ABSTRACT LANDSCAPE IN CHINESE PAINTING OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY – EARLY 21ST CENTURY: A SYNTHESIS OF EASTERN AESTHETICS AND WESTERN FORM (GUAN ZHONG, CHU DE-CHUN, ZHAO WOU-KI)

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the process of synthesis of the Eastern aesthetic tradition and Western formal techniques in the work of the leading Chinese masters of abstract landscape of the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries – Wu Guangzhong, Chu De-Chung and Zao Wou-Ki. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the first comprehensive analysis of the features of the transformation of the traditional Chinese landscape in the abstract practices of key artists of the direction, which made it possible to identify the specifics of their individual artistic methods and establish a clear connection between the national tradition of Guohua and European modernism. The methodological basis of the study includes a comparative analysis of artistic practices, a formal-stylistic method for studying compositional and coloristic solutions, as well as an iconological approach for interpreting the philosophical and aesthetic content of the works. As a result, it is proven that the abstract landscape in the work of the studied artists appears as a unique artistic phenomenon, based on the organic combination of Eastern aesthetics with Western formal innovations. It is established that each of the artists proposed a unique model of reinterpretation of the traditional concepts of «space-whole» and «pictorial rhythm» in the modern artistic context. Wu Guangzhong developed his own version of semi-abstract compositions, combining the structurality of Western modernism with the lyricism of the Chinese tradition; Chu De-Chun actualized the meditative depth of classical painting through a monochrome palette and subtle gradations of texture; Zao Wou-Ki integrated the principles of Chinese rhythm into the practice of abstract expressionism. The conclusions emphasize that it was the deep connection with the national heritage that allowed Chinese masters to create original versions of abstraction, which took a significant place in the global artistic context, opening up new horizons for intercultural dialogue in contemporary fine arts.