Owners' best ten Paintings in 2017

The owner of Asnet Art Gallery made little improvement in his paintings during the 1st half of 2017 (I do not know why) while made more satisfactory ones more in the 2nd half (I do not know why either). So most of the best ten paintings were made in the 2nd half.

The 2nd best in 2017

Minimalism

The 3rd best in 2017

This differs from those made in the past, a kind of new expression and therefore rendering a new kind of impression, made in early October. The best one in 2017.

 Extra

AAG

Possession or appreciation of beauty

Most art collectors buy a painting, sculpture, ceramic pot, furniture or whatever which has a artistic value or beauty to appreciate it more at any time they want or may be for the purpose of investment. For appreciation you do not have to possess it. You may appreciate it more before possessing it actually. Like a photographer, I imagine, he or she looks at an object and its surroundings very carefully from several different angles, distances, light and many other conditions to make his or her photo being taken in the best way. In a way he or she is in a process of appreciating an object under different conditions before taking a photo. Once a photo or photos taken all these activities (actually of appreciating a thing or thongs) cease.

In Chine people appreciate the moon during the evening and night on the mid date (15th) of the month of August of the lunar calendar. Nobody cannot possess the moon but people can appreciate the beauty of the moon. How much they appreciate depends on the person.

AAG

China Pottery

Just 13cm in diameter, the celadon brush washer is valued by Sotheby’s at above HK$100 million but is expected to fetch a higher price because it is so rare.
The sky is the limit when it comes to the final price.
It is one of only 87 known surviving pieces from the imperial Ru kiln in Henan province, which produced elegant, monochrome pieces exclusively for the Northern Song court in the late 11th century and early 12th century. Only four known Ru wares currently remain in private hands.

From SCMP (Aug 24, 2017)

This tiny dish (even as a brush washer) was sold at HK$294.3 million (US$37.7 million) at the auction in 3rd Oct, 2017. SCMP (Oct 4, 2017). The weather was cloudy but the sky was high.


My View on China Pottery

Song's Pottery - Elegant, static and feminine.
Yuan's Pottery - Powerful, dynamic and masculine (my favorite and undervalued). See below.

Ming's Pottery - Not bad somewhere between Song's and Yuan's but Furniture is better.
Qing Dynasty Pottery - Mostly rubbish including Emperors' belongings (utterly overvalued)


AAG

Elegant art and abstract art

You can find elegant women, fashions, clothes, furniture, buildings, houses, manners and behaviors and even mathematics formulas, physics equations and some movements in sports. But 'elegant' paintings are seldom heard. Elegance makes or elegant things make people feel pleasant. There are many paintings which make people feel pleasant but most of them are not called or regarded as 'elegant'. Van Gogh's paintings are far from elegant but they make people feel pleasant but not through elegance. Picasso's paintings are can be said as 'elegant' in a way but many people may not agree. Mona Lisa (Joconda) looks like an elegant woman but this Da Vinci's painting is not necessarily elegant. We seldom heard elegant music either.

This is may be because paintings and music are pure arts and have no practical functions while the other things like women, fashions, clothes, furniture, buildings, houses, manners, behaviors and some movements in sports have some practical functions. Mathematics formulas are physics equations can be regarded as having functions when they are used. Elegant mathematics formulas and physics equations solve complicated problems or analyze complicated relations in unexpectedly simple ways. This may be a hint to answer the question - what are pure arts ?

The adjective 'elegant' is used often equally as 'beautiful'. Beautiful things make people pleasant. Ugly things usually make people feel unpleasant. We seldom heard 'ugly' paintings and 'ugly' music either.

Abstract paintings do not make people unpleasant but may make people puzzled, uncomfortable and even fearful or unsafe (the word which I found recently). Fearful or unsafe feeling comes from the lack of something and you cannot fill it since you do not know what is missing. This contrasts with elegance. Elegance is fulfilled, well balanced, no sense of lacking. See below. 

According to wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimalism#Less_is_more_.28architecture.29)

"
The concept of minimalist architecture is to strip everything down to its essential quality and achieve simplicity. The idea is not completely without ornamentation, but that all parts, details, and joinery are considered as reduced to a stage where no one can remove anything further to improve the design.
"

AGG

"Less is more" or "Less is a bore"

"Less is more." is a manifest of Minimalism. An American fashion icon Iris Apfel (95 years old in 2017) says "More is more. Less is a bore." Both are true. I like "Less is more" better because it has more meanings. You can find more meanings in "Less " or "Less" brings you more meanings in buildings, houses, furniture, paintings or any any other artistic things. You have more freedom to find meanings belonging to you. You can appreciate more, whatever they are, in "Less". Empty space is not empty at all if the empty space is carefully treated and arranged. When you are packed in a tight space with little empty space you have no freedom to move.

Elegance often comes from simplicity but these two are not equal. Simplicity may have its extreme simplicity while elegance will not go to its extreme elegance, which does not exist. Elegance is degree and relative, not absolute. Simplicity may bring beauty but not always and may bring a bore while elegance always brings beauty and never brings a bore.

Elegance derives from combination of several or even many factors. You may be able to analyze elegance derived from a few factors but you cannot when derived from many factors - very many or countless combinations of many factors. Never the less elegance is well balanced. There may be the several best elegances. Never the less elegance is much simpler than decorative things. Decoration is unlimited while simplicity converged to the most simple.

AAG

XuGu （虚谷）

XuGu （虚谷）is a priest painter like Shitao （石涛）. But XuGu （虚谷）is much more near to us.
Shitao （石涛）1642–1707,  Qing Dynasty (1644–1911)
XuGu （虚谷）1824–1896

Shitao lived in early Qing while XuGu lived in late Qing, almost two hundred years apart. I once liked XuGu's paintings, say about 20 years ago but my interest shifted to some other Chinese painters. XuGu's paintings are conspicuous and easy to recognize. His paintings have his own "风格" or "taste" or "style" or "uniqueness" so he has been regarded as a great master painter in China. Like Shitao XuGu tried to sell his paintings in the market. Maybe the time was different XuGu's attempt seems successful to some extent unlike Shitao. This may be due to the environments in his period when the commercialization of paintings and the market of paintings were emerging. Shitao tried to modernize (change) the Chinese paintings with his great ambition. Though XuGu also tried to modernize the Chinese paintings but at a much more personal level, ie his own paintings and with not so big ambition. His modernization (being different from the old styles) was made but seems to have been made more by the influences of his friends (including well known painters) than by his own thoughts.

However he made remarkable modernization in Chinese paintings. His paintings show this. I have checked his paintings and found the followings:


1) Simple 3D Expression on 2D (paper)

 
  
Please look at the round shape lotus roots and you may find their thickness.


 2) Rhythm and movement



Repetitive patterns (in space) create rhythm in painting like repetitive sound patterns in time passing
create rhythm in music. This painting also makes a viewer to feel movement or even speed. This is due to the same downward direction of a group of fish and the arrow like shape of fish. You may count the number of fish but most Chinese people count them and find the clearly visible eight (8), which is the lucky number for them. Plus Yu 鱼 (meaning fish in Chinese) sound like another Yu 余(meaning abundant or rich in Chinese). So this painting was made intentionally for sales. This is a common practice in China. Not purely <Art for Art>. Never the less this painting has a very high artistic value.



The repetitive patterns render rhythm.


3) 3D Expression in 2D Landscape painting




Near - Mid - Far objects create space.
Please also see the third picture - Repetitive pattern landscape.
 

AAG 
 

 

"Less is more" or Minimalism

This post is a continuation of the previous post "Eleganza (Italian) = beauty for Italian people". "Eleganza" is not equal to "being simple" or "in a simple way" but means a lot more than you expect. Please see the previous Post.

Now let's think about  "Less is more" or Minimalism. This is originated from the architecture, but can be applied to other fields including art. For a painting "Less has More (empty) space." See my painting shown in this post. Empty space or Void (usually used for the Chinese Charater 虚) is a very important element for Oriental (Chinese and Japanese) paintings.

According to wiki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimalism#Less_is_more_.28architecture.29)

"
The concept of minimalist architecture is to strip everything down to its essential quality and achieve simplicity. The idea is not completely without ornamentation, but that all parts, details, and joinery are considered as reduced to a stage where no one can remove anything further to improve the design.
"

If "Less is more" or Minimalism is "completely without ornamentation" the art will be stripped out and lose the reason for its existence in our life since the art is inherently ornamentation. Even without art or beautiful things you can lead a everyday life with no serious problem. And almost all of us do in this way again mostly every day. But our lives "completely without ornamentation" will become very bleak and desolated.


Also refer to my old post "Zen Paintings" posted on May 31, 2011



AAG

Eleganza (Italian) = beauty for Italian people

For Italian people eleganza (Italian, = elegance) is almost equal to "beauty". This is not just for fashion but can be applied to a large part of industrial designs like cars and home appliances. You can find elegance or beauty in their products. Or this concept of eleganza even can be applied to many aspects of their whole world and society.

Comparing with the French word "chic" (= elegantly and stylishly fashionable.) the Italian "eleganza" has profound and deep meanings at least to the Italian people. I have checked the word Eleganza (Italian, = elegance) by some internet available dictionaries. When you use an Italian-English dictionary you can find the following simple equivalent.

eleganza = elegance

Actually you can easily guess in English and do not have to check it with a dictionary. But if you use Italian-Italian dictionaries you can dig into what the word eleganza means to Italian people.

1. Olivetti Dizionario 
http://www.dizionario-italiano.it/dizionario-italiano.php

eleganza

1 qualità di ciò che è fine e avvenente, ma senza ricercatezza  ( ricercatezza  = cura eccessiva e leziosa)

The important part is the last " ma senza ricercatezza".

ricercatezza  = cura eccessiva e leziosa

"cura" is almost "care". So it means "but without excessive care and "leziosa". What does "leziosa" mean ?

lezióso :   affettato, svenevole

affettàto
ridotto a fette (to reduce to slices), tagliato (sliced, cut), svenevole (an adjective from the verb "svenire")

1 che ha un comportamento eccessivamente sensibile, languido, sdolcinato da sembrare quasi sul punto di svenire maniere svenevoli

2 per estensione eccessivamente lezioso, affettato; artatamente manierato un modo svenevole di parlare

In our case here No. 2 is to be considered.

------

svenire (s + venire) = to lose senses

1 (ESSERE) perdere i sensi (to lose senses) momentaneamente, venire meno temporaneamente lesse la notizia e svenne

2 (ESSERE) figurato in usi iperbolici, spesso associato al verbo fare, si dice proposito di quanto susciti una forte sensazione di nausea, di disgusto o di irritazione, noia, fastidio una lezione così noiosa da far svenire

In our case here also No. 2 is to be considered. 

In other words, elegance means "the quality of something which is fine, refined, becoming, just right but never being too fastidious.


2. The Freedictinary
http://it.thefreedictionary.com

eleganza
nome femminile

1. caratteristica di ciò che è gradevole, fine, armonico e sim. eleganza di stile

2. modo di vestirsi e di comportarsi che rivela buon gusto una donna di straordinaria eleganza eleganza innata 

The key word is  "armonico (harmonious)". Being or making something harmonious requires us to make several different things (factors) together to create something better (more beautiful in our case) than the one made by the addition or accumulation of each thing (factor).

------

As ref - similar to 1. Olivetti Dizionario but  more elaborate

http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/elegante/
 
elegante agg. [dal lat. elĕgans -antis, der. di eligĕre «scegliere»]. – 1. Che ha insieme grazia e semplicità, rivelando cura e buon gusto senza affettazione o eccessiva ricercatezza, detto degli atti, del comportamento o della persona: andatura, portamento e.; il giorno in cui se ne andò di casa lo fece in maniera e. e indolore: lasciando un biglietto (Antonio Tabucchi); spesso con particolare riferimento all’acconciatura e al vestire: una signora e.; dei giovani molto e.; la società, il mondo e.; gli ambienti e. della vita cittadina. Anche di cose: un abito e. (anche per indicare un abito da pomeriggio o da sera o da cerimonia, di stoffa e fattura fini, in contrapp. all’abito sportivo o da mattina o da ufficio e sim., che non ha cioè pretese di eleganza); una elegante fuoriserie; un mobile e.; una e. rilegatura; un edificio di linee e.; una via, un quartiere elegante. Con riguardo al modo di scrivere o di parlare: stile, discorso e.; un e. parlatore; Giovani vati e artefici e. (Foscolo). Talvolta con valore di avverbio: scrivere, vestire elegante. (..... and more)

-----

One of antonyms: ostentation

Simplicity relates with eleganza but it is a just a part of eleganza. "Less is more" may mean more but Zen like statement.

sptt

Shitao's Hua-p'u (Treatise on the Philosophy of Painting)

Shitao wrote 画谱 or Hua-p'u (or 画语录 or Hua-Yu-Lu) (Treatise on the Philosophy of Painting) of course in Chinese. According to the content of his writing we can call it simply ＜(Shitao's) Treatise on Painting＞ as the original Chinese names of the book (booklet) do not have the word for Philosophy. I tried this several times before but gave it up because of the difficulties both in Chinese language and the content. I recently tried it again (2017) and found it more meaningful after some study of old Chinese writings and grammar through reading two Chinese famous novels written in Ming Dynasty - 水滸傳 or Water Margin and 封神演義 or The Investiture of the Gods. I spent a lot of time on dictionaries during the reading of these two long novels. Also the accumulation of the time which I spent on my own painting practice on Sundays may attribute to more understanding what Shitao wrote on paintings. You can down load the original Chinese text and English translation with some good explanation of the translator - COLEMAN, Earle Jerome (All rights reserved 1971) : <philosophy of painting by Shih-T'ao : a translation and exposition of his Hua-P'u : treatise on the philosophy of painting.>

uhm_phd_7210163_r

I also checked several Chinese books - modern ones from 1990' (especially 杨成寅's 石涛画学本义 1995) and Chinese explanations available on internet.  Even Chinese artists and art critics have found the Shitao's writings difficult or deep or ambiguous in meaning and therefore sometimes showed quite different explanations to the same subject and word.

The following is my understanding of the ＜Shitao's treatise on the philosophy of painting＞.

I used the texts of of the above ＜Shitao's Hua-p'u (Treatise on the Philosophy of Painting)＞ by COLEMAN, Earle Jerome (All rights reserved 1971) - uhm_phd_7210163_r

------------

The difficulties of understanding are due to

1) Shitao used some not-commonly-used words to express his thoughts on painting. He used these uncommon words because he needed these words as his thoughts was new to the readers at that time or even now. Usually unique ideas and new concepts which have never existed before they need some new words. And these words are keys to the understanding.

Examples

蒙养 - Concealment in nondifferentiation

"Concealment in nondifferentiation" is a very elaborate translation. What is "nondifferentiation"? This is the question to which answer we must dig out. Literally "nondifferentiation" means "non" "differentiation".

生活 - Spirit of life

"Spirit of life" is rather a superficial translation. he Chinese ＜生活＞is literally ＜Life (and) Spirit＞. In Chinese 生 means living (also life) and 活 means living (against being dead) as well. So 生活 can be translated into "living and living". Shitao used the word 生活 as being contrast (not opposite) to 蒙养 - Concealment in nondifferentiation in rhetoric. So 生活 means "Manifestation" in contrast to "Concealment". Then "Manifestation" of what ? The answer would be "Manifestation of Concealment in nondifferentiation". Then we have been back to the question "What is nondifferentiation?" again. This is a big question when you consider artistic creation. "生活 may be "Spirit of life", "Spirit of nature - mountains, water, trees, etc". I want to add simply "beauty" or "Spirit of beauty". In other words 生活 means "Manifestation" of Inner Beauty （内在美） and Hidden Beauty. （Please refer to my post - Inner Beauty （内在美） and Hidden Beauty. ）Shitao did not use the word "beauty" （美，美丽）. Why Shitao did not use the word "beauty" ? This is because 生活 （Manifestation of Spirit of life and/or nature) is more important than "beauty" in Chinese landscape paintings. Comparing with 蒙养 - Concealment in nondifferentiation or in my case Inner Beauty （内在美） and Hidden Beauty, Manifestation process is difficult to analyze and to express in words. Shitao tried this but even Shitao's talent did not make him fully successful because of its difficult nature.

资任 - to render

资任 (found first in the last Chapter 18 and the key two words for this last chapter) - Shitao used ＜资＞＜任＞ separately mostly. But the both words ＜资＞＜任＞can read as ＜to render＞in English. The verb ＜to render＞has a versatile meanings in English and fits with these Chinese words, especially ＜任＞ while ＜资＞literally means a kind of "sources".

2) He may have written this gook(let) for painters as well as those who would appreciate or buy his paintings. So some background knowledge about paintings, especially Chinese Landscape Paintings or 山水画 is required for deeper understanding.

3) Some background knowledge of ancient Chinese philosophies, especially Taoism or 道(教) and Yì or 易(经) and is also required to see the things hidden in or behind the story he tells.

Though Shitao's Hua-p'u comprises of 18 Chapters and each is short I selected the opening Chapter 1, Chapters 5, 6, 7 and the last Chapter 18 in this post as the first and the last chapters are the very keys and Chapters 5, 6, 7 show the practical methods.

--------

Chapter 1 - Oneness of Brush Strokes

In Chapter 1 - Oneness of Brush Strokes Shitao started this treatise by saying

"
In remote, ancient days there were no principles. The primordial p'o (or state of uncarved block) had not been dispersed. As soon as the principal p'o was dispersed principal emerged.
"
The primordial p'o can be referred to "chaos", which is the state of things being not dispersed and not differentiated.

"Chaos" can be "chaotic status" but also can be regarded as "oneness" or "unity" in a way. This seems very contradictory but could be one possible concept which Shitao tried to convey to the readers. We can find this kind of contradictory arguments in Zen as well.

＜Oneness of Brush Strokes＞is not a literal translation of the original Chinese ＜一画＞. The translator does not say ＜One Brush Stroke＞, which is is a literal translation and totally wrong. ＜Oneness＞is somewhat philosophical. Taoism talks about Zero or None （無）or Emptiness, Absence, Void （虚）as very meaningful ideas and concepts to interpret the world. For Taoists One （一）is All.

Shiato declares:

"
. . . . . . . However, man in the world does not realize this. I was the first to discover the principle of oneness of strokes.

"

The following Shitao's statement cannot be understood without this contradictory concept.

腕不虚则画非是， 画非是则腕不灵。
(literally, if the arm is not empty the painting is not good; if the the painting is not good the arm has no spirit.)

I think that this part may have used a commonly used Chinese rhetoric. The Chinese part can be arranged

腕不虚不灵, 则画非是.
(literally, if the arm does not have emptiness and spirit the painting is not good.)

This part is missing in 画谱 or Hua-p'u but exists in 画语录 or Hua-Yu-Lu. So the meaning of translation sounds nonsense or misleading. The translator knew this so he quoted this part separately as from 画语录 or Hua-Yu-Lu and added some meaningful explanation. Please read the original text.

One form is selected or created from all possible forms. One method is selected or created from all possible methods. These selection or creation processes are the key concept of Shitao's Hua-p'u and the methods of making good paintings. These processes go on in human mind so cannot be seen.

Before making these processes going forward (manifestation of creation) one important thing required to do is to find and see the hidden beauty and spirit of an object when you paint. The hidden beauty and spirit cannot be seen by eyes but can be seen by mind through eyes. Please refer to my post - Inner Beauty and Hidden Beauty.


Chapter 5 - Unity of brush strokes and ink wash

The original Chinese title of Chapter 5 is simply ＜Brush and (black) Ink＞The importance of the use of a brush and ink has been talked about million times before and after Shitao. Shitao also talked about the use of a brush and ink in Chapter 5. ＜Unity of brush strokes and ink wash＞has a lot more meanings than ＜Brush and Ink＞, especially the word ＜unity＞, which is closely connected with the word ＜One＞or ＜一＞. Shitao explains the relationship between Brush and Ink but did not expressly mentioned ＜Unity of brush and ink＞. He elaborated the relationship between Brush and Ink in his own way. This is the point.

Another possible Chinese commonly used rhetoric.

墨之濺笔也灵，笔之运墨以神。
墨非蒙养不灵，笔非生活不神。

The splash of the ink onto the brush is to be done with spirit. The revolving of the brush moves the ink with spirit.
Ink wash cannot be spiritual unless one has achieved the state of Concealment in nondifferentiation.
If the brush stroke is not endowed vitality, then the brush is without spirit.

The first line of the Chinese is insufficient as a statement and difficult to understand or can be understood differently. It can be paraphrased as

墨之濺 笔也灵,
笔之运 墨以神。

And then can be arranged as

墨之濺, 笔之运 笔墨灵神。
(Literally, the splash of the ink and the revolving of the brush make the brush and ink spiritual.)

This is more clear as an explanation for ＜ Unity of brush strokes and ink wash＞.

＜灵＞and ＜神＞or ＜灵神＞can be translated into spirit, vitality, life, vividness. ＜神＞(literally means god) rarely means a god of God in China.

The second line also can be arranged as

墨笔 非蒙养 非生活 不灵不神。
 (Literally, the ink and the brush, unless having the concealment in nondifferentiation and spirit of life cannot bring spirit, vitality, life, vividness.

能受蒙养之灵而不解生活之神， 是有墨无笔也。
能受生活之神而不变蒙养之灵， 是有笔无墨也。

If the brush contains the spirit of concealment in nondifferentiation, yet cannot release the spirit of life, then this is ink wash without brush strokes.
If one's brush can contain the spirit of life, but cannot transform this into concealment in nondifferentiation, then this is having brush strokes without ink wash.

This part is longer and looks more obviously rhetoric. This part can be arranged as

能受蒙养之灵（和）能受生活之神， 是有墨有笔也。
（如果）不变蒙养之灵（和）不解生活之神， 是无墨无笔也。

The translator seems to have seen this rhetoric and asked the readers to read this part in this re-arranged way as the English title of this chapter ＜Unity of brush strokes and ink wash＞suggests. Please read the original text. This kind of Chinese rhetoric (which is very often used) can be applied to some other parts as well instead of following the sentences in the straight way.


Chapter 6 - Motions of the wrist

Chinese painters use Chinese style brushes. They did not use pencils or pens or Western style brushes. The 'wrist" may be misleading. The original Chinese word is 腕, which means "arm". If you place your wrist (which is holding a brush) on the table you may use your wrist very much and the movement of the brush largely controlled by the movement of the wrist. But Chinese painter's wrist usually in not placed on a table except when painting a very small object or writing small letters. Also the word "movement", rather than "motion", is more appropriate. Motion sounds like more mechanical and automatic. I do sketches mostly outdoor and standing, no table on which my wrist is placed. My wrist holding a pen (I use a ball-point pen) is mostly fixed while my arm is moving. However as my mind and eyes are seeing an object and the paper and the tip of the pen I rarely see how my arm moves while sketching.

Further more as most Chinese painting books show - how to hold a brush by using one thumb and two fingers, one thumb and three fingers, one thumb and four fingers. Especially when using one thumb and four fingers it is much more easy to move an arm than to move the wrist so the stroke will become bolder than fine-tuned.

In Chapter 6 Shiato declares:

Ever since the ancients, never before has painting the scenery of mountains and seas depended upon empty theories and the prejudice of one's own references. I think Ta-Ti-Tzu's (another name of Shitao) individuality is too high, establishing a method beyond the world !

Different uses of the arm (wrist) create different effects. But Shitao describes these techniques as processes of creation of paintings and also relates these with 蒙养 - Concealment in nondifferentiation and 生活 - Spirit of life. The latter two (Concealment in nondifferentiationare and Spirit of life) are hidden sources and forces respectively and more important than the techniques for paintings.

If the wrist is flexible and alert, then the painting can freely change in brush strokes, as if cutting and uncovering, then forms are not foolishly concealed.

Original: 腕若虚灵则画能折变， 笔如載掲则形不痴蒙。

＜画＞is literally painting but more precisely ＜lines and forms (made by brush strokes)＞here.
＜as if cutting and uncovering＞means ＜as if cutting by a knife and opening a cover or a lid quickly＞.
＜forms are not foolishly concealed＞ means ＜forms are clear and distinctive＞.
Here＜虚灵＞is translated as ＜flexible and alert＞. ＜虚＞is translated as ＜flexible＞in the other places. ＜灵＞is not necessarily ＜alert＞and  may be misleading. In modern Chinese ＜灵活＞ means alert, agile, quick to response properly, actively flexible, etc. ＜活＞of ＜灵活＞is the same word as ＜活＞of ＜生活＞ - Spirit of life. The Chinese ＜生活＞is literally ＜Life (and) Spirit＞

If your wrist is gifted in substantiality, then your brush work will be solid and transparent (will penetrate the paper).
Original: 腕受实则沉着透彻，

When the wrist is gifted in flexibility it flies and dances to unlimited heights.
Original：腕受虚则飞舞悠扬

＜虚＞(None, Emptiness, Absence, Void) is translated as "flexibility", which is not a mistake and a sensible translation.
＜悠扬＞ is not ＜to unlimited heights＞but literally ＜harmoniously and continuously＞.

If the wrist follows the correct position (upright) then the line is solid, concentrated in the brush tip.
Original: 腕运正直则行笔中锋

If the wrist is slanted, then incline for the fullest expression (as plum branches)
Original: 腕受仄则欹斜尽致

The upright and slanted position of the brush are mojour techniques.

If your wrist is quick, hold it and let it go in order to achieve power.
Original: 腕受疾则操纵得势

＜操纵＞is to control rather than <let it go>. ＜势＞may be <power> and may be ＜powerful movement＞as well as ＜direction＞.

If the wrist moves slowly, then ascending and descending have beauty.
Original: 腕受迟在拱揖有情

＜拱揖＞originally means (to bow in a Chinese way). It may mean ＜to embrace ＞or ＜to surround＞. ＜有情＞ can be ＜beauty＞ or ＜(soft and warm) feeling＞. In modern Chinese it means ＜to have love for＞.

The quick and slow movement of the are mojour techniques.

If the wrist is free, then it is harmoniously natural.
Original: 腕受化则浑合自然

＜化＞is translated as ＜free＞ but more literally ＜change＞or ＜transformation＞. See the next phrase. ＜浑合自然＞can be translated as ＜to be integrated into the nature＞.

If the wrist moves slowly, then ascending and descending have beauty.
Original: 腕受迟在拱揖有情

＜拱揖＞originally means (to bow in a Chinese way).  It may mean ＜to embrace ＞or ＜to surround＞. ＜有情＞ can be ＜beauty＞ or ＜(soft and warm) feeling＞. In modern Chinese it means ＜to have love for＞.

The quick and slow movement of the are mojour techniques.

If the wrist is free, then it is harmoniously natural.
Original: 腕受化则浑合自然

＜化＞is translated as ＜free＞ but more literally ＜change＞or ＜transformation＞. See the next phrase. ＜浑合自然＞can be translated as ＜to be integrated into the nature＞.

If the wrist transforms, then the diversity is extremely unusual.
Original: 腕受变则陆离谲怪

＜变＞means literally ＜change＞. ＜化＞and ＜变＞do not much differ in meaning. ＜变化＞is a common modern Chinese word for ＜change＞. ＜陆离谲怪＞means ＜unusual, unrealistic surrealistic, transcendent＞ and has a good connotation here. Not common.
(surrealistic, transcendent: beyond or above the range of normal or physical human experience.)

If the wrist is wonderful, then there are spirit labor and and god axe.
Original: 腕受奇则神工鬼斧

＜wonderful＞should read literally ＜wonder + full＞here, not just＜very good＞.
＜wonder + full＞means ＜a full of  unusual things (techniques)＞. ＜spirit labor and and god axe＞is literal translation for ＜神工鬼斧＞, which means work (lines, painting) as if made by spirit and god.
 
If the wrist has spirit, the streams and mountain peaks present their soul.
Original: 腕受神则川岳荐灵。

Chapter 7 - Harmonious atmosphere

This chapter、following the previous Chapter 5 ＜Unity of brush strokes and ink wash＞, starts by saying

"
When the brush strokes and ink wash are unified, this is called yin yun, this is harmonious atmosphere. Yin and Yun are not divided, they are harmonized (nondifferentiated).

"

We can find here ＜harmonized = nondifferentiated＞. So ＜nondifferentiated＞means not just "non" "differentiated" but has more profound and deep meaning(s).


Chapter 7 has some Zen like riddle statements.

"
Even if the brush stroke is not a brush stroke (does not appear particularly desirable), ink is not ink (fails to impress) and the painting is not a painting (does not qualify as exemplary), my own reality is in painting,

"

The original Chinese does not have the phrases in the parentheses (   ) so it becomes simply

"
Even if the brush stroke is not a brush stroke, ink is not ink and the painting is not a painting , my own reality is in painting.

"

The last statement "my own reality is in painting" is not a mistake and very an elaborate translation again. But original Chinese 自有我在 shows more painter's individualism strongly.

纵使笔不笔，墨不墨，画不画，自有我在。

This individualism is further emphasized by the following statement.


"
（my own reality is in painting,） for one moves the ink, the ink does not move him. He holds the brush, the brush does not hold him.

"

Chapter 18 - Creativity and Fulfillment of nature

Chapter 18 is very difficult to read and understand. As I mentioned earlier the key words of Chapter 18 are ＜资＞＜任＞and these two words 资任 are never used until Chapter 18. The both words ＜资＞＜任＞can read as ＜to render＞. ＜任＞ happens to be pronounced ＜rèn ＞.

The verb ＜to render＞has versatile and meaningful meanings in English especially for esthetics (study of beauty of artistic works). Please see the diagram below.

蒙养                                                                          生活
(Concealment in     ＜－－＞ Painter    ＜－－＞  Spirit of life
nondifferentiation)                                                  (Manifestation of Concealment
                                                                                  in nondifferentiation)

We think about what a painter does between Concealment in nondifferentiation and its manifestation.
The answer is ＜to render> broadly.

Shitao's argument in Chapter 18 is not very clearly stated and looks like going around something - artistic creation processes which is difficult to analyze even now. He tried to make and state a conclusion at the end for this writing. I do not follow the original text much here (it is difficult to guess what he tried to say here for one reason) instead think about the meanings of the verb ＜to render＞ by referring what he said.

From one of internet dictionaries
－－
1. to provide or give (a service, help, etc.).
to submit or present for inspection or consideration.
to deliver (a verdict or judgement)
literary to give up; to surrender

Simply ＜to give＞

＜蒙养 - Concealment in nondifferentiation＞ can be considered as ＜to take＞. To take something, some meaning (invisible, hidden, meaningful) out from the objects (mountains, water, trees, people, etc) you see.

2. to cause to be or become; make.
Simply ＜to cause＞.

3. to represent or depict artistically.
"the eyes and the cheeks are exceptionally well rendered" (maybe referring to a painting)
synonyms: to paint, draw, depict, portray, represent, reproduce, execute
"her paintings are rendered in wonderfully vivid colours"
to perform (a piece of music).
to translate
Computing
to process (an outline image) using colour and shading in order to make it appear solid and
three-dimensional.
(and more but omitted)

Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French rendre, from an alteration of Latin reddere ‘give back’, from re- ‘back’ + dare ‘give’. The earliest senses were ‘recite’, ‘translate’, and ‘give back’ (hence ‘represent’ and ‘perform’); ‘hand over’ (hence ‘give help’ and ‘submit for consideration’); ‘cause to be’.

Simply ＜to give back＞. ‘to submit for consideration’ is a simple and good expression, may mean by "to show something to someone with some purpose".

－－

Shitao ended Chapter 18 therefore this Treatise on Painting with a riddle like statement. This part is a bit ambiguous but may have a profound meaning. The original Chinese and the English translation are quite far apart. What Shitao said ow wanted to say is "Be original, be yourself, be innovative."

Original Chinese

吾人之任山水也，任不在广，则任其可制; 任不在多，则任其可易。非易不能任多，非制不能任广。任不在笔，则任其可传; 任不在墨，则任其可受; 任不在山，则任其可静; 任不在水，则任其可动; 任不在古，则任其无荒; 任不在今，则任其无障。是以古今不乱，笔墨常存，因其浃洽斯任而已矣，然则此任者，诚蒙养生活之理，以一治万，以万治一，不任于山，不任于水，不任于笔墨，不任于古今，不任于圣人，是任也，是有其实也。总而言之，一画也，无极也，天地之道也。

English translation

When we artists engage in painting mountains and water , our task is not just to value their vastness but their composition; not to value their quality but to select the best. Without knowing the selection we cannot engage in painting more mountains. Without knowing the composition, we cannot engage ourselves with vastness of the scenery. Furthermore, the work of the brush is not limited to the brush, but lies with what the brush can transmit. The work of the ink wash is not limited to the ink wash, but lies with what is hidden in the ink wash. So it is true that the work of mountain does not lie just with the mountain, but lies with its quiescence. So it is true that the work of water does not lie just with the water, but lies with its movement. Moreover, the work of antiquity does not lie with just in antiquity, but with its freedom of error. The work of the present does not lie with just the present, but with its freedom. Therefore, the value of antiquity and the present are not confused, and the value of the brush work and ink wash become everlasting, because their functions are perfectly fulfilled. Thus, when we discuss the function of painting, we see the truth of the awakening from nondffferentiation and lively spirit. From Oneness, deal with the ten thousand things; from the thousand things, deal with the oneness. It is not the function of particular aspects of mountain or water or the function of mere brush strokes and ink wash, or the function of antiquity and the present, or the function of the wise man. Within the function, there is reality. In short, it is the oneness of strokes. It is the limitless, it it the Tao of heaven and earth.

－－

Generally Chinese in writing is shorter than its equivalent English due to the use of Chinese characters. But this English translation is quite much longer than the original Shitao's Chinese, which is quite concise or too concise to get the meaning.

Let's see one by one

吾人之任山水也，任不在广，则任其可制; 任不在多，则任其可易。非易不能任多，非制不能任广。

When we artists engage in painting mountains and water, our task is not just to value their vastness but their composition; not to value their quality but to select the best. Without knowing the selection we cannot engage in painting more mountains. Without knowing the composition, we cannot engage ourselves with vastness of the scenery. Here ＜任＞is translated as <to engage>, <to value>.

In the original Chinese there are no words for composition, (to) value, quality, to select the best, selection.

This part literally means: (When) we artists render in painting mountains and water, not just to render their vastness, but render to control (to limit) them (mountains and water); render not too much, then its rendering becomes easy. When rendering is not easy, then the work (the result, the rendered things) is not much, with no control (selection) you cannot render their vastness.

One highly possible interpretation of this statement is like the English translation: Without selection we cannot engage in painting the vastness of the scenery.  The point is how to select.

The next part

任不在笔，则任其可传; 任不在墨，则任其可受; 任不在山，则任其可静; 任不在水，则任其可动; 任不在古，则任其无荒; 任不在今，则任其无障。是以古今不乱，笔墨常存，因其浃洽斯任而已矣

Furthermore, the work of the brush is not limited to the brush, but lies with what the brush can transmit. The work of the ink wash is not limited to the ink wash, but lies with what is hidden in the ink wash. So it is true that the work of mountain does not lie just with the mountain, but lies with its quiescence. So it is true that the work of water does not lie just with the water, but lies with its movement. Moreover, the work of antiquity does not lie with just in antiquity, but with its freedom of error. The work of the present does not lie with just the present, but with its freedom.

1) 任不在笔，则任其可传; The work of the brush is not limited to the brush, but lies with what the brush can transmit.
2) 任不在墨，则任其可受; The work of the ink wash is not limited to the ink wash, but lies with what is hidden in the ink wash.
3) 任不在山，则任其可静; The work of mountain does not lie just with the mountain, but lies with its quiescence.
4) 任不在水，则任其可动; The work of water does not lie just with the water , but lies with its movement.
5) 任不在古，则任其无荒; The work of antiquity does not lie with just in antiquity, but with its freedom of error. (this English does not make sense to normal people).
6) 任不在今，则任其无障。 The work of the present does not lie with just the present, but with its freedom. (this English does not make sense to normal people).

This part of the original Chinese has quite a rhetorical structure as often seen in written Chinese and as we have seen some above. The English follows this rhetoric pattern as you can see above.

One interpretation is this English translation. But the English translation of 5) and 6) may be wrong.

5) 任不在古，则任其无荒: literally, when (if) not rendering (relying on) antiquity your rendering is not so wild.

6) 任不在今，则任其无障。literally, when (if) not rendering (relying on) the present your rendering is not so obstructive (free).

By 5) and 6) Shitao asked or warned the readers,

5) Do not rely on the past paintings. If you do not, your painting will become not not so wild (in order, freedom of error). ＜in order, freedom of error＞is not a good thing for Shitao.

6) Do not rely on the present paintings, too. If you do not, your painting will become not so obstructive. Blindly following the present paintings will obstruct you.

5) and 6) can be re-arranged as a rhetoric as

任不在古今，则任其无荒, 无障无障.

Literally: Do not rely on the past and present paintings. If you do not, your painting will become not so wild and not so obstructive.

是以古今不乱，笔墨常存，因其浃洽斯任而已矣，然则此任者，诚蒙养生活之理，

Therefore, the value of antiquity and the present are not confused, and the value of the brush work and ink wash become everlasting, because their functions are perfectly fulfilled. Thus, when we discuss the function of painting, we see the truth of the awakening from nondffferentiation and lively spirit.

Probably you cannot get the meaning of the English translation, especially the first sentence. The original Chinese should read as follows (though one possibility)

是以古今不乱: Therefore, the value of antiquity and the present are not confused

---> If you are not confused with the past and present paintings (, techniques and artists)

Next and the very final.

以一治万，以万治一，不任于山，不任于水，不任于笔墨，不任于古今，不任于圣人，是任也，是有其实也。

From Oneness, deal with the ten thousand things; from the thousand things, deal with the oneness. It is not the function of particular aspects of mountain or water or the function of mere brush strokes and ink wash, or the function of antiquity and the present, or the function of the wise man. Within the function, there is reality. In short, it is the oneness of strokes. It is the limitless, it is the Tao of heaven and earth.

Here ＜任＞is translated as <function>. In the original Chinese there are no words for "function" while "function" is used many times in English. The word "function" can be interpreted as "rendering" or "relying on" in this case. So he intended to say

"
Not render (reply on) too much mountain or water
Not render (reply on) too much brush strokes and ink wash
Not render (reply on) too much antiquity and the present (paintings, techniques and painters)
Not render (reply on) too much the wise man.
"

＜the Tao of heaven and earth＞is not found in the original Chinese.

As the conclusion at the very final part, Shitao used the words 蒙养 (nondffferentiation), 生活 (lively spirit) and＜一（画）＞(oneness of strokes). So these words are the keys to the understanding of what he said or tried to say.

This last part differs from 画语录 or Hua-Yu-Lu. This is misterious. 画语录 or Hua-Yu-Lu ends with

不任于山，不任于水，不任于笔墨，不任于古今，不任于圣人，是任也，是有其资也。 (end)


Not ＜实＞but ＜资＞. As mentioned earlier ＜资＞literally means "sources" as ＜资源＞ means "resources". So this pert will become

 Within the function（任）, there is "sources". 　

What does this mean? 

As far as we regard ＜资＞as "sources" the relation between＜资资＞and ＜任＞is very similar to the relation between Concealment in nondifferentiation＜蒙养＞ and ＜生活＞Spirit of life or “Manifestation of Concealment in nondifferentiation”.



AAG