Show: Viz City
Subject: Dan Chen and his Chinese Watercolor on Silk Class
Date of Interview: Friday, Feb. 7, 2017
Date of Broadcast: Feb. 8th, 2017
Script: Sandy Brown Jensen
Sound: Terry Way
INTRO
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The big Doug firs silhouetted against the streetlights on Bailey Hill Road look like a Chinese watercolor on silk. Outside, the first chorus of frogs sings through the light rain. Inside, the old Grange Hall is a brightly lit art studio jumbled with all the magical objects of artist Dan Chen’s whimsical genius. He recently completed a commission for seven very large bronze sculptures, but now he is teaching a class in something completely different--Chinese watercolor on silk.
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Dan takes us over to his drafting table to let us see and feel the stiff, treated silk
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And then he shows us how the sumi ink is created by rubbing a stick of ink on a special stone
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Chen explains that the history of Chinese painting on silk comes from a court tradition as only wealthy people could afford silk. The reds were obtained from flowers and the greens from mineral mines like turquoise, and China White from oyster shells.
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5:02 Modern day people don’t have the patience, and everyone wants instant gratification. First of all, the medium is so wonderful, and you can’t use any other Western medium to achieve the effect. So I thought it would be fun to continue to give the eastern views to western art. >>
Anne Korn is one of Chen’s students and speaks about her most profound artistic insights while working with Dan.
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3:32--8:01 Because we’re using sumi ink, you have this very black, consistent kind of line that outlines everything then you fill in with your watercolors. It’s very vibrant. It’s very different from western art, and it has a beautiful feel.>>
Dan Chen and his students will have a student show over at the Pacific Rim Art gallery 160 E Broadway on the first Friday of March. This has been Viz City, Terry Way and Sandy Brown Jensen, Co-producers.
END