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一笔灰色
                             ——陈文骥的油画
日期: 2006/11/20 15:14:46    编辑:冯博一     来源:     

  我一直比较相信艺术与现实的关系犹如是时代和社会的一面镜子。如果从中国现、当代艺术史的角度考察艺术与现实的关系,就会发现有两个值得注意的倾向:一是许多艺术家始终执著于艺术对“现实”直接的投射和反映,相信现代性能够洞察生活的真相和现实本身,于是艺术的作用自然成为对历史趋向的反映;二是始终执著于宏大历史进程的表现,执著于探究紧迫的民族和阶级冲突下的社会状况和革命激情。这两者都与中国现代性历史面对的民族屈辱和社会危机紧密相连,是中国的历史必然和中国现代性的特点之一。改革开放之后,由于社会转型所造成的中国现实本身的复杂性和丰富性,为中国前卫艺术提供了可利用的充沛资源,根植于现世的奇景异观也是构成其具有独特魅力的原因之一。因为,对当代文化境遇以及在这种处境中的个人生存的思考和敏锐,将导致对旧有艺术形式在方法论上的改造,而艺术家需要的是用一种规定为“艺术”的方法和话语来体现这种思想观念。这既是我判断一位艺术家和作品价值的标准之一,也是我关注并积极介入当代实验艺术在思考方法上的支撑点。

  如果按我上述的判断,我对陈文骥在上世纪80年代末90年代初的一系列如《黄色的沙发》、《网上的粉红纸》、《红色的领巾》等作品更感兴趣。虽然画面中没有直接的现实喧嚣,只是一幅幅冷峻与静谧的场景和器物,但思考的逻辑是直接从现实中汲取的,折射出那个时期人们对现实的不安与茫然,在精神上无所归期的漂浮,以及对现实本身荒诞性的隐喻。到90年代末,陈文骥的创作视角开始从“自己房间”中的场景、器物,转向他目光所及的“窗外风景”。这种风景的描绘都是从苍荒的情景展开的。《至尊系列》作品在一片灰朦的色调中突兀出烟囱、旗杆、路灯,《远景》、《弱呼吸》等作品潜隐出时代的气息和新时代勃勃生机背后潜藏着的暗影,《终无限》、《留住光》则进一步聚焦的是他生活在郊区城镇特定环境所导致的冷漠、单调和缺乏个性,以及现代主义所带来的视觉上的不毛与荒凉,更深地延伸出他对现代生活无机品质的质疑。这种丧失了文化记忆的城市形象,事实上不仅仅作为一种现代主义文化象征的呈现,它同时也是中国普遍城市开发与规划形象的一种真实面貌。与他早期的景物相比较,其创作思路是一脉相承的,只不过具体的场景有所不同,在油画语言上更为纯粹、简约。而新近的作品如《三回》、《渐离》、《自觉》、《一决》等,好像与现实愈来愈远而显得淡泊、无为,与前卫也是离去之后的渐行渐远,更注重个人内心静观的认知与体验,以及对油画语言的不断深入与纯化,连作品的题目也是充满了禅宗的意味。试图在在意念与意境中体现东方的情怀,别有一番新鲜的语感和语境,显示了他的绘画跨出了对于“似真性”的追求之后,在一种非具体的关系中,凸现了一种“不确定性”的作用,一种无法把握的无限变动。

  与其说这是对陈文骥油画创作历程简单的评述,倒不如说是我的个人己见而已。现在,我觉得其实这都无所谓,仁者见仁,智者见智。但历史的进程和现实的多样化往往不是简单和整齐划一的。由此,从我目前的思考,更关心的是由陈文骥个人的艺术经验引伸出几代人的创作立场的倾向问题。

  一个是“趋新趋旧”的问题。所谓的“趋新趋旧”是指从中国近代以来,一些革命者和文人学者早年曾致力于系统介绍西方学术思想和科学观念方面,积极介入现实,以改造社会为己任,筚路蓝褛之功终不可殁。但至晚年,这些斗士对西方的科学、政制失望之极,复转向中国的传统文化。当时,经历了这种转变的人物恐怕不在少数。最近,在一本杂志上看到:说电影导演“凯歌老了”,他所代表的“一个时代”已经结束。虽然今天的他们身上还有当年叛逆者的影子,却已变成渴望温情的角色;他们仍属另类,却似乎已从时代的焦点上“离休”下来,退隐江湖。由此近观当年“星星美展”、“85′美术思潮”一些前卫艺术家现在画的画儿,激进的美术批评家现在的立场状态,他们也没能超越从近代以来这些所谓革命者“趋新趋旧”的历史归宿。就他们而言,其创作不过是个人创作生涯中的转变,但以时代观之,其中却含有特殊的意义。而仅就美术界的这种“趋新趋旧”现象也并不仅限于一人一事。它是社会变迁带来的各种矛盾在美术界的反映,抑或也是作为个人的性情、阅历,以及时间、年龄所使然。简言之,这是一种值得思考的特殊文化现象。

  另一个是关于所谓“为人生”和“为艺术”的不同的道路和选择的问题。说来这也是有些老生常谈了。最近我常常想到自“五四”以来,中国现代文化的显流一直是一种文化激进主义,“为人生而艺术”的呐喊伴随着中国文化艺术的发展,虽然在新中国成立后,这种左翼的激进态度被官方异化为一种带有政治权利的意识形态,但仍然影响或隔代延续着这种革命性立场。而改革开放以来的中国前卫艺术正是以此为标榜的,挑战传统,颠覆秩序,批判现实,甚至采取某种极端的行为方式。中国前卫艺术之所以如火如荼,不断受到国内外的青睐,与其与现实的密切有着直接的关系。当然也正因为如此而造成这一“江湖”的机会主义和急功近利的种种现象存在,也是被舆论不断诟病的原因。但被左翼所遮蔽的另一潜流——“为艺术而艺术”的传统,在启蒙和救亡的现代性之外,仍然有一种“审美的现代性”在发挥作用。然而,倾向于“审美现代性”的纯艺术的这一传统在中国的现代性中一直没有得到充分实现的机会,也一直在中国现代性的艺术系统中受到压抑。九十年代以来的中国全球化和市场化的进程和中国的高速经济成长带来了一系列和五四以来的现代性完全不同的历史背景和社会形态。运用五四以来的“阐释中国”的框架难于面对今天中国的现实的变化,“为人生”的想象其实已经难以面对今天的中国的全球化和市场化之下的人生。艺术似乎终于达到了前所未有的“纯度”,终于变成了一个安静的领域,让人在其中进行探索。这正是一个“新世纪文化”的表征。“为人生”的艺术原来承载的沉重使命已经被悄然消解,纯艺术似乎有了发展自己独立性的客观基础,艺术也越来越真正回归“自身”。这当然不是说艺术有一种孤立于世界之外的“自身”,而是说我们对于艺术的想象和要求有了改变,而这改变恰恰是艺术并不随时代而改变的新形态,艺术逐渐变成了一种高级的、边缘的、人性的话语。

  那么,在这一背景下看(综上所述)陈文骥的创作历程,可以发现他创作大致经历的三个阶段,其视野是从比较直接的现实逐渐地收缩到个人的内心体验。陈文骥不事张扬,为人低调。他不是那种表面很有直接现实感的艺术家,但对当代文化艺术的流变却十分关注。听他的学生们说,每每上他的课,从他对当代艺术的观察和思考上都获益匪浅。陈文骥也许对前卫的“用世”学不来,或不愿如此,他说“我平时就不愿过多强调自己的立场,不希望自己有太明显的倾向性。”也许学不好会成为“匪气”之人,他是在经历了前卫之后而绕过去了。于是偏于独思,绝不随波逐流,保留一份艺术家的个人的园地,甚或一点象牙塔的情趣。这也为他与前位圈子的隔望作了注解。不愿意卷入“现实的狂欢”,在“混世”里求得一个心灵的纯净,甘愿本乎于心,顺乎于道,如此而已。尤其是看他的新作,能在日常的不经意中发现与人性相关的景物与场景,绝非宏大的话语叙事,他所要求的艺术是不受外在的社会现实的制约而获得某种前所未有的独立性的想象,精致、温宁、久远,没有黑暗与杂色,从中能看到时代、现实另一侧面的文人操守。较之于前卫艺术中的的喷血之作,显得冲淡与祥和,与“伤害的迷恋”等类型的艺术更是隔膜。他的作品好像没有当下话语的痕迹,血脉都是从五四以来“为艺术”的传统和艺术本身的思考而来的。这种话语虽然是一种另类,但看起来却有一种心灵的洗刷和理性的震颤。在他的作品面前似乎时尚的流行色变得淡然无味了,尽管他作品的色调总是灰的。他说“我喜欢自己处在中庸的状态中,不上不下,不左不右,不前不后,不偏不倚。从精神角度来品,这就是一种境界。从物质角度来定,这就是一个尺度。如果从视觉角度来寻觅,也就是一笔灰色而已。个人秉性所驱使,我似乎更能理解灰色的本质,更贴近灰色的本意。”——所谓画如其人。尽管如此,只要你看到他真诚、沉稳的目光,对他,对他的作品,一切都会了然于心。中国传统文化中恬淡自足的精神,儒家积极的道德实践和老庄的避世哲学被巧妙地揉合在一起,形成一种他洁身自好的中庸之道。可以说这是一种回归,但不是简单地寻求世外桃源,那是一种为逃避现实的过于喧嚣而成为一种廉价的当代性体现,而是在精神的静观里提供思想的资源,不断提供思考、判断的各种可能性。或者说过于“入世”是沉湎于现实而迷失自我。倒是以个人经验为出发的“出世”,忠实于自我的人,可以找到本我的存在。其实,“为人生”也好,“为艺术”也罢,这种不同的选择是植根于中国社会现实的两种不同的经验:现实的参与和艺术的体验。因此它们也是对中国现代性的两种不同形态的表述方式。是耶?非耶?或许因人而异,复杂而已,但绝不是简单的二元对立。因为,历史与现实与个人的处境,往往比我们想象和梳理的更为混杂和微妙。

A Brush of Grey
—— the Oil Painting by Chen Wenji
                                   Fong Boyi
                                Independent Curator and Critc

  I always relatively believe the relationship of art and reality is a mirror of society and generation. If to inspect the relation of art and reality from the history of Chinese contemporary art, there are two noteworthy tendencies, one is that many artists are rigid throughout in the direct projection and the reflection of art to the reality, believing the modernity can see clearly the truth of life and the reality itself, therefore the artistic function becomes naturally the reflection to historical trend; another is rigid throughout in the performance of great historic course and in exploring the social condition and revolutionary fervor under the urgent nationality and conflict of classes. They both have connections with the national humiliation and the social crisis the Chinese modernity history faces, which is one of the characteristics of China's history inevitableness with Chinese modernity. After the Open of China, because of the rich complexity of Chinese reality itself in social reforming, it provides abundant resources can be used for the Chinese prior art, the marvelous sight and different view rooting in the present world constitutes a unique charm. To ponder and be keen on contemporary culture circumstances and individual survival in this kind of situation will cause to transform the old artistic form in methodology, and what the artists need is a kind of method and language about stipulation for art to manifest this idea of thought. This is not only one of the standards I judge an artist’s value of his work but also the supporting point in the method of thought that I pay attention to and am involved positively in the contemporary experimental art.

  If according to my above judgment, I am more interested in the series of work by Chen Wenji like Yellow Sofa, Red Scar and so on at the end of 80's and the beginning of 90's on last century. Although there is no noise made from the reality in the paintings, only solemn and quiet scenes and utensils, but the logic pondered derives directly from the reality. It refracts the loss and restlessness of people to the reality at that time, and the spiritually floating without the date of return, as well as the incredible metaphor to the reality itself. To the end of 90's, Chen Wenji moved his view of creation from utensils of his own room to the sceneries of outside window. This description for scenery launches from the dark green uncultivated landscape. Chimney, flagpole, street light appear in the work of Supreme Series in an hazy tone as ash, the works like Prospect, Weak Breath and so on dive a breath of the time and the shadow hidden behind the new times full of vitality, Final Infinite and Detains Light then focus further on an dull, unconcerned atmosphere with deficient individuality which are caused by the specific environment in the suburb cities, as well as the visual impoverishment and bleak from modernism deeply extending his question about the inorganic quality of modern life. This kind of city image with cultural memory being lost is not only a symbol presentation about modernism culture, but also simultaneously a real appearance of city development and the plan image in China. To compare with his scenery of early time, the creation mentality is inherited, but the concrete scenes are different which are more purely, brief in language of oil painting. His recent work like Three Chapters, Determination, One Definition and so on show a simple life with inactivity increasingly probably far with the reality, and also being gradually far with the vanguard after departing to pay great attention to the individual cognition and experience of inner feelings observing calmly as well as the unceasing penetrating and purifying to the language of oil painting with the titles of works filled meaning of Zen. He attempts to manifest the mood of the East in the thought and the ideal condition with new sense of language and linguistic environment that demonstrates his paintings which express a kind of uncertain function and infinite change unable to grasp in a non-concrete relation after pursuing the real resembling.

  If it is said that this is a simple narration about Chen Wenji’s creation of oil painting, it would rather said that it is my personal opinion. Now, I think it actually does not matter, different people having different views. But the historical advancement and the reality diversification are often not simple and uniform. In my thought at present, I care about the question on tendency of personal creation standpoint of several generation evolved by Chen Wenji’s individual art experience.

  One is the question about being getting new or getting old. It refers that since the Chinese modern history, some revolutionaries and scholars had devoted in introducing systemically the western academic thought and scientific concept to involve positively the reality, taking society transformation as own duty, their contributions will never be possible to die. But at their older age, these warriors had been too disappointed to the western science and polity to transfer to the Chinese traditional culture. Those characters experienced the transformation of that time are perhaps not infrequent. Recently, I read a magazine which said the movie director Kaige is getting old, a time he represents has already ended. Although there are traitor's shadows of that time on their bodies, they turned actually to be the roles hoping a tender feeling. They are still alternatives but have actually gotten down from the focus of the time as retirement. To have a look closely to the Stars Exhibition of Fine Art and the Ideological Trend of Art in1985s, the paintings by some vanguard artists nowadays and the attitude of some radical critics at present have not been able to surmount these so-called historical home of being getting new or getting old as the revolutionaries. As them, it is just a transformation in their individual art career, but there is special significance actually by the time. And it is not only about one person with the phenomenon of being getting new or getting old in the art field. It is a reflection in the art field of various contradictions because of the social vicissitude, and also because of individual personality and experiences as well as of the time and the age. In short, it is a special cultural phenomenon with worth of pondering.

  Another question is the about to choose different path of for life or for art. Mentioned this is like some platitudes. Recently I have thought frequently that since the Movement of 4th May, the Chinese modern culture revealing flows is always a kind of cultural radicalism, the call of for life or for art has been following the development of Chinese culture and art. Although after new China established, the Left's radical manner has dissimilated by the government to be an ideology of political rights, it still affects or continues this revolutionary standpoint to the generations. Since China’s reform and open, the Chinese prior art has been taken this precisely as flaunts to challenge traditions, subvert orders and criticize realities, even to adopt some extreme behavior. The reason that the Chinese prior art is so hot like a raging fire favored unceasingly on domestic and overseas has been closely with the reality. Certainly, just because of, it creates opportunism of this trade to eager for quick success and immediate gain, which is denounced by the public media. Another diving flow camouflaged by the Left –the tradition of to do art just for art, a kind esthetic modernity has still displayed its function besides the modernity of saving the nation and making enlightenment. However, this tradition of pure art favoring in the esthetic modernity has not had opportunities to be realized in China's modernity, and also been constrained in the art system of Chinese modernity. The advancement of Chinese globalization and marketability with high speed economical growth since the 90's has brought a series of historical perspectives and the form of society completely different with the modernity of the Movement of 4th May. It is difficult to use the explanation to China from the Movement of 4th May to face the change of the reality in China, and the imagination of for life has already been difficult to face the life under the globalization and the marketability in China today. Art seems to achieve finally the purity unprecedentedly, to become a peaceful field where people can carry on the exploration. This is the attribution on the culture of a new century. The serious mission bared by the art for life has been dispelled quietly, it seems that there is an objective foundation for the pure art to develop its independency, and the art returns to be itself more and more truly. This does certainly not mean that the art has itself isolated outside of the world, but means our imagination and requirement about art are changing. This changing is exactly a new style of art unchanged with time. Art turns gradually the high-level and marginal language of humanity. 

  Then to look at the creative experience of Chen Wenji under this background, there are three periods. His field of vision contracts gradually from the direct reality to individual innermost feelings. With a manner of low type, Chen Wenji does not like to be known widely. He is not that kind of artist who has a direct feeling about the reality, but actually pays extreme attention to contemporary culture and art. I heard from his students that on his class they all obtain benefits from his observation and thinking about the contemporary art. Chen Wenji maybe too difficult to learn the vanguard of using the world, or is just not willing to do so. He said I am not usually willing to emphasize excessively my own standpoint, to have too obvious tendentiousness. Perhaps it will become the one like bandit if cannot learn well, and he just bypassed after his vanguard experience. Therefore he is in favor of thinking alone without drifting with the current to retain his individual field as an artist, even an enjoyment of ivory tower. This makes an illustration for his separation with the vanguard field. Unwilling to be involved in the reality revel to obtain the purity of soul in the mixture world is just from the heart and along the nature, just like this. To look at his recent works, we can discover the sceneries related to human nature in the daily carelessness but certainly not the great narration. The art he requests is not restricted by the external social reality to obtain some kind of unprecedented independent imagination, purified, time-honored, warm and peaceful, without dark color and various colors, we can see the personal integrity of another side of the reality. Compared with those works like blood spurting in prior art, Chen Wenji’s paintings show a quality of dilution with auspiciousness, separating with those arts about the love of injury. His work seems no traces of words on present time with origin from the thinking about art and traditions of for art since the Movement of 4th May. Although this kind of language is alternative, it has a purifying to soul and trembling of sense. Those fashionable popular colors are tasteless in front of Chen Wenji’s work even his color is always grey. He said I like occupying myself in a status of balance, no up and no down, no left and no right, not to front and not to back, without partiality. This is a kind of state of spirit and criterion of material. And it is just a brush of grey on vision. As the personal nature urging, I can understand the essence of grey, and I am close to the original intention of grey. It is so-called the painting as the painter. If you saw his sincere and steady eyes, you can understand clearly him and his painting all in your mind. The spirit of gaining self’s sufficient, the positive practice for moral of Confucianism and the philosophy about shunning the world of Lao-Zhuang in Chinese traditional culture are integrated ingeniously together, forming a golden balance that he remains himself purified and incorruptible. It maybe a kind of return, but it is not to seek the paradise simply which is a cheap presentation of contemporary to escape from the noise made by the reality. It provides resource of thought from the spirit observing calmly to offer possibilities of thought and judgment continually. To be too into the society is succumbed in the reality to lose self, and to be out to the society basing on individual experience may find the existence of identity as the one with faith of itself. Actually, whatever for life or for art, the two choices are two different experiences taking root in the reality of Chinese society: realistic participation and artistic practice. Therefore they are also two different ways to express the Chinese modernity. Is it right? Or wrong? It is perhaps different from people and complex, but absolutely not the simple dual opposition. It is because that the situations of history and reality and individual are often more promiscuous and tricky than our imagination and combination.


 

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