Fan Bingnan, an explorer of modern deconstructivist painting

Nanyangzi

• Following in the footsteps of Zhao Wangyun of the Chang'an School, Fan Bingnan, a post-Chang'an School painter who re-examined traditional Chinese landscape painting and attempted to directly enter a state of modern deconstruction through reform, examination, and rejection of tradition, has for decades remained outside the so-called "Chinese art scene, or even the Chang'an art scene." In his view, the Chang'an School, as a school born in a historical period, has completed its mission of pioneering and developing art over the past century, thus drawing a relatively complete conclusion to that era's history. Therefore, who should undertake and carry forward the new development of art after the Chang'an School? This has become Fan Bingnan's artistic pursuit and historical mission, which he has been exploring and practicing for nearly half a century.

  
  

• We know that "the technical system of traditional Chinese painting, after repeated practice by literati painters of the Ming and Qing dynasties, had degenerated into an empty, formulaic shell. Its emotional depth had long been drained, and its relationship with natural objects had been severed. The tiresome, monotonous style of painting had long plagued Chinese painters. The minor modifications and alterations by masters of this century have not damaged the integrity of tradition in the slightest." As early as the beginning of the last century, Mr. Chen Zizhuang, born in Sichuan, upon witnessing this historical ill of painting, began to doubt tradition. He consciously realized the need to question tradition and even soberly discovered that it was possible to create completely Chinese-style paintings without relying too heavily on traditional techniques. If Chinese painting is to continue to forge a new self, it must dismantle those outdated and conventional secular theories. Viewing the dismantling of tradition as a "groundbreaking" rebirth will undoubtedly provide a possible "phoenix rebirth" for the development of Chinese painting.

  
  

• "Because a holistic, unbroken tradition is almost meaningless to modern people, only a fragmented tradition offers the possibility of selection and transformation. Only after these transformations occur can the long and complex old tradition, which has become a burden on modern Chinese painting, be transformed into nourishment for modern Chinese painting creation." (Quoted from Chen Zhidong's article "The Significance of Chen Zizhuang")

  
  

• Fan Bingnan, after studying under the masters Zhao Wangyun and He Haixia, has always maintained a strong sense of historical mission and the ambition to extend the art of the Chang'an School of painting. In order to achieve breakthroughs and innovations in landscape painting, Fan Bingnan chose to go to the United States as early as 1989. In an article, he wrote: "I chose America to completely change my ideas and re-examine the composition, structure, coloring, and brushwork of Chinese painting." This period was precisely when Mr. Fan Bingnan dared to break through constraints, adopting a global cultural perspective of "based in Chang'an, integrating East and West," and embarking on an exploration, discovery, and artistic practice across the ocean, "traveling freely with wine in hand." Since settling in the United States, Mr. Fan Bingnan, through his continuous social activities and networking in Sino-US cultural and artistic exchanges, began to reflect on the historical status and contemporary reality of traditional Chinese ink painting within the broader global cultural context and the ideology of the global village. In his view, "Deconstructing tradition is not about overthrowing it. Rather, it's about embracing tradition, finding within it the artistic interference that has led to the decline, even emptiness and weakness, of Chinese painters over the past century—a lack of contemporary passion and emotional fire. Where exactly did these problems originate? If these issues are not resolved, Chinese ink painting will continue to exist in two parallel paths—tradition and innovation—without achieving true integration." This profound artistic reflection, which contradicts the principles of traditional transformation, has led Fan Bingnan to constantly travel between the United States and China. In his personal artistic world, the question of whether painting, severed from its umbilical cord to its mother culture, can survive and continue to thrive and be vibrant remains a significant concern; how to make tradition more appealing in the contemporary era, without losing its heritage while infinitely revitalizing the language of painting to make it more modern and influenced by mainstream global culture in the current art world.

  
  

• This series of significant artistic reflections and theoretical ruminations ultimately became the artistic themes he consistently explored and pursued in his paintings.

  
  

• Artistic reflection and rumination are painful, and artistic exploration and practice are even more of an extreme test and a long process of refinement for the painter. Having achieved a comprehensive understanding of the cultural and artistic consciousness of the world, Fan Bingnan finally managed to create sufficient distance from the heights of historical materialism and specific aesthetic value orientations to understand the potential breakthroughs of the Chang'an School of painting as a unique branch of Chinese painting. This groundbreaking breakthrough inevitably led to changes and transformations in artistic concepts and creative methods. These changes and transformations were not minor but rather involved finding modern composition and the disintegration of brush and ink within the essential core of Chinese ink painting itself. The tools he possessed remained within the tradition of Chinese ink painting, but the guiding consciousness and compositional elements of the spiritual essence were entirely new concepts leading aesthetic qualities into free composition.

  
  

• Soon, we saw Fan Bingnan's painting language and compositional forms gradually transcend into another visual state. The ink elements he employs and controls no longer rely entirely on the rigid addition and subtraction formulas of traditional composition. Instead, they shift towards subjective aesthetic choices and conscious positioning, even utilizing "poetic imagery variations" to infuse new spiritual elements into the work. By abandoning the fixed formulas of traditional addition and subtraction, he transforms and absorbs them into "impressionistic and spiritual lyricism."

  
  

• This artistic treatment allows us to quickly perceive the painter's vibrant and surging inner emotions imbued in the landscape, demonstrating an artistic spirit that is restrained yet full of contemporary passion, constructed without relying on the nihilistic, weak, and decadent ink symbols of traditional landscape painting.

  
  

• By tracing Fan Bingnan's artistic pursuit, we can also see in some of his works the influence of tradition he adheres to. However, a complete break with tradition, or even a complete severing of ties with the past painting style of the Chang'an School, is not an easy task. Yet, we can clearly see that after gradually absorbing the essence and historical advancements of the Chang'an School, Fan Bingnan did not simply deny its value and merits. Instead, he discovered a "postmodern Chang'an painting method" through modern deconstruction and dismantling—a point quite similar to Zhao Wangyun's artistic tendency to rebel against tradition and forge a new path.

  
  

• Because Fan Bingnan's painting stance has always maintained a oscillating and reflective approach between East and West, another major aesthetic idea in his works is deeply imbued with the spirit of Eastern culture.

  
  

• As a painter who is both a pioneer in deconstructing the postmodern Chang'an School and influenced by Western cultural concepts, Fan Bingnan's painting has, for a considerable period of time and in the realm of regional culture, already transcended the boundaries of East and West. As the renowned writer Jia Pingwa highly praised his work, "A western China, a western America, together complete the grand scope of Fan Bingnan." More importantly, Fan Bingnan's lifelong artistic career encompassed diverse artistic experiences and a wide range of backgrounds, from East to West and North to South. He held a particularly deep love for traditional Chinese culture and history. Therefore, his works not only inherit and extend the traditions of Chinese ink painting, especially the Chang'an School, but also bring Western modern painting theories and practices back to China, showcasing them to the nation through his art. Thus, his exploration and pursuit in painting are not merely personal endeavors, but the pursuit of a true artist.

  
  

• Nanyangzi, First written on July 7, 2007 at Beilin Zilu