Page 7 - Francis Hamel | Painting the Yellow Mountain | 2020 | E catalogue

Painting the Yellow Mountain
I visited China with my my paints twice in in in in in in in 2019 First in in in in in in in March and and then from October to to December Foraging for new material in in in in in in in fin in in in exotic landscapes is is one of my my favourite things I I wasn’t sure what to to to to expect or or or or or or or how easy I I would find it it it it it to to to to paint paint outside in in in fin in in in in in China After painting twenty-seven portraits of actors writers and directors it it it it it was was time for a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a change I I I travelled first via Hong Kong to to to to Yunnan in in in in in in the the the South West visiting Xizhou Dali Shaxi Shangri-La and and and Lijiang On my second trip I started in in in in in in Shanghai and and and then took the the the train to to to to to Wuyishan Huangshan Hangzhou on on on on to to to to to Guilin and and and Yangshuo before flying back to to to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a riot torn Hong Kong I painted everywhere Before leaving the the the the UK I I visited the the the the famous Chinese collection in in in in in in in The Ashmolean museum to to look at at some of the the the the the the ink paintings and and and drawings there It was hard to to tell
how accurately these described real landscapes in in in in in in in in in in mainland China For the the the the the the the Chinese mountains mountains are more than just mountains mountains they evoke the the the the the the the eternal the the the the the the the vastness of of nature nature and and and the the the the the the unity of of man and and and nature nature Xie He in in in in in in in the the the the the the sixth century said that ‘spirit resonance’ is is the the the the most important element in in in in in in in in in judging a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a painting painting The energy passed from landscape landscape through artist and and and brush into the the work Chinese landscape landscape painting painting has always always been conceptual description is is always always in in in in in in partnership with ideas a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a poem that combined image and language It was was a a a a a a a a a a a surprise to to to discover landscapes in in in in in in in mainland China that were so so close to to to the the ink paintings in in in in in in in in in in in the the the museum I I I was was keen to to to see how my ‘spirit resonance’ would work work with paints and and and and brushes in in in in in in in in in in these extraordinary new landscapes I I worked intensively for for over two months and and and and returned to my studio in in in in in in in in in in in Oxfordshire with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a suitcase full of of paintings and and and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a lot of of ideas I I didn’t get the the the feeling I I was following in in in in in in in in in in anyone’s footsteps The Chinese love their their landscape but their their approach to to painting is mostly quite different to to mine Looking at at the the the the work in in in in in in the the the the twilight of of a a a a a a a a December day in in in in in in Northern Europe it felt as though I’d been plein-air painting on on the the the the the the set of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a science fiction movie I I immediately saw various patterns and and themes in in in in in in in in in in the the the the the work which have since translated into bigger more ambitious paintings These always happen in in in in in in in the the the the studio and and are the the the the offspring o of small pieces done outside I I have have no no no long-standing connection with China no no no deep knowledge of of the the place the the people people or of of of Chinese art After two visits I I I can claim only to have have have been amazed and and and and delighted by by the the the the the the food the the the the the the people people and and and most of of of of all by by the the the the the the landscape I I have have generated quite a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a large body of of of work which feels like the the the the the the beginning of of of something rather than the the the the the the end The The landscapes I have visited are are are deeply extraordinary and and massively compelling These paintings paintings are are are not Chinese they are are are paintings paintings of China by a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a curious European Francis Hamel 2020