, Chen Xiangbo has absolute confidence in China’s traditional culture.
Chen Xiangbo was keenly aware that after China experienced the pursuit of economic growth and material satisfaction, people began to think about some ultimate philosophical problems in life, pursuing a healthy life, inner peace and visual aesthetics. The humanistic spirit of China’s traditional culture, especially China’s meticulous flowers and birds, has a calming power.
Chen Xiangbo’s Four Seasons Summer Solstice 143cm×156cm Paper Color in 1994
Chen Xiangbo’s "Pengcheng Rhododendron" 140cm×160cm Paper Color in 2020
"I think Chinese painting is one of Chinese’s ways to explain himself and the world with his own visual culture.The authenticity of Chinese painting is meticulous painting. Chinese painting never takes realism as its ultimate goal, but is a freehand art.In pursuit of artistic conception, we should maintain our ability to interpret and evaluate art. "
"The pen and ink of Chinese painting is a psychological and emotional language, which can express subtle emotions. The priority of lines and the dry and wet shades of ink are mutually generated, and the rich forms are like endless beats and notes, either cheerful, heavy, implicit, clear, vigorous or light. The painter unconsciously integrates his personal life experience in his pen and ink. "
Chen Xiangbo’s "Memories of the Industrial Age" group painting 1000cm×200cm paper ink painting in 2021
Chen Xiangbo’s 47cm×36cm paper color in 2021
Chen Xiangbo believes that traditional culture needs innovation, but he does not approve of contemporary artists’ innovation for innovation’s sake.; He adheres to the spirit and core of traditional culture, and also tries to explore the modern technological innovation to empower the development of traditional culture at present; Explore the combination of traditional Chinese painting and digital art, and express it with installation art.
It is because of this self-confidence that we dare to accept new challenges. As he said, "The quality of Chinese painting lies not in what westerners think, but in whether we have confidence in our own culture. Because in the end, we wrote history. We don’t need to prove anything to the world. As long as we work hard and achieve our goals, this is the most important thing! " (Source: Collecting Auction Magazine)