Starting from being a reader of Lao Dong Newspaper , in 1992 when Labor Weekly had 3 issues, it was time to accidentally become friends with "famous players" of Labor such as: Phan Dan, Hoang Hung, Thuy Kha, Trung Dan, Do Quang Hanh, Vinh Quyen, Chu Thao, Trinh Tu and became collaborators of Lao Dong from when I can remember.
I am an artist so I have the pleasure of seeing the paintings of my colleagues, especially young artists. I like to write comments and my feelings about their works and exhibitions, partly voluntarily and sometimes also with the thanks and trust of artists who are exhibiting for the first time.
Having finished writing and having that introduction published in a major newspaper like Lao Dong, for young artists, it can be considered an initial mark of recognition. Great artists and "foolish men" don't need me to write. Besides, writing about them is quite difficult because the pseudonyms have already been exploited. Writing about young people is less difficult because there are many things to discuss, but the only thing is to be sharp-eyed and fair-minded to see, see and foresee the good things even if they are just budding. Not only that, but it is a signal
in how to use the pen, how to create shapes, in the color palette...
Writing for young people who need "blue eyes" is like that! When talking about writing, we must say everything that we write about, write about anyone, we also write about ourselves, through them we can talk about our profession, our concept of our profession, and above all, our heart's story. Criticism is science, but does it still require literature? Through them, we can see ourselves, through analyzing a work, an exhibition of that individual artist, to see the common things of art and painting.
Yet, it is difficult to submit articles to newspapers. Daily newspapers only like news, not articles, "land is tight, people are crowded", especially small weekly newspapers. Well, the only thing left is to rely on Labor Weekend, which is always open to my articles introducing unknown and unestablished artists. I emphasize and repeat: Labor Weekend always supports young artists. They and I will always remember this gesture.
Perhaps on this occasion I came up with an idea, I will choose to print a book temporarily called "Conversations with Painting", including many articles printed on Labor Weekend .
I am an artist, I have fun reading books, mainly literature, poetry, and art books.
Weekend Labor often has pages of short stories, poems, and essays. Illustrations, whether in color or black and white, for newspaper-printed poetry, no matter how small, often need to be quick, not necessarily a work, but not easy.
The brothers and sisters at Labor Weekend often commission me to draw illustrations. Artists draw pictures, of course, but illustration is also a hobby, it has another joy. Illustrations for newspapers have their own characteristics, first of all, the time is not much, usually only 1 to 2 days. Painting is free, but illustrating stories and poems must still be based on the content of that story or poem.
When drawing a landscape painting, the inspiration comes from the landscape of the fields and rivers before your eyes, while when illustrating poetry, the inspiration comes from the beauty of the sentences and poems that you read. The artist reads and then draws, the reader can see the illustration and then read, or read and then watch and review the illustration.
The illustration of a woman sitting thoughtfully on the doorstep could very well be the main character of the story. The one-sided winter town landscape in the illustration could be the place where the story's ending takes place, the main setting of the story. story. For example! But there are times when the rule just mentioned is broken.
A good poem, a strange, unexpected verse will arouse inspiration in the artist, the words will bring back the color image. Cannot be determined in advance.
Illustration? Should it be more correct to call them paintings inspired by poetry and literature or a dialogue between painting and poetry?
Cannot be illustrated. Each type of art has its own language. Even though poetry and painting are neighbors, they still live independently. If painting were to live in poetry, it would die.
A painting inspired by a poem or verse should be considered the second text of that poem or a different way of understanding and feeling about that poem. Through the painting, the poem will expand, the poem will live another life, a life in color that only painting can create.
But my concept of illustration is not traditional, so it is difficult for newspapers or other authors to accept it. They still like illustrations to be literal illustrations, drawing whatever type of story they want. Luckily, at that time, Mr. Do Quang Hanh, in charge of Weekend Labor, was a person with an open aesthetic concept, and he let me freely illustrate in my own way.
For example, the series of illustrations on Nguyen Thuy Kha's poetry page includes the song "Moon in the clouds" with the sentence: "The moon in the clouds, my heart in you/ The lovesick heart is sometimes full and sometimes waning". I drew a portrait of a girl, her hair covered her forehead like a cloud and peeking out of that cloud/hair was a crescent moon/heart.
Or the Hai Phong poetry page printed with the poem "Sardines" by Dao Trong Khanh, the inspiration to draw arose from the sentence: "Let's swim to the school of dried sardines", I let a river appear on the face that is probably hers. poet. "Once upon a time I floated like a sail/ Now I am the old wharf" and that school of dried sardines still swims on the river/ surface/ Dao Trong Khanh.
Realistic painting has its advantages, but realistic painting is only suitable for literal illustrations, so why paint poetry? With a modern perspective, painting and poetry can go hand in hand.
If you draw realistically, it would be difficult to "converse" with "a flock of dried sardines", or "the sea is two shoulders wide" with Trinh Cong Son, or talk with "when you go out the door, you fall into the hearts of friends" by Thanh Tung. , or more "In clogs I pay most attention to the tightness of the straps" by Dang Dinh Hung.
Thanks to the openness of Lao Dong Newspaper, I have written pages introducing young artists. Thanks to the openness of Lao Dong Newspaper, I was able to get illustrations according to my own ideas.
I would like to ask: Suppose if there were no Labor then...? as a thank you to the publications of Lao Dong Newspaper.
7.2024
