Question (Q): Since 1996 your paintings present ideograms that are not painted in the calligraphy traditional style: can you tell us something about it? 

Tang Guo (T): Calligraphy is a central theme, actually I always thinking about that and I did many experiments of that aspect.
Besides traditional Calligraphy ,we should dig out the more extensive “Calligraphy”. Sometimes you don’t need to figure out what it contains, through calligraphy it's possible to know one artist's personality, interest, order of priority and other elements and strength of expression. In painting as like as in calligraphy we have structure and frame even the step or gentle temple. Sometimes, one paints without break, sometimes strongly, other times elegantly or delicately. Since the ancient times, calligraphy has developed a set of very complete system, what we could do except imitate?
In my paintings, I respect the tradition and put emphasis on creation. The relationship that you feel like the structural relation between one ideogram and the other is always abrupt, sometime rough even primitive: some ideograms seem set out as a building; one on the other as in a step; other seem vertical and horizontal roads intersecting, let nature take its course.
In my paintings I try to express all shifty rhythm in calligraphy with stokes dauby, hope to create a special image relationship, its layout is from calligraphy, ignoring or exaggerating the contact, that makes me broke the original taste and find out my own images.  

Q: The meaning of the characters themselves in this way are lost? 

T: That's right. The literal meaning is hided. 

Q: In your works there are a lot of pages from antique books, fragments as well as ideograms that have lost their original nature: all this make me think about Chinese antique culture. 

T: Exactly, My works present ancient meanings. Han literature, fresco, Buddhist, old books sheets, the ancients handwriting, rubbing: all these connection with calligraphy handed down are stories, thus I turned the foul and rotten into the rare and ethereal.
Those ancient papers are yellowed, fragile. They have a broken beauty. I always look for this feeling in my works.

Q: Do you think that this beauty you are talking about is based on calligraphy or on the addition of all these elements? 

T: It's based on a synthesis of all the elements: collage, reproductions, seals, painting, etc. There are predecessors calligraphy rubbings, collage out, woodcut printed, invitations, account books, leases, especially some small paper collage paintings have real Han Dynasty stone rubbings.

Q: Have you prepared paintings using, antique colours in layers, red on grey, earth on stones, mud colour, specifically for the exhibition shou in Italy? 

T: I wanted to give clear references to Chinese traditional ink painting. It's been a natural process, I didn't realize it until I had finished. Anyway, different people will notice different elements in my paintings: somebody pay attention to the ideograms, the others to the range of colours, everyone owns a different sensibility. Painting, I kept on my mind the relation between ink and colours, but non explicitly, I didn't want people to say I use to imitate antique colours and ink painting, the most important part is to create a new relationship.

Q: Which are the differences between your own style and ink painting? 

T: My works don't have direct relation with ink painting. I just use traditional techniques colours and paper made by hand. I use the hand-made papers and self collected ancient materials to express new point of view. I guess I created a new visual imagination differ from other paintings.

Q: What’s your new visual imagination? 

T: That an idea different from what has been said,used and created by others. I handmade paper, calligraphy, the way I make paper, etc, I use experimental meanings to express an abstract type of beauty. I'm not interested in painting an specific item. 

Q: Can we say that your art don't have any connection with everyday Life? 

T: For this period, that’s what I thought and done, my paintings don't reflect the sadness of a man, obscurity of society, economical or political changes, none of them.

Q: Which is the link between your works and beauty? 

T: I am deeply interested in the traditional graphic expression, not a lot of people really know it. Maybe few elements are definitively dead. Some people think I invent everything I do some other that I don't invent absolutely anything. Two thousand years ago the elements I use in my painting already existed, appreciation of the beauty is different, the way we think of art is different. I just want to pass on sensations of beauty or sense of humor.

Q: How do you choose the colours? 

T: I choose the colours I felt, those colours make audience travail are what I called contemporary.

Q: Let's talk about the paper you use. Which material do you use to make the paper? 

T: I am trying to use antique system before Qianlong. The importance of this problem is to not add any additives. In the old age, living it drying at the sun and moistening at the rain, filtering the impurities. today, they make paper in 30 days with a chemistry method, use bleach instead of photosynthesis to shorten the process of making papers.

Q: How does it work? 

T: There are two types of Chinese art paper: One for Pteroceltis skin and the Sha Tin straw, others can only be called calligraphy paper.In ancient, pteroceltis bark cooked with lime, then that is the sun and rain, the natural decomposition of straw as well. This process takes a long time, and then there are dozens of processes. Taking the paper has been the most basic stage, and then pressed dry divide, bake, check, cut, more than one hundred processes it takes.

Q: How does it last? 

T: Just the process of adding cellulose takes at least one year. It is important that not to add any additives, that make the ph value of the paper to compliance.

Q: Your paintings often have a black tissue frame, how do you make it? 

T: It's made of threads. A traditional painter helps me. 

Q: How did you decide to use this method? 

T: Not after much effort. My paintings and I are one thing. 

Q: How do you think your paintings will be in the future? 

T: I hope that I will slow down, maybe I will not use many materials anymore, maybe they will be in harmony with my interest; I guess I will create new colours. I will try to find new structures to reach different visual results. 

Q: During the Shanghai Museum exhibition in 1996 you showed a painting made only by paper you didn't paint anything on it. 

T: I think the process of making paper is extremely interesting. I use old technique and new inspirations choosing new range of colours to obtain incredible results. 

Q: When did your "abstract" period begin? 

T: Since 1995. In the 80's I painted traditional, gentle works but with few elements of originality (for example the figures without face). Anyway when I started painting I felt already attached by abstract style. 

Q: How do you explain your development? 

T: The main reason is that I'm attracted by "paper". Paper life was short, I wanted to resolve this problem. Paper can last twenty, thirty, forty years and then? A lot of scholars discuss about antique and contemporary painting, I wanted to find a method to make paper resist the time. Antique painting has been lasting for centuries, so why modern paper wear out after few years? Paper brought me to abstract painting. 

Q: What influenced most your painting? 

T: The design and the shape of old Chinese tools, porcelain, bronzes, music instruments. I guess that it is clear looking at my abstract paintings. All these elements play a central role in my painting. 

Q: What do you feel when you paint? 

T: Most of the time I'm perfectly calm. I have to be concentrated in what I'm doing. For example, today I want to paint a stone: how is this stone? Vertical or horizontal? Is it red or green? I take my time before starting painting so I don't have reason to feel agitated. I get nervous only if I can not do what I have in my mind.

Q: If you are not satisfied with one of your paintings, what do you do? 

T: I throw it away. 

Q: Does it happen often? 

T: When I used to do ink painting, I usually throw away one third of my works. 

Q: What about now? 

T: Now it's better. I control better the colours, I am more mature. 

Q: If an artist control perfectly the colours, the composition, the paper, the brush, if an artist has already done everything, where can be find new inspiration? 

T: Increase is relative. I will expand my field, extending to think about location. In addition to the use of integrated materials, in addition to the abstract, I may use photography, use a more simple line drawing, or pick up oil paints to consider. Recently I took digital photos of the famous rocks Jiang Nan as well as Yulinglong. I want to obtain slides from them, I's like to project them on a wall to have a life-size image. Why I need to paint? The projection is a direct way. 

Q: Does this kind of artistic experience have any influence on your paintings? 

T: Yes, they have, Jiang Nan is a famous place since Ming and Qing dynasty. For centuries a lot of scholars and artists have been to visit them because of their beauty. I joined them. 

Q: Which was your first work? 

T: An ink painting titled “Melody”, in 1975 it was present at the Jiangsu province Exhibition. It portrayed a seventeen mad girl near a bamboo, on the sides there were electric wires, on the back a big red sun and clouds. 

Q: If an ink painting history was written, where do you think they should place you? 

T: Some people think I am close to ink painting vanguard, other people think I am too traditional to be place in the vanguard, maybe someone assesses me as inarginal, a little strange. I like it this way. It's not important. I can't see the reason why we must place an artist in a rigid position. The artist should be free, if a critic comment classified you in a certain genre, ignore it. Don’t try to figure out the genre, because it’s disturbing.