Guo Xi

This artist is a little bit different from other artists I have researched in that he is an ancient Chinese painter. He was the preeminent landscape painter of the late eleventh century. He was revolutionary, using "innovative brushwork and ink [that] [was] rich, almost extravagant, in contrast to the earlier master's severe, spare style" (metmuseum.org). He would use layer upon layer of inks and water in order to make his paintings look misty and blurry, as if the mornings dew had just disappeared.

"Landscape forms simultaneously emerge from and recede into a dense moisture-laden atmosphere: rocks and distant mountains are suggested by outlines, texture strokes, and ink washes that run into one another to create an impression of wet blurry surfaces" (metmuseum.org).

I chose to research this artist because he works in the Taoist style, however I'm not sure if he was a Taoist himself. The way he paints is very reminiscent of the Taoist painters and their style. They were very reverential towards nature, often losing themselves in it and becoming completely immersed in their environment before even attempting to paint a single stroke. This is what I'm doing except I'm using my photography to convey the message of the beauty of immersing yourself in nature. I'm really drawn to the brushstrokes within the paintings because they do seem spontaneous and purposeful at the same time. I'm not quite sure how one would manage to do that but Guo Xi makes it happen.