答案：Traditional Chinese painting did not imitate nature; its artistic form of imagery mainly served the purpose of expressing human spirit and disposition. The imagism in the paintings, highly abstract symbols accompanied by images, could be achieved through the conventional artistic formalities, not unlike those found in Chinese calligraphy. Ancient masters created their own internal images and their styles that were all markedly diverse and lively. Later on, these artistic patterns were imitated and copied to the point where most paintings were nothing but look-alikes. The result of such abuse was that what had meant to be elegant were no longer elegant; what had been considered vulgar were made even more vulgar. Modern Chinese painting is still caught in a downward spiral, a dilemma at best. A Wen and some of his fellow artists are bent on breaking the mold. They want to find their individual identities; they want to be different; they want to create new imageries and new styles that they can proudly call their own and in keeping with the modern times. Meanwhile, they continue to be inspired by the elegance of the past.
