Paintings are commonly referred to as visual arts within the art domain. What are the motivations, materials, and inspirations for creating visual arts? What is the purpose of such creations?
Initially, people painted purely for pleasure and whimsy, without any deep consideration of motives or purposes. Imagine our ancestors, after hunting a giant beast and sharing it with everyone in the tribe, in their joy and excitement, they might involuntarily hum or use sticks and stones to draw on mud or rock walls to express their feelings, creating the earliest forms of music and painting.
With the passage of time and the transformation of the world, over thousands of years, a mature system of social division of labor, commodity production, industrialization, and the digital age have developed, along with the emergence of various intellectual products: concepts, values, philosophical thoughts, cultural arts, and theories of political economy.
Throughout this lengthy historical process, numerous works of visual arts have emerged, transcending time and space, appearing continuously across different eras and cultures. This has led me to ponder deeply: what are the motivations, materials, inspirations, and purposes of creation?
Upon reflection, I have identified four main scenarios.
The first scenario involves diligent and dedicated painting craftsmen who spend their lives learning and painting, yet their skills and artistic conception remain confined to imitation and repetition.
These artists are numerous and talented, having received professional training or learned from elders. They are skilled in depicting a variety of subjects such as landscapes, flowers, birds, fish, and insects, and their works are filled with delicate emotions and charm. However, driven by the need to make a living and under the pressure of life, they often cater to market demands, painting what sells best. This leads to constant imitation and repetition of their own work, neglecting the true essence of art. Over time, this becomes habitual, and they spend their lives in this manner.
Among these artists, some possess exceptional talent and could become accomplished painters if they dared to explore. However, the pressures of reality and fears of failure, concerns over reputation, worries about the declining value of their works, and the fear of losing confidence after changing their style cause them to hesitate and avoid taking risks, a situation described as “drawing a tiger that ends up looking like a dog.” Others fear that innovating in style might lead to disdain from peers or, due to a lack of confidence and mental strength, shrink back from challenges, avoiding progress and innovation, thus remaining complacent, entrenched in their ways, and merely getting by.
The second scenario involves artists who, despite having a favorable position to capture emerging trends, lack the energy and willingness to transform.
In the lofty halls of temples, associations and academies abound, and academic sanctuaries proliferate, with art faculties crisscrossing throughout. Among these, many have spent half their lives toiling, gradually gaining fame, and bursting with talent, becoming luminaries in the circle, leading the trends for many years.
These professors are widely respected and revered, having achieved both fame and success. Every inch of their artwork commands a high price. Some of them deeply understand the essence and true meaning of art. They diligently and earnestly teach undergraduates and postgraduate students, committed to educating and nurturing them, utilizing all their capabilities. Moreover, they strive for innovation, creating unique artistic styles and carving out new realms in art, with many achieving significant accomplishments.
Although these scholars are of high stature, with profound knowledge and extensive experience, and hold prestigious positions, they can become quite self-important. Having spent many years immersed in academia, associations, academies, and museums, and being highly favored, they have gradually developed an attitude of arrogance. At high levels, they seek to consolidate their positions and are cautious of taking risks, hence, those who dare to challenge norms and stand out are increasingly rare.
The third scenario involves artists who view art creation purely as a means to gain immense fame and excessive profits, with all actions driven by the pursuit of renown and financial gain.
These artists, whether formally trained, apprenticed to masters, or genuinely skilled in painting, are driven by boundless ambition. They often resort to any means necessary, sparing no effort in their relentless pursuit of fame and fortune, working tirelessly day and night with a single-minded focus on these goals.
If these artists devoted themselves to accumulating knowledge across philosophy, history, literature, and science, and understanding social nuances, some could indeed become distinguished artists. However, driven by rampant desires, they chose to forge a new path by creating spectacle to gain fame. Consequently, they fabricate titles, pander to the public, self-promote, frequent elite gatherings, adorn themselves in opulent attire, and even engage in self-promotion, insider trading, and secretive maneuvers to inflate their art prices, unscrupulously pursuing fame and fortune. For instance, a self-proclaimed great artist has several works auctioned for over a hundred million, shocking the art world and severely tarnishing the image of “artists.”
The fourth scenario is where artists view art as their life’s essence, passionately expressing the voices of their souls through their paintings, thereby advancing societal progress.
These individuals are not only artists but also philosophers. Through their paintings, they express the deep thoughts and emotions within their hearts. Their works do not aim merely at objective representation but start and end with subjective expression. Though their paintings are silent, observers in front of them can feel emotions as tumultuous as stormy waves and thunderous skies. Their artworks carry profound emotions, unique perspectives, and significant messages that can transform people’s ways of thinking and living.
Recently, Zhejiang University Press published “Thought and Art,” a collection of theoretical articles by Zhou Tianli on the independent artistic perspective, intense spiritual pursuit, and insightful views from a comprehensive cultural and historical standpoint. These articles are profound and enlightening. Critics have stated: “Zhou Tianli’s ‘Thought and Art’ is an extraordinary book that, for the first time in contemporary China, reassesses and reveals the core issues of artistic creation with such stern and profound insight.”
Human history teaches us that outstanding culture and art are the spiritual forces that propel human progress. Zhou Tianli believes: “True art is closely linked with human spirit, thought, humanities, aesthetics, and beliefs.” She asserts: “An artist in pursuit of excellence should shed the aura of mere craftsmanship and be filled with a sensitive and profound spiritual awareness, capable of perceiving wisdom and experiencing beauty at a deeper level. This spiritual quality cannot be replaced by any technical skill. The strength of an artist’s expressive power and the richness of their imaginal re-creativity directly influence the heights of their artistic achievements. Challenging the mainstream, breaking through the limitations of the era, and transcending personal constraints are perpetual challenges faced by great artists.”
People believe that Zhou Tianli’s writings truly embody an artistic expression that “sweeps away the fetid air of the contemporary,” capturing the fierce interplay between traditional cultural consciousness, fringe radical ideas, and advanced humanistic concepts. In this clash, her work shoulders the crucial social responsibilities of artistic enlightenment, aesthetic inspiration, and cultural heritage.
