Several years ago, I chanced upon a few paintings with a very uncharacteristic theme of apple trees at an exhibition. The artist was Xu Zhiguang,. Recently, a close friend and manager of the Heng Artland Gallery brought his wife and Xu Zhiguang to visit at my home. I had a chance to learn more about his art through his art album which showcased his portfolio of apple trees.

　　In my mind, this subject of apple trees is pretty rare. As much as I racked my memory, I can only recall one painting on this subject – a painting by the Soviet Russian Tkachev brothers. As memory serves, it was a domestic scene of the master of the house playing with his grandson in a courtyard beneath an apple tree in full bloom. More commonly seen are fruits as subjects in still life. In the realm of literature, the Russian poet Mikhail Isakovsky has a poem that describes ‘the most beautiful sight is the apple trees in full bloom; the greatest happiness is when you meet with your lover.’ The blooming flowers of the apple tree are a beautiful sight and her fruits are alluring – whether by taste, sight or smell. However, as a subject of paintings, I must say they are a unique precinct of Xu Zhiguang. This is a complicated subject because of its deceptive simplicity. To create a space for exploring this subject requires a truly creative spirit.

　　Flowers and trees have been a traditional subject of painting in China since ancient times. Nonetheless, artists of bygone years did not simply paint any flower or trees at will but picked their subjects carefully. Amongst the flowers are the four noble flowers – plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemum. Plum blossoms are frequently used to represent purity of spirit, and makes frequent appearance in poetry, verse and paintings. For example, Lu You writes ‘Near the broken bridge outside the fortress, I am lonely and dissolute. It is dusk and I am alone with my worries, the wind blowing and the rains pelt. I do not fight for spring, I do not seek envy. Even though I may be ground to dust beneath a thousand trodden feet, my sweet smell would linger on.’ Borrowing on the imagery of the plum blossom, the author describes how he has been unjustly exiled, but despite being trodden upon by his enemies, the nobility of his spirit remains intact. Chairman Mao also used the plum blossom to exhort the quality of people. He likened the revolutionary’s firm character and optimistic spirit to the plum blossom. Mao used the plum blossom as a simile while Lu You used it as a metaphor, both to describe a pureness of spirit.

　　The orchid is used to describe beauty of character, elegance and refinement. Li Bai, the eminent poet wrote a long poem as a gift to his friend. The first four lines of the poem read as follows ‘Grass may pass as orchid, wood may pass as pine. A quiet orchid’s fragrance carries far, the pine does not change in the depths of winter...’ The orchid and the pine in the poem were used to describe firmness of character. These are but a few of the examples of how flowers in the arts have been used to describe moral uprightness and a noble spirit.

　　In his novel ‘Autumn Night’, Lu Xun writes about two jujube trees in his family’s back garden. He describes them not out of botanical interest, but instead uses them as a metaphor for a struggle to grow into an adult tree full of fruit despite being abused and beaten by the children of the house. With no complaints and regrets, the trees continue to sprinkle the earth with fruits. It is a bittersweet ode to dedication.

　　Throughout Chinese history, the works of great artists clearly follow the principle that ‘what is implied is far more precious than what is spoken’. The mundane has its use in artistic expression - even the sciences be it biology, meteorology and other natural sciences with its thousands upon thousands of natural phenomenon observations have been elevated by artists into imagery. It is the artist’s mission to blur the line between life and art, to transcend the ordinary and move the hearts of the audience. The imagery is only the vessel, the message is what is important. As such, no matter what subject one chooses to present, the all-important question is the ‘why’. What is the intent behind what is being presented? The concept being presented is far more important than the ‘physical’ subject. The artist is like a conductor of a symphony orchestra. Before the music is played, he must already have determined the mood and have a sense of how the different instruments will come together.

　　The apple is an important part of our lives. Its flower is beautiful, drawing viewers and appreciations. The fruit is delightful, poets praise it and artists paint it. It is sweet and nutritious, and we regard it as a healthy food as we consume it. We live with it each day, yet we neglect to think much on it. Like many of the things we take for granted, an apple tree weathers the tumults of nature, braving disasters and disease in order to produce a crop of fruits that provides us with sustenance and nourishment. Do I perhaps have some understanding as to why Xu Zhiguang chooses to express the apple tree through his art?

　　The apple tree series from Xu Zhiguang will leave people with a strong impression. His trees are presented with a flourish of branches heavy with leaves and laden with fruits. They are scenes prior to harvest. The glorious apples look as if they are about to squeeze out of the canvas, appearing almost like coloured stars hanging in the sky. They remind me also of colourful fireworks on a holiday night. The artist has called this series ‘Harvest Scenery’. I begin to understand his implied concept a little better.

　　A rudimentary categorization might class Xu Zhiguang’s as part of the realism school. Yet the artist is focused on imaginative creation rather than a truly realistic presentation of a scene. You can see in his paintings the lessons and traditions of Chinese ink painting – the focus on the subject as a presentation of inner spiritual cultivation. The act of painting is just the means; the artist’s intent is the objective. To use a metaphor, painting and drawing is like a boat and intent is the distant shore that that can only be attained by boarding the boat. I like the approach of the artist, it is what elevates art.

　　In the painting ‘Warm Sunshine’, an apple tree dances gently in the mild breeze. The sun conveys a caressing warmth and softness – it is not a harsh blazing sun. The sense of movement is created by how Xu places and interweaves the branches, how the leaves seem to form into distinct shapes and disappear into the indistinct mass of the canopy. You can feel the warmth and the breeze.

　　In ‘Steadfast’, the message from the artist is not difficult to fathom. The clues are in the title of the painting and in the fine tradition of Chinese ink painting• You can sense and not merely intellectually understand the artist’s state of mind when authoring this fine piece. With a little more dramatic impact, the painting would be a truly superior piece.

　　‘Joy’ and ‘Autumn’s Glory’ are two very successful creations. In both these paintings, the artist has emphasized on the principle of ‘what is implied is far more precious than what is spoken’. I remember a song with the lyrics ‘The mountain smiles and the waters smile’ describing the feeling of looking upon a newly revitalized face of a city. How can a mountain smile? How can the waters smile? It is man that is smiling. In ‘Joy’, it is not the apples that are joyous but the artist. The artist’s joy is reflected through the apples that he presents in the painting. ‘Autumn’s Glory’ very effectively uses the tenacity of colours for expressive effect. Here, Xu has made use of warm tones of yellow and purple to create a sense of unity and harmony in the painting while at the same time creating a sense of symphony with the impact of a brass band playing to the spirit of autumn.

　　We who have chosen this profession of an artist have in fact chosen a lifetime of struggle. Yet this path of exploration is also a path of great happiness. Through exploration comes discovery. Xu Zhiguang in his particular path has found a great ‘harvest’. It is a path that has no specific end point. For an artist, his life’s work literally means working to the end of life. I am proud to have made the acquaintance of an artist who understands and embraces this journey. I am confident we will see many more harvests from this young artist.

作者：Zhao,Youping