Wu Guanzhong took motivation from modern western artwork and broke away from the legendary history of Chinese paintings and drawings to produce pieces that perfectly encapsulate the genre. The masterpieces by him that most of his followers are familiar with, which depict this, are from the late 1970s (Liu, 2019). Chinese ink and watercolor are used to create dreamlike landscapes that are primarily white backgrounds and are distinguished by calligraphic lines, splashes of color, and dots, as depicted in Pine Spirit. It always takes place in a Chinese setting, such as the lingering planes of a mountain, but it does so in a different realm.
It is noteworthy that Wu, in the middle of his profession then, started using ink more frequently, as elaborated in Pine Spirit, switching to a traditional format when most painters turned to western art for motivation. With a conceptual emphasis on exposing the rich historical history of ink painting in China, the exhibition recounts the evolution of Wu’s paintings throughout this period while also showcasing his distinctive revolutionary identity rooted in his sincere conviction in rationalistic ideas (Liu, 2019). Wu pushed the limits of what people understood to be possible while adapting the age-old ink medium for the twenty-first century.
Many interpretations have been derived in association with Pine Spirit. The most sensible remains that the Huang Mountains are shown in the Pine Spirit artwork. The mountains appear disturbed by a black squiggle positioned in front of them, which is thought to represent the Taoist principle of yin and yang (Liu, 2019). Yin and yang stand for the harmony between rival factions of forces in nature. The harmony between nature, represented by the Huang Mountains in this picture, and the opposing forces, signified by the black squiggle. His thorough understanding of the countless years-old Chinese ink landscape painting tradition is evident in the effective use of ink and wash. Wu’s imposing mountains are reminiscent of the majestic mountain peaks in the well-known landscape picture Pine Spirit.
Reference
Liu, W. (2019). Modernity through syncretism and eclecticism: Wu Guanzhong’s artistic practice in the cultural and political environment of the PRC (1949-1989). Web.