In the current cultural and artistic context of China, contemporary art is based on looking back at local culture, deconstructing and reconstructing traditional classic cultural and artistic symbolic elements, and using modern materials and concepts to highlight the aesthetics of the times. Spirit and form of expression, giving traditional art the significance of the times and aesthetic ideals has become an unchangeable trend.
Taihu Stone, as the first of the four strange stones, bears the brunt.
Taihu Stone is one of the important aesthetic symbols in traditional Chinese culture. It began in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and achieved the aesthetic and expressive imagery that people pay more and more attention to today. Taihu Stone has experienced a long history. The process of flourishing, then declining midway, and then occupying people's attention again.
Taihu stone, as the name suggests, is an ornamental stone from the areas around Taihu Lake. It has various shapes, twists and turns, intertwined holes and spiritual spaces, and intertwined virtual and real spaces. Some are skinny, some have criss-crossing lines, and are wrinkled, giving people endless reverie. It is a natural sculpture art created by the uncanny craftsmanship of nature.
For a long time after it became the object of collection and appreciation by literati and scholar-bureaucrats, the image of Taihu Stone continued to be innovated again and again with the changes in social trends and aesthetics, and was gradually recognized by the world. Pay attention to it and become a representative of aesthetic imagery with Chinese national characteristics. Today's Taihu stone has long since broken away from rockery gardening and become an independent art. It has become one of the characteristics of the times where literati and poets indulge in their indulgence, express their emotions and create their ideals.
The reason why Taihu Stone has become a wonder among traditional Chinese literati art is that in the ancient people's opinion, the beauty of stone is the result of the integration, infection and infiltration of the soul of nature and the soul of man. This is because:
p>At this point, literati have elevated stone appreciation to the level of literature and art. The ancients placed their affection on stones from the heights of aesthetics and literature. They developed rich imaginations and thoughts in the blending of love and stones, and transformed strange stones in their hearts. for art. Through the integration of stone and self, we can gain spiritual comfort and enjoyment in the process of appreciating the artistic beauty of strange stones.
(▲Zhao Mengfu's "Ode to Taihu Stones")
China's stone appreciation culture is also due to the great masters such as Bai Juyi, Mi Fu, and Song Huizong who wrote down their discoveries and insights on stone appreciation. Writing and imbuing it with meaning constantly enriches and sublimates the beauty of the artistic conception of Taihu stone culture, thus laying the foundation for the development of Taihu stone culture.
So, what is the reason why Chinese literati in the past dynasties are so interested in admiring, hiding, praising and painting rocks? They are particularly fond of Taihu stones for the following reasons:
1. Taoist philosophy
As Mr. Lu Xun said, understanding the history of Taoism will Understand the history of the Chinese people.
The ancients respected nature, were close to nature, pursued the unity of things and myself, and placed their pursuit of freedom in the aesthetic ideal of mountains and rivers. The natural randomness of Taihu stone makes it a natural fit for this aesthetic theme, allowing nature and randomness to be enriched by hopeful expectations, providing ample imaginative focus for the Taoist concept of Taoism and nature.
2. The core embodiment of traditional Chinese image aesthetics
Traditional Chinese aesthetics pays attention to symbolic metaphors and has an extraordinary enthusiasm for objects with strange shapes. Advocating "to express the intangible through form, to express infinity through limitation, and to seize eternity through a moment," the ever-changing shapes of Taihu stones provide infinite possibilities for imagination.
3. The foothold of literati’s spiritual appeal
The unique shape of Taihu stone makes it very similar to literary imagery, providing a good connection channel for literati’s literary creation. . It gave the literati and officials an excellent sense of belonging for their spiritual integrity and moral expression. Therefore, literati often used stones to metaphor their personal character and ethics, ambitions and ambitions.
For example, Master Liu Dan's painting "Taihu Stones in Jiansong Pavilion" uses brushstrokes that emphasize the light and dark perception of Taihu stones to express his inner deconstructive thoughts and free visual restraints, as well as self-disciplined expressions. desire.
4. Spiritual relief
Confusion and incomprehension about the real world, as well as all kinds of negativity in life, have resulted in some people's mental difficulties that are difficult to resolve. On the way to seek demands and answers, and when looking for a carrier of spiritual comfort, Taihu Stone came into view and gave them a good and effective way to reflect.
Therefore, an important use of Taihu stone is as a feng shui correction product. In addition to being enjoyed and played with, it can be used as a medium to help people change fortunes and to control homes and exorcise evil spirits. This is what Feng Shui masters often say: "The lion guards the gate, the tiger sits in the middle hall. The unicorn releases the white tiger, and the brave brings blessings." The natural weird and mysterious shape of Taihu stone adds a bit of mythology to this symbol.
5. Inheritance of traditional culture
While supporting the spirit of Taihu Stone, this is also the culture of music and return in traditional Chinese culture, which is to retreat into the East. There is great continuity. It conforms to the aesthetic appeal and spiritual sustenance of the Chinese people.
Looking back at Pangu’s creation of the world, Nuwa’s mending of the sky, Jingwei’s reclamation of the sea, Dayu’s control of floods, and Foolish Old Man’s removal of mountains, behind these touching stories are the indissoluble bonds with stones.
Today, the aesthetic awakening of traditional culture is returning to people's lives step by step. So, when traditional art is once again integrated into contemporary art, what are its practical implications?
Contemporary Art In today's social environment, contemporary art is called the "contemporaneity" of artists based on their feelings about today's social life. And this "contemporaryness" cannot be born out of thin air or exist by itself. The success of a truly good work of art lies in its ability to exceed expectations by being "based on reality but higher than reality." Traditional culture and art provide us with aesthetic and rich accumulation of spiritual value. Its soul lies in:
In today's era of globalization, rooted in traditional national culture and art, artists can use a broader vision to make choices and blends, between deconstruction and reconstruction that are in line with the times. The inheritance and innovation of aesthetics involve extracting elements from the unique aesthetic forms and connotations of traditional Chinese art for artistic recasting and re-creation. It is a concrete manifestation of a nation's aesthetic psychology and spiritual values ??in different environments and eras. It not only has independent space for personality development, but also has unique humanistic inheritance characteristics.
Putting aside the extension of humanities and culture, let us return to the Taihu stone itself to see what characteristics have made it occupy the commanding heights of people's aesthetics from ancient times to the present, and how the focus of poetry, calligraphy and painting is based on it. . During this process, Taihu Stone has undergone several changes in people's concepts:
1. First acquaintance
In 843, Bai Juyi's "Taihu Stone" was groundbreaking and opened up the world. People's aesthetic appreciation of Taihu Stone has brought people to the first stage of understanding the shape of Taihu Stone. He described in detail the various forms and current conditions of Taihu Stone at that time with his magnificent brushwork. This is the Taihu Stone in his eyes:
He also loudly called out people with the same hobbies as him, and asserted that people like Niu Sengru, a generation famous person, will definitely "have successors" and flock to them:
2. Become a scholar
The Song Dynasty was an era of literati. Almost all factors related to culture reached their peak during this period, and the requirements for aesthetics were more stringent and pure. This also provided the basis for the formation of its rich and rich cultural soil. Necessary prerequisites.
In the life of people in the Song Dynasty, especially in the circle of literati, there was such a life attitude:
In a word: they are all emphasizing the emotional style and emotion of the Song people. Yun's understanding of life and mentality.
Under such a general premise, it is reasonable for Taihu Stone to become an exclusive knowledge in the Song Dynasty. Mi Fu appears, a Song Dynasty master who is obsessed with stone appreciation. He set the aesthetic rules of "wrinkle, leakage, thinness and transparency" for Taihu stone.
At this point, the aesthetic standards of Taihu stone are officially rules-based and well-founded.
"Wrinkle, leakage, thinness, translucency", for these seemingly simple four words, there are too many details that need to be explained in detail, and they need to be analyzed separately. Please continue to pay attention to the follow-up articles of this article. .
3. National appreciation
For thousands of years, stone appreciation and stone hiding were only the exclusive entertainment of feudal emperors, generals, ministers, scholar-bureaucrats and other leisure classes. Today, with the progress of society and the development and improvement of economy and culture, the majority of working people have begun to pursue a higher level of spiritual life. Stone appreciation and stone hiding have become daily cultural activities for the masses. "In the old days, kings and queens flew into the homes of ordinary people." This is a welcome change in society.
Modern Taihu stones are more appropriate to this point.
The aesthetic value of Taihu stones is being gradually developed and utilized. Many experts have researched and discussed the culture of various strange stones including Taihu stones, and have gradually excavated, recreated and publicized the resources for their It provides new ideas and ways to go nationwide and to the world. After the reform and opening up, due to the revival of the appreciation of strange stones, classical stone appreciation such as Lingbi Stone and Yingshi re-entered the sight of modern people. Especially in the areas of landscapes, gardens, ancient buildings and household furnishings from various places, the scope of the products is wide, and even in countries such as Japan and South Korea, they are favored and noticed by international friends.
By extension, today’s Taihu Stone has gradually developed through inheritance and integration and plays an important role in many aspects of life. Taihu stones in our daily lives can generally be seen in the following places:
1. Garden decoration and ornamental: This is the most common way of use, which simply emphasizes the ornamental value of Taihu stones. Taihu stone's special peaks, flower bed arrangements, hall steps, pavilion front steps, mountain stone tables, lead stone embellishments, and wall-mounted stacked stones are all commonly used forms of expression in the garden. Its shadow is indispensable in almost every scenic spot with a classical flavor.
2. Rockery flower stand: This is the most common way of use, simply emphasizing the ornamental value of Taihu stone. Hill-mounted landscaping uses rockery as an artistic symbol and integrates it into the landscape. It has profound cultural and artistic connotations and is an important method to enrich garden scenery and express my country's garden style. The more famous ones, such as the peony flower beds in Xuanwu Lake Park and Gulin Park Peony Garden, are all made of Taihu stones.
3. Road decoration: For example, the decoration on both sides of the road can make the scenery on both sides of the garden road and at the twists and turns of buildings more varied. In addition, it can increase the viewing angle on both sides of the road, reduce visual fatigue when driving, and increase the overall visual sense of the road itself.
4. Small-sized daily utensils such as flower utensils and ornaments at home: This kind of Taihu stone is small in size, but has both form and spirit, especially focusing on the strangeness, beauty and charm of Taihu stone. Performance. Born out of traditional Taihu stone, it also combines the characteristics of modern people's lives and is closely related to modern people's lives. Relying on modern production technology and aesthetic concepts, it highlights and reproduces the leisurely and interesting side of life. There is no need for excessive or complicated arrangements, and you can enjoy a good aesthetic enjoyment by placing them casually on tables, desks, study rooms, and living rooms.
This is also the focus and core of our Tea Chant·Taihu Stone series. Please pay attention to the follow-up sharing of Tea Chant to open a "I can lack anything, but I really can't live without Taihu Stone." of” lifestyle.
It is an important way to display the beauty of life, an important means of communicating with people, and allows people to enjoy the artistic enjoyment of changing scenery as they move. The mountain landscaping uses Taihu stones and other strange stones as artistic symbols and integrates them into the landscape. It has profound cultural and artistic connotations and is an important method to enrich the garden scenery and express the style of Chinese gardens.
In the process of continuous self-awareness of national culture today, the influence of traditional aesthetics has become increasingly prominent. I hope you will not be left behind.
Don’t be afraid, Tea Song has prepared them for you:
1. "Cha Song·A Brief History of Taihu Stone 0.5: A Story of Beauty, Gratitude, and Loyalty Over 15 Billion Years"
2. "Tea Song·A Brief History of Taihu Stones 1.0: They have already reached the top of the world, but they can still rely on collecting strange stones to become more popular"
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Note: Some of the pictures and texts in this article come from the Internet