Welmer

An urban scene in contemporary China, by Yan Yong (click on photo for gallery site)

Judging from most modern and public art, skill and beauty are foreign concepts to Americans. The statues cities put up and the paintings displayed in museums seem almost as though they were designed to puzzle or disgust people rather than inspire them. Many of the works are so lacking in skill that it appears that they were designed by children in kindergarten.

But hope remains, both here and abroad. Despite decades of effort, the love of beauty has not been entirely snuffed out, and fresh visions emerge from the minds of people who are mercifully spared association with modern art culture in the West. In America, graphic designers are producing beautiful animations for games and movies, and in Asia, China in particular, the ancient arts of calligraphy and watercolor are merging with western artistic traditions to form some of the best contemporary paintings in the world.

Nearly ten years ago, I visited an art gallery in Beijing where young painters were showing their art, both traditional and modern. My friend Liu Yaping lived with an artist in a spare, concrete-floored flat by Sanyuan Qiao (Third-Ring Bridge) Beijing, so I spent some time in artistic circles in the city. At the time, Chinese artists were largely unknown and very poor, but when I saw their work I was favorably impressed. Prior to seeing their paintings, I had never taken any young artists seriously.

An interesting combination of eastern technique and western material, by Chen Wenbo (follow photo link again for gallery to see more of Chen’s golf paintings)

Although I certainly hope some of these artists have won some recognition for their talent and made some money, I’m afraid of what might happen if they gain too much fame. Even so, I hope some Americans recognize the skill and vision underlying their art and are inspired to produce something beautiful themselves.

For any connoisseurs out there with money to burn and time to spare, I would suggest a visit to Beijing’s art galleries. You will find good paintings for fair prices and have fun doing so. If I didn’t like the artists personally, I’d keep it to myself.