Zhang Jian Zhong - A Life in Art 張建中 - 藝術人生

Interview with the Artist Zhang Jianzhong on Oriental Horizon (CCTV)

excerpt from the bilingual art book Zhang Jian Zhong and His art; English
translations by Zhang Meng; English editor, William Andrew Albano

(Translator's note) The following is the text of an interview from Descendents
of the East which was broadcast on 15 June 1996 on Chinese central TV(CCTV).
The Descendents of the East is a series of TV interviews with famous Chinese
people. This program is part of the Oriental Horizon program of CCTV which is
broadcast nationwide three times each day.

Fang Hongjin (host of Oriental Horizon): A Chinese artist
had a two-man show with an American artist in America. Amazingly, they discovered
that their paintings had so much in common although they grew up in very different
cultural environments. Using this Chinese artist's own words, he seeks his own
position in the pluralistic cultures of the world.

Narrator: The artist, Zhang Jianzhong, went from his native
red soil to Australia as visiting scholar in order to spend two years to do
research, an art exchange program, and paint. He looked for the intersection
between two cultures through Australian aboriginal art and the art of Yunnan's
ethnic people. During his pursuit, he ran into many new questions and problems.

Dahui (interviewer): Why are you looking for the integration
of eastern and western art in your works?

Zhang Jianzhong: Many nations and cultures have their own
brilliant history and cultural background or foundation. If we want to move
forward, we must absorb "nutrients" from other people because a human
being cannot leave the surface of the earth by pulling up his own hair.

Dahui: Eastern and western philosophy are two distinct concepts.
You have said an artist should be a philosopher at the same time. How do you
present two different philosophies within a painting?

Zhang: I don't think we should say simply to present two different
philosophies within one work. It should be an organic integration. Moreover,
the expression of one's philosophy in one's work is not simply a label on the
painting, or writing on the painting. It is a natural revelation. We often talk
about our ancient master Bada Shanren's works which typically represent our
traditional philosophy. some art critics even said that his paintings were the
best expressions of the philosophy of the eight diagrams (from the book of changes),
which, if we were to put it in simple terms, is a dialectical world view. However,
we can't directly see the eight diagrams in his paintings.

Narrator: Influenced by his father, this native Yunnan artist
loved art since his childhood. He graduated from the oil painting department
of the Yunnan Art Institute in 1964. His works were often selected for the National
Art Exhibitions. The National Art Gallery of China collected his Picture of
Refugees. With the passing of years, his artistic style has experienced great
changes.

Dahui: Every artist hopes that their works receive more people's
understanding and acceptance, but over the course of time, up until now, your
work has grown increasingly abstract and ambiguous.

Zhang: I think it is better for an artist to be loyal to and
serve his art, and to create a higher realm for art. However, one should not
try to win the favor and appreciation of others. I don't think it is good if
an artist does so. We used to advocate that art should be liked by the people.
That is, we wanted every artist to do people's art and public art. Yet this
is only one positive side of art. We should not walk to the extreme and call
anything which cannot be appreciated by the majority bad art. we should not
make such a conclusion.

Dahui: Are you concerned that your art will lose its "specialness"
if it is liked by the public?

Zhang: No, not really. If my work is really good and has high
artistic achievement, and if the people really like it, then I will be more
happy.

Dahui: The prices of all kind of art works have risen heatedly
in all sorts of auctions. Why didn't you join any of them?

Zhang: I don't see the connection between the auction price
and the artistic quality. From my point of view, it is even running in the opposite
direction. Auctions are an overdone business operation. Sometimes they even
engage in flattery so as to boost certain artist's importance in order to achieve
some commercial purpose. In fact, some auction paintings do not really have
artistic value.

Dahui: So in your opinion, is there any agreement between
art and its commercial value?

Zhang: Real art should have the highest commercial value.

Dahui: Is your painting's artistic value equivalent to its
commercial value?

Zhang: I don't think so. Why? For example, the price of my
paintings inside of China is very low. It is a little higher outside of china.
Yet it is still a very low price. Because my kind of artists, I mean the foreign
artists with whom I think share similar artist qualities, are worth a lot. The
prices of their works are ten times or one hundred times greater than mine.
Must I compare with them in that way? I don't think there is any comparison
because art cannot be valued as a commodity.

Narrator: People can see the pursuit of frontier art in Zhang
Jianzhong's painting. Many foreign reports about Zhang have mentioned the following
words: "the profound thoughts that are hidden inside of Zhang Jianzhong's
paintings are what attracts people to them".

Dahui: Viewing your artistic style and technique, many people
think you are a western style painter. Do you think this will destroy the regional
characteristics of one's own nationality?

Zhang: My domestic audience often considers my paintings to
be very western and modern. Yet people outside of China think my paintings are
typically eastern and traditional. They even call me a traditional artist regardless
that I refuse to take the title. However, that is what they think because they
can tell that my painting is created by an eastern person and there are so many
traditional eastern concepts in it. So, different people view things differently.
I don't really care how they see me. Ideally I only want to try my best in my
work to express my individuality, thinking, and feelings.

Dahui: You are an artist, yet I've heard that you do not subscribe
or read any authoritative art journals in China.

Zhang: I am skeptical toward "authoritativeness."
What does authoritativeness mean? Can you tell me which journal is supposed
to be the authoritative one in China? In simple words, I don't think we should
emphasize "authoritativeness" in art. We also should not let any school
of art or any particular art trend be authoritative. I don't think it is appropriate.
It is not good for the future of the arts.

Dahui: There is a kind of saying which says you are one of
the authoritative representative figures of the Yunnan School. What do you think
about that?

Zhang: I don't think I am authoritative. So I deny the title
of the representative figure of the Yunnan School. I don't even want anybody
to call me a Yunnan School painter. I think the birth of an art school is sometimes
a ridiculous thing. We are still alive. Yet some people even take pride from
joining such a school. And some other people take honor from having many followers.
I do not appreciate that. An artist is better off to have something of his own.
Wait till we die and the future generation will "categorize" us.

Dahui: So are your paintings for the future generation or
your contemporaries?

Zhang: Of course, mainly for my contemporaries. That is why
I want my contemporaries to know more about my art. My work is for the future
generation too though. They will appreciate my paintings and I will be very
happy.

Narrator: In Zhang Jianzhong's eyes, all arts, including eastern
and western arts, originate from folk art and nature. A work will have real
ability to survive in different times and spaces if only it has such a foundation.

This interview was to be part of a two section special airing on separate days.
The first part focused on Zhang Jianzhong as an artist. The second part, concerning
arts education and his role as an art academy president, presumably due to some
controversial nature of Zhang's views, did not air on CCTV.