China – Art and Travel

March 24, 2019May 9, 2019 / jtartrave2 / Leave a comment

A recent exhibition Heaven and earth in Chinese art: treasures from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, AGNSW, sent me back to the art books and travel journal of a three week trip around China mid-September to early October 1991 with my Chinese brush painting art group. A grand tour, a time before the great economic expansion of the following decades. After several years of weekly classes in Chinese brush painting to be in the landscape of the origin of the tradition was an immense learning experience.
Arrived in Hong Kong early evening, walk along Nathan Road to get some bearings for the return visit at the end of three weeks touring. Next day train to Guangzhou, worth some slow travel time to take in the countryside. In Guangzhou visits to a jade carving factory, an historic family residence, then evening flight to Hangzhou. Next day morning tour of the West Lake in pouring rain, afternoon visit to silk factory and tea plantation where I acquired a taste for green tea to this day, like savouring fine wines. Next day morning visit to Zhejang Academy of Fine Arts, life drawing and calligraphy classes in progress, impressive students’ works in the sculpture gallery. Then onto the bonsai park, some plants hundreds of years old. Apparently according to the guide, Richard Nixon, US President in early 1970s historic visit, made an offer for one of the plants but told it was not for sale as considered priceless by the custodians. Afternoon at the shrine of Yue Fei then onto craft centre and department store. Walk along the causeway after dinner, Autumn moon over the West Lake, art galleries along the way. Next day flight to Huangshan, and cable car up the mountains for an overnight stay. Spectacular scenery, ragged mountains with pines exactly as represented in so many classical Chinese paintings. Stunned to see building materials, doors, windows, pipes, roofing tiles, being carried by hand up the mountain paths while we glided by in the cable car. The workers at the top issued with a bowl of noodles and cup of tea as payment for their labour. Up early to see dawn through the clouds and mists over the pine covered mountains, special experience, then walked for most of the morning before the trip back down the mountains by cable car. Then bus to Tunxi and a walk along the river in the evening, fantastic old wooden buildings. Before breakfast the next day walk in to the old part of Tunxi, old man appeared brandishing a straw broom to ward of the Western ghosts and witches, then flight to Nanjing, visit to Sun Yatsen Mausoleum, the Linggu Temple, and the Yangtze River Bridge followed by evening flight to Beijing. Next day, morning tour of the Imperial Palace (Forbidden City), onto the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon, followed by shopping for art supplies in Liulichan Street for the four treasures: brushes, paper, ink sticks, ink stones. Superb performance after dinner in local theatre, acrobats, gymnasts, and a magic show. Next day Ming Tombs and the Great Wall. Nothing prepares you for the experience of encountering the scale of the Great Wall for the first time, it snakes its way into the far distance along the steepest ridgelines. Next day Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts in the morning, Summer Palace in the afternoon. Next day flight to Wuhan, walk in the rain to the East Lake to the Provincial Museum, stunning bronzes, musical performance on ancient musical instrument: bells, gongs, jade chimes, the Marquis Yi Bell Set dated from the Warring States Period 433BC. Overnight train to Yichang. Next day boarded ship mid-morning for a three day Yangtze River cruise through the famous Three Gorges (now partially flooded for hydro- electricity). Awe inspiring scenery through the first main gorge Xiling Gorge. At anchor overnight. Next day travelled through the Wu Gorge early morning, then full day side trip up to the Daling River in small wooden boats, and the three small gorges, stunning villages, wooden houses along the way. Late evening sailed through Qutang Gorge, third main gorge. Next day stopped at Wan Xian village, brief visit to museum and silk factory, then back to the ship. In the afternoon stopped at Shibaozhi, very old village, temples, then captain’s dinner that evening. Our guide revealed his immense talent when he sang operatic version of Rod Stewart’s ‘Sailing’, everyone in awe of our multi skilled talented guide. Next day ship delayed by fog, full day on board some time for some sketching. Arrived Chongqing at sunset, huge river harbour. Time for some shopping where I bought a must have traditional Mongolian outfit made of heavy silk with brass ornaments, when walking it makes the sounds of the steppes. Early morning flight to Guilin, visit to the Reed Flute Caves, Seven Star Park, climb to the peak. A folk concert after dinner, guy in a barrel juggling pots, and a dance of the Sweet Osmanthus fairies. Next day cruise along the Li River with local artist, who was with us for the full day, painting the scenery along the way. On the bus on the way back he auctioned off paintings he had brought along with him, spirited bidding, he did well (see work below Spring, Guilin). Bade emotional farewell to our guide at the airport for late evening flight to Hong Kong. Next day tour of Hong Kong Island, cable car to Victoria Peak, then visit to Stanley markets, and a jewellery factory like Aladdin’s cave. Stopped off at Aberdeen and a brief ride on a san pan. Then some shopping but too much and gave up. Next day Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island, walk around the small side streets, then lunch at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Train back to hotel and late evening flight back to Sydney, savouring the experience and knowledge gained about the breadth and depth of Chinese culture, addicted to ink painting ever since.

Places
Hong Kong, Southern China (returned to China from Britain in 1997)
Guangzhou, province of Guangdong in southern China
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in East China
Huangshan, mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China
Tunxi, central district of Huangshan City, Anhui Province, eastern China.
Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, the second largest city in the East China region
Beijing, China’s capital city, northern China
Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, Central China
Yichang, western Hubei province, Central China (location of Three Gorges Dam, completed 2012)
Yangtze River – Yichang to Chongqing – the three gorges
Chongqing, southwest China
Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China

West Lake, Hangzhou, 17/9/1991

Silk Factory, spinning, Hangzhou, 17/9/1991

Silk Factory, weaving the finest silk brocade, Hangzhou, 17/9/1991

Bonsai Park, Hangzhou, 18/9/1991

910918 Life drawing class in progress, Zhejang Academy of Fine Arts Hangzhou

Life drawing class in progress, Zhejang Academy of Fine Arts, Hangzhou, 18/9/1991

910918 Outdoor Sculpture Gallery, Zhejang Academy of Fine Arts Hangzhou

Sculpture Gallery, Zhejang Academy of Fine Arts, Hangzhou, 18/9/1991

910918 Sculpture Gallery, Zhejang Academy of Fine Arts Hangzhou

Sculpture Gallery, Zhejang Academy of Fine Arts, Hangzhou, 18/9/1991

Huangshan, 19/9/1991

Tunxi, 21/9/1991

Sun Yatsen Mausoleum, Nanjing, 21/9/1991

910921 3 from Sun Yatsen Mausoleum Nanjing

View from Sun Yatsen Mausoleum, Nanjing, 21/9/1991

Yangtze River Bridge, Nanjing, 21/9/1991

Imperial Palace (Forbidden City), Beijing, 22/9/1991

Imperial Palace (Forbidden City), Beijing, 22/9/1991

Temple of Heaven, Beijing, 22/9/1991

The Great Wall at Badaling, 23/9/1991

910924 landscape painting demo Central Academy of Fine Arts Bei

Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, 24/9/1991

Shopping for art supplies, Liulichan Street, Beijing, 24/9/1991

Summer Palace, Beijing, 24/9/1991

910926 entering the first Gorge Yangtze River

Entering Xiling Gorge, Yangtze River, 26/9/1991

910927 Daling River off the Yangtze River

Daling River, off the Yangtze River, 27/9/1991

Shibaozhi, Yangtze River, 28/9/1991

Guilin, 30/9/1991

Li River, Guilin, 1/10/1991

Spring, Guilin, by Mr He, local artist, 1991

Hong Kong, 3/10/1991

Art References

Marquis Yi Bell Set, Warring States Period, 433 BC, Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan.

Bamboo, Old Trees, and Stones in Winter, Unknown master of the Five Dynasties, or early Sung period, 10^th century

Kuo Hsi Early Spring, 1072 (Song Dynasty)

Fan K’uan, Travellers among Streams and Mountains, early 11^th century

Zhao Mengjian, Three friends of Winter, 1199-1264 (Song Dynasty)

Chen Rong, Nine Dragons, 1244 (Southern Song Dynasty) (detail)

Sheng Mou Singing While Boating on the Autumn River, 1279-1368 (Yuan Dynasty during the Mongol reign of terror)

Huang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, 1350 Yuan dynasty (detail)
“The Master Wuyong Scroll,” section National Palace Museum in Taipei, 636.9 centimetres (nearly 21 feet).

Wang Meng Dwelling in the Ch’ing-pien Mountains, 1366

Ni Tsan, The Jung-his Studio, 1372

Tung Yuan, Wintry Trees, 14^th Century

Tang Yin, Poetic Thoughts Travelling by Donkey, 1500

Wen Cheng-ming, Cypress & Rock, 1550 (middle Ming)

Shitao 10,000 Ugly Inkblots, 1685

Li Yin. Loading Carts, early 18^th century

Along the River during Qingming Festival, Shen Yuan, c1736-95, (Qing Dynasty) (detail)

Wang Zhen, Nine years facing the wall, late 19th century-early 20th century

Yang Zhiguang, Mao Zedong at the Peasant’s Movement Training School, 1959

Li Keran, All the Mountains Are Red, 1963

Zao Wou-Ki, untitled, 1963

Liu Guo Song, 1964

Zeng Fanzhi, This Land is so Rich in Beauty 2, 2006

Cai Guo-Qian, Sentinels of the Enchanted Valley, 2014

Hsiao Cho-Yu, Liquid Creation, 2015

Yang Wei Lin, Ocean of Cloth Wheels and Floating Islands, 2016

Ai Weiwei, Law of the Journey, 2017

Sun Xun, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, July 2018

Other references

The Development of Chinese Painting by James Cahill – lecture series

The Compelling Image – Nature and Style in Seventeenth Century Chinese Painting, James Cahill, The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures, 1979

Hills Beyond a River – Chinese Painting of the Yuan Dynasty 1279-1368, James Cahill, 1976

Parting at the Shore – Chinese Painting of the Early and Middle Ming Dynasty 1368-1580, James Cahill, 1978

The Distant Mountains – Chinese Paintings of the Late Ming Dynasty 1570-1644, James Cahill, 1982

Chinese Watercolours, Josef Hejzlar, 1978

Chinese Art, Mary Tregear, 1980

The Arts of China, Michael Sullivan, 1986 (3^rd edition)

The Archaeology of Ancient China, Kwang-Chih Chang 1986 (4^th edition)

Chinese paintings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, 14-20^th Centuries, AGNSW exhibition catalogue, Edmund Capon and Mae Anna Pang, 1981

The Insiders Guide to China, Derek Maitland, 1989

Selected Calligraphies and Paintings of the Great Hall of the People, 1989

The Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China, Colin Mackerras and Amanda Yorke, 1991

Lion Among Painters – Chinese Master Chang Dai Chien, AGNSW exhibition catalogue, 1998

Fragrant Space – Chinese Flower and Bird Painting of the Ming and Qing Dynasties from the Guangdong Provincial Museum, Liu Yang and Edmund capon, AGNSW exhibition catalogue, 2000

Zen Mind Zen Brush – Japanese ink painting from the Gitter-Yelen Collection, Clare Pollard and John Stevens, AGNSW exhibition catalogue, 2006

The Chinese Art Book – 300 Works of Art, Colin Mackenzie, Keith Pratt, Jeffrey Moser, Katie Hill, 2013

The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting , 1679-1701. Chieh Tzu Yuan Hua Chuan 1679-1701 (Translated Mai Mai Sze 1956)

Huang Gongwang, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, 1350 Yuan dynasty, essay by Hung Sheng

Brushstrokes: Styles and Techniques of Chinese Painting from the Asian Art Museum

Education Department Asian Art Museum – Chong Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture (1995)

Exhibitions
Heaven and earth in Chinese art: treasures from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, AGNSW, February 2019

Supernatural, White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney, January 2019

The Sleeper Awakes, White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney, July 2018

Sun Xun, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, July 2018

Biennale of Sydney 2018

The Dark Matters, White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney, May 2017
The artists don’t shun light or colour, but in using them they follow Laozi’s advice: Know the white, but hold to the black.”

Ritual Spirit, White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney, October 2017

The First Emperor – China’s Entombed Warriors, AGNSW, Sydney, December 2010 – March 2011

Zen Mind Zen Brush – Japanese ink painting from the Gitter-Yelen Collection, AGNSW, Sydney, 2006

Fragrant Space – Chinese Flower and Bird Painting of the Ming and Qing Dynasties from the Guangdong Provincial Museum, AGNSW, Sydney, 2000

Lion Among Painters – Chinese Master Chang Dai Chien, AGNSW, Sydney, 1998

Chinese paintings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, 14-20^th Centuries, AGNSW, Sydney, 1981

Bali – Art and Travel

January 18, 2019January 23, 2019 / jtartrave2 / Leave a comment

Recent lecture on Indonesian art sent me back to my travel notebooks, a memorable Christmas/New Year escape to a ‘tiny Hindu island province with charming people, stunning scenery and sophisticated artistry’¹, intoxicating art, music, dance, a one-off trip to Bali in late December 1990. Time to look again at the art of, and artists inspired by Bali. Nothing compares to an indulgent life experience in paradise. Now a travel mega hotspot, even back in 1990 tourism was huge, but I came away from my too short two weeks impressed by a culture deep and strong, able to adapt and deal with the tourist hordes, besides Mount Agung takes control every now and again and puts a stop to all flights. Paradise lost, maybe not so, moving with the times, with verdant rainforest, beaches, and cultural icons.
Arrived late afternoon Denpasar Airport. One hour drive to Ubud, hit immediately with major blast of culture shock, the place teaming with people working everywhere along the road, in the fields, carrying sacks of grain and piles of bricks on their heads. Four superb days in Ubud, a rural village, stayed in a bungalow with geckos on the ceiling. Walked the main road, through rain (it was the wet season), mud, and traffic, through a street procession to arrive home to a gift fruit basket on the doorstep and incense burning inside. Soft rain and cool breeze. Next day walked to the Puri Lukisan Museum, and onto the Lotus Café, onto the monkey forest, caught in downpour walking back to the village, few tourists a relief, people working in the fields, rice paddies, ducks, chickens, families, harmonious lifestyle. Reading in late afternoon and evening in the bale sikepat (guest pavilion) with pouring rain backdrop. Next morning woke to find a large rodent eating the fruit gift, after a frenetic chase it disappeared over the wall of the open air mandi (shower). At least the weather was fine for some walking, through the laneways in early morning mist, children on their way to school, onto the markets, busy selling tubs full of live eels, then embarked on a day tour to Bedulu (Elephant Cave), King’s Shrine, Tampaksiring (Holy Spring Temple), Bengli (Temple of Kehen), Kintamani with magnificent view of Mount Batur and the lake, then onto Temple Ulun Ranu Batur, and drive back through the iconic, stunning scenery of terraced golden rice fields. Then one more day walking around Ubud to the Neka Musuem. Next day two hour drive to Candidasa on the east coast, via Klungkung (the capital of Bali until twentieth century)¹, stunning coastal scenery along the way. Candidasa right on the beach with a grand view, swimming, and drinks with fellow travellers, pink, blue, red sunset from the terrace. Next day dive trip to Tulemben on the extreme northeast corner of the island. Shocked when the women carried the scuba tanks on their heads to the dive beach. First dive, around the outside of a WWII navy shipwreck covered in all manner of marine life. Second dive inside the wreck, dark clouds overhead, sublime atmosphere of ever shifting grey light in the gloom, the iridescent fish even brighter. Surfaced in pouring rain. Flooding all along the road back, had to wait a couple of hours in a few spots, cheering crowds when we made road crossing to the other side, a new slant on unexpected adventure travel. Next day swimming, relaxing, preparing for another dive day, then onto Padangbai, a memorable drift dive. Walked in from the beach, practically no visibility but once in the current felt like flying, atmospheric, fish, rays, turtles, corals emerged through the gloom, wet season an interesting time for a dive. Surfaced on the other side of the bay, fortunately the dive instructor’s father found us from a distance and paddled over to collect us in his outrigger canoe. In retrospect probably lucky to be alive. Lesson learnt, hung up the dive suit for some time after that, self-preservation became a priority. Next day, two hour drive to Kuta. Lived up to its reputation, tourists, stalls, shopping, the beach. Next day walk to Legian trying to come down from the exhilaration of the scuba dives. Next day markets to focus on the huge range of artisan goods, textiles, woodcarving, stone carving, jewellery of varying quality. Next day, day tour to Bedugal, central-north region, first stop Tanah Lot, incredible coastal visage, then to Mangui rural village on a river, monks in attendance at the temple, onto Bedugul and its special lake, photographers paradise, light rain and mountain mist, then onto a monkey forest, with monkeys everywhere stealing whatever they could, one got away with a camera and a wallet, but eventually they did throw a few poses for the cameras. Next day Denpasar, the capital of Bali, chaotic markets, then back to Kuta before the flight back to Sydney. It was difficult to decide whether to laugh or cringe at the sight of the airport passenger queue, most men and women wearing sarongs, beaded hair, even the crew cuts, sunburn, three or four watches on each arm, carrying wrapped carvings, all happy and smiling, what a lift a break in paradise can achieve.

Places
Ubud
Candidasa
Tulemben
Padangbai
Bedugal
Tanah Lot
Kuta
Denpasar

Puri Lukisan Museum, Ubud 25/12/1990

Puri Lukisan Museum, Ubud 25/12/1990

Early morning, Ubud 26/12/1990

Morning market, Ubud 26/12/1990

Ubud 26/12/1990

Ubud 26/12/1990

King’s Shrine – Gunung Kawi, 26/12/1990

Kintamani – Mount Batur, 26/12/1990

901226 tampaksiring (holy spring temple)

Tampaksiring (Holy Spring Temple), 26/12/1990

Ulun Donu Batur 26/12/1990

Garuda, Neka Museum, Ubud 27/12/1990

Candidasa 28/12/1990

Tulamben 29/12/1990

Tulamben 29/12/1990

901229 road crossing tulamben to candidasa

A road crossing Tulamben to Candidasa 29/12/1990

Padangbai 31/12/1990

Kuta 2/1/1991

Bedugul 4/1/1991

Bedugul 4/1/1991

Sangeh 4/1/1991

Tanah Lot 4/1/1991

Denpasar 5/1/1991

Denpasar 5/1/1991

Art References
Neka Museum, Ubud

I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Rama and Sita encounter Rawana’s sister Surpanakha (the epic of Ramayana) 1956

Anak Agung Gede Sobrat, Bumblebee Dance, 1970

Abdul Aziz, Mutual Attraction, 1974-75

Ian Fairweather
Set a whole new benchmark for extraordinary life experience.
Chronology – a brief summary
Served in WWI, sent to Belgium, taken prisoner and spent four and a half years in Germany as a prisoner of war, after the armistice in 1918, he studied art at the Slade School in London (1920-24), while learning Japanese and Chinese at the School of Oriental Studies at the University of London (1921). During the 1930s and 40s lived a nomadic existence, travelling extensively in Canada, China, Indonesia, and Australia. Spent three years in Shanghai immersed in Chinese culture. Chinese calligraphy an essential part of his art practice, drawing paintings, he had watched calligraphers at work, calligraphy as performance, dynamic form of gesture.² Stayed in Bali for nine months in 1933, completed 30 to 40 works there, returning to the theme throughout his life. Served with the British Army in India in WWII from 1941 to 1943. After the war, returned to Australia, living among the local Aboriginal community near Cairns. A turning point in his life and work occurred in 1952 when he built a raft, made of timber and three old aircraft fuel tanks², intending to sail from Darwin to Bali, instead spent 17 days drifting across the Arafura Sea, nights spent in hallucinatory visions², washed up close to death on a beach in Roti, Indonesia, last stop before the Indian Ocean. Held under house arrest by Indonesian authorities for three months, then deported to Singapore and then to England, where he dug ditches to raise money to return to Australia, settled on Bribie Island off the coast of Queensland in 1953. On Bribie Island he built a thatched hut studio and, living as a recluse, continued to paint until his death in 1974, producing some of the most significant works of his career, aged 61-77, ‘abstract soliloquies.’² Dominated by an increasing abstraction, his paintings remained an amalgam of European, Asian and Aboriginal influences.³A scholar he could read, translate, write and speak Mandarin. He wrote a book The Drunken Buddha, published 1965, a translation of a traditional Chinese novel. His affinity for Chinese culture in part provides some explanation for his choice of lifestyle as a recluse amateur artist, traditionally in China amateur artists were more highly regarded than the artisan professional artists. His compositions open without boundary lines, drawn with the brush, spontaneous, overpainting, instinctive painter. Process set the elements of image, calligraphy, and abstract expressionism at odds. Integrity, independence, power, presence. Shalimar, has more than fifty layers of paint.²A quote, 1963:
Painting to me is something of a tightrope act; it is between representation and the other thing – whatever that is. It is difficult to keep one’s balance.¹