Modern Ink: The Art of Huang Binhong

Huang Binhong (1865-1955), a key twentieth-century artist and art historian, produced distinctive floral works and the rare figure painting but focused intently on landscapes. Influenced by early masters, he also studied nature directly. Near the end of his life, despite seriously compromised eyesight, he used rich and dark “burnt” ink to create sublime masterpieces that bridge representation and abstraction. Modern Ink: The Art of Huang Binhong demonstrates how nature, art historical erudition, a finely tuned compositional sense, and an appreciation for rich and even tonality—derived from epigraphic rubbings—come together in this consummate painter’s late, great landscapes. It also examines his work in other genres as well as the role of his extraordinary vision as a major force behind the persistence of traditional values in contemporary Chinese ink art.

• Britta Erickson, Editor

  Britta Erickson received her Ph.D. in Chinese Art History from Stanford University and serves as co-author and series editor. Erickson is an independent scholar and curator. Her doctoral dissertation investigates patronage modes in the career of the mid-nineteenth-century Shanghai School artist Ren Xiong. She has taught at major universities, publishes and lectures widely, and has curated important exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art. Dr. Erickson now serves as artistic director at INK Studio, a Beijing gallery devoted to contemporary ink artists, and includes among her current projects the production of a film series, The Enduring Passion for Ink.

• J. May Lee Barrett, Editor

Contributors

• Jason C. Kuo
• Claire Roberts
• Britta Erickson