Painting revealing character
Mary L. Chou
Contemporary artists trained in traditional Chinese painting still follow principles established during the 6th century. But with the opening of China to Western influences, Chinese artists are absoring Western ideas and practices into their traditional schooling, just as Chinese art has influenced Western artists for at least the last 150 years. Having studied painting in both Hong Kong and New York, Roger K. Chung masterfully mixes Western techniques of applying color and light with Chinese painting?s emphasis on brushstroke and spirituality. His first solo exhibition in almost thirty years opens this October at the China 2000 Fine Art Gallery in New York. This exhibition also coincides with the publication of his most recent works in a book titled Calligraphy, Painting, and Seal Carving by Roger K. Chung.
Born in Canton, China in 1946, Chung started painting when he was 6 years old. He went to Hong Kong when he was twelve to study traditional Chinese painting under Zhou Gongli, who himself was a student of Chinese master Wu Changshi, often considered the first modern Chinese painter, and Qi Baishi, revered for the expressive, childlike quality of his brushstrokes. Looking to broaden his training as an artist, Chung moved to New York at the age of seventeen. He attended the National Academy of Fine Arts and the Pratt Institute, where he received a MFA with a specialization in watercolor painting. During his late twenties, Chung exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions in Hong Kong and New York, at venues including the China Institute, the Chinese Cultural Center and the Pacem in Terris Gallery.
Chung adheres to the literati idea in Chinese painting where the artist?s character, integrity and morality is revealed through a painting. In this tradition, the artwork is valued more for the way it conveys the scholarly pursuits of an individual, than for the way paint is manipulated to create detailed or realistic images. Chung strives towards these literati ideals in his painting, calligraphy, and seal carving by reading and studying Chinese poetry, history and culture. But he also differs from the literati tradition in his use of vibrant colors and more natural depictions of animals and plants.
During his training in New York, Chung practiced Western techniques of depicting light, shadow and color. Inspired by Cezanne?s watercolors, Chung loads his brush with different colored pigments, capturing the nuances of light on branches, leaves and flower petals. From his courses at Pratt, he learned to draw and paint from live models and in plein air. Whereas traditional Chinese painters focus on copying and learning the styles of their teachers and other masters, Chung supplements this training by observing and painting from real life. As such, his paintings of bamboo differ from more traditional representations where depth is suggested by painting leaves in the foreground darker than those in the background. As one who grows and studies bamboo plants at home, Chung varies the shades of leaves in accordance with reality: those that receive direct sunlight are lighter than those that fall in the shadows, regardless of their proper perspectival emphasis.
In addition to Cezanne?s treatment of color and light, Chung was also influenced by the expressive, powerful and at times abstract brushstrokes of Van Gogh. In some of Chung?s earlier works, his paintings border abstraction when simple strokes similar in size and color are used to represent the leaves of a tree as well as figures below that appear to float above the white surface. In fact, both the Impressionists and Post-impressionists were influenced by Japanese art, particularly woodblock prints, during the mid 19th century. As a result, this exchange between East and West is bi-directional and not only continues to enrich styles of painting within each tradition, but also highlights the similarities between the two: Post-impressionist?s emphasis on the energy and rhythm of line is similar to traditional Chinese painting?s emphasis on the brushstroke.
While Chung paints scenes of Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge with a Western approach to watercolor painting, his Chinese paintings on rice paper usually employ the popular traditional motifs of birds and flowers. He often paints plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo?plants known as the "four gentlemen" because each symbolizes an essential attribute of the ideal, virtuous scholar. In his paintings of plum blossoms, Chung creates kinetic compositions of branches that reach their way up and diagonally across the paper. The plum tree is one of the first blooming plants of the year, and as such, signifies renewal and continuity, as well as a courageous and enduring spirit, since the plant survives through harsh winters. Chung imagines himself as the tree, with roots firmly planted and resilient branches growing tall and strong. This idea of placing oneself in the position of the painted subject also applies to his depictions of little chicks, which have been lauded by critics for their energy and vitality. For Chung, these birds signify his own potential to one day become a rooster. In rural parts of China, the rooster?s morning crow gets everybody up and working every day. Chung explains, "The baby chicks represent me because one of these days I hope to change the darkness into brightness." The calligraphy that runs along the edges of the paintings are often words appropriated from the Chinese poets. The calligraphy, along with the imagery and the red-inked seal-carvings that bear his name and characters such as happiness, are carefully arranged to create a harmonious composition.
Chung sees his artistic development in three stages. As a child and young adult, he was immersed in painting, studying masters, taking art courses and exhibiting his work. After moving to New York, the need to fund his education led him to take a job as a financial advisor. He set aside his painting in order to excel in a career on Wall Street and to raise a family. His desire to resume painting was spurred by 9/11. Working near the World Trade Center and having friends who were killed in the attacks, Chung reconsidered his priorities in life, placing a much greater emphasis on enjoyment and spiritual fulfillment. In one of his recent calligraphic works, he writes in large characters, "Enjoy life, worry later." In the annotation below he explains how his words directly challenge the admonitions of writer Fan Zhongyan, who cautioned readers to work hard and constantly think about the future. Even though much of Chung?s recent works focus on celebrating life, his use of symbolism suggests that life continues to be a pursuit of spiritual growth and as yet unrealized scholarly ideals?he still paints little chicks instead of roosters.
With growing interest in Chinese contemporary art, there is much discussion about the conflict between tradition and contemporaneity. Chung though doesn?t feel a strong divide between his training in the East and in the West. Instead, he appropriates elements from both traditions, combining the symbolic associations and scholarly aspirations of classical literati painting with the Western techniques of color and light to create works that only convey his own spirituality, but also elicit pure sensual enjoyment and aesthetic pleasure.
