When it comes to "painting and painting again", the first thing that comes to mind is the painter's studio. In that room, the walls are full of unfinished sketches and colorful paintings, and the air is filled with the strong scent of oil paint, mixed with the painter's endless dedication and exploration of colors and shapes. Every stroke seems to be trying to surpass the previous moment, the painter's persistence of "re-painting" is not only the improvement of technology, but also the pursuit of the ultimate art…
If you input the command "Write an article with the title 'Painting and Painting Again'" in ChatGPT, the robot will generate the above passage. It starts with imagining the painter's studio, describes the artist's dedication to honing their craft, and then progresses to a heartfelt anecdote. From a technical perspective, if the painter can provide enough data to the algorithm - namely a library of their paintings for it to learn from, over time, it could be possible to train an AI painter to replicate their style. As the database grows, the AI will increasingly resemble the artist's style. However, just like ChatGPT didn't know that the topic was about six artists - Chen Xi, Liu Di, Su Yuming, Wang Yuxing, Xiao Zheluo, and Zhaoliang - who have "A restless heart"; AI can only allow those who don't possess painting skills or cannot proficiently use them to have their own paintings. The algorithm cannot replace the artist in choosing what kind of work they want, when to start or stop, nor can it access the original inspiration behind their painting.
The six artists exhibited in "A Restless Heart" were all born in the 1980s and 1990s and completed their training in the Academy of Fine Arts system. Their "artistic" experience averages nearly ten years, which means that according to Gladwell's "10,000-hour rule", they are all two "artists". But instead of becoming so-called "successful artists", they almost took other career paths in life. However, engaging in other work only confirmed their desire for creation.
Chen Xi (born in 1985) created paintings that filled the living room of his residence from 2014 to 2017. He sorted them into series, provided systematic written descriptions of his works, and even wrote exhibition reviews. However, Chen Xi is more well-known for his animation works that won awards at home and abroad. These films are made using 3D software, and he assumes every role, including directing, cinematography, art design, special effects, and even sound design. This time, the exhibited works come from two series: Single Layer Acrylic and Details of my abstract painting that from a parallel world composed of machines. In the abstract images with colorful colors and repetitive images, there are seemingly visible symbols without specific references to the picture, ultimately single acrylic. He also incorporates his paintings into his animated feature film Sleepwalking Through The Walk Simulators to make them museum-level collections in the film.
Liu Di (born in 1985) won the Lacoste Elysee Prize in 2010 with his Animal Regulation series. His works are visually full of awkwardness and surreal conflicts, with animals deliberately enlarged and their heads deliberately reduced, sitting alone in the city and ruins. His The Weight of Oneself No.5 abandoned the previous image of the figure's back in this series, leaving only a lush jungle. From the combination of real images and CG modeling to full digital modeling, Liu Di's photographic works reflect the most authentic changes in technology in the past 15 years. The birth of photography has freed painting from the only standard of "drawing like," moving it towards modern times. The birth of AI and the film industry's training in post-production special effects have expanded the boundaries of photographic art to broader dimensions. Photography can now be simulated through digital drawing boards, digital instruments, scanning or modeling algorithms, without even producing through a camera lens. From a data point of view, it is even closer to "reality" than the real world.
However, by removing the act of pressing the shutter and developing the image, the traditional photography is no longer emphasized. Whether photography will experience the "gone" that painting once faced is what Wang Yuxing (born in 1985) considers in his creative works. Wang Yuxing's training during his time at the Academy of Fine Arts cultivated his sensitivity to the relationship between images and inspiration. In his Dizzy Afternoon and Snow Country series, he calibrates and repairs the colors of the images he shoots, and tries to use "images" as both canvas and brushstroke, using "inspiration" to describe "inspiration" itself to form his works. His intervention with materials is much like painting. In essence, Wang Yuxing is also a very traditional image creator, and he has also attempted to push photographic works towards installation art, pursuing a renaissance of forms.
In terms of tracing back to ancient forms and innovating in painting, one can look at the easel paintings of Su Yuming, Xiao Zheluo and Zhao Liang.
Su Yuming (born in 1994) is in his tenth year of studying Printmaking at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. In recent years, he has attempted to leap from paper to canvas, and from multiple prints to unique works. His images come from daily life, including selfies and photos taken by friends, as well as screen captures and collages of internet images. The techniques of color separation, superimposition, and transference used in printmaking are applied in his paintings. The intertwining density of acrylic and oil paints, colors and lines are what he is fascinated with. The overlapping layers of paint create fascinating bulges and depressions, and following the brush strokes, one can feel the rustling sound of the nibs walking on the canvas.
In contrast, Xiao Zheluo's (born in 1983) paintings are "stingy" in color, with extremely thin layers and formed with just a few brush strokes. Her paintings focus on the "everyday", using objects from daily life as subjects, described in a restrained and controlled manner. These trees, buildings, and box substations are given personalities, while the painter deliberately stays in a state of absence, pushing the viewer to the forefront of the painting.
Zhao Liang (born in 1983) exercises great restraint in the color saturation of his paintings, yet his layers are extremely intricate. Hermit's Life (2023) only uses blue and white paint on the canvas, with a large number of overlapping pine needles full of life, filling the entire painting. The absence of figures leaves ample room for imagination in "lying on rocks" and "listening to pines": it could be Liang Tongshu's (1723-1815) hermit life of "lying on rocks and listening to the sound of waves, covered in pine greenness. Opening the door to see rain, hearing the rustling sound of banana leaves." or it could be Lu You's (1125-1210) peaceful satisfaction of listening to the snow fall while brewing tea after his military service retirement, "lying on rocks and listening to the sound of pines, feeling the natural breeze and covered in mulberry leaves."
"A Restless Heart" is not only a repetitive action in painting, but also a tempering of one's mindset. Artists refine their techniques through daily painting exercises, forming muscle memory with their skills. With the addition of natural talent, they are naturally aided by gods. However, maintaining the "artist" state for a long time and knowing how to switch between life and work requires more time to adjust one's biological clock. Pausing and spacing out will not hinder creativity, instead, they form a reservoir of "inspiration," as well as indispensable pauses and breaths.
