Chao Er Tai

1978

泛黃 / 裸作

POST WINGS

This work is a landscape piece from the middle age of Zhao Erdai, at the age of sixty-one, presenting the most abundant and stable phase of his brushwork language. In the composition, groups of trees stand in formation, with a stream subtly weaving through the woods, where the mist and moisture intertwine, creating a layered and understated rhythm throughout the space.

Unlike the solitary trees and figures often seen in Zhao Erdai's later years, this piece does not emphasize isolation or confrontation but rather showcases a natural state of vibrant life and dynamic energy. The trees are not depicted as isolated individuals but appear as a collective; the brushwork does not seek sharp structures but focuses on wetness and flow. This treatment of "grouped yet not chaotic, moist yet not dispersed" is a quintessential characteristic of Zhao's mature landscape style.

In terms of composition, the artist uses a low creek bank as the reference point for the viewer's gaze, allowing the tree groups to expand like a screen. The distant mountains are rendered with light ink, layer upon layer, receding into the background. The mountains do not overwhelm, nor do the forests intrude; the overall space maintains a sense of breathability, enabling the viewer to "walk" within the painting rather than "gaze up at" it. Although the presence of water is not explicitly depicted, it is implied through wet ink, washes, and reserved spaces, forming an unspoken vital connection.

This work can be seen as the "most unpretentious yet complete" state of Zhao Erdai's landscape style: devoid of philosophical doubt and not leaning towards the solitude of old age, it achieves a stable and introspective balance between nature and the self.

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