Link The Past And The Future

LIANG Zhanfeng(b.1924-d.2003),born in a disadvantaged family,was known as a famous Guangdong bird-and-flower painter.Prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China,his artistic practice started,and stretched into the new era of socialism.Thus,the cultural ideology of the past and new era are both reflected in his entire artistic practice.Such a special time spanning makes his paintings reflect a complete development of modern Chinese bird-and-flower art in Lingnan region,particular in Guangdong province.Although having suffered in the Cultural Revolution,Liang paved his own path and ideas of art.Since the founding of the new China,nearly all studies focus on presenting an overall development of bird-and-flower painting art in Lingnan region,and there are lack of case studies.Against this background,this essay will study Liang's artistic practices,combined with his family background,livelihood and some events in the social development;there are also the demonstration and analysis of how Liang inherited the modern bird-and-flower painting in Lingnan region,especially Liang's artistic style of being pure,irregular,wild,free,and how his art theory reflects "the unity of human and nature" in Taoism;and this eassy also elaborates Liang's education principle of being both sensible and brave.The author thinks that Liang's artistic practices deeply connect with the development of times,the social transformations,and the regional environment.He drew upon the learning experience from various mantors,which makes his painings indirectly inherit the Lingnan art of painting.Not only inherited the drawing tradition,he also gave the modern bird-and-flower art of Lingnan region an innovative style.Liang's painting art is akin to the modern bird-and-flower painting in Lingnan region and it is also a connecting link between the preceding and the following,which has influenced the principles and developments of the bird-and-flower painting in Lingnan region since 1980 s.