The Joy of Creation

Some aspire to taste the joy that God had experienced when creating mankind, but surely none of them shall. Then some become artists of another form in yearning the joy of creation.We all face regret with reality, and art is the best cure for this regret, either in comforting or encouraging souls towards another limitless world.For those who fully indulge in reality, he or she is neither able to be an artist nor to totally abandon oneself in the world of art. Definitely it’s equally impossible for those who strongly resist reality to become an artist.In my view, an artist should be able to create something which reveals the expectations at the depths of our heart, evoking our desire or igniting our dreams, comforting our pain and filling our emptiness.Paintings should be created from within the heart of the artist. If you have seen the daubing bands of children with their complacent smile, then you might realize that painting is a process of impulse, yearning and fulfillment.However, the later generation gradually endowed paintings with a more narrative approach, which was perhaps predestined during certain historical periods. A few genius even told a story by their brush, forming brilliant chapters in history. But the peripheral belongs to those who are not so innately talented; who only understand a surface depiction of reality; who let free full inspiration towards imagination and freedom.If music is just written to imitate the sound of reality, then it is dead. However, painting, as another art form, is proud to dwell in the vivid depiction of reality.We are grateful to those artists who have reflected the life of mankind in past centuries. The reappearance of reality is mankind’s creative impulse and the dream to experience the breaking of individual’s limitations.But we feel more appreciative to the one who invented photography, which not only made for many unemployed artists, but also freed others form the mere imitation of reality.Throughout time, Chinese people grew accustomed to depict their moods and feelings on nice-paper, thus they frowned upon the Western technique of realist painting. However, the loss of war on the side of China forced them to change, and some artists began to follow the trends of Western realism. Ironically, the artistic trend of the West began to gradually shift towards the game of abstraction, leaving a puzzled sense on their Chinese contemporaries.It was under just such a dilemma that Chinese contemporary art began to emerge.Many Chinese abstract artists are afraid to hear such a question “what sort of things are your paintings?” As we are used to appreciating paintings in the feature of familiar subjects around us, we tend to ignore the true emotions at the bottom of our heart.What’s worse is that some of the Chinese abstract painters are imitating Western abstraction, pandering to the taste of foreigners. Such “abstract paintings” should indeed only belong to “realistic painting” – vivid imitations of Western abstract painting.Isn’t it a great enough embarrassment that artists themselves should lose their individual sensitivity of passion and emotion?Even the heart is weightless, many artists are still not able to afford this loss.To be frank, I didn’t have a shiver of sensation when I first saw several of Peng’s canvas. Yet after the man began to show his works piece after piece to me, I became overwhelmed by the passionate and creative aura radiating from the paintings.It seemed that I had interpreted the most faithful words of the artist.I don’t think that words are enough to describe Peng’s works, as words are often too contemplative. Peng’s canvas, on the contrary, touches one’s heart by a direct visual strength. Words, as compared to his canvas, seem to be pale.Peng’s paintings are unique, as the artist paints with his heart. Many traditional ink-wash painters often prefer to call their paintings “Paintings from the heart”, but few of them actually qualify the title. Fortunately, Peng, still in his middle age, has found his path towards “Paintings from the heart.”Peng’s signature on canvas also varies with each painting. Every piece offers a new visual world, yet shares one thing in common – an art world distinctly labeled as Peng Mingliang.Those who know the artist might not object if I call him smart, and I have also discerned another important characteristic in him: naivety.Smartness with naivety might be a reason that he finally became a favorite of the Muse, unwittingly pushing open the doors of art. Once I joked with him that his paintings were mixtures of hormones and oil. Although it was only a joke, after careful consideration, who could yet deny the fact that hormones are a primitive impetus which affects mankind’s activity? Hundreds of artists fall under such hormonal stimulation, but only quite few might successfully merge impulse with an elegant, mysterious and melodious sound, and Peng is exactly one of those few.One of Peng’s canvas is reminiscent of the patterns imprinted upon ancient Chinese bronze. He later told me that he often visited the Shanghai Museum.A romantic work of Peng’s actually embodies a great deal of the artist’s experience and reflection.Someone commented that Peng’s canvas focus too heavily on the beauty of form while lacking either humanistic concern or critical power. In the beginning, I thought the statement reasonable, but on afterthought, I disagreed with such comment.Art is a cure for the regret in reality, and it may be of various shape and form.The earth is the trivial within the whole of the universe, and the creatures on the earth are full of loneliness. When we left our mother’s womb, we came to this world in fear and solitude. In other words, everyone forever hunts for a sense of security in this life. Children rely on their parents, and an adult begins a family to equally obtain such a sense of security.The painting of Peng evokes the expectations hidden deeply within our potential.Peng endeavors to create both a real and dreamlike world towards nurturing the paths of our life.For me, this is equivocal of humanistic concern for the artist. Different from philosophers and politicians, artists are able to fully create their own world with freedom and passion. Why don’t we allow them to create their world and find the joy of creation?