Modern Chinese Watercolors
In the second stage, Jiang painted the "Bicycle Series." Like all
of his works, these paintings are characterized by "leaping" and shimmering
lights. Objects and their shadows reflect one other and it is difficult to
differentiate between the components of the main part of a picture. In fact, the
bicycles are nothing but a medium since the order of pictures is abstract. This
was a breakthrough for Jiang -- to go from imitating concrete objects to
expressing the logical order of his inner mind. His strokes became more fluid
and lively, but still forceful and more compatible with the nature of
watercolors.
In the third stage, Jiang painted what he witnessed in Europe when he was
studying in Paris. Although he only reproduced the actual scenes before him to
keep the memory alive, his choice in subjects reveals more reason and
rationality in the structure of his pictures and color tones than in his earlier
works. More importantly, the spiritual aspect of the scenes became the first
thing that Jiang aspired to portray. Unlike the works in the first stage, here,
Jiang achieves an even better mastery of technique, coordination of hands and
mind, and the integration of scenes and feelings, where his hands reflect his
mind and the scenes integrate feeling.
Light is very important to Jiang's watercolors. It is not only a medium, but
also a goal for the artist. Many watercolor fans respect Jiang's sensitivity to
light and are shocked by his bold and spiritual treatment of light. For Jiang,
light is not only a necessity of life but also a belief.
Jiang regards watercolor painting as a life-long career, which is not easy
since traditional Chinese
painting and oil painting are considered the mainstream of art in China
today. It requires great courage and confidence to find a place beyond the
mainstream.
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