【学术】李颖《强戈的绘画与启示》
强戈的绘画与启示
Qiang Ge's Paintings andinspirations
Ying.Lee
我向来喜欢观察“过程中”的画家，他们的作品未必完美，——事实上根本没有客观上完美的作品，但很有劲，这个“劲”包括作品本身的力量与张力，也包含画家蓄势待发的势头。十年多前，我们就曾提出过一个见证年轻画家共同成长的议题，这一路走来，在当时参与的画家中，强戈回归艺术本身，对绘画本质的执着，一直是让我很感动的。
近些年来，借助传统视觉文化经验及符号记忆进行当代图像阐释，是一种颇为流行的艺术创作倾向。事实上，这样的创作思路，对于以创作作为实现艺术家价值的主流论调，实在是一件太冒险的事情。 一方面，从传统绘画文本中撷取图像资料，说得好听一点是“向经典致敬”，难听一点的话，借鉴？抄袭？也就依赖于各位看客看问题的角度了。过去，也有不少名家在此种思路上摔了跟斗，被批评界指摘过甚。从另一层面来说，经典的高度自然摆在那里，直接叫板，一个不小心成了东施效颦，背上走捷径，毁经典的罪名。再加上由于取材的相似性，给人先入为主的感觉，要想摆脱经典留下的印象，形成自己的独特风格，反而更加困难。正因为如此，早在2010年，强戈开始他的《再造》系列之初，我就对他信心十足的创作热情颇为担心，——太容易留人话柄了！但是，连我自己都觉得奇怪的是，虽然我从某种程度对这种创作思路的突破性颇为怀疑，但却一直很关注这位画家的创作。因为，以我对他多年来艺术探索秉性的了解，强戈的兴趣点，绝对不在于画什么，而在于怎么画。这也是5年之后，在他决定为他的《再造》系列打上休止符的时候，我却觉得，这么多年对他的关注，也应该交出一点什么东西了。
选择中国古代经典作品进行再创作，何以成为时下的一种流行，主要有两种促成因素。一是近些年来国内对油画创作的中国意味、中国气派，中国精神的呼声甚高，对文化身份认同的强烈渴望促使画家们回到传统中去寻根。再者，海外的“后现代思潮”一改现代主义的全球一体化文化格局的思维模式，提出从历史的文脉中去寻找当代个体的文化归属的创作倾向，也让回归传统变为一种时尚。二者两相契合，助长了油画“中国化”的风靡一时。
对传统作品的再阐释，关键在于如何在熟悉的视觉对象或符号面前转化出自己的味道，自我的风格，也就是在题材的选择之外，更加专注于如何进行画面语言传达的问题，亦即前面说到的怎么画的问题。事实上，近年来中国的油画创作，无论是正统的主旋律宏大主题还是当代艺术的先锋叛逆姿态，都是在题材或主题上做文章，对绘画中社会、哲学的思考与观念很大程度上超过了对绘画本身的思考，并赋予这种思路以前卫、深刻的评价。然而，画面的空洞（这种空洞一方面体现为去绘画技术化以后作品的丰富性与美感的丧失，一方面体现为宏大主题的说教背后让人厌倦的艺术功利色彩）与解读的恢弘却形成一种难以调和的真空，使画面本身的说服力大打折扣。而强戈的绘画，或许能对油画界所普遍面对的问题带来一些启发性的意义。
强戈的“怎么画”，首先体现在他对油画材料研究的极端迷恋和材料使用的极端讲究上面。油画创作的中国化倾向是近些年来油画界的热选方向，在国画界痛心疾首着写意精神沦丧的今天，油画界却热衷于探索画面上滴淌、挥洒的效果，色彩上简淡，意境上空疏、萧瑟，总之，油画界近年来的中国意味大行其道，是非常明显的事实。但是，写意的流行，也造成了画面上形态糜烂的弊端，这与油画材质在造型、结构、色彩等表达上的优势是非常不符的。因此，如何结合油画媒材的特殊性与美感，来传达中国式的意象，就成了当代中国油画家们思考的重大问题之一。显然，强戈在这方面的贡献是值得关注的。反复滴洒，偶然与必然的冲撞，形成微妙的底色肌理与质感的变化，既像是在模仿古画斑驳褪色的背景效果，给人一种时间隧道的游离感，又是在探索油画语言的全新表达。而这种语言本身完全有别于中国古典绘画，是非常油画味的，是充分体现油画这种材料的特质的，与如今一些油画家放弃油画的材质特征一味追求中国古典绘画的构成、笔墨、意境，有着明显的不同。在这种与自身传统文化进行对话的过程中，对这种来自异域的材料表现力的发掘也就自然形成了。
这种对绘画材料、表现语言进行探索，而非拘泥于题材选择的倾向，早在学生时期就已经开始：本科阶段的《春池》系列，研究生时期的《带鱼》系列，都在题材恒定的情况下，反复不同的表现手段，呈现出同一题材多达几十种的不同画面效果。这不禁让人想起莫奈当年反复画睡莲、火车站、干草垛，不过莫奈是为了捕捉自然光线稍纵即逝的微妙变化，而强戈则是想多方尝试油画材质在表现上的极限。从这些早期作品来看，强戈对中国式的微妙、含蓄、清淡，有书写意味的审美倾向已经非常明显了，但或许对他而言，还不足以形成独到的表现语言和对中国经典美学思想的深度挖掘。于是《再造》系列就出现了。
《再造》系列在具体题材的选择上也有一个变化的过程：从主要以宋代的工笔花鸟到近期的明清写意花鸟，与此同时的，也有表达方式上从受到原型版本的较强牵制到渐趋自由的过程。在传统中国的文化语境内，临摹向来是一种传承时间相当久远的学习方法。这种方法到了20世纪成为曾一度成为众矢之的，成为中国艺术只知模仿而不知创新的罪魁祸首。而当时的油画，则是以革命者与先进画种代言人的身份，被将引进来治病的。曾几何时，这种观点已经悄然消退，转换才是更重要的议题，贡布里希所说“预成图式与修正”，大概也就是这个道理。照抄自然与照抄古人都是机械的学习，启发性的思考在艺术家的创作过程中显得尤其重要。从这个角度来看强戈的画，就会有豁然开朗的感受，因为那些花鸟作品，早就剥离了中国古典的情趣、意蕴、审美感受。对于观者来说，总想唤起经验中、记忆里那些图像，强戈的图像借鉴提供了一个形式上有情感链接的点，但是，当观者还想更进一步在其中寻找经验时，经验被打破了。图像依稀相识，审美感受却完全不同：宋代花鸟小品的清新自然转化成为严谨厚重，而写意花鸟的酣畅淋漓也不见踪影，一变而为素描似的疏密结构与分割。在色彩搭配这个问题上，画家甚至把自己在版画系任教多年的经验也带了进来，变设色浓艳为几个主要颜色的搭配组合，让原本水润透明的古画居然有了几分套色版画的平面构成与装饰感。尤其是那些对徐渭的大写意水墨花鸟的“再造”，不但被切割，长卷式构图被破坏，就连那种熟悉的文人书写的味道也被重新解读了，哪里还有写意？哪里还有淋漓畅快、任意挥洒的书写？迹象，痕迹，似曾相识，又是似而非，剥离了原作品的潇洒，只保留了图式上的痕迹，浑然化解在艺术家强势的再阐释语义之中了。从对经典图本的在阐释中，逐渐带入自我意识与主观创作，这也是强戈作品所展现出的第二层含义。
面对传统，我们总是喜欢持有谦逊的态度，但是，奴化思想太重，画家的个性无以伸张，也有违艺术创作的初衷。然而，即便是艺术家喜欢谈论创作的自由，其实从来也都是一个相对的概念：技术不过关，无自由；思想无序，情绪混乱，创作自由更无从谈起。所以，感性与理性向来都是一个敏感而又回避不了的话题。强戈的画，倒让笔者明显看到了艺术家讳忌的理性的驾驭和控制。素描自不必说，那既是画家自我审视与感悟的体验，也是观察、技术、材质控制的综合体现。而油画中看似偶然的滴洒效果，也很大程度建构在画家对材料的反复实践、精心经营之上，这也使得强戈的画呈现出内敛丰富，意在笔先的意蕴。画家对创作的自由与控制力的理性操控，或许又给我们一种不同的艺术创作的思路。
2015年晚春于美国哥伦布
InRecent years, it becomes a popular tendencyin China that extracting visualpictorial images and hieroglyphs fromtraditional art history serves tocontemporary cultural re-interpretation as anexperienced reminiscence oftraditional symbols in artistic creation. Actually,this methodology is , in myopinion, too risky particularly as the idea ofrevolutionary original creationis thought as the mainstream of artisticcreation. On the one hand, the wayextracting pictorial episodic images fromancient painting, might easily beascribed as emulation or even plagiary,despite it also could be explained as inthe manner of classic work. That is tosay, it might be criticized as an immoraldeed in some points of view. And,evidence did suggest that in the past therewere famous artists who followed thiskind of creative thought were denounced bycritics before. On the other hand, italso tends to be depreciated as a deed todestroy the preeminent masterpieceswhich have already been endowed a well-knownreputation. In addition, theeffort of getting rid of the deep impression fromoriginal work and of formingpersonal style on the basis of ancient images wouldmake the painting processmuch more difficult to control. Because of thesereasons, I was not as enoughoptimistic as the artist's enthusiasm andself-confidence when he started his Series of Re-creation. However, itisstrange to a certain extent that despite I keep my dubiousness aboutthebreakthrough of this kind of creation thought, I am very interestinginobserving this artist,---both his creation process and works as well. I haveknownhim for more than ten years, and I am very clear that the artist'sexplorationis not much more concern with the subject of the painting but more concentration to the point of variousexpressive ways of thepainting.
Thereason why choosing Chinese ancientmasterpieces as an important source ofre-interpretation becomes a common artcreative trend currently dues to twoaspects. Firstly, in Chinese oil paintingcircle, the trend of expression in China'smeaning, China's spirit and China'sethos with Western painting media has beingcome into mainstream during theseyears accompanying with the strong necessaryto pursue cultural identity backinto Chinese traditional history. And Moreover,the influence of Post-modernismfrom Western contemporary culture which ischaracterized as personal identity, metaphoricalexpression, and regionalhistorical context as an advanced thought way increation, also makes thisreturn become possible in the substituting of formerModernist internationalstyle. Therefore, the combination of these two aspectspromotes the Chinesecharacteristics in oil painting being extremely popular inrecent years.
Thekey point for re-interpretation oftraditional pieces, is based on how to transferpersonal style from these familiarclassical visual subjects and symbols,---moreconcern with the expression ofartistic language in paintings than the subjectsthemselves,---that is, theissue of how to create a typical language to expressartist's emotion. In fact,the recent China's oil painting creation,--- eitherthe orthodox governmental mainstreamor grandiose and iconoclastic Avant-gardein "contemporary art",---focuseson the subjects simultaneously,paying more attention to the deliberation ofsociety and philosophy rather thanart itself, and thus endowing this sort ofdeliberation as features ofprogression and theoretical meaning. The vanity ofpainting ---which can beexemplified as the vain in lacking of complexity andaesthetics after the de-skilledin painting in one hand, and the meretriciousutilitarian of painting in thesupporting of dogmatism of grandiose in theother hand,---causes irreconcilablecontroversy with the seemingly magnificenceof literal interpretation, andgreatly declined the cogency of painting itself.Qiang Ge's painting, may bringsome kinds of inspiration meanings to today's oilpainting world.
QiangGe's expression way, is demonstrated primarily to his extremefascination in theresearch of oil painting materials and fastidiousness inusing of thesematerials. Nowadays, when guohuaartists and critics generally rebuke the lostof Chinese traditional xieyi spirit; conversely, many oilartists are obsessingin the exploration of Chinese styles on canvas, includingthe vision of distilldots and trace, calligraphic brushwork, simply and purein colors, melancholyand expressive sense as well. In one word, it is stronglyobvious that in oilpainting field, the creation in Chinese traditional stylesare popular. Thispopularity, however, also brings another problem, that is theproblem indecomposition in shape and form, which does not match to theadvantages of oilmaterials in expression in shaping, construction andcomplicated colors.Therefore, how to conduct Chinese style imaginary imagescombining withparticularities and aesthetics of the specific oil media,becomes a significantproblem to today's Chinese oil artists. In term of this,Qiang Ge's contributionis considerable. With the repetition of distill andcolors' interexchangecoincidently and necessarily on canvas, the forming oftexture and strokes onthe painting's background, either symbolizes historicaleffects in time channelwith the emulation of ancient masterpieces' mottled andfading colors, as thesame time also seeks a complete expression of oilpainting language. The mostimportant is that the language is based on the characteristicsof oil media,departing from the China's classical painting; it is totallydifferent to someof the oil painters who discard the particular materialisticfeatures in oilpainting to chasing desperately the Chinese styles ofcombination, brushwork andimaginary environments. In the process ofconversation to personal traditionalculture, the discovery of expression fromthe exotic media are spontaneously advanced.
Theinclination of exploring materials andlanguage of painting has began as earlyas his student period of undergraduateand graduate: Series of Spring pondandSeries of Ribbonfish, both areexamples of repetition of expression methodswith stable subjects, sometimeseven having dozens of different visualperformances with the same subject. Bythis way he accumulated varietyexperiences in oil painting media. From theseearlier works, his Chineseaesthetic tendency in extent of subtly, implicit,pure, and calligraphic strokeswas very clear at that time, despite that itmight not enough for him to formspecific expressing language and understandingof Chinese classical aestheticthoughts. Consequently, the Series of Re-creation came into birth.
Achanging process of subject choosing can be observed from the Series ofRe-creation: mainly from the gongbi flower-and-bird in Song dynastytorelatively recent xiyi flower-and-birdpainting in Ming and Qing dynasties; andin the same time, the expressing wayswere also enduring a course from thelimitation by prototypes to a more and morefree description. Under the Chinesecultural painting context, copying has beena primary important learning way fora long period of time. However, in theearly of 20th century, copying wascondemned as a criminal, false and unprogressivemethod for its emulation ratherthan creation. At that time, oil painting wasregarded as an advanced andrevolutionary kind of art imported from West tocure the illness of China's art.But unnoticeably, this thought was fadedgradually, being supplanted bytransference, another more important issue, justlike the famous saying from E.H. Gombrich "formula and correction".Either copying directly fromnature or copying from ancient masters are bothmechanically learning,inspiration from them during painting process is indeedextremely significant.Appreciating Qiang Ge's paintings from this perspective,one will have areleased understanding from limitation of copying, since there-interpretationof the bird-and-flower work, was completely departed from theclassical emotion.As a viewer, it is easy to evoke former experience in his orher memory, theborrowing images in Qiang Ge's paintings provide a sensational linkbetween past and present,but the experience in memory was broken when viewercontinues seeking for it. Imagesseem to be familiar faintly, otherwise, theemotion of aesthetics is totallydistinctive: without the naturalist andfreshness in Song flower-and-birdpaintings but turning into seriousness and composurein visual sense, withoutthe calligraphic xieyi feeling withease, verse, andbrightness, but changing into compositional density anddivision being similarto Western drawing. As an veteran instructor in carvepainting teaching, hebrings his teaching experience in the use and concert ofcolors and tones,transferring the wet and apparent ancient painting intographic and decorativeconstruction being alike to chromatographic woodcuts. Particularly,when hiscreation is based on Xu Wi's work, masterpieces from later Mingdynasty, he notonly cuts Xu's typical long scroll composition into squareformat, but alsoreinterprets the freehand brushwork from the originals intohis own language.Here, the second connotation of Qiang Ge's work appears: bythe reinterpretationof classical images, he interposes his own understandingand creativeactivities.
Facingthe power of tradition, we always serveto humble and modest attitude, in somecases, however, the bondage is tooserious to suppress artists' individualism, violatethe artistic creativenature. Even though most of artists prefer to the artisticcreative freedom, itis in fact a relative conception: there is no freedom aslimitation oftechnological methods, and also, there is no freedom when artisthas no way tocontrol the emotion and in a mass of confusion. Despite I concedeemotionalsense is important to artists, I also want to emphasize thealternativeimportance of rationality. The seemingly controversial dichotomousperceptionsmay be show in a reconciling demonstration in Qiang Ge's painting.His delicateand detailed sketches, conspicuously tend to have a combination ofemotionalityand rationality; even his oil paintings, are also controlledbetween the coincidencesand imperatives . This kind of rational control, mightbe a different thoughtin artistic creation.
For along time, I prefer toobserve the artists who are "in the process".Perhaps their work isnot perfect,---actually there is no really perfect work atall,---but they arefull of strength and vitality, both in work and artiststhemselves. As early asmore than ten years ago, we used to have a proposal inwitness of young artists'growing process. Among these young artists whoattended this project at thattime, I have been moved by Qiang Ge's dedicationfor "art for art'ssake".
（李颖：美术史家，理论家，多年从事现当代美术史研究。现为美国俄亥俄州立大学访问学者。）
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