Hi, Lovelies.
This is my first entry of random thoughts from Lexa. It’s just going to be a series of random thoughts, rants, and ideas that come to me. Sometimes, it may be a poem or an old writing of mine. Other times an old journal entry of mine. Often, it’ll just be musings and deep thoughts that come to me in the moment. Please don’t expect anything concrete or even a form. They might not even have any pictures. I hope you enjoy them, anyway.
The Chinese painter who entered his own painting
There is a quote from Ocean Vuong from an interview he does with Prac Crit where he says, “It goes back to the legends. There’s a legend about a Chinese painter who was asked by the emperor to paint a landscape so pristine that the emperor can enter it. He didn’t do a good job, so the emperor was preparing to assassinate him. But because it was his painting, legend goes, he stepped inside and vanished, saving himself. I always loved that little allegory as an artist. Even when it is not enough for others, if it is enough for you, you can live inside it.”
“It goes back to the legends. There’s a legend about a Chinese painter who was asked by the emperor to paint a landscape so pristine that the emperor can enter it. He didn’t do a good job, so the emperor was preparing to assassinate him. But because it was his painting, legend goes, he stepped inside and vanished, saving himself. I always loved that little allegory as an artist. Even when it is not enough for others, if it is enough for you, you can live inside it.”
~ Ocean Vuong
I loved that idea. The idea that even if our artwork isn’t enough for the world, it’s enough for ourselves. I love that idea because that is what I tell myself when I write. I tell myself that I’m writing for myself and not for anyone else. It doesn’t matter if my writing isn’t read by other people. It doesn’t matter if I never get published or if I get rejected by every publication. The act of writing is enough to save me.
However, I wanted to know what exactly that legend was and so after some research I found the story. It’s about a Chinese painter named Wu Daoxi. He was a renowned painter of his time, known for creating the most stunning masterpieces. He was commissioned by the emperor to paint the most intricate nature mural, the masterpieces to end all masterpieces. This is where the story I have found differs from the one that Ocean Vuong tells. Instead of the emperor saying that painting wasn’t good enough, the emperor is just as stunned with the piece, examining all the intricate details and marveling at the realness conveyed through paint. Wu Daoxi points out a small cave in his painting and invites the emperor to enter the painting with him. Wu Daoxi proceeds to enter his painting, but the emperor isn’t able to step through. Some say that the painting disappeared behind Wu Daoxi, while others say that the emperor destroyed it because of its sacredness. It doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that the painter was the only one who was able to step inside the painting.
I think this story has a very different lesson than the one that Ocean Vuong described. Yes, I absolutely believe in the fact that while our artwork may not be enough for others, it is enough for us. However, I believe this version of the story instead says that while other people may be able to appreciate our artwork, it is only the artist themselves who is able to truly live and experience that artwork. This lesson instead asks the question, “Can we ever truly understand a piece of art if we aren’t the artist?” Does this apply to music, where the musician does play the piece even if they didn’t write it? Does that label them as the artist or a borrower of the artwork or merely an observer? I don’t really know. I don’t have any answers for you.
https://cypaint.com/article/what-was-the-tale-about-the-painter-wu-daozi#google_vignette
