A Letter from the Zhengjian Editor: Clarification Regarding Requirements for Artwork for the Falun Dafa Art Exhibit

Dear Fellow Practitioner A:

[PureInsight.org] It was a pleasure to receive you letter regarding the Falun Dafa Art Exhibition. I see from your letter that you have read our advertisement and that you wish to submit your artwork for evaluation. I will try my best to answer the questions you have raised regarding the requirements for artwork to be included in this exhibition.

The Preparation Committee for the Falun Dafa Disciples' Art Exhibition, as well as the Falun Dafa Association have established the following guidelines:

The artist is required to use traditional, orthodox methods and styles of artistic expression in each piece of artwork. This artwork must not contain any elements of warped modern art. In other words, the committee members require that Falun Dafa practitioners submit only their own, realistic work of art. This applies to all genres of artwork, including sculptures, oil paintings, carved drawings and traditional Chinese paintings. There will be no exception to this prerequisite.

As Dafa practitioners, we know that the gods have given humankind their culture and art. Ancient sculptures and paintings provide a glimpse back into the magnificent era of the ancient arts that were created by our ancestors using the traditional, realistic methods of artistic creation bestowed on us by the gods. Throughout history, these masterpieces of art have inspired and continue to inspire humankind, fostering admiration and respect toward the gods. In this way, they have and are laying a foundation for the advent and spreading of Dafa in the human realm.

Unfortunately, with the progression of time, mankind's mental state continues to deteriorate at an accelerating speed and is thus creating a degenerate society that fosters modern art. It should be clear to us that each piece of artwork not only has an influence on its audience, but also constitutes an intelligent entity in another dimension. With that in mind, what will we add to this universe if we create deformed, unrealistic images according to the styles in modern art? Modern art is not a form of culture given to us by the gods; therefore, it does not provide a heritage for mankind. Modern artwork comes from the influence of the old forces, designed to damage mankind and corrupt the universe.

Teacher said, "These things from Chinese culture, as with the things of the world's other cultures, were retained for people to obtain the Fa. […] The old forces have pushed today's human race to this point. They've actually created huge difficulties for Fa-rectification and the Cosmos' future." (From "Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference.")

As Falun Dafa practitioners in the field of art, we should carry the responsibility of offering salvation to sentient beings, not only with the truths of Falun Dafa, but also with the correct way in which we guide the development of art, in order to complete our historic mission to perfect the law of the universe.

I believe the plan to hold a Falun Dafa Art Exhibition is the first and foremost step in the artistic realm to complete our historic mission in this domain. We should therefore study the Fa more, so as to understand the Fa from the standpoint of the Fa as regards the significance of this Falun Dafa Art Exhibition. Doing so will enable us to create exquisite works of art, such that it will be fitting for the creators of such art to bear the honorable title "Falun Dafa disciple."

Influenced by the degenerate mainstream society, I once went astray from the path of creating righteous art. In the past, I had created much degenerate artwork, had taught my students absurd, warped notions of modern art, and had thus inadvertently promoted the development of degenerate modern art. It was not until I started to cultivate Falun Dafa that I began to see what horrible deeds I had done. On the other hand, the accumulation of perverted notions we have acquired throughout many years of our lives have already formed a powerful substance field [in other dimensions]. It will therefore take work to completely eliminate this field. Yet, I have faith in completely eradicating all degenerate matter that we hold onto, as long as we persist in Fa study, in reinforcing our righteous faith and thoughts, by evaluating the issue of creating art from a strong main consciousness, and by treating the process of creating art as a very serious cultivation process.

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2003/5/26/21772.html [2]