Chinese Art

A masterpiece of Chinese art calls out to the viewer so directly that all sense of time and language seem to drop away. Indeed, the art of China is actually the merging of the artist's personality with the oneness of the natural universe. But those who would like to understand Chinese art must face certain obstacles. First, there is the unfamiliar language, made more difficult by a number of different systems of spelling Chinese words in our alphabet. Second, is the bewildering number of Chinese dynasties that span Chinese art history. Third, and perhaps most serious, is the symbolism that is deeply woven throughout the arts of China.

In Chinese art, a dragon is not just a dragon, but rather a symbol of the emperor, a sign of the zodiac or a folk-tale favorite. To a follower of Taoism, the dragon might be viewed as the Tao (universe) itself, while a follower of Ch'an Buddhism might view a painting of a dragon emerging from the clouds as a mystical vision of the Buddha nature. To add to the confusion for an outsider of Chinese art, almost every animal has its own symbolism. And sometimes what seems like a simple work of Chinese artistry, such as the still life, Six Persimmons is actually a religious work of art type almost unbeknownst to Western viewers.

In approaching Chinese art, one must be careful in weighing artistic value. For example, in China, the physical size of a work is not important, whereas in the West it usually is. As another example, Chinese art is often private and contemplative while Western art is public and declamatory. To go on, in the arts of China, the human figure plays a minor role and nudity is virtually unseen, while Western art shows a great deal of nudity and is derived from classical Greek thinking that man is the center of all things.

Still other differences exist between Chinese and Western art, which makes the former difficult to grasp and appreciate by outsiders. Generally, Western art holds the opposite philosophy of the following points:

• The Chinese are more concerned with individual brushstrokes than the sensuous qualities of objects.
• Chinese art is show more interest in individual work than the its historical position as a link in a chain of development.
• The artistry of China has a simultaneous existence and the copy is not despised, as it is in the West.

As we contemplate the richness of Chinese art and its many forms, it will help us to keep the preceding thoughts in mind. In this way we might see past our cultural beliefs and glean a look at the way the Chinese mind views Chinese art. Perhaps then we can finally gain an elevated sense of the exquisite and rich nature of the arts of Chinese culture.