Art of Conversation
Painter preserves precious memories
by Kaja Whitehouse
He grew up in the shadows of Tian'anmen Square on one side and the red walls of the Forbidden
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City on another. His Qianfu Hutong home was torn down to make way for the Great Hall of the People.
Early experience ingrained in Wang Yaomin a passion for historical Beijing which, unlike the subjects of his art, has never changed.
Although only 5 years old when it happened, Wang can still recall his first sketch: the Temple of Imperial Ancestors (Taimiao, today's Working People's Cultural Palace), east of Tian'anmen, a place of worship for emperors.
"Sometimes an early experience can change a whole life. I was totally conquered by the magnificence and solemnness," says Wang, as he explains how he began his quest for an artistic voice.
"I converse with the places I sketch," says Wang, who visits every site no matter the season or the weather. He studies its history, learning stories, dates and points of interest. In 1994, Wang received the opportunity to share these conversations. Beijing Evening News began a column, "Old Scenes of the Ancient Capital" (gu du jiu jing) featuring Wang's black-and-white sketches.
"Originally, there was no real purpose to the column," says Wang, who had
been focusing more on painting at the time he ran into a friend at the Evening News. As
they rode the elevator together, the friend, an editor, complimented his artwork and
decided it would make a nice addition to the paper.
Neither Wang nor the editor, however, were prepared for the response. Readers reacted strongly to the lost past of Wang's artwork. His works are constructed with natural, clean lines and give the appearance of linoleum prints or wood carvings. They represent a calm and simple past, lifting the mind from the busyness of modern Beijing while painfully reminding the viewer of how rapidly life changes. Especially life in Beijing.
Five years and 200 issues later, the column has become more than an opportunity to exhibit Wang's art. His commentary informs, educates and promotes preservation.
"(Damage done during) the Cultural Revolution (was) worse, but today things are different," he says. Demolition of China's historical sites has taken on a monetary rather than political motivation since economic reform began.
Wang laments the loss of the Shang Xiaoyun Residence. He was one of Beijing's four famous Peking Opera stars alongside Mei Lanfang, Xu Huisheng, Cheng Yanqiu. The residence, apparently in good condition and of great historical value, was demolished last year to build housing for foreigners.
Historical structures like many of Beijing's centuries-old alleyways are often sacrificed in an effort to modernize the city's image. But according to Wang, money is not the only voice being heard.
The Dongyue temple, for example, occupied as the working residence of State Security since 1949, was evacuated and turned over to tourism last year. Why? He says he isn't clear, but hopes it came as a result of public clamor for the preservation of Beijing's vanishing historical sites.
Wang, for one, is a man who has let his voice be heard. He plans to turn up the volume with his next book project: an "Old Scenes of the Ancient Capital" collection. Hopefully by that time, there will still be an Old Beijing left for Wang to discuss.