Bamboo 1772 - 1832

Chiang Ting made this scroll painting, Bamboo, with ink on paper, mounted on textile. The materials are not especially precious, but the techniques involved in its making are culturally significant. The painting surface is paper, an everyday material in East Asia, while the mount is silk, a luxury good produced by skilled labor. Chiang Ting engaged with these materials according to a long tradition of painting and calligraphy, disciplines demanding years of practice and skill. The act of painting bamboo is more than depicting a plant; it is about capturing its essence, its resilience. The work would likely have been commissioned by someone who understood the cultural context of the artwork, and the amount of labor involved in its production, even though the materials are not especially costly. Consider that to fully appreciate this artwork, you have to understand the history of the materials, the making, and the cultural context. These are all essential to understanding this work of art.