Bright Flowers and Tall Trees - Zhu Danian, a heavy-colored painter
By Wu Guanzhong
Art and literature that were once too poor to wear or eat have always been marginalized in life. But today, with people's lives improving and their horizons broadening, their appreciation of art and literature has also increased. Art and literature have found a way out. Unfortunately, the appearance of art and literature remains the same old style. Plagiarism is rampant, and for the sake of making money, shoddy and counterfeit works abound. Serious artists have become corrupt or vanished. The market is flooded with trashy art, a national disgrace. As a result, both the government and the public have called for innovation. However, those who claim to be innovators are everywhere making fools of themselves. It seems that the phenomenon of being blind to beauty and unable to distinguish between good and bad art is everywhere. And yet, we live in such an environment.
Food is the top priority for people. Yuan Longping's hybrid rice has benefited mankind, and everyone is celebrating. Those who cannot distinguish beauty from ugliness still eat Yuan Longping's rice as usual, which is a shame. Of course, some artists also want to do hybridization in their own artistic works, integrating the East and the West, and embracing the North and the South... But art is like a seedling or a tree, growing with great difficulty day and night, and it is by no means a "juggler" that can change its face in an instant.
Visiting the exhibition of Zhu Danian's paintings was a surprise to me. He depicted - rather, shaped - clusters of sunflowers, lilies, peonies, daisies... Flowers survive by their charm, just like many women in the world, but Zhu Danian's flowers have no charm at all. The artist meticulously sketched every petal, every twist and turn, every leaf's stretch and curl, as if they were all related to the national spirit and folk customs. He wouldn't let up for a moment, fearing to lose his duty. "Every leaf and every branch is full of emotion," although Zhu Danian was a lower-ranking official than Zheng Banqiao, he was just as concerned about every leaf and every branch, which were no less than the people's hardships and the artist's character.
Just like Yuan Longping, Zhu Danian benefited from the hybridization of artistic varieties. He layered colors to the fullest extent, showcasing the splendor of flowers, but this splendor was not light and playful. Instead, it evoked a sense of melancholy amid joy. The beauty of simplicity, the beauty of bitterness, the grand beauty of life, and the ultimate return of life. Flowers are like this, and the ancient cypresses are even more stooped and hunched, bearing the weight of the world; tall trees reach the sky, the universe is boundless, and people, what can they do?
Zhu Danian's paintings are full and substantial, with dense flowers and leaves, like celebrating a festival, with a grand and powerful impact. Whether it's joy or sorrow, the viewer is left confused. I have always believed that being meticulous does not necessarily lead to being broad-minded; it must be broad-minded first and then meticulous. However, Zhu Danian's paintings are meticulous and broad-minded. With a broad embrace and strong will, he had a clear vision. Some of his paintings failed to achieve the desired broad-mindedness or were not as effective, but he never wavered on his creative journey. He climbed steadily, step by step, without considering failure, determined to devote himself to art. Such a persistent artist is hard to find today. Zhu Danian has passed away!
Zhu Danian painted flowers but detested frivolous behavior. What he wanted to express was the spirit of the universe. He left a huge mural, "The Song of the Forest," at the Capital Airport, unfolding the banyan tree family of Xishuangbanna in a wide-screen format, a garden of the nation, making viewers feel tiny. Art is greater than life. His "Magnolia in Bloom" is a riot of flowers, like a sky full of stars, enveloping the vast world. A few orioles are hidden among the flowers, life protecting life.
Looking closely at each flower and bud, every stroke is precise and powerful, as if bleeding. He disregarded the twists and turns, ignored the ink wash and the white splash. The tenacious Zhu Danian transcended tradition. He was a master of tradition. Xu Xi, Huang Quan, and Lu Ji would have no chance to meet Zhu Danian. If fate allowed them to, the ancient masters would surely look at him with new eyes. They would exclaim that this painter of the mundane should be placed in the grand hall of the Chinese nation. Selecting his best works for a world tour, their unique beauty, simplicity, originality, and the sentiment of a long song of lament would be unparalleled. The suffering Chinese nation gave birth to a suffering Zhu Danian, and Zhu Danian chose to symbolize the glory of suffering with bright flowers and tall trees. Zhu Danian has passed away. Those who claim to innovate on the basis of tradition today, how many can endure the hardships Zhu Danian endured? Zhu Danian worked from sunrise to sunset, from sunset to the lighting of lamps. He was single-minded, not seeking fame or recognition, nor did he self-promote. With his life and fortune, he created works that are beyond the reach of people today. People can only shed tears as they watch his departing figure.
