"Stone Art" usually is taken to be an abbreviation of "the art of stone carving" or a little more directly, "the art of stone". To me, stone art is a faddish alternative reference to our professionals commonly called "ingeniously coincidental carving". It may be seen as "hi-technique alternative carving", which means utilizing a stone's different "coincidental colors" as components of the creative carving. Compared with "the stone mason following conventional procedures of carving" or "carving as one pleases", the challenges are greater, whether in terms of procedure, difficulty or artistic level. This is why, when translating into English, I always use "Stone Art" rather than "Stone Carving" or "Sculpture". Whether we call it "Stone Art" or "Ingeniously Coincidental Carving", the requirements are that the carver must expend every ounce of artistic talent in taking a naturally patterned stone with different colors, use the carving process of "entering the picture into the stone", to fashion a para-3-dimensional or semi-3-dimensional work of art; the difficulties and obstacles encountered over the entire creative process, such as stone quality or sudden change in color, must of course be resolved through the artist's naturally endowed resourcefulness and craftsmanship. The key to success or failure often resides in the limitations of the structure of the colorful stone, which leads finally to the inevitable acceptance of the limitations imposed by fate on parts of the artistic work. This is the essence of stone art and also "the Way of stone art". Without doubt, for the true Shoushan stone artist, the object of yearning and that which is worthy of rumination is none other than the inherent mysteries of fate. From yet another angle, you must also possess adequate courage to draw clear boundary lines within existing overall trends: you must not distinguish between levels of fame of stone materials, must not be passively led by their superiority or inferiority. In other words, don't be a carver who is selling the material instead of the art.
Speaking of "Shoushan Stone Art, an Unrivaled Art Form", all practitioners will jump for joy at being drawn into the creative process. Yet the desire to possess such an honor is certainly not covered by the traditional Shoushan Stone's selling point of "being glittering and translucent, satisfying gentleness". This is because among the myriad types of stones in the world, many embody the qualities of beauty, loveliness, rarity and so on. Only those stones with the distinction of the artist's "yielding command to artistic concerns", surprisingly revealing "particular specialty and creative talent", ingeniously capturing the natural endowments of the artwork with subtle creativity, advancing into the realm of "special work of art", are worthy of the name "Unrivaled Shoushan Stone Art". Without doubt we must place ourselves in the halls of international arts; we must not only "seize the moment", but must also make long term plans. As in the above analysis, we must implement both approaches at the same time, establishing the professional nature of the artist and emphasizing the excellence of the art work. Pursuing the work of Shoushan stone art, we should learn from the ideas of Mr. Chen Weiqi in his Rare Treasures of Fujian, who wrote "The inspiration springs from the stone; the subject comes from the material; the ingenious coincidence comes from the color; the composition comes from the shape". For standards of measurement in Shoushan stone art, please consider my suggestion: "A clear contrast in coloration; a distinctly natural composition; a mature and exquisite craftsmanship; a creative concept that leads one to a profound new awareness". Although the two approaches address different targets, the guidance and connotations they release are closely linked:
"Let the material determine the art" and "Composition clearly revealed" -- let the material choose the subject, making the most of every characteristic, aim for total utilization of all the different stone materials. Thus upon completion of the work the results will be particularly clear and bright, apt and appropriate for the material.
"A riot of colors" and "Eye-dazzling fascination" -- both emphasize utilization of colors and clear contrasts. Every spot with different colors could be fully utilized, thus indirectly illustrating the importance of the "unique and unparalleled" factor that is brought about by using two or more different colors. Let the collector enjoy such a visual feast that psychologically they feel complete satisfaction.
"The created form is prominent" and "Pursuing new realms of creativity" -- let original form determine composition, modify plans according to changing circumstances, go through the creative process of "selecting stones according to their physiognomy", "chiseling the inevitable outcome of the embryo", "staying and leaving determined with ease", "expelling pollution and transforming dirt", "detailed scraping and precise trimming", and "polishing to a waxy gloss", and with these mature skills one will offer the world outstanding works.
"Be moved by inspiration" and "Pursue new creative realms" -- to gain inspiration from the stone, and create movement in stillness, the artist must invest feelings, rely on imagination, think with the heart. If the art work has divine support, brimming with vitality, then its significance and its influence will transcend the boundaries of space and time to reach the highest realm of creativity, causing people to reflect deeply, unchanging through the ages.
In summary, the key point of "The Unrivaled Shoushan Stone Art" lies in the art, not in the stone. If Shoushan stone is to spread out to the world in future, then it must incline towards "selling the art instead of the material". The meaning of "unrivaled" lies in its lofty position. If it is to be seen as lofty, and receive the admiration of the world, then it must depend upon these important and hard-to-get factors:
Incomparable value – Shoushan colorful stones are a precious natural material, also called "soft jade", the hardness of its texture and the organization of its colors are appropriate for unique artistic creations. Up to now, this kind of colorful stone is produced primarily in China.
A particular art form -- the working conditions and naturally endowed techniques it offers the artist are beyond comparison with those of ordinary stone masons and sculptors. Only China has the specialized expert personnel in this field.
Unparalleled -- A successful piece of Shoushan stone art is comparable to a three-dimensional naturally colored painting, eternally "unique and inimitable". On the other hand, most other works of art are facing the increasingly serious challenge of copying, cloning, reproducing, forging, false authentication, limited quantities of publication, and so on. The results are not hard to imagine, and will surely bring about instability and readjustment of markets. Because the unparalleled Shoushan stone art can thoroughly satisfy the collector's natural wish and natural desire of "belonging to me and me alone", its inherent value should receive the attention of even more of the world's population, and play an even more important role on the artistic stage. The journey may be a long one, but its ultimate recognition is inevitable.
(Hong Kong, 2005 Christmas)
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