The exhibition of Cooperation in Construction a New Prospect will be displayed from 8th to 20th Jul. 2011 at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy. The exhibition displayed a lot of Chinese paintings which finished in artists’ cooperation and during the founding of new China, about 40 paintings depicted the country’s new scenery, on the occasion of ninetieth anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s founding, the exhibition will bring us a retrospect of Chinese traditional painting’s reform in the new China’s art history, which may provide experience for today’s collective painting and theme painting.

         Classics of Collective paintings

          Cooperation in painting is a traditional way in Chinese traditional painting creation. Paintings of this kind are normally finished on the party of literatis and without plan; they focus on the form rather than the content of these paintings. However, paintings displayed on this exhibition are the result of a new form of cooperation. These art activities were planed by art institutions, after the discussion, artists fixed a theme, and around the theme artists collect the material, they design the painting and finish the paintings in cooperation. With the collectivism sprit, artists reduce their individual art character and integrated themselves to creation group. However on the background the Chinese traditional painting’s reform , artists didn’t bent the Chinese traditional art discipline, they participated to the new society, feel the time spirit and use their brushes to express the new landscape and make these paintings both excellent on the theme and art quality, from these brushes with profound feelings, we can read the spirit of artists and their dream to the new society. These paintings offered retrospections to contemporary Chinese painting.

          After the establishment of PPC， how to inherit and enhance Chinese traditional painting and make it step out of scholar circle and service the social became an important theme of that historical period, a number of artists make great efforts for realizing the goal. After the establishment of Beijing Fine Art Academy, Shanghai Fine Art Academy and Jiangsu Fine Art Academy in 1950s to 1960s, a lot of artists who were quite famous before 20th century like Chen Banding (陈半丁)，Ma Jin(马晋)， Wu Jingting (吴镜汀) became the major artists in these institutions. With the gratitude for the CCP, and influenced by the construction in new period, these artists stepped out of studios, and gradually find subjects of socialist construction which bring a movement of  Chinese painting and finished a lot of excellent paintings which reflect Chinese agriculture and industry’s construction. Various subjects displayed in this exhibition: firstly, there are traditional mountain and water paintings， bird and flower paintings. These paintings are mostly painted as a contribution for the RPC; besides there are also some paintings depicted directly the view of revolution and construction, such as Chairman Mao and Miner Works, Ming Tombs Reservoirs, Long River Bridge; lastly, some paintings show the flourishing scene of agriculture, such as the Cow of People’s Commune, Rich Harvest in Agriculture; some paintings described the important culture facilities such as Television Station, Summer Palace etc. Old artists cooperated with each other to drawn these large paintings. With the reference of western painting techniques, these realistic Chinese traditional paintings also contains poem inside. In compare of the two types of painting, audience can find the time spirit of these art works.

         The Theme of Chinese traditional painting’s reform

         On the background of Chinese traditional painting reform movement in 1950s, artists changed their art from theme, the Bimo(笔墨) to artistic conception, audience can find clue of the proceeding in the exhibition. Their exploration put forwarded a lot of questions such as: what is the last line of Chinese painting reform? How to regulate art’s form and content? Compared to some superficial collective paintings today, these paintings may inspired the contemplation of sketch and painting, time requirement and Chinese traditional art development currently.