2016年CRI Experts Discuss Ties between Art and Technology

 

Miao Xiaochun, a renowned¹ new media artist, is a professor at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. 

He has recently given a lecture in the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum titled "New Painting: Everyone Is A Big Painter". Along the sideline, he explains how he thinks computers could guide the painting process.

"Paintings in the new era mean that the human hand is fused with the mouse and the human brain is fused with the computer chip. Computers would help analyze² how an object should be presented in a whole piece of painting. And even in some cases, an object in a painting was created by computer software. In early years, ruler and compasses were used to assist in the drawing activity, but today computers appear to be an easy-to-use tool, which makes modern paintings largely different from previous drawing experiences."

In fact, computer is not the only device that has been intimately linked to paintings, and photography came to influence the world of painting even earlier.

Photorealist painting cannot exist without the photograph.

Photorealism evolved from Pop Art, as a counter to Abstract Expressionism and Minimalist art movements in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States.

Miao Xiaochun thinks the new technologies, like the emergence³ of photorealism, have all driven painting art towards its path of development.

"I admit photography has affected⁴ paintings too. Later photorealism arose, leading to a new photorealism style of true-life painting, which I think enriches the variety of paintings. Hence I think an introduction of new technologies would pose challenges and give assistance at the same time."

The professor has also shared his experiences of making breakthroughs in his career thanks to new technologies.

"The emergence of new technologies would replace some traditional art forms, but would not make them all cease. Over the last century, paintings have undergone an accelerated development than even before the invention of photography. In the past, it's difficult for painters to find a new breakthrough at a time when many schools of art co-exist. But as I became dedicated⁵ to photography and motion pictures, I found I've gained a new breakthrough in painting during this process."

The high-technology means have not only generated a new language of painting, but also produced artistic⁶ creations that are highly innovative⁷.

Gao Peng, curator of the Today Art Museum in Beijing, used an APP launched recently by his museum as an example to show how the art world is embracing the rapid advances in technology. The APP is called "Future of Today App". 

"We wouldn't categorize artists according to their nationality any longer. The Today Art Museum has launched an APP, a platform on which any artist from any country may freely upload the pictures of their artwork. We categorize them according to the type of their artworks. Without sci-tech, this new form of art wouldn't become a reality." 

For Studio Plus, I'm Wang Lei.

1 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

2 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

3 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

7 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。