Woods and a Spring

Wu Guanzhong’s ink paintings reached full maturity in the 1980s. After years of sketching all over China, Wu gathered a vast array of inspirations and intriguing subjects that he expressed in his diverse works throughout that decade. Although the artist did not specify the location of “Woods and a Spring,” one can easily guess from Wu’s footprints during his many sketching trips. Wu Guanzhong loved nature and was passionate about old trees, forests, and springs. His trips to Mount Wuyi, Hainan Island, Gulangyu, and Xishuangbanna allowed him to capture different types of trees in full vivacity under his brush. His artistic expression echoes the tradition of Chinese ink painting and acts as the artist’s spiritual sanctuary.

In this particular work, Wu Guanzhong depicts the forests of southern China. The towering and majestic old trees rise from the bottom, exuding a sense of monumentality similar to that seen in Northern Song dynasty landscape paintings. Wu’s confident and carefree brushwork is evident in the intertwining tree trunks and vines, colourful dots, ink lines, and planes. A quiet stream flows from the bottom left corner of the composition, instilling a sense of tranquillity and translucency, which balances the very dense and dynamic composition. Woods and a Spring encapsulates Wu’s interests in sketching and abstraction and is undoubtedly a representative masterpiece from the 1980s.