As a robust way of knowing the universe, painting assembles the personal aesthetic emotion and artistic capability of humans. In the history of art, Canadian and Chinese landscape painting use nature as the figure of performance, present significant differences in the eyes of painters and their tools due to the distinction between the Canadian and Chinese cultures. This distinction is founded on the theoretical, epistemological variances, the demonstration of scientific reasoning, empirical, rational variations, and the real extent of conceptual differences. All these combined differences are the philosophical principles for the analysis of Canadian paintings and Chinese landscape paintings. They also constitute the most significant cultural sources for understanding the Canadian and Chinese realistic tradition, imagery and art.
Key Words: Cultural origin; Cultural difference, Canadian landscape paintings, Chinese landscape paintings History of art; Distinctions between Canadian and Chinese culture
Introduction
Landscape painting or landscape art is the portrayal of the landscape through art. It involves natural scenery like forests, rivers, trees, valleys, and mountains, mainly where the principal subject is a vast scene with its features organized in a logical composition. In some paintings, landscape settings for images can also shape a significant part of the art. The sky is often part of the view while the weather is usually an aspect of the creation. Comprehensive landscape as a different topic is rarely found in all traditions of art, and form when a liberal tradition of representing other subjects is already in place. FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 48) observes that Chinese were possibly the earliest people to paint natural sceneries. The genre finally extended worldwide and the Western world embraced it during the period of Renaissance. Chinese and Western and landscaping are two prominent cultures within the type of landscape art.
In transforming nature, humans create both unique artistic culture and rich material culture. Painting is a materialistic technique of understanding the universe and assembled human particular aesthetic emotion and creative capability to present the spiritual authority of humans (XU, 2018 pp 29). Even though Chinese and Canadian landscape art using nature as the figure of the creation does not include persons as the central creation object, viewers can comprehend the connection between life and humans through nature to attain the aesthetic understanding of things. In the history of art, painters view the landscape to describe colour and shape and to convey life temperature to natural objects. Here, colours reflect the glory of humans and present the physical view. Life is beautiful, and nature is colourful.
Nonetheless, diverse people across the world have a divergent aesthetic which differs from environment to environment, heart to heart, place to pace and person to person (XU, 2018 pp 30). In the analysis of Canadian and Chinese histories of art, it is clear that artists would view nature differently because of differences in their culture. The differences between the Chinese and Canadian landscape paintings are determined by the theoretical, epistemological variations, the demonstration of scientific reasoning, empirical, rational deviations, and the real extent of conceptual differences.
Differences between Chinese and Canadian Systems of Culture
It is important to begin from a philosophical or epistemology background to determine these cultural differences. For the link between nature and human, Canadian philosophers think that life is an entirely objective existence and individuals are conscious objects (XU, 2018 pp 30). The connection between matter and human is the intellectual formation of multiple human external networks and orders but not an organic internal association. Cosmology in the culture of Canada that distinguishes nature and man creates a two-dimensional Canadian culture. XU (2018 pp 30) argues that art ought to present beauty, but it can imitate characteristics of beauty without reaching its centre. This logic yields a strong material spirit of Canadians naturally. Moreover, it advances it to cultural awareness with lasting value. This explanation may be the most philosophical source of knowledge regarding the essence of science or the logical tradition of Canadians for a long time.
However, for Chinese artists, aesthetics which results into aesthetic feelings towards the inner world reflects various aesthetic preferences from the Canadian culture (XU, 2018 pp 57). For them, the relationship between nature and man is the presence of organic life. According to these painters, nature visualizes the essence of Tao. To them, the mind and the physical world are one, and the same thing as the two exist naturally and share each other. Spirit and matter are combined to offer endless energy of life to Chinese in limited space of consciousness. The unity of man and heaven, as a scientific doctrine, causes people to find reference of value from many internal variances, which are admired by Li and Tao (XU, 2018 pp 87). The aesthetic attribute demonstrated by panting, which goes to the inner world of a human, will character of life to its object as seen in "Li Xiong Cai Paintings
(1910).The distinction between the cognition of Canadian and that of Chinese is the basis for different aesthetic preference and value system. In the mind of a Chine painter, the definition of Chinese painting is not a river or a mountain, but rather it is an imagined expression of clear life. The harmony between man and heaven eventually yields to neither a river nor mountain, however the combination of experience, nature, and the universe. Chinese painting considers the river as inner personality and hills as morality. Chen Shuren Paintings (1884-1948) demonstrate that the impression of space is regularly the theme of Chinese painting subtraction. The creation of Chinese paint art is a live presentation version of life.
On the contrary Canadian landscape painting centers on the identification of matter because of the separation between the word and man caused by their cosmology. As observed in Infinite Cycle Paintings (1961), sense and objectivity make Canadian painters have less emotion than Chinese painters when observing the natural world. The Canadians will remember themselves and the matter because they maintain some distance from nature to have a systematic observation. It appears that that Chinese painter “feels” to comprehend nature while Canadians “observe” to understand the world
The aesthetic foundation of Chinese paintings is heavily influenced by the ideology of Confucian, Taoist, Buddhism, and Chinese concepts (XU, 2018 pp 133)). Chinese landscape art originated from the Eastern Jin Dynasty that was characterized by the thriving era of the Taoism belief. Consequently, the aesthetic foundation of Chinese landscape paintings is a presentation and not reappearance. XU (2018 pp 137) alluded to the effect of Chinese tradition ideology on landscape painting that the tradition of landscape painting has from the past been considered as part of the most significant cultural attainments of citizens of China. The exceptional landscapes during the Sung era and later stimulate fascination and awe with the cultural intellects that create them (FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 48). Generally, it is believed that these great pieces are products of Taoism and Buddhism on the soil of China, breeding that prospered within the unique scenery of the mountains in the Middle Kingdom (Lai, 1915). Besides the belief that such painting exemplifies ideals of both Taoist and Buddhist, hardly any focus has been placed on recording the growth that results to this universally-admired genre. Significantly rather are true declarations of “wide, misty vistas of presenting the Buddhist principle of emptiness. As observed in Lai Shaoqi Paintings (1915-2000), painters of Chinese art often firmly fixed in their own emotions and feelings into the creation hence do not merely present the exact appearance and details of the image. Therefore, viewers can observe many broad strokes and white spaces on their paintings. FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 110) asserts that voids or white spaces are often found on Chinese calligraphy and paintings. However, they are not empty or incomplete spaces; but instead, they are an essential component of calligraphy or painting. Chen (1884) believes that painters motivate observers to imagine and think. Hence, Chinese artists do not paint their figures while watching them; instead, they may walk in the woods while observing them before they return to the studio to paint from memories.
In comparison, Canadian landscape painting is influenced by the Christian faith (FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 50). The field of Canadian field of art considers God as the sole creator of the world and beauty hence artists often seek the presence and grace of God in the depth of the natural environment. Consequently, Canadian painters often believe that the presentation of the actual natural view is a contribution to God thus .the paintings move people closer to God. Majority of Canadian painters produce ideal work through their means. As illustrated in Infinite Cycle Paintings (1961), mostly they plan to reduce the distance between the observer and the image to involve the viewer into the artwork. They always want to watch the pictures from a distance as some form of display. They like to sweep the viewer up the sky and down the gullies so that the viewer is absorbed into nature, not physically but through connection with the mind. FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 53) believes that the painting reminds the viewer of an experience they may have encountered while passing through the woods. It is the way through which the painter presents and shares their personal experience and further provides clues to the viewer to experience the image. These paintings result from the artist’s individual experience and are entirely about his walking and feelings about nature. Such pictures can only be understood if they are felt physically
Philosophical reflections on Canadian and Chinese Landscape Painting
Beyond epistemological variations on the reflective scale, there are also reasons of experimental sense and scientific judgment to the presentation that dictate aesthetic attribute of a type of painting (XU, 2018 pp 29). Actually, when two divergent cosmologies are developed and executed, two cultures reasonably develop scientific judgment and recognition logic that correspond with them. Chinese painters while interpreting the ideology of nature and man, lack a parallel perspective to the world. Canadian painters, however, take humanity to be part of life and the world. There is no precise focus on what makes the border of the landscape. They employ the technique of dispersed point of view with the straightforward and bold presentation to covey the internal link between the sky and man (Lai Shaoqi Paintings (1915-2000).
For colour display, Chinese artists adopt the conventional five colour process based on the additional inner intersection, using ink and water to create the maximum traditional Chinese colour aesthetic. While providing painting tips, (FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 57) stated that “mountains in nature are the same as my feeling”. The case is different for Canadian artists whose technique is based on reality. According to their perception, landscape exists objectively, and artists perform to generate it hence “paint as nature” rather than “nature as paint” as seen in Infinite Cycle Paintings (1961) . In this case, paint carries nature and its brightness, colour, perspective, and scale need to correspond to the object. In regards to the composition of the image, the artist’s vision is restricted to focus, and the composition’s border forms the boundary of the concept. Artists cannot cut vision without restriction like Chinese artists. In the Canadian culture, the establishment of the scientific rationality regulations and Aristotle’s mathematic reasoning form the Canadian ideology of the world which also affects the behaviour of artists. Landscape painting is growing in this environment. FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 58) notes that for a long time despite the changes in the western landscape painting, it cannot contradict the reality-based belief. Even the emotion-filled and colorful picture from impression does not provide scientific reasoning.
The aesthetic value Orientation of Canadian and Chinese Landscape Painting
Chinese and landscape painting originates from Jin and Wei. Over a thousand years have elapsed since the end of Qin and Min dynasty (XU, 2018 pp 177). There are many great Chinese artists. In spite of the consciousness and the abstract idea, there is a need to observe the particular tradition of Chinese painting to examine the cause for the advancement of landscape painting objectively.
The valued tools for Chinese art, ink-stone, ink, and pen are studied since early years FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 222).This culture that was inherited from the tradition of soil farming does not symbolize the Chinese culture, however as a representation of the value of each painting. Chinese painters use ink-stone, ink, pen and paper to express landscape with the objective of portraying nature and displaying feelings to life and the universe. Theirs is not entirely an objective description of human, however a spiritual flicker of the collision of paint with nature. Artists use their personal life to advance their knowledge in feeling the original ink and pen, mastering painting skill, and better performance with tools. It is not possible to summarize the mind by the term “skill”; however the softness of the ink-stone, the intensity of ink colour, the rate of painting and material of paper influence people (FARAG-MILLER, et al (2012 pp 59). These things are significantly combined with personality, spirit, interest, taste, and knowledge. When observing paint, the viewer can hear the artist’s appearance and sound. This particular attribute of Chinese calligraphy and painting differ from the Canadian culture. A Chinese painter or paint can only be complete with the combination of ink-stone, ink, pen, and paper, as well as skills and tradition obtained from these tools. Contrary to Chinese painting, Canadians use a combination of oil, cloth, pigment, water, and paper. Their customs and skills have realistic figures as it appears in Infinite Cycle Paintings (1961) . Artists prioritize the reality of the subject to determine its design. Color, space, quality, shape and volume, all require some skill to succeed. Nonetheless, it is more of a technique. The practical ability of an artist corresponds to the need for reality. The difference in talent among painters is pegged on aesthetic meaning. But the aesthetic value of skill is not as fragile as ink-stone, ink, pen, and paper. The art of painting in the history of Canadian painting is only expertise without aesthetic value (XU, 2018 pp 182).
Conclusion
Landscape painting involves the use of ink stone, ink, pen, and paper to paint nature comprising of man, ground, and sky. Chinese generate Chinese painting using aesthetic value. The Canadians use cloth and pigment to paint a landscape, unifying subject and object, which develops masterly creation of realism. Diverse forms of an art show varied preferences for value, which are two significant peaks. The aesthetic foundation of Chinese paintings is heavily influenced by the ideology of Confucian, Taoist, Buddhism, and Chinese concepts while Canadian landscape painting is influenced by the Christian faith. Chinese painting as a tag of the Chinese culture symbolizes the Chinese style and Chinese behaviour which is difficult for the mind of Canadians and style. Therefore nor matter Canadian or Chinese landscape painting, it should match the national culture as well as the psychological and physiological aspects. Fundamentally, it all depends on the culture. Two kinds of painting can bear different outcomes when facing a similar landscape due to cultural differences.
Work Cited
"Chen Shuren Paintings (1884-1948) https://www.google.com/search?q=Chen+Shuren+paintings"oq=chen+shuren"aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j69i59.6552j0j8"sourceid=chrome"ie=UTF-8. Accessed 20 Dec 2018.
"Daphne Odjig, Infinite Cycle Paintings (1961)
"Lai Shaoqi Paintings (1915-2000) https://www.google.com/search?q=Lai+Shaoqi+paintings"oq=Lai+Shaoqi+paintings"aqs=chrome..69i57.20730j1j8"sourceid=chrome"ie=UTF-8.
"Li Xiong Cai Paintings1910-2001) https://www.google.com/search?ei=kocbXM-
"Tom Thomson, The Jack Pine (1917) https://www.google.com/search?q=Tom+Thomson%2C+The+Jack+Pine+(1917)"oq=Tom+Thomson%2C+The+Jack+Pine+(1917)"aqs=chrome..69i57.9990j0j8"sourceid=chrome"ie=UTF-8. Accessed 20 Dec 2018.
FARAG-MILLER, MADIHA et al. "Determining The Accuracy Of Historical Landscape Paintings". Geographical Research, vol 51, no. 1, 2012, pp. 49-58. Wiley, doi:10.1111/j.1745-5871.2012.00763.x.
XU, JUAN. "Aesthetic Comparison Of Chinese And Western Landscape Culture". Destech Transactions On Social Science, Education And Human Science, no. adess, 2018. Destech Publications, doi:10.12783/dtssehs/adess2017/17881.
