In the second half of the 20th century, there were quite a number of young and middle-aged Chinese painters residing abroad, and thus a group of overseas painters formed, with Zheng Baizhong an important member of them. As a professional painter and like all the others, he made adjustments to cater for receptors in the alien cultural environment-strengthening the expressiveness of colors, or increasing abstract formal factors to form a typical school of overseas Chinese paintings. Zheng is one representative of this school. To our joys, they have never forgot their national identity, but in a sense, have a stronger sense of national group than their fellowmen because they are far away from their motherland. It seems that they are blending Chinese cultural pulse with that of the world, but meanwhile, they are hoping to establish a modern pattern of Chinese paintings to occupy a position in the main stream of western cultural circle. I noticed Yang Zhiguang (another Chinese painter residing in U.S.A.) wrote in his preface to Zheng's picture album that "we are always talking about entering the main stream, and I believe if Chinese paintings blend into the main stream, it will not be overwhelmed, but emerge as a new force."(1) This was again taken into the preface of Zheng’s Art Exhibition as their common view(2), which is a full manifestation of their ambition to strengthen Chinese culture. Just like Zhang DaqianÕs practice of speaking Sichuan Dialect, eating Sichuan food and wearing ancient Chinese clothes in Brazil, Zheng prefers wearing Tangzhuang, the traditional Chinese clothing. The spirit of a man is reflected in his way of dressing, if he has the freedom to do so, not to mention paintings, which have always been regarded as the culmination of culture.

　　The reason why Zheng insists on Chinese national culture and Chinese cultural pulse is not only that he chooses Chinese landscape paintings, but also that he has a deep understanding of Chinese culture. Physically, Zheng looks like a Buddhist, with a seal inscribed with words "Following the Buddha". I believe his sincerity. In 1997, he attended a seminar on calligraphy in Taibei and submitted an essay entitled "Buddhism and Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy". In the section-Art Relates to Buddhism", he attached great importance to the Buddhist allegory-"Bodhi can only be found at heart" and blended the theory of art into Buddhism. He held the opinion that "when you enter the ambit of artistic creation, you must break loose the constraints of selfhood and make you a part of nature...When you forget about all mundane affairs such as official positions and riches, worries, gains and loss, you will feel that all mountains, clouds, forests and creatures are coming to you. Then you will find yourself inspired and your mind of creation not blocked". (3) What penetrating comments! When readers are attracted by Zheng’s landscape paintings and enter his artistic conception, they may not only take delights in appreciating paintings, but also bringing up desires of visiting and residing there so as to forget everything in the joy. This is exactly the Chinese ancient philosophy that the man is an integrated part of nature. We can perceive the Buddhist and cultural heart of Zheng Baizhong from his precise and elegant moulds, thick but clear tones and simple but smooth style. The Chinese cultural impulse is the most profound information of his art.

　　I think Zheng's landscape paintings are motivated by grasping the spirit and realized by factual moulds and romantic treatment, with the artistic conception being expressed at last. Among these, there are many points when paradoxes are transformed into dialectical unity. For instance, Chinese Taoism advocates that "great music has rare sounds and great images have no forms." However, music must be realized through sounds and images through forms, so people have to find a media to operate by peeping at images. Zheng's landscapes with traditions of the Tang and Song Dynasties are easily regarded as having weaker subjective spiritual expressions because of its neat and careful brushwork. Furthermore, people's attention to his thick and glorious colors may stay just at the surface. Then how can Zheng walk out of this paradox to realize the sublimation of his artistic pattern? Apart from appropriate control of moulds, colors and the brushwork, the application of Chinese culture in Chinese paintings is the key to guide him as well as Chinese paintings. 70 years ago, Lin Yutang wrote the book "My Country and My People" before he went to U.S.A. In his book, he compared Chinese paintings to the flower of Chinese culture, and summed up its characteristics as "lyricism". He wrote:" is the result of two oppositions, which are prevailing in the western painting circle. However, they appeared in Chinese painting history as early as 8th century. One opposition is that lines should not be confined to the objects being drawn, the other is that the material reality should not be reproduced in the way that cameras do. Chinese calligraphy helps solve the former, while Chinese poems help solve the latter.(4)

　　Looking at Zheng’s paintings again, it’s not difficult to spot the connection between his brushwork and the abstractness of Chinese calligraphy. It is also obvious that he is good at employing the connotation of Chinese classical poetry, which is an ancient ideal with Chinese lasting appeal. The ancient poems and the picturesque scene blend with each other and become more appealing. All these are reasons why Zheng’s paintings can arouse the same feelings in readers no matter when they are watching them from a distance or appreciating them in a closer way. Zheng’s cultural genes, including calligraphy, poetry and historical studies, are both inherited from his family and obtained from his teacher Chen Zifen and Lu Yanshao, who he got acquaintance with later. Their superb artistic touch is the crystallization of their scope and culture, including poetry and calligraphy. When Mr. Zheng came to my house, I had just finished the preface to the line drawing picture album of his teacher Chen Zifen,(5) and we talked very congenially because we shared the same opinions about Chen Zifen.

　　The art of Zheng Baizhong has reached its best period. His fine, elegant, precise yet natural and graceful style is fairly mature and has quite an influence home and abroad. While reading many of his picture albums, apart from his mainstream style, I notice his potential in his occasional change of style. For instance, in his paintings "Parking at the maple Bridge During the Night (Autumn)" and "Willows in the Spring Wind (Spring)", the Goddess of Wind was drawn simply in ink, and the inspiring rich flavor is more Buddhist and cultural. Another instance is in his painting "Newly Born Spring Waters", with the bank being swept by broad brushwork and the wild geese embodied by abstract techniques. More examples are the lineless technique applied in the painting of cows in his work"Broad Hummock and Green Grassland", the interesting contrast between the curve net and horizontal decorative waves in "Setting off in the Evening". In my opinion, these have more artistic animas and Chinese characteristics of style, and are closer to his painting theory, which emphasizes on the mind. Zheng inscribed on his painting "River Flowers Blossom with Me" the famous poem of Shi Tao:"While I’m inscribing on the painting, spring waters emerge in my mind; river flowers blossom with me, and the river spirit rises with me." This further illustrates the artistic ideal of Chinese subjective expressing. I suppose the way to make further progress in the art rather than settling for current achievements lies in this. The cultural ideals of modern global thoughts are the coexistence of various nationalities and cultures, while the heritance and developing of Chinese cultural pulse is the inner factor of Chinese paintings to always retain its youthful vitality and to emerge in global cultures. If he can grasp the inevitable links among Chinese cultural standpoint, artistic sublimation and emergence from a higher level, Zheng Baizhong will bring along artists residing abroad, and even influence the whole circle of Chinese paintings so as to make it emerge as a new force in the structure of world culture.

　　In the Easing Residence in Beijing

　　August 7, 2004