ZHU Zhirong.Philosophy of Chinese Art

There is no shortage of books on the philosophy of Chinese art，an enduring topic of scholarly inquiry for Chinese literati of all ages.Sudden spiritual enlightenment，normally achieved by certain Chinese artist who are said to have strong awareness of life，is easy to find.Those who come to notice East-West difference tell us that “We in China consider a painting beautiful when it does not aim at exact representation or adherence to every detail of reality.But they（the Westerners）expend all their pains on giving，by means of light and shade，an appearance of relief—on achieving exact representation of actual objects.”1Arthur Waley，“Chinese Philosophy of Art-IX，” The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs 39（1921）：292.And theorists today have already started systematic elaborations on this topic.

But before Zhu Zhirong’s publication ofZhongguo yishu zhexue《中国艺术哲学》（Philosophy of Chinese Art）（ISBN 978-7-5617-9480-7）in 2012 by East China Normal University Press，there was a lack of conviction and monographs on thesystematic reconstructionof ancient Chinese art theories，a construction that builds upon its local materials but meanwhile draws inspiration from the Western system theories.It has been translated into several foreign languages，and its English version，after over five years of joined efforts and the relentless pursuit of better quality by the team of translators led by Prof.Chen Kaiju，was finally published by Routledge Press in September the 17th，2021.“Chinese writers on art never develop a reasoned sequence of thoughts nor seek to create a systematic art-philosophy.They are content with casual observations，conversations，anecdotes and opinions.”2Ibid.，297.Zhu’s effort systemizes the indigenous theoretical categories of Chinese poetry，painting，calligraphy and music，providing a panoramic view of art theories developed in ancient China.

This volume starts with a brief introduction to the origin，evolution and general features of Chinese art theories as well as research methodology that should be adopted.Brief as it seems，the preface is quite informative.From inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells over three thousand years ago and now readily accessible in National Museum of China，we find the earliest records about music，utensils and buildings.After all the ages of development in practice and theory，art has become an indispensable part of Chinese people’s life（intellectuals in particular），as “For the Chinese，the ideal soul should be the soul embodied by one pursuing the artistic life，and the best state of life should of course be the artistic state where man can observe the spirit of life of the subject and，in union with the universality of beings，its transcending the sensual life，thus acquiring the soul of the self-actualized subject.”3ZHU Zhirong，Philosophy of Chinese Art，2.The author may disagree with Waley，who finds no systematic art-philosophy in China，because his great depth of knowledge tells him that besides the world known masterpiece ofWenxin diao long《文心雕龙》（The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons），among others，there are some notes and essays that may be seemingly scrappy and incomplete，but there is a certain implicit line running through them.

The highly condensed two-Chinese-character titles and subtitles listed in the book’s contents immediately reveal the author’s academic ambition and courageous attempt to establish the studies of classical philosophy of Chinese art as an independent system，his learning and application of the idea of ‘system’ from Western philosophy，aesthetics，psychology as a frame for reference.The author has hoped that an open system of art theories with contemporary consciousness and national characteristics can be constructed as the basis for its own further development and the evolution and diversification of the world art in general.

The book offers a range of highly succinct terms for thinking about aspects of Chinese art theory.The five chapters as the main body are intended to cover five major issues of art creation and appreciation，namely，the subject，the ontological aspects of art，aesthetic traits，artistic representation of Chinese art，and evolution.These issues have been extensively discussed，but have yet to be organized within an established structure of categories.Zhu’s observations have depicted the long-realized but barely theorized phenomenon that art takes up a remarkably important role in ancient Chinese spiritual life，where art is recognized as a significant approach in life fulfillment and the pursuit of artistic state as that of an organic part of and even the highest life state.In their pursuing of such artistic state as that of an organic part of and even the highest life state.In their pursuit of such an artistic state，internal accomplishment and mental transcendence of practical gains and losses are invariably in the foreground with their ultimate achievement of integration with Nature.

Another prominent feature is the author’s citations of various classical sources，so extensive thatI，as one of the three translators，complain（perhaps often bitterly）about the ensuing challenging task of translation while being amazed by the vastness and profundity of theories on art already developed by ancient Chinese.We have had to search for authoritative publications of translations and meanwhile have one eye on Routledge’s stipulation of a quoting limit（no more than 800 English words by the same author）.These quotations together with the author’s arguments，are of distinct writing style of classical Chinese language and with an aesthetic appeal，both to remind readers of possible differences between ancient Chinese art and its Western counterparts.These differences mostly rest with the artists’ and critics’ understanding of “exact representation”，which，in Chinese ancients’ view，goes beyond “form resemblance” to “spiritual likeness” and “intent expression”，4LUO Na，“From Art to Cure：The Three Stages of Theoretical Development of Ancient Chinese Painting from Pre-Qin to Qing Dynasty，” International Journal of Literature and Arts 8，no.2（2020）：39-45.in the artist’s attempt to embody cosmic laws and life spirit.Su Shi 苏轼（1037-1101），for instance，castigated the pursuit of form resemblance in painting as“knowledge of a naïve child.”5cf.Ibid.，71.In his own painting ofMu shi tu《木石图》（Wood and Rock），the sparse dwarf bamboo plants behind the dead wood and jagged rock are seemingly randomly sketched，bearing little resemblance to reality，but they are delicately arranged and serve perfectly to highlight the image and spirit of the wood and rock.

The whole volume has developed around the core concept of “awareness of life” that not only permeates artists but also art theorists，with which the author’s approach can be identified as ontological instead of merely epistemological.“Philosophy of art should not confine itself to the level of epistemology.… ［A］rt is fundamentally the special form of production and creation by human life，one that exists through both the artist’s creation and the recipient’s reception.”6DU Shuying，The Philosophy of Art Reader（Beijing：China Social Science Press，2008），14.From Zhu’s observation，we find there is a procedural unification of the painter and painting，as well as a behavioral spontaneity and integration of the painter and the world，in which the painted and the painting would inevitably become part of the painter's spiritual life.As for reception，the author claims，“By appreciating the works that overflow the author’s intentions，the subject acquires an awakening of self-life and expands the width of life.The immortal charm of the work itself exactly is to be maintained with continuous vitality and regeneration in appreciators from generation to generation.”7ZHU Zhirong，Philosophy of Chinese Art，60.Zhu’s emphasis on “awareness of life” may inspire readers of the post-industrial Western readers to reflect upon their own ways of life，the ecological crises they are facing，and their prime concern for themselves as well as for their own descendants.

With its rich theoretic exploration and systematic interpretation，Philosophy of Chinese artis possibly one of the best introductory monographs for international readers；more importantly，it offers practical significance today when we all seem to be in desperate need of stronger awareness of life and a more poetic way of thinking.“The Chinese were the first people who did not think of the making of pictures as a rather menial task，but who placed the painter on the same level as the inspired poet.”8E.H.Gombrich，The Story of Art（London：Phaidon Press，1989），105.It is a worthwhile cause，in terms of both theoretical and practical significance，to ruminate on and pass down the Chinese people’s poetic way of thinking and their intense awareness of life in art，through a systematic approach with typical ideas condensed or generalized into succinct theoretical terms.Along with the process of building a new society，the Chinese have had to leave behind the social security of life in the communist ear（referring to the planned economy）and enter a fresh new world that may also be chaotic and full of risk.9Ming Cheung，“Contemporary Chinese art and the dream of glocalization，” Social Semiotics 24（2014）：225-42.If the prophecy would come true that there is only one possible world with ‘Continuous buildings，endless highways，infinite urbanization，a city beyond the limits of the imagination … huge urban blocks，surging arteries，expanding ring roads，metros，airports，refineries，power plants，bullet trains，a city that devours the countryside，scraping the mountains and the sky’ as Holmes has described，10cf.Ibid.life for anyone without art would become unbearably vapid and boring.Art and philosophy of art would perhaps become our last paradise.