Listening to Paintings

Name: Listening to Paintings
ISBN: 9787567551961

杨佴旻 / 关勇East China Normal University Press · ChinaNov 2018

3.5

Word count: 14K words
Chapters: 5
ISBN: 9787567551961

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Summary

Listening to Paintings is a collaborative work by Yang Ermin and Guan Yong. It features around one hundred paintings by Yang Ermin, which follow the lingering resonance of the color-ink school while striking a path of their own: still lifes shaped from Eastern media, transforming the Western through the Chinese, and successfully creating color ink paintings that fuse tradition with modernity. Guan Yong pairs each painting with a lyric, such as Yi Qin E: White Chrysanthemum, Tian Zi Cai Sang Zi: Lilies in a Vase, and Ai Nai Qu: The Great Universe. One painting, one poem—poem and painting resonate and enhance each other. Poetry enters the painting; poetry listens to the painting.

Editor's review

Listening to Paintings is a unique collection of art essays that seeks to break down the sensory boundary between visual art and auditory experience, inviting readers to perceive painting in an entirely new way. The author, Yang Ermin, is not only a renowned painter but also a deeply philosophical creator; he weaves his years of artistic practice and cross-cultural reflection into the text, making this book far more than simple commentary on paintings. In the book, Yang Ermin guides readers to "listen" to the rhythm, cadence, and even the "sound of silence" behind color and line, transforming painting from a purely visual object into an integrated experience of the mind. This synesthetic reading is no mystification; it rests on the author's profound grasp of Chinese and Western artistic spirit—he hears the flow of music in the "rhythmic vitality" of traditional Chinese ink painting, and captures the resonance of a symphony in the intense color of Western modern painting. The book's value lies in the methodology it offers: how to mobilize all the senses and the inner self to "enter" a painting and thereby gain a fuller, more personal aesthetic experience. For modern readers suffering visual fatigue in an age of information overload, it is a remedy that awakens perception. The prose itself combines poetic verve with intellectual depth, making the reading experience a quiet and abundant spiritual stroll.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in painting who wish to go beyond technique to a deeper aesthetic experience
Those engaged in artistic creation or art education seeking inspiration and cross-disciplinary thinking
Readers who enjoy philosophical essays and aesthetic prose and relish the intellectual pleasure of the text
Urban readers longing to find inner calm and sensory renewal through art amid a fast-paced life

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic art history knowledge or biography-style content about painters
Pure pragmatists seeking step-by-step, highly technical guides to art appreciation

Reading tips

Read in a quiet environment and try to follow the author's descriptions, "constructing" in your mind the sound and atmosphere of each image.
There is no need to read cover to cover; begin with chapters that interest you and treat the book as a deep conversation with an artist friend.
Where possible, compare the text with images of the paintings mentioned or with favorites of your own to deepen your understanding.

About the publisher

East China Normal University Press China · Founded in 1957

Adhering to the publishing purpose of "broad education," East China Normal University Press extends beyond its three main areas of textbooks, academic works and general-interest books, and its catalogue clearly reflects a vision that bridges Chinese and foreign humanities and social sciences. In foreign literature it offers classics such as Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country and The Old Capital (translated by Chen Dewen), Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Rilke's annotated edition of The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (translated by Chen Zao); in architecture, Chen Congzhou's two-volume Appreciation Dictionary of Chinese Gardens; in social psychology, The Social Animal: 12th Edition; and it also includes philosophy titles, traditional-culture works such as the six-volume Paintings for the Protection of Life, and education books. Its authors include renowned Chinese and foreign writers and skilled translators, showing a publishing profile that balances classic translation, scholarly accumulation and public reading. Public information is limited; the above is based only on the books in the catalogue.

版权信息
序
听画
后记一
后记二

FAQ

Can I understand this book without any art background?

Absolutely. The book focuses not on professional technical analysis but on guiding a way of perceiving art. With graceful prose and philosophical reflection, the author builds a bridge that offers deep resonance and insight even without specialized knowledge.

How is this book different from ordinary art appreciation books?

The greatest difference lies in its perspective and methodology. It abandons the linear analysis of style, school, and historical background in favor of exploring the synesthetic experiences, emotional fluctuations, and philosophical meditations that paintings evoke, focusing more on a subjective, inner aesthetic journey.

How does the author Yang Ermin's background shape the writing of this book?

Yang Ermin combines a foundation in Chinese ink painting with deep study of Western modern art and has long lived overseas. This cross-cultural creative and life experience gives his perspective both the mood of Eastern aesthetics and the rational speculation of Western art, so the book's arguments have both traditional roots and an international vision.

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About the author

杨佴旻 Author

Yang Erming is an author whose work in this catalog focuses on writing about art. The available records include only one title by this author, Listening to Paintings. Because public information is limited, it is not yet possible to confirm Yang's nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, or full creative career, so any introduction to the author and the work must rely on the existing bibliographic information. Listening to Paintings is classified under art, and judging from the title and category, its content is likely related to the viewing, listening, and aesthetic experience of painting, and may involve expressions of art appreciation and creative experience. Yang Erming's writing appears to start from the visual arts and guide readers to establish a connection between works and feelings, seeking a balance between readability and artistic meaning in language. As far as the existing work is concerned, its influence remains to be shown through more materials and reader feedback.

关勇 Author

Guan Yong is a Chinese author about whom limited public information is available. His catalog currently includes two works, falling respectively into the categories of art and prose miscellany. One representative title, Listening to Paintings, judged by its name and its art classification, appears to center on how paintings are viewed and understood, suggesting a textual interpretation of visual art. The other, Breaking Through the Walls of Life: Accompanying You Through Every Night, belongs to prose miscellany, and its subtitle points to companionable writing for general readers, likely in an intimate, conversational tone. The two works span quite different subjects—one turning toward artistic appreciation, the other toward everyday reflections on life—indicating that the author has attempted writing in more than one field. As reliable records of birth and death dates, nationality, or professional experience are unavailable, this introduction makes no conjecture and offers only a brief sketch of the thematic orientation and reading positioning of the existing works for readers' reference.