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I.

    Since the 20th century, and following the eastward expansion of Western painting, Chinese ink painting has entered a stage of contemporary transformation. As for the realistic style represented by Xu Beihong and a modern style best represented by Lin Fengmiao, both of these styles deviate from the traditional standard, and merely graft realism and expressionism developed in Western painting history onto a traditionally Chinese style. Beginning in the 1980s, and inspired by Western modernism and post-modernism, traditional ink painting found itself thrust into transformation; successive groups of ink painters sought amidst the apprehension of clashing traditions and modernity for means and methods to bring ink painting into contemporaniety. Thus the appearance of expressive, new literati, experimental, and urban styles of ink painting emerged, as did ink installations, ink used in fashion design, and conceptual ink painting were also experimented with, these shaped a new essence of ink painting, and also a reflection of China¡¯s social culture in art. In the 1990s, ink painters made successful debuts at international exhibitions in quick succession, even so, this nature of communication and dialogue was controlled in a large part by Western intellectual history and discourse, the fact that Chinese art was participating in a very marginalized position was obvious. Consequently, since 1993, many ink painters have begun to reflect on the issues of the power in Western discourse: how could they usher ink painting into modernity while at the same time magnifying its Chinese cultural identity. Thus, two main issues appeared along the course of China¡¯s ink painting modernization.  

    Chinese art critic Yang Xiaoyan believes: the key to the modern transformation of ink painting lies in the resolution of two difficult situations: one must preserve the imagery and appearance of ink painting¡¯s Chinese identity, but must also insert these traditional forms into contemporary contexts, to find a position to harmonize with society ¡­ it must not be allowed to be viewed as an ¡®other¡¯ or ¡®absentee¡¯.¡± In one respect, one must channel modern elements into ink painting, allowing for the medium to enter modernity through traditional methods and becoming an artistic symbol of contemporary society. In another aspect, we must magnify Chinese cultural identity, letting it achieve modernity and the affirmation of the world, giving evidence to a modern form of ink painting and eastern imagery.

    Dao Zi¡¯s experiments with ¡°Devotional Ink Paintings¡± over the past few years allow us to glimpse a new breakthrough in resolving these two difficult issues surrounding the ink medium¡¯s transformation to modernity; in them we see a contemplation of the contemporary issues surrounding ink painting examined from a higher level of humanity. Even though Christianity has its origins in the West, its global transmission has made it transnational, global religion, lying beyond ethnicity and national borders. Dao Zi¡¯s ¡°Devotional Ink Paintings¡± begin from such a height, becoming a creation that inherently belong to all the people of the world, and unfolding as experiments in ink painting. It is difficult for us define them using simply concepts of East and West; like Christianity, they belong to the whole of humanity. These ¡°Devotional Ink Paintings¡± defy the diametric opposition of such concepts, they make a breakthrough in solving the difficult issues that have confounded the development of ink painting for years. By transforming the medium, melting oppositions, there is no room for cultural misunderstanding, only the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

    At this lofty height, the blending of Christian themes with traditional ink painting methods originates from Dao Zi¡¯s long-term experiments with ink and contemplation on the issues surrounding Chinese contemporary arts, it is also the result of rational examination of nationalism. But by no means an endorsement of nationalism¨C¨Cthe goal of his experimentation is to make advances towards constructing a new humanist form of contemporary art, to create a form of Chinese art that can be universally appreciated: Devotional Ink Paintings. 

II.

    Dao Zi always advocates that art should bear social significance, moreover, this significance should possess a high degree of art and intellectual history. His art includes a Christian essence and significance, as well as borrows from the traditional resources of Daoist and Mencius thought, metaphysical doctrines of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and Zen thought. Examining his experiments with ink painting, we see three main threads.

    First, the integration of Christian spirit and essence of Chinese art; his 2008 work, Bitter Bamboo is a perfect example of this. He takes the traditionally symbolic bamboo and uses it to form a Christian cross; in the symbolism of traditional Chinese art plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemum flowers and stones are the symbols of a gentleman. Bamboo stands for moral principals and integrity. In Bitter Bamboo, it becomes an intellectual symbol, even though it defines bitterness, the buds that open upon it are a forebear to life and new beginnings. In the composition of this 3-meter high work, Dao Zi uses dense ink in the center to define a cross, it is filled with visual tension; actually this is quite risky composition, because it partitions the composition into four equal, balanced white spaces. However, Dao Zi uses the fine sprouts of bamboo and buds to breach the excessive balance, endowing the four spaces with varied richness. In the 4-meter high triptych Martyr the lower part is concentrated with dense ink, endowing it a visual balance; a bamboo cross divides the space on the upper right, giving the piece a appropriate distribution. At the first glance it has a traditional Chinese composition, but looking more closely, we see the contrasts of fine outlines and geometric shapes, a method of creating visual tension borrowed from Western modern art. 

    Secondly, is Dao Zi¡¯s use of abstract or expressionist means in vividly portraying Biblical stories. In the ¡°Soul Expression¡± series, he uses symbolic means to transform the image of the Last Supper. Christ is seated in the center of the work, his twelve apostles surround him; although they are lacking in facial features, their dynamic state seems to have endowed each of them with enough expression. Splashes of paint affect a diffracted composition, becoming an abstract method to depict this tense moment. A gold-flecked nimbus around Jesus Christ gives it a swooning, glazed effect, abating the outlined traces of Christ¡¯s figure. In Hymn of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, Dao Zi similarly uses descriptive brushwork to portray the dove representing the Holy Spirit, its shape is abstract, a shimmering flame with an abundance of rhythmic strokes expressing the sense of movement as this miraculous bird descends from heaven.

    Dao Zi¡¯s third method is to use deconstructivist and conceptual art methods to preach the doctrine of Christ. In Baptism (2008) He uses collage and deconstruction to illustrate the process of a baptism. He tears the work into two parts: in the bottom Jesus is depicted under water, in the top section he gains his soul, the center is a large white field, leaving viewers ample space for imagination. The creation of Baptism (painting), the subsequent deconstruction of the image (tearing), and its reconstruction (mounting), represent the stages of the baptism of Christ; their presentation here likewise present a new means for artistic narrative.

    Dao Zi¡¯s ¡°Devotional Ink Paintings¡± also include those influenced by conceptual art, such as in Sacred Mark where he uses Chinese characters to speak his concepts directly. As remarked by critic Mr. Xia Kejun: ¡°Dao Zi has created a mythic symbol in Sacred Mark: he presents a synthesis evolved from the Greek letters alpha and ¦¸ (omega) that also appears in the works Sacred Mark, Ten Commandments, and Weeping Wall, experimental ink works where he uses letters or characters to directly express his ideas. This type of work, in terms of form, has a strong compositional flavor. 

III.

    Observing Dao Zi¡¯s collection of ¡°Devotional Ink Paintings¡± we discover that his experiments in transforming the medium include theological elements, they use abstract or expressionist means to unite traditional ink painting and Christian thought. Visually, these provide an unfamiliar and original creative style; leafing through art history, we can identify nothing similar. Moreover, throughout the history of Chinese ink painting, the creation of something new has always been art¡¯s core significance; it also shows a kind of suspicion for art of the previous generations. Xu Beihong, obsessed with the notion of saving the nation, put forth the notion of ¡°Chinese painting reforming national ideology¡±; Lin Fengmian proposed a ¡°harmony of East and West¡± in his paintings by choosing to adopt the superior points of each; Wu Guanzhong used art as a revolutionary discourse and political tool in his theory of ¡°beauty of form¡±; after the 1980s, Li Xiaoshan was a proponent of ¡°extremism¡± ¡­ Dao Zi¡¯s Devotional Ink Paintings crystallize the concept of ¡°art for the people,¡± they are a transformational experiment that deal with the paradoxical issues facing Chinese traditional ink painting, a ¡°divine light¡± shining into the dilemma enshrouding contemporary ink painting. Through Dao Zi¡¯s works we can see the possibilities of Chinese ink painting as it enters the global scheme of contemporary art. [text: Zhu Ping][ text: Zhu Ping ]