Reporter: Lanting in Shaoxing has a reputation as a holy place for calligraphy, and the calligraphy circle in Shaoxing is also full of talented people. As a leader in calligraphy circles in China and Zhejiang, what do you think of Shaoxing's calligraphy circle?
Zhu Guantian: I come to Lanting Calligraphy Festival almost every year, which is the 24th. Shaoxing has a good calligraphy atmosphere, especially the attention of the government, which is unique in China. The current calligraphy world can be said to be the most scenic era, and the status of calligraphers is also very high, but as calligraphers, we should not lie on the honor, we should innovate and make new progress on the basis of predecessors. It is necessary to compare with predecessors and history, so that calligraphy can be passed down from generation to generation.
Reporter: With the gradual weakening of the practical function of calligraphy, as an art category, can Shaoxing calligraphy form its own unique genre?
Zhu Guantian: The formation of an art school often occurs under the premise of poor information circulation and extremely underdeveloped transportation. Now it has entered the information age, and various schools have merged with each other to learn from each other's strengths. It is impossible to form a pure regional genre. For example, Lanting Calligraphy Festival brings together various calligraphy styles, including Japanese and Korean calligraphy. This is the new trend of calligraphy development. In the concept of calligraphy learning, as advocated by Mr. Cai Yuanpei in Peking University, there are various schools and styles. I hope Shaoxing will accept these things with a broad mind and conduct open exchanges. Flowers must come from bees, and international calligraphers echo them. Therefore, we have a heavy burden and great responsibility, and we cannot live up to everyone's expectations.
Reporter: As an old-timer in calligraphy, what role do you think Shaoxing played in the cultivation of calligraphy talents? How to design the training mode of calligraphy talents?
Zhu Guantian: To cultivate talents, we must walk on two legs, that is, popularize and improve. First, popularize and popularize calligraphy, such as junior college, undergraduate and social education, focusing on popularization; Then began to train master students and doctoral students, engage in research, set up research institutes, set up calligraphy magazines, and build the highest calligraphy research institute in China and even the world. This is our goal.
Calligraphy learning should absorb the essence of other arts. The original mode and method of calligraphy education can be reformed to make it more distinctive than other art categories. The establishment of Shaoxing Lanting Calligraphy Art College has had a great influence on the transformation of traditional culture in China. Calligraphy is no longer attached to painting or poetry, but becomes an independent art. In this way, it needs social support and social recognition, as well as the recognition of other "brothers and sisters"-poetry, painting, music, film and television, dance, etc. In this way, calligraphy, a traditional culture, also needs to be studied well. Calligraphy should emphasize change, while traditional calligraphy should emphasize unity. In the future, calligraphy should have its own style, not simple imitation or simple style. After Lanting, there are not only "Wang Xizhi", but also various calligraphy styles, which should adapt to the needs of society and play the role of "lyricism".
Zhejiang book circle bid farewell to Zhu Guantian era
Zhu Guantian and Bao Xianlun were twice elected as vice-chairmen of China Calligraphy Association and three times as chairmen of Zhejiang Calligraphy Association. Zhu Guantian looked calm and didn't have any stack-loving complex. In many provinces of China, including the upcoming general election of the China Book Association, when it was reported that the candidates for the chairman, vice-chairman and director of the Book Association were vying for the same position, he said, "I can finally go to the theatre." Going to the theater means a complete change in identity and role. As the protagonist of long-term calligraphy, Zhu Guantian knows that acting is not easy. Acting is not for yourself. Acting needs to face the judgment of the audience (that is, spectators), and acting should be responsible, otherwise the audience will boo or even coax the actors to step down. It is said that acting is fake, but it is not. Fake actors are not good actors and can't play well. Literature has morality, martial arts has morality and drama has morality. You can take part in accidental amusement for a while, but it is suspected of hypocrisy. You can play a good role in life with your heart, talent and integrity, and immerse yourself in the truth of the play all the time. There are two kinds of people in the theater: actors and audiences. One is in the theater and the other is outside the theater. There will be stories at the opening ceremony.
Stories like Zhu Guantian are rarely the same in the national book circle. After the "Cultural Revolution", the professional background of the first calligraphy graduate student of China Academy of Fine Arts made him look down on the book world and took the lead. The long-term organization of the book association also cultivated his overall awareness. Now he is still in the position of Deputy Secretary-General and Secretary-General of Zhejiang Book Association, becoming the backbone of the book association, leading and coordinating all aspects of work. In the early 1990s, Zhejiang Calligraphy Association took the lead in building an echelon of young calligraphy and seal cutting talents. Through measures such as "young people do their own things", with the strong support of the leaders of the Book Association and the old calligraphers, many outstanding young calligraphy and seal cutting artists have been promoted to various professional committees of the Zhejiang Book Association, and the top backbone of them has been gradually enriched to the presidium, Council and secretariat of the Zhejiang Book Association. Zhu Guantian and the middle-aged leaders of Zhejiang Book Association headed by Zhu Guantian made practical and effective efforts. The equally fruitful young calligraphy and seal cutting colleagues of Jiangsu Book Association are far from so lucky.
The prestige and achievements of Zhejiang book circle today are definitely closely related to Zhu Guantian's work style of clear love and hate, unity and tolerance. Zhejiang calligraphy is not exclusive. Calligraphers who come to Zhejiang from other places to seek development must have a good life as long as they have real talents and practical knowledge. Zhu Guantian can mostly understand a person's advantages and disadvantages, and his casual short comments often hit the nail on the head. From the perspective of work, Zhu Guantian will only think from the perspective of the other party and try to avoid embarrassment. Sometimes he will "reprimand" his relatively young calligraphy colleagues or younger generations not to say things they shouldn't say, but to respect others. Respect is unity, and unity is strength. Calligraphy theory, creation and education of Zhejiang Calligraphy Association are in full bloom. The key to its unbeaten bloom lies in Zhu Guantian's creation of an all-weather calligraphy army, a delightful camouflage gentleman calligraphy army and an impartial calligraphy army between tradition and modernity. Zhu Guantian, the leader himself, kept a low profile, neither publishing calligraphy collections, holding solo exhibitions, nor giving speeches. He just buried himself in his studies, ran to the library and looked up reference books. Tired and tired, he will find a few ordinary "children" to go to interesting places in Zhejiang to eat local chicken, bench noodles, fried stinky tofu and green fresh-keeping vegetables. If it is the end of the year, he will prepare some new year's goods and send a leather coat to the "children" who follow him. He must always be happy in the new year. What the "children" are most happy about is the fun of following Zhu Guantian's "going to the countryside", listening to his cold and humorous talk with Shaoxing accent, and "teasing" "Teacher Zhu" by the way. Why not?
Zhu Guantian, with gray eyebrows, looks a little old. He knows the meaning of respecting the elderly. The Zhejiang Book Association has set up a professional committee for artistic guidance, which has made some old calligraphers who have retired from the leadership positions of the Book Association still feel the warmth of the book association family, and Zhu Guantian has played a positive role in promoting it. Zhu Guantian's respect for the elderly is not a show and has no purpose. He is more inclined to respect those old calligraphers and seal engravers who have objections, such as Mr. Ye Yiwei, 92, from Xiling Printing Press. Zhu Guantian attaches great importance to friendship. Needless to say, old comrades, classmates and colleagues are familiar to ordinary members of the Book Association. Once they get sick, transfer their jobs, get married or something, he will enthusiastically help them, write letters and give money generously, and do not promote "black-box operation." He is extremely disgusted with those over-packaged calligraphers, hates the ugly phenomenon of running around and selling officials, and expresses strong disappointment with the huge bureaucratic operation of calligraphy organizations. He is the most unhappy and bad at dealing with officialdom at the top of the book association, but officialdom has always maintained its appreciation and affirmation of him. Zhu Guantian knows the secret between giving up and winning, despises monuments and walks into word of mouth. He returned to Ma Pingchuan from the peak of Zhejiang book rights, with a peaceful mind; The Zhejiang Calligraphy Building built by him and his partners will always be remembered by people for their achievements.
Thank you, Teacher Zhu Guantian! What a kind and warm name the teacher is. Zhu Guantian is not aloof, and he doesn't care about the chairman. If we meet Zhu Guantian coming down from the podium in the future, we must kindly call him Teacher Zhu Guantian!
Modest, respectful, principled, and occasionally making a little mistake, Zhu Guantian will pay close attention to the future development trend of Zhejiang calligraphy with deep affection and detachment. In his studio in Yang Gongdi, West Lake, Hangzhou, he was intoxicated by the red leaves in early winter-waiting for him to make a pot of tea and listen to the news of the theatre.
Small achievements are in wisdom, great achievements are in virtue, and the world is transformed by virtue. Great things are invisible. Zhejiang calligraphy circles bid farewell to Zhu Guantian's era, and the tide of Zhejiang calligraphy is surging.