张朝晖 (中央美术学院人文学院)
微微的海风不时地掀起她漂浮的裙边，露出两条油光闪闪的密人的大腿；而她那两只脚也正象欧洲关在博物馆中大理石雕的诸女神的脚，一下一下地在细沙滩上刻印下它的痕迹，多索泰非常喜欢买弄风情，他把被人赞美的愉快看得比获得自由的骄傲还重要。尽管她自由了，但他还赤着脚。她体态和谐地向前走着，幸福地生活着，微笑地露出雪白的牙齿，就好象从遥远的空中望到一面镜子，映出她的步态和娇美。
波德莱尔 《巴黎的忧郁 • 美丽的多罗泰》
在我的书房中，有一个书柜是专门收藏各类师友们赠送的书籍和画册。喜欢收藏书的朋友会有这样的体验，新书得到之后，往往迅速地饱读一通，然后束之高阁，只有需要的时候，才找出来。只有那种经常从书柜中拿出来，并经常阅读，或介绍给朋友，以便共享的书才是一本好书。我经常从朋友们的赠书收藏柜中拿出一本叫《女人味》的图文书介绍给朋友，这本书的图画部分作者是和我在美术学院一起上日语课的同学雷子人。
其实，说书上的水墨画是插图真的有些轻视他作品的重要性了。在这本书中，雷子人所作的近200幅水墨画作品具有独立的审美价值和意义，读者在阅读王九楼先生的文字之时，图与文的相互参照对于理解文字和欣赏图画具有补充和视觉想象的作用。细心的读者可以发现，王先生那谈论女人的文字与子人用线条和淡淡的色彩编织的图画具有相近似的意味和情致。这大概也是这本《女人味》的书在近年大量出版的图文书中格外引人注目的原因之一吧。更进一步说，每一篇长短不一的文字与穿插其中的水墨画在情境上没有特别的关联，更多的是设计和版式上的考虑。喜欢欣赏文字之美的人，不一定特别在意其中的图画，而喜欢水墨画的人，似乎也没有必要通读文字的必要。但子人的画和九楼先生的文字放在一起的时候，这本书便产生了别致的魅力。
还是来多聊聊雷子人的水墨画吧，否则这篇文字就要变成书评了。其实，在我们成为中央美术学院博士生同学之前，我就非常欣赏他的水墨人物画，对于有他参加的展览和有他的作品的出版物，总是令我格外在意。在众多画家参与的水墨画新探索的浪潮中，子人的画可以说是其中的佼佼者之一。
从田黎明，刘庆和在到更为年轻的水墨画家雷子人，最近十几年中，中央美术学院的国画系人物画的发展格外引人注目。越来越多的年轻艺术家尝试着用传统水墨画语言来表达今日中国的都市生活经验，一种既与中国传统相连，又融合在全球化时代的都市生活中，但还很生硬与粗糙却完全新鲜并难以预测前景的当代中国都市生活经验。
子人喜欢用点，线，墨和淡色作为基本的语言符号。在材料的使用方面，诸如墨，水，和宣纸，他保持了传统的纯粹性。而传统文人画中所追求的笔墨变得相对次要。但子人的作品还是正在形成自己的一套语言格式，例如多使用一些清淡的长短不一的线条，显得松散而随意，透着湿润的墨与色，画面上随处可见到未经修饰的笔触，平添了恬淡而自我满足的轻松感。他不追求语言的完美性，但却逐步衍生出自己艺术语言的完整性，一种看似随意的，轻松的，娱乐性的，表现性的视觉面貌出现。这样的面貌给你以这一派纯任天然的面貌，仿佛在戒除学院化的精英化的趣味和格调， 使之更加接近生活与感受的真实，有血有肉，有体温的真实性与现实感，如同波德莱尔笔下的多罗泰。这样的真实性不是依靠对现实生活场景的写实性描绘，而是来源于与每一个当代中国都市人生活经历相关的现实情景的敏锐与真切的把握与传达，尤其是对感情生活的各个侧面与细节很敏感的女性而言，子人的画更有不可代替的表现力和感染力。
虽然子人的作品的灵感来源于今日中国的现实生活，但作品中浸透着西方晚期印象主义和超现实主义艺术的精神格调，也有象征主义的某些微妙借用。用这样的手法，子人的作品表达了都市女性对于爱情生活的种种梦想及其沉迷其中的陶醉。 例如《听风》，《闻香系列》，《折翅系列》和《生活做派系列》等。这些作品中隐约渗透出莫奈，贝克蔓，蒙克和夏加尔等艺术大师的影子。这些艺术大师所经历过的时代极其文化发展的焦虑目前正在中国的大城市上演着。所不同的是，子人使用的艺术语言却是中国传统的绘画材料。
仔细品位子人的人物画作品，我们可以隐约感受到传统绘画艺术对他的感染。当然，这种传统不是某个单一的手法或者程式；而是将许多古代和前辈多艺术家的特点组合起来，融会贯通，从而形成自己的艺术面貌。例如，在艺术手法上，他的作品中可以约略看到梁楷的简笔画的影子，也可以察觉到清末海派人物画家任颐的血脉，以及傅抱石的笔法。当然，他的作品也吸收了中国人物画发展的最新成果，例如“新文人画”以及“都市水墨的”所展现出来的新鲜气象。这些说明，子人对于中国人物画的发展和演变的研究是极其深入和缜密的。，从他那厚厚的硕士论文中也可以体现出他对中国水墨人物画的梳理与思考。这与许多画家的强调感性是不同的。从这个意义上讲，子人的画更多的是学者的画，是更严格意义上的“文人画”。
尽管“文人”和他们的“文人画”在今天显得不是那么引人注意，主要不是“画”本身的问题，而是“作者”的问题，是作者的创新能力问题，是创新是否能被接受和认可的问题。四百年前的“石涛”先生便清醒地认识到“笔墨当随时代”。我们看到，水墨人物画被学术界认可的最新发展是关注现实生活的，尤其是关注今日中国的广泛而深刻的都市化发展，例如李孝萱，刘庆和，王彦萍等人的创作。
显然，子人的作品也关注着自己周遭的城市生活，他抛弃了写实性，也忽略了城市生活的绚丽外观，因为前者违背了水墨的长处，后者是水墨材质特点所吃力不讨好的；所以，和许多前辈水墨画家一样，他也选择了用水墨表达自己对城市现实生活的心理感受，尤其是对生命，生理，欲望，爱情，女性有关的内容格外关注。都市生活造就了都市的人格，都市的精神与感情生活，从而区别于乡土时代的生活与人格观念。子人的水墨人物画作品的主题便是探索这个新的领域，通过相对传统的水墨语言来尝试表达都市心理生活的各个细节的可能性。通过对水墨语言的提炼，他试图将传统上人们对于水墨语言的抽象性审美-也就是专家们通常爱强调的“笔墨”-的过分强调而转向对表达内容与传达情绪的关注。这样，他似乎希望剔除“笔墨至上论”的影响，而刻意在用水墨画表达都市感受的敏锐性和准确性上。在这种自我设定的艺术追求中，经过多年的努力，子人的当代都市水墨画已经展开了丰富而充实的水墨图象，证明了他的水墨艺术创新的说服力。
对都市女性生活场景的关注是西方现代美术史上的重要内容，对于这种现象的理论总结也归纳出当代女权主义的种种话语，可以追溯从蒙克到郁特里罗，从毕加索到达利，以及到当代的辛迪•舍曼的艺术实践。在今日中国这个重商主义的大众传媒时代，千姿百态的女性被推到媒体和广告的前台，成为公共消费和女性模仿的对象。但作为芸芸众生的绝大多数普通女性一方面幻想着明星一样的风光，一方面享受着平凡生活的馈赠。这种都市小女人的形象和她们的精神与感情生活正是子人的画所要表达的。
子人的画的女人是生活中的女人，也是幻想中的女人。她们是都市生活中的精灵。因为她们的存在，压抑，枯燥而忧郁的都市生活变得风光旖旎，妖娆妩媚。
The Beauties and Beautiful Life Interpreting Li Ziren’s ink-painting
By Zhang Zhaohui (Central Academy of Fine Arts)
In my library there is a bookshelf devoting to the collection of the books and albums, which authored by my friends. Those who like collecting books usually share the similar experience to books. A newly-purchase book is usually idled on the bookshelf after a quick reading, and will not be used until the reuse occurs. Only those books of which recommendation to friend happened often are regarded as good books. I show a picture-and-text book entitled “Lady’s Smell” to my friends quite often. The pictures on the book is created by my fellow student Lei Ziren, who attended a Japanese class with me one year’s ago.
Considering the ink painting on the book as illustrations is in fact ignored the significance of his works. In this book, nearly 200 ink-painting processes independent value and meaning. There is an imaginative interaction between the textual narrative and visual expression. Reader can discover the sensuous connections between writer Wang’s verse on woman and artist Lei Ziren’s linear delineation and pigment fabrication. This is perhaps the crucial point to explain why this book coauthored by Lei Ziren and Wang Jiulou is so popular. Furthermore, there is no clear narrative interaction between each text and the pictures seemingly affiliated with it. More consideration can attribute to the design and layout. Those readers who enjoy the textual vision usually ignore the picture’s intervention; accordingly, those who enthralled by the ink paintings are not necessary to scan each square character. When Wang’s verse and Lei’s painting are entwined together a special attraction is likely occur to each buyer.
Let me stop reviewing the book, but talk more about Lei’s ink painting instead. Actually, I was an admirer to Lei’s ink painting of nowadays-feminine life before getting to know each other when we become fellow PhD student in Central Academy of Fine Art. Intuitive attention was usually focused on the exhibitions and album in which Lei’s work is included. I have to say Lei’s ink painting is usually eye-catching among many frontier elite whose art stick to the exploration on contemporary ink painting.
There is a visible links between those ink painters like Tian Liming, Liu Qinghe, and Lei Ziren. Over the decade and half figurative ink painting in the National-Painting Department of CAFA is very noticeable. More and more younger artists are exploring the potential of using the ancient medium and technique to convey the contemporary urban life, reflecting to the remarkable social reality – a new life of the Chinese that originate from and the tradition but integrates with globalization, and a contemporary urban experience which is immature but fresh, and unpredictable.
On Lei Ziren’s rice paper, dot, line, and light ink are basic. In terms of application of the technique and media, such as ink, water, and rice paper, he maintains a purity of the grandiose tradition. The elusive esthetic and taste of ink-stroke game valued by the literati painting has become less important. But a pattern-like ink language in Ziren’s oeuvre is taking its form, for example he tends to use some slight lines in different lengths, seemingly casual and relaxed, some un-repeated strokes are visible from here to there. Lei does not intend to seek perfection, but a personal approach of the ink is increasingly visible, even though it appears casual, light-hearted, entertaining, and expressive. Thus a nature looking is about to stand out, it is refusal to scholarly elite taste, and closer to mundane life and visceral experience instead, more physical and palpable. This kind of facticity comes not from the realist description to daily life but the mastery and convey to the urban life that is experiencing by most Chinese people. Especially for those hypersensitive ladies who are susceptive to details and content, Lei Ziren’s ink painting conveys the sensibility.
Although the modern Chinese urban life inspires his artistic impulse, his oeuvres are penetrated with the intense taste of Post-impressionism, Surrealism, and Symbolism. By means of his language Lei Ziren visualize the enthralling and trembling love story occurs to the urban lady, and the dreamland they are searching for. Such as Listening to the Wind, Fragrance Series, and Broken Wing Series. Sensitive audiences can find the traces of such masters as Monet, Beckman, and Chagall. The cultural anxiety of the era and social context that abovementioned masters had experienced is repeatedly taking place in the megacities across China. Thus Chinese younger artists who come out of age with the urbanization share the similar circumstance with western modern masters. What the difference, for Lei Ziren’s case, rests with the traditional Chinese art media he adopted.
Scrutinizing Lei Ziren’s work, one may easily discover the influence from the tradition of ancient Chinese ink painting. Needless to say that the tradition is merely means singular technique, method, or approach, rather the general mastery of the essence or spirit of the vernacular art, and a comprehensive and creative appropriation with it so as to produce his version. For example, his brush stroke reminds me about master Liang Kai’s bold and strong technique; I can also recognize the tradition from Hai School. Definitely, his ink painting owns a lot to recent development of Chinese figurative ink painting, such as New Literati Ink Painting, and Urban Ink Painting. All these elements come together to compose Lei Ziren’s oeuvre. His lengthy but insightful master essay on Chinese ink painting may well confirm with his deep research and investigation of ink painting. From this perspective, Lei Ziren’s ink painting is actually literati painting in a more strict sense.
Although the Literati and their Literati Painting is less noticeable, it is not the issue of the painting itself, but the artist and his/her capability of creation instead. Four hundred years’ ago master Shi Tao realized “Art follows Era”. It is also recognized by the art establishment that the advancement of ink painting is embodied by those paintings, which is concern about the social reality. Such as, to mention a few but not only limit with, Li Xiaoxuan, Liu Qinghe, and Wang Yanping.
Obviously, Li Ziren’s ink painting concerns about the city life around him, and his painting has given up the realistic representation, as it is not the nature of the ink painting. He also ignores the appearance of urban landscape, as the medium is essentially a shortcoming in this regard. Therefore, similar to many of the ink painting masters, he focus on the exploration on ink painting’s capability to articulate artist’s psychological reaction to the social reality of urban life. Especially life, desire, love, the subject that is related more with lady’s world. Urban life nurtures the characters of city environment, urban spirit and culture, which is different from the rural life and idealism. Lei Ziren’s painting is profoundly rooted in the earth of new urban life. He wants to explore the details of societal psychological complex motivated by the urban life. Through the application of his refined personal technique, he is also trying to seek the independent esthetic value of the ink-stroke in the process of portraying the lady’s world today, enriching the modern capacity and freshness of the aged ink painting. A big body of ink painting representing nowadays lady’s spiritual work has confirmed with his self-imposed scheme of new ink creation.
To concern urban feminine life is a critical content of western modern and contemporary art. The feminism theory, a contextual narrative about this phenomenon, is one of the postmodern discourses, illustrating the works by such important artists as Picasso, Dali, and Sindy Sherman. In today’s China, the commercial mass media era, pictures of female are exposed overwhelmingly in public media, such as paper, TV, ad. And film, becoming the symbol of desire and social stature. As ordinary young lady, anyone wants to be part of the luminous and romantic life that envisioned by mass media; on the other hand, she is enjoying a common daily life, which is full of happiness and trouble. This is the life to which Lei Ziren’s work is responding.
The female in Lei Ziren’sink painting is both actual and virtual. They are the spirit of urban life. Due to their existence in the world our depressing, doom, and dreary urban life has turned into a romantic, inspiring, and celestial territory from time to time.
(Trans. By Mary Lee)