The painting speaks-

 A discussion on the digitization of the archives of Li Mei-shu’s works

There are many ways to go about understanding a work of art. Some people look at it from the perspective of art history, discussing in depth the period and context in which the work of art was produced. Some people carry out an analysis of the techniques displayed in the work, considering the components used by the artist during the creative process. People adopt different theories and viewpoints in order to get to grips with the texture of artistic creation, visiting the works themselves, and gaining from them knowledge and enjoyment. When we enter museums or art galleries, we see many a tour directory written by art critics or exhibition organizers. Inside these directories, we see every viewpoint, evaluation, assertion and analysis, and yet there is not one guide as sincere and moving as the one I heard in the Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery.

The familiar people and familiar lands of the painting

That was a son using his own voice to introduce his father’s work. His tone was one of pride, and boundless reminiscence for the past. In curator Li Jing-guang’s words, Li Mei-shu was like the kind grandfather in everyone’s family. This particular grandfather eagerly passed on his life philosophy to his offspring through the medium of his paintings. On entering the exhibition, it feels as if you are taking a time machine back to the time when the artist created the work. Many of the people in the paintings are Li Mei-shu’s family. Li Jing-guang points to a painting. It turns out that the young girl depicted in it is none other than Curator Li’s wife, who is also a curator herself.

Li Jing-guang is not just familiar with the people from the paintings; he also knows the techniques used in them, and the context in which they were produced, like the back of his hand. Li Mei-shu’s painting style was influenced by Impressionism and Realism. He was adept at analysing the variations expressed by light on objects, and using Western art techniques to portray the native environment that he knew and loved the most. The backdrops of his works are diverse. Whether it be  his daily life at home, or lush green flower gardens, the scenes are steeped in a feeling of close intimacy with the people and the land. In the piece ‘Dusk’ , for example, the details of light and shadow are accurately captured, and Western painting techniques are employed to express the down-to-earth nature of hardworking Taiwanese peasant women. The meticulous composition brings out a depth of field. The expressions of the people in the paintings are solemn; the atmosphere is heavy and still. Spectators can read from it an intense homesickness.

Li Mei-shu played a decisive role in the evolution of Taiwanese art. Applying everything from traditional Chinese literati painting to all kinds of modern mediums, he worked hard to study Western painting concepts, and blended them with those of the East. He adopted a new wave, avant-garde standpoint, leaving behind wonderful and moving creations for the art of his country.

A painter that devoted himself to his homeland

 From 1900 to 1980, artist Li Mei-shu devoted himself to his homeland. Apart from creating works of art, he also set foot into the fields of politics and education. Throughout his life, he persevered with his ideals and goals, remaining devoted to serving the local region, and of course to painting. In terms of serving the region, Li Mei-shu is  best known for taking part in the construction of the Sanxia Qingshui Zushi Temple. He planned everything himself, from the design, research, supervision of the construction and choice of materials for the temple. He selflessly exhausted all his energies, combining art and religion to effectively improve society and enlighten people.

In the Li Meishu Memorial Gallery there currently remains a collection of paintings, photographs, letters and cultural relics that Li Meishu left to his children after his death. In the collection, there are around a thousand paintings, 500 manuscripts from the construction of the Sanxia Qingshui Zushi Temple, along with family photos and letters left behind by Li Meishu. These items record the artist’s family life, and the history of social development in Taiwan. It is an incredibly valuable resource.

Distant yet close

The Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery adopts an original approach to exhibiting art. The objects within the paintings are laid out in front of them. This makes the vase in the piece ‘Still Objects’ jump out from the plane, echoing the painting. It links the past with the present, making the form of the painting distinct and three-dimensional. Through these material objects, we are able to observe the unique vision and perspective of the artist at the time of creation. There is a superposition between the objects before our eyes and the images in the paintings. Different windows and angles of observation reveal different features of the paintings. Using a number of procedures, from ancient to modern, to decipher the painting, produces a diverse array of opinions and meanings. At the same time, the curators use photographs to create a comparison between past and present. For example, they have hung a photo taken in recent years of a same scene as the one portrayed in  “Spring Dawn in Sanxia”, next to the painting. The painting portrays the Sanxia Bridge in the early hours of the morning. The image is tranquil and serene. The pale yellow sun light penetrates the clouds. There are silhouettes of two or three people washing clothes at the river bank. By the side of the painting is a photograph taken from the same perspective. Contrastingly, the background is crammed full of apartments and houses, dense and disorderly. The river embankment has been blocked firmly with cement. It’s a stifling sight. The comparison between the paintings and these real scenes and cultural relics allows us to witness the traces of the evolution of time, revealing the effects of social change on a place.

That scene to me was both distant yet close, as if those paintings showed a time that was unfamiliar yet familiar to me.  Whether it’s the people resting under a tree on the river bank in front of the Zushi Temple, or a simple small town scene, the elegance of the entire era is preserved vividly in our memories.

The painting speaks

On mentioning digital archiving, Li Jing-guang takes out his computer and opens the screen. On the screen are a number of Li Mei-shu’s early sketches. Li Jing-guang says, “New digitization preserves art. It allows us to focus and enlarge these blurry, damaged brushworks, making the strokes clearer and more distinguishable.” In order to more comprehensively record and preserve these paintings and voices, the memorial gallery and the Shih Hsin University Information Communication Department have cooperated in carrying out the ‘The Digitization of the Li Mei-shu Works Archives Project’. Project Director Professor Yu Xian-qiang said, “Apart from inviting experts to analyse the pieces in terms of art history or techniques displayed, the website will also include a description of the artist’s story during the process of making the work. It will also include Curator Li’s own interpretations of the works.” Now that Li Mei-shu’s work has undergone digital archiving, it has become a far-reaching force. The aim was to reveal his work to the people in a clearer way, following careful selection. Li Jing-guang displays file after file of digitized work. After watching for a while, the negatives of his memories also begin to stir. He talks about his childhood. In particular, he talks about the picture that shows his mother stood before the sick bed of her young son Li Jingyang in  1935. This picture, made up of vivid brush strokes, wholly preserves the deep sentiment between mother and child. With the help of digital technology, the paintings, the voices, the art gallery and the website approach people sincerely and warmly. This type of experience is something entirely different to exhibition experiences of the past.

Thanks to the achievements of digital archiving, people will not say “I don’t understand what he is trying to express” when they contemplate Li Mei-shu’s works. The sentiments that the paintings try to express are intense and clear. When the people step out from the paintings, they bring a close connection to the painter himself, and tell us of the context and story behind the picture. On the website constructed by Yu Xian-qiang, Li Jing-guang’s words seem to survive inside Li Mei-shu’s paintings. When you witness this, you may believe that the paintings do indeed speak to us. On experiencing this, a person will be able to hear richer sounds from the world outside the painting, too. In 2011, digitization connected paintings with words. In the twinkle of an eye, it rendered the memories of the past more mature and more fragrant than before.