The Poetry of Sculpture

The following sections are included:

• Foreword

• Contents

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I sculpted a portrait of Father for his 66th birthday. That was six years ago. He was an ordinary intellectual, and this sculpture was only an expression of my special affection for him as a son. This sculpture was later cast in bronze:

This is a real life portrayal, but more significantly, it is the Father framed in the depths of my memories. Since I began remembering things, I rarely saw my parents smile. Mother was always frowning with worries. Among seven of their children, I was the fifth child. Father was the sole breadwinner of the family. In 1967, Father, with a black placard hung on his neck, paraded the streets with a group labelled “Cow Monsters and Snake Demons”¹ who wore hats, for a public persecution. However, fortunately, he was not bound and forced to crawl on the streets, like some others were. At a rally of denouncement, Father stood on the stage as a Red Guard read out his “crimes”, to which he did not bow his head in shame. Instead, I saw him getting in line every morning in front of the statue of Chairman Mao to “seek forgiveness”.

In the summer of 2001, my elder brother came to Nanjing from northern Jiangsu province, bringing for me a big bundle of notebooks and draft paintings. When I opened it, my thoughts were immediately transported twenty years back:

These were my diaries and sketches when I was 17 to 20 years old. They had been placed under the care of my elder sister at Dongtai. As the old city was re-developed, they got lost when her house had to be demolished and relocated. They were later found in the hands of businessmen, so my elder brother bought them back from an auction, returning them to their rightful owner. I was very excited. It seemed that from these, I once again saw the younger me with hair parted from the centre, dark-faced, youthful short moustache, clad in Chinese tunic cotton-wadded jacket and a pair of yellow military sneakers. At that time, I carried a drawing board or a notebook all day, doing sketches everywhere. The faded yellow bag contained a few sesame cakes, which were my meals for the whole day.…

Often, there were some old bookstalls set up at the front and rear gate of our college. They normally came out in the evening and stayed all the way till midnight. I really liked to visit these old bookstalls, which were filled with old and new books, books of taste and style as well as books appealing to the masses. I often had unexpected discoveries, finding books that I had been looking for. I was engaged in portrait creation and based my portrait of outstanding figures on some photos which were available. However, photography was only invented in the last century. Therefore, there were no images for reference to characters before the late Qing Dynasty. Once I found an old version of Paintings of Characters in the Qing and Ming Dynasty at an old bookstall. It contains more than 200 paintings of characters, including Zheng Banqiao and Shi Tao, et al. Due to the limited abilities of painter-workers at that time, some of them seem to resemble each other. Nevertheless, its entire spirit reflects the styles and characteristics of that era. In particular, their garments, hairstyles and postures are extremely valuable for reference. I was thrilled at getting this book, just like spotting a treasure, and was greatly inspired by it, hence having painted works such as Jin Nong, the Calligrapher and Painter and Wang Gen, the Philosopher.

Along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, I search for withered wood that float around. These withered woods may come from the opposite coast or along the shore on the same side. They may be parts of ships shattered by huge waves or wood released by a certain romantic poet. Weathered by time and nature, they become darker and darker, seemingly turning into fossils.

The following sections are included:

• Standing in Front of Mona Lisa

• Close Up with Auguste Rodin

• The Lessons from Horse

The following sections are included:

• Holding Exhibitions in San Francisco

• The Bridge Is Only That Long

• Robin's World

• Avenue of the Stars

• Visiting “Son” in the U.S.

• A Strange Encounter at the Museum — Rumination on Works

The following sections are included:

• The Sleeping Child Wins the Award

• My Sculptures Do Not Cater to Westerners

• Sculptures by Professor Wu Weishan

The following sections are included:

• Holding Exhibitions in Tokyo

• Inexpressible Emotions

• A Challenger of the Modern Soul

The following sections are included:

• Heaven and Earth and Affections between Mother and Son
  • Random Thoughts by the Sea near HKUST

• Wu Weishan's Stint at HKUST
  • Foreword of Wu Weishan's Sculptures and Paintings

• The Symbol of Chinese Culture
  • Speech at the Unveiling Ceremony of Qian Mu's Sculpture

• The Pinnacle Display of Portrait Sculpture

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The following sections are included:

• Introduction

• Reading Wu Weishan's Candour, Purity and Simplicity

• Speech by Yang Zhenning at the Unveiling Ceremony of His Sculpture in Tsinghua University (May 2004)

• Speech by Yang Zhenning at the Unveiling Ceremony of His Sculpture in Nanjing University (October 2005)

• Speech by Yang Zhenning at the Opening Ceremony of “Casting the Soul with the Literary Heart — Exhibition of Wu Weishan's Sculptural Works”

On 19 March 1995, I received a letter from Zhou Zhaokan of the Central Committee of China Democratic League, informing me that Fei Xiaotong, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, could see me on the evening prior to the commencement of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and National People's Congress. It had been 10 years since I last met Fei in Beijing to listen to his teachings. In the past 10 years, I had visited him dozens of times. His intelligent way of speaking, cheerful and hearty laughter, as well as his scholarly and refined bearing always impressed me spiritually.

The plane flew across the great ocean.

Dr. Cheng Ci, standing vice-president Professor Shi Jianjun and I first arrived in New York and then left for the city of Oklahoma. Commissioned by Nanjing University, we were going to visit Gu Yuxiu who is a master of liberal arts and sciences as well as former president of National Central University (the predecessor of Nanjing University) in 1994, and to make a sculpture of him.

The following sections are included:

• Solidified History

• Sculpting with Four Hands

• Knowledge of Self Is Wisdom

The following sections are included:

• Promoting Chinese Culture, Creating a New Era of Sculpture

I remember the exhibition hall of Lin Sanzhi's calligraphy and paintings was opened in 1992. At that time, I was invited to sculpt a 70-centimetre high half-portrait of Lin. This statue was regarded by artists as an image of a transcendent “eminent monk”. However, some people felt that the character depicted by this statue was too “stiff”. Actually, I was fully aware of it and had been trying to figure out how to depict him more accurately.

In the afternoon of 12 October 2004, world-renowned mathematician Mr. Chen Shengshen flew from Tianjin to Nanjing University.

This time, Chen, at the invitation of celebrated sculptor Wu Weishan, came to Nanjing to assist as a model in a sculpture of him that Professor Wu would be making. This was proposed by Yang Zhenning and physicist Paul Chu Chingwu, son-in-law of Chen Shengshen and president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. In July this year, Wu Weishan made a special trip to Tianjin to visit Chen, so as to perceive the sparks of thoughts rooted in the innermost parts of this master. This time, Chen returned his courtesy call with a visit to Nanjing University, thus marking a day of humour, harmony and splendour.

For years, I have been engaged in creating sculptures of historical and cultural notables in modern and contemporary times. My subjects are mostly old scholars and artists. With plastic clay being moulded in my affectionate hands, I can often express the quiver of life in an impassioned and forceful way. Gradually, I faintly believe that the visual strong touch of hand and delicate undulations are probably my features in sculptures. While making the statue of Confucius, I was also used to applying such techniques initially. However, as I progressed, I felt that Confucius, the symbol of Chinese ancient culture, lost his due stature, richness and simplicity in the statue. In essence, the accumulation of rich culture was also weakened.

It is a wonder for an ordinary peasant to have scaled the peak of world science!

For a peasant to become a scientist was a long process of life with steep learning curves. It is difficult to depict this process of life through the instant solidification of sculptural expression. Chen Yongkang, unknown to many young people, is a role model to Chinese peasants and a perfect example to workers of science. Before he became the vice-director of Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, he was a peasant in Songjiang County. Accumulated through long-term production, his experience in high-yield cultivation of single-season late rice led to increased production in whatever places it was spread to. He innovatively put up the theory of diagnosing rice-seedlings, known as “Rensanhei”. In 1964, he presented a research paper on this theory at an international seminar of science in Beijing, with participating scientists from 44 countries and regions in the world, marking a new standard in the science of cultivation achieved in China. In September 1995, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences contacted me to make a bronze statue of Chen Yongkang.

As the founder of the Art Foundation of the Netherlands, Bert Hermens is an artist with a great sense of humour. With the purpose of cultural exchange, he came to visit my studio of sculpture. Among the many figure sculptures, he was particularly interested in the statue of Hu Shanyuan. He drew four circles with his finger — the body as a big circle, the head as a small circle and the eyes as two smaller circles — calling it “an interesting antique”. He said this sculpture reminded him of the humour in Honore Daumier's works.

One day in early spring in 1993, calligrapher Sang Zuokai and I drove to visit Xiao Xian, a century-old lady, at her residence by Xuanwu Lake.

It was 9.30 in the morning when we reached her place. On seeing us, she smiled and asked us quite a few things. Entering her study, I saw a black-white photo on the wall, showing a scholarly person wearing a pair of round gold-rimmed glasses. Mr. Sang said that was her father Xiao Tieshan, once a member of the Nanshe Society of the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China. I once saw Xiao Tieshan's calligraphy. It was characterized by primitive simplicity and delicateness. Listening to our comments, old Xiao seemed to be in high spirits. She then asked her family member to bring some paper. In a short while, Sang folded and laid out the paper. With one go, old Xiao wrote “A painting with clouds, mist and man”, and continued with “A large ship moves in a snowy night while an armoured war horse gallops in the autumn wind”. When giving a finishing touch to the character “Wind”, she really seemed to be summoning wind and rain. I closely observed her tightly sealed lips and her body leaning forward with her swaying hand holding the writing-brush. Looking at such movement, I could hardly believe that it was a 93-year-old lady writing calligraphy.

People generally would think the making of portrait sculptures invariably requires feedback from the subjects' kinsfolk in order to be settled. Moreover, when they evaluate whether a statue bears resemblance to the subject or not, they would tend to take “his son has seen it” or “his wife has seen it” as a standard for approval. In my opinion, such a standard can be applicable to the assessment of the portrait of an ordinary person, but it is not that simple when it comes to the evaluation of a statue of a historical figure.

I heard about Gu Jingzhou when I was very young. It is a name associated with boccaro pots. This master has become legendary due to numerous myths. There are so many makers of boccaro pots, but why are only those made by him considered precious gems? It is indeed a mystery. In autumn 1994, I had a chance to meet him in a quiet and secluded small building in Xiashu town, and sculpted a portrait of him thereafter. This seemed to enable me to solve a mystery that lasted many years.

On 1 December 1994, I received an invitation from Wu Zuoren International Fine Arts Foundation to make a sculpture of Wu Zuoren. This came as a surprise to me, giving me a big shock as well as great stress.

I went to Beijing in a state of hesitation. It turned out that the Foundation “discovered” me from a Taiwanese magazine Art-Trend. Secretary General Zhaokan encouraged me to take up the challenge, and arranged for me to meet Wu.

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What is sculpture?

In The Poetry of Sculpture, I expound as follows: Carving is the process of making complicated things simple. It is subtraction, leaving behind muscles, bones and the soul only. Moulding is the process of addition, adding the part which originally belongs to the sculpture. Sculpting is a process of deliberation. No matter how long the process takes, it is still smooth and flowing, or presents itself in a natural and unadorned manner.

The following sections are included:

• Primitive, simple and unpolished imagery

• Strange abstractness of the Shang dynasty

• Decorative and realistic depiction in Qin figurines

• Firm and vigorous freehandedness of the Han dynasty

• Ideal modelling in Buddhism

• Realistic depiction of the customs of the Song dynasty

• Form exaggeration in imperial mausoleums

• Expression of simplicity among the people

The Six Dynasties, with Qin dynasty and Han dynasty as its predecessors, and Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty as its successors, is an era of self-liberation. People at that time advocated naturalness and inaction, such as Bao Jingyan's “Non-monarchy” and Fan Zhen's “Elimination of Deities”. The “Mien of the Wei dynasty and Jin dynasty” exactly reflected the freespirited image of literati, as well as their spiritual state which was marked by spirited discussion on abstruse theories, transcendence and selfcontentment.

In March this year, Anthony Stones, president of the Society of Portrait Sculptors, UK, visited Nanjing University and Nanjing Museum. While receiving him, Xu Huping, the director of Nanjing Museum, proudly introduced him to wooden sculptures recently unearthed from a Han dynasty tomb at Daqingdun in Sihong County. These wooden sculptures were then undergoing the process of dehydration. On hearing that there were many wooden horses among these unearthed sculptures, Anthony's eyes brightened. This outstanding sculptor of Western classicism is not only an authority in portrait sculpture, but is also renowned for moulding horses. There are spirited sculptures of horses created by him in some important cities in Britain and New Zealand. In order to let this cultural envoy from afar enjoy the pleasure of viewing the works first, Nanjing Museum made an exception and invited him to the storehouse to view the works. The huge storehouse was full of wooden human figurines and wooden horses, floating and flapping gently on wooden buckets of water. Warm sunlight penetrating through windows shone on these wooden sculptures with a history of over 2000 years, creating an extremely mysterious impression. Just like inspecting an ancient troop, we began to slowly admire them with the guidance of researchers from Nanjing Museum.

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From previous discussions, we can see that many sculptural works contain ambiguity. Does it mean that only ambiguity produces poetic mood? Is ambiguity alone the highest plane of attainment in artworks? Such a view is not balanced. Many works are very smooth and succinct on the surface, just like some poems and articles — pure and untainted. It is the case with works of Brancusi — simple, absolutely noble and transcendent. He allowed each element of the material to exhibit their inner qualities. He once moulded a very abstract head of a sleeping person, without anything on the face. This is only a geometric body in deep sleep. However, this geometric body, free from countless details, comprised several planes and possessed enormous “nuclear power”.

Bronze was originally the alloy of pure copper and other metallic elements. However, in the long history of human civilization, it has been endowed with a specific cultural significance together with ancient solemn tripods and dignified sculptures, making us recall the resplendent bronze era naturally….

The emergence of new Western primitivism in the early 20th century is a response of mankind to self-deviation. It is also an atavism in response to the loss of spiritual homeland due to industrialization. From the “human wood” expressed in primitivism, one can see the primitive energy it demonstrates, which is imbued with primitive spirit. The source of this spirit emerges from primitive thinking.

“Ambiguity”, “leap” and “conciseness” of sculpture is directly linked with poetry. Different shadows resulting from convexity, concavity and smoothness of form make sculpture a moving poem that expresses the realness of life. Each sculpture is a poem which contains the brilliance of the subject's thoughts and reflects the beauty of personality. In sculptural works, all these are attributed to the grasp of the “instant spirit” — the soul of the “poem”.

As the source, tradition constantly develops its original system in the course of succession and changes. It is not the pronoun for “past” or “history”; it is the pulse of incessantly rolling nature, history and society. The progress of human society cannot be separated from tradition, which is revised, transformed and innovated through gradual accumulation and gradual denial, thus creating a new sense of “tradition” in later generations. Fine arts are the products of the human spirit and their path of development reflects the confrontation of new and old, emotions and reason, beauty and ugliness, and conservative and progressive.

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The following sections are included:

• Appendix: A Collection of Comments and Short Reviews

• About Wu Weishan

• Postscript