'Urban Impressions' and 'The Long March Epic' Exhibitions Held in Shanghai

Source: China Art Exhibition Network

Urban Imprints and Long March Epic Painting Exhibitions Held in Shanghai

Urban Imprints: Luo Weimin Oil Pastel Works Exhibition

Exhibition dates: December 25, 2016 to January 20, 2017

Venue: Xiang Art Museum, Area A, Nanxiang Zhidi, No. 1188 Huyi Highway, Jiading District, Shanghai

Organizer: Xiang Art Museum

Supporters: Shanghai Nanxiang Zhidi Enterprise Investment Management Co., Ltd. and Nanxiang Cultural and Sports Service Center

Participating artist: Luo Weimin

Works created with oil pastels form a simple yet independent form of painting. Oil pastel is an imported material. In foreign usage it is called oil pastel, meaning a paste-like object; in painting, the term clearly indicates that the tool is a pigment stick made mainly from solid mineral raw materials. This group of small oil pastel landscape works uses the characteristics of this material to integrate brilliant colors with poetic interest on paper, creating a dreamlike mood between reality and unreality. The exhibition uses this painting material to play a game with composition, line and texture.

Every city has its own unique imprint, its own human landscape and its own memories. If those memories remain in the heart, the sparks created by the collision of artistic thought and human scenery can ignite works of art that may be intense, tranquil, free or gentle. The works in this exhibition use a brilliantly colorful painting approach, giving the images a smooth and unrestrained quality, free composition, and alternating heaviness and lightness in ink and color, creating a powerful artistic appeal. The artist's passionate pursuit of color and praise of life are vividly represented in each image. Under the artist's brush, the image of the city is not only intense in color, free and full of vitality, but also infused with the emotions of traditional Chinese ink painting like strong liquor. The lines are both simple and skillful, and the compositions balance complexity and simplicity. A series of images dance and leap in color and line, composing a melodic imprint like musical notes.

Artist Profile

Luo Weimin, also known by the art name A Luo, is a Chinese oil painter and deputy director of Southern Architectural Design Institute. He is now a senior interior architectural designer, a member of the Shanghai Branch of the China Artists Association, a member of the Chinese Opera Figure Painting Research Association, executive director of the Shanghai Hongkou Artists Association, a member of the Architectural Society of Shanghai, and a specially appointed visiting professor at the School of Art of Shanghai Business School. His oil paintings and Chinese paintings have participated many times in large art exhibitions organized by domestic and international institutions, and have been collected by enterprises, foreign consulates, domestic museums and private collectors.

Long March Epic: Chen Xiejun and Chen Ying Oil Painting Exhibition

Exhibition dates: December 28, 2016 to January 5, 2017

Venue: Haishang Art Museum, No. 681 Julu Road, near South Shaanxi Road, Shanghai

Organizer: Haishang Art Museum

Participating artists: Chen Xiejun and Chen Ying

The heroic epic of the Long March is legendary, and the great Long March spirit is immortal. On the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March, we once again studied historical materials on the Long March, reread classic works about it, organized sketches and study notes made while retracing the route, and carefully sorted out the visual images of the Long March. Under the title Long March Epic, we worked to create 80 oil paintings. These works were exhibited at Haishang Art Museum from December 28, 2016 to January 5, 2017.

Today, it is highly significant to inspire creative passion and once again focus the artistic vision on the thrilling and magnificent Long March route of 80 years ago.

1. The Long March was the first of its kind in history, a manifesto, a propaganda team and a seeding machine.

The Chronicle of the Long March, written by Qu Aiguo and Zhang Congtian and published by Huaxia Publishing House in January 2016, states in its conclusion that from the autumn of 1934, when the Central Red Army set out on the Long March, to October 1936, when the First, Second and Fourth Front Armies joined forces in Gansu, the journey lasted a full two years. The Red Army fought across 14 provinces including Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Xikang, Gansu, Hubei, Henan, Shaanxi and Qinghai, crossing minority areas inhabited by Miao, Yao, Zhuang, Dong, Bouyei, Tujia, Naxi, Bai, Yi, Tibetan, Qiang, Hui and Yugur peoples. Its route covered more than half of China and extended for tens of thousands of li.

Under extremely dangerous conditions, with severe shortages of supplies and extraordinarily harsh environments, the Red Army crossed dozens of major rivers, climbed many high mountains, crossed several snow-covered mountains and hundreds of li of vast grasslands, fought nearly 600 campaigns and battles, liberated more than one hundred county towns, and finally broke through the encirclement and pursuit of hundreds of thousands of Kuomintang troops, completing an unprecedented strategic transfer.

Mao Zedong summarized the great meaning of the Long March by saying that it was the first of its kind in history, a manifesto, a propaganda team and a seeding machine. It declared to the world that the Red Army was heroic and that imperialists and their followers were useless. It announced the failure of imperialist and Chiang Kai-shek encirclement and pursuit. It told the people of eleven provinces that only the road of the Red Army was their road, and it spread many seeds that would sprout, grow leaves, bloom and bear fruit. In short, the Long March ended with our victory and the enemy's defeat.

2. The Long March Epic series praises the great Long March spirit.

There are many summaries of the Long March spirit, but there is broad consensus: placing the fundamental interests of the people and the Chinese nation above everything; holding firm revolutionary ideals and beliefs; believing that a just cause will surely triumph; fearing no hardship or danger and being willing to sacrifice everything to save the country and the people; adhering to independence, seeking truth from facts and proceeding from reality; considering the overall situation, observing strict discipline and maintaining close unity; relying closely on the people, sharing life and death, hardship and struggle with them; maintaining revolutionary optimism in the face of countless difficulties; and advancing together with mutual help, friendship and equality between officers and soldiers. The Long March spirit is a concentrated embodiment of the nature of the people's army and a high expression of the Chinese nation's indomitable and self-strengthening national spirit.

3. Creating Long March Epic is a comprehensive exploration of history painting.

It is generally believed that Western history painting originated in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and ancient Rome, became popular in Renaissance Europe, and flourished from the 17th century to the early 19th century. Traditional history painting often used narrative representation, and its painting language was mostly realistic. In addition to respecting historical truth and historical laws, it also emphasized artistic refinement and cultural memory.

Long March Epic is a comprehensive exploration of history painting. Through a series of paintings, it historically depicts the Long March as a magnificent historical picture of the Chinese people's revolutionary war, a stirring heroic epic in the history of human warfare, a great turning point for the people's army led by the Communist Party of China, and a towering monument that transcends time, space, nation and borders. The great Long March spirit and deep Long March sentiment are an inexhaustible driving force for the creation of these history paintings.

Long March Epic consists of 80 works. According to the logical progression of beginning, turbulence, turning point and development, the series advances through seven sections.

The first section is strategic transfer. Works such as Shiwai Ferry at Yudu County, the Starting Point of the Long March; Strategic Transfer; The First Bridge of the Long March at Wuyang Village; The First Pass of the Long March; Luohan Rock in Ruijin; The First Mountain of the Central Red Army's Long March; Zhu House at Yaotang, Gutian Village, the Station of the Central Authorities after Their Transfer from Ruijin to Yudu; Jingtang Village, Huanglin Township, Yudu, the Station of the Central Soviet Area Central Bureau and Central Government Offices; and Sangzhi, Hunan, the Starting Point of the Long March of the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps, historically recreate the situation before the Red Army's strategic transfer and the solemn beginning of the Long March.

The second section is breaking through encirclement. Works including The Simple Wooden Bridge over the Xiangjiang River, Former Site of the Third Red Army Headquarters at Nanyaojie, Wind and Clouds over Laoshanjie, Morning Song at Liping, Bloody Battle at Dushuzhen, Loushan Pass, Natural Barrier of the Wujiang River and The Precipitous Wujiang River reflect major Long March events such as breaking through three blockade lines, the bloody battle of Xiangjiang, the western Hunan offensive, the Liping turn and the breakthrough of natural barriers.

The third section is the historical turning point. Works such as The Light of the Zunyi Conference reflect how the Zunyi Conference changed history, guiding the Party's military leadership onto the correct path at a critical moment and opening the great course of Mao Zedong's leadership of the Chinese revolution.

The fourth section is brilliant military command. Works such as Site of the Zaxi Conference, Erlangtan Ferry on the Chishui River, Crossing the Chishui River Four Times with Brilliant Maneuvering, Thrilling Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Jinsha River, The Second and Sixth Red Army Corps Crossed the Jinsha River Here, Miracle at Anshunchang, Straight to Luding Bridge, Feelings for the Minjiang River, Beside the Dadu River, Historical Echoes of the Dadu River, The Iron Chains of Dadu Bridge Are Cold, Deep Affection for the Qingshui River in Southeastern Guizhou, The Qingyi River Where It Joins the Dadu and Minjiang Rivers, Rapids of the Qingyi River in Sichuan, Flames at Luding, Ties to Wolonggou, Urgent Calls, Danger on All Sides, Hailuogou on the Eastern Edge of Mount Gongga, Memories of Northern Sichuan and Retracing the Long March route depict the important Long March history of crossing the Chishui River four times, skillfully crossing the Jinsha River, passing three strategic points and forcing the Dadu River.

The fifth section is crossing snow mountains and grasslands. The extreme hardship of this stage receives close attention in Long March Epic. Works such as Tumen Battle at Sanyuan Bridge, Site of the Qianfo Mountain Battle, Dawi Meeting Bridge, Checkpoint Built by the Red Army at Maoergai, Crossing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Snow-Covered Mountains, Mounigou in Songpan, Night on the Long Grassland, Boundless Grassland and Farewell to the Grassland record the difficult journey of this stage.

The sixth section is marching north. Works including Breakthrough at Lazikou, The Fierce Battle Once Fought at Banqiao Town, Seven Fairies Cave, Temporary Hospital of the Banqiao Town Battle, Site of the Ejie Conference, Liupan Mountain, The Shock of Wuqi Town, Mao Zedong's Former Residence at Xiasiwan, Site of the Zhiluozhen Battle, Witness of the Bailong River in Southern Gansu, Former Site of the Headquarters of the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps in Sangzhi County, Iron Suspension Bridge over the Pudu River, Nanxun Bridge Crossed by the Red Army during the Attack on Binchuan, Former Site of the Headquarters of the Red Second Front Army at Hadapu, Former Site of the Northwestern Red Army Command Post for the Dingxianyan Battle, Wu Family Courtyard at Mojia Mountain in Hubei, Former Site of the Executive Committee of the Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee, Perseverance of the Hubei-Henan-Shaanxi Border Guerrillas, Site of the Caiyuyao Battle, Meeting Bridge of the First and Fourth Red Front Armies, and Yongping Town in Yanchuan County, Shaanxi, Meeting Place of the Red Twenty-Fifth Army and the Red Twenty-Sixth and Twenty-Seventh Armies, reflect the northward march and the development toward the great reunion of the three main forces.

The seventh section is the poetic Long March. Works such as Memory of the Bonfire, Warm Clouds and Cliffs Washed by Jinsha Waters, Eventful Years, The Journey, River Valley Feelings in Southeastern Guizhou, Ancient Road on Feixian Ridge in Lushan, Sichuan, The Impregnable Pass Is Like Iron, Turning Danger into Safety, Fighting North and South, Red Leaves in the Funiu Mountains of Western Henan, In the Wind and Rain of the Journey and Immortal Spirit reveal the cultural power of Long March Epic from another important perspective.

The basic method for creating Long March Epic is to select key chapters from the vast time and space of the Long March, to focus mainly on restoring historical truth with retracing the Long March route as support, and to combine realism with romanticism. In the name of commemorating the victory of the Long March, these oil paintings were created and depicted to praise the legendary heroic epic and the immortal Long March spirit.