Of a Newest and an Oldest Painting (Part 2)

New Painting: Cranes of Prosperity and Longevity 富贵鹤寿图

This is Master Yun’s latest work. Personally, I think this is another piece of great historical significance. Thus, I’m sharing it with you.

First, rarely does Master Yun include animals in his ink paintings. Previously, there was a series on goose; as for cranes, this is definitely a first.

But why cranes? This is mainly in celebration of Lotus on Water’s 10^th anniversary. The painting is inscribed with the words “Bingshen, Joyous Celebration; Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity of Ten Perfect Years ” 丙申，喜庆：福祿迎寿十全年.

Crane symbolises “longevity and spring”, representing one who lives to a ripe old age and still walking with a spring in his step. 

In my opinion, this is Master Yun’s belief in setting up Lotus on Water and his view on life and art:

We do not discard the soul of traditional, or we shall be guerrillas without roots, without history, without experience, without culture and without weight.

But we should not reject the new, or we shall be antiques without youth, without innovation, without renewal and without creativity.

Culture is like the roots of a tree, while innovation is the leaves and branches on it. They must co-exist for one to grow into a towering tree. For the tree of life must rise into the skies and permeate deep into the ground.  

Take a look at our Lotus treasures and you will see the co-existence of yin and yang. For instance, 90% of our Lotus treasures can be found at auction houses as we do not sell products not proven by the test of time. Hence, we do not deal with liuli, blood dragon wood, amber…

But as we do not sell second-hand goods, we do not engage in the sale of antiques. At Lotus, we only sell first-hand Lotus treasures mined by us.

The painting’s background is made up of watercolour and ink splash, while the crane’s head and body are covered with a thick layer of gold. This employment of gold is an innovation as cranes are traditionally painted white. This is similarly seen on the golden hook lines of the leaves, which again, is traditionally painted in dark ink.

Interestingly, peony leaves are usually painted with its hook lines—leaf ribs—drooping, but under Master Yun’s brush, they appear upturned. Upturned leaf ribs represent a young leaf, while drooping ones denote an old leaf. Master Yun’s stroke of young leaves suits the painting’s theme of “crane welcoming the spring” perfectly. 

Also, in traditional paintings, cranes are painted together with pines. Master Yun took a unique approach by having the crane painted with peonies. His reason for doing so is simple: what’s the point of living a long life (represented by the crane) without prosperity (represented by the peonies)?

This piece is also remarkable in its inscription of vernacular Chinese: “My life is getting better, my life is getting better, my life is getting better, like Lotus on Water. I am more wealthy, I am more healthy, I am getting more attractive and I’m more happy.”

These lyrics written by Master Yun, comes in an English and a Chinese version, which can be sung. If you are interested in learning, drop by Lotus on Water and we will teach you.

Objects in this painting—colours, subject, inscriptions, hook lines—serve an implicit and explicit purpose. They explicitly and implicitly symbolise things we wish and hope for in life: luck, wealth, health, prosperity, youth, vitality, beauty…

This is Heaven’s “intention” for having Master Yun in this world.

This is also the “intention” of Master Yun’s art.

Sharing this with a sincere heart.

— Kan Ying Loong, Executive Director

(Translated)

(Originally posted here: https://www.facebook.com/yingloong.kan/posts/1234912783247264)