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Neo Scholar Paintings |
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OCAD OUTREACH
Gallery, Toronto, Paintings Exhibition By: Mafu, Mark Isaac,
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Sometime in the Eighteenth Century, a radical group burst forth simultaneously in various cultural centers in China called the "Scholar Painters". They were a kind of precursors to today's Grey Panthers, or Hell's Grannies or, in another context, Sunday Painters. That's to say, they practiced painting as an autonomous art with energy, debate and research, rather than opting for the more regular, Have Reed-brush; Will Travel alternative in their culture, which valued good calligraphy at the highest level and paid it accordingly. In theory, they were genteel retirees from government or law careers with sudden leisure time to practice their craft. But there may be some historical euphemism here. In fact, they were amongst the earliest of bohemian artists, producing paintings without the security of a patron or sponsor and living according to their principles of their art. Though said to have been past retirement age, in practice they might have been any age, from graybeard to fresh youth. And while they didn't explicitly paint for food, neither did they hesitate to sell their creations. View Paintings 1 2nd Neo-Scholar Paintings Content
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