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陈文令
先后毕业于厦门工艺美术学院和中央美术学院
参加“上海双年展” “韩国釜山双年展” “西班牙塞维利亚双年展”等
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山水印象——付振宝的山水画
城市的山水意象——贾茹的都市题材绘画
“聚身术——于磊个展”开幕
国博“中国古代书画”专题展览全新亮相
高平开化寺宋代建筑与壁画数字艺术展亮相武汉
陈良才:大河滔滔 中原情深
张谷旻山水写生是对现代中国画写生的一个超越
伊琳娜·扎哈罗娃汉字布绣书法作品展在莫斯科举行
“问心朝山——郭文杰山水画写生小品展”在淄博开展
锦绣交辉 富丽喜庆——杨柳青年画《暖香坞雅制春灯谜》评说
个人简介
1969年生于中国福建泉州 先后毕业于厦门工艺美术学院和中央美术学院 现居中国北京,职业艺术家 曾先后参加“上海双年展” “韩国釜山双年展” “西班牙塞维利亚双年展”等国际展。 2012年第七届AAC艺术中国年度影响力雕塑家前三甲; 2011...
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艺术观点
《红艺术》:最近有什么新的创作吗? 陈文令:我现在的很多思路还在酝酿之中,没有最终敲定,都只是在做一些小的方案、小的样稿。明年七八月份可能就会有作品出来。我新的作品可能会有一些新的面目,但不是突变,是一种渐变式的水到渠成的慢慢转变。 《红艺术》:您是如何将民间的东西与现代性的转变进行衔接的? 陈:我个人的感觉就是,首先你的关注的应该是当下的是今天的,你做的内容关注的是一种现实的人文关怀、一种现实的针对性,我认为传统的艺术语言就会跟一个奴隶一样自然而然的为你所用,进而被你转换过来,比如说你要用观音菩萨、弥勒佛的雕塑语言去做雕塑,那你还要去做一些传统的,比如说像钟馗、达摩,还有很多,这些东西被几千年的中国文化的很多民间艺人做了个遍,这个系统被他们踩烂了,所以说这些资源已经被开掘完了,再做的话就没法进行现代性的转变了。如果你用弥勒佛等传统的语言来做今天的主题,针对今天它就自然而然的转换过来了。但是这个关注点你一定要有力度,要有足够的当代。 《红艺术》:在您这么多年的艺术创作道路上您的创作动力是什么? 陈:我感觉自己最大的契机就是童年时贫寒的家境。祖孙三代都是地主,我们家的气质从骨子里还是一种高贵的血统。但是七十年代自己祖父伯父被批斗,经常遭别人白眼,这些都让自己下定决心要出人头地,而且父母的那种苦难让自己没有理由不成功。以及后来在北京求学的经历,这些都让自己有了一种抱负,有了一种农民起义的梦想。人生有梦想是非常重要的。现在想想我的梦想是由很多一小块一小块组成的,一步步的战胜自我而成功的。没有小时候的那段经历,那么现在自己的人生就显得很单薄。 《红艺术》:今年您国外的展览比较多一点,这对您对现实的创作有什么指导作用? 陈:这两年我在国外跑了很多地方,没跑之前特别羡慕这种国际化,跑了这一两年之后,我觉得中国优秀的艺术家没必要崇洋媚外。中国的艺术家的作品走出国门,参加国外的艺术交流展览,本身就是一种国际化,所以国内的艺术家对国际化没有必要自疑。我觉得中国的现实就是把中国的问题表现好了,它自然而然就成了国际化了。我觉得这也是一个自信增长的表现。我个人感觉中国的艺术发展空间是巨大的。而且现在国外的很多艺术家来中国建工作室。做最好的自己,能在中国站稳脚跟,就会慢慢国际化了,这些都不成问题。我甚至有一个感觉就是国际化可以通过不断的培养、不断的交流,让西方那种所谓的国际化慢慢的向中国倾向,也有这种可能。比如说中国越来越强大,他们会慢慢的认为中国的就是国际化的。要不断的完善表现中国的现实问题,自然而然你的作品就国际化了。 《红艺术》:明年您的展览多不多?分布在哪些国家? 陈:我觉得应该不下于十个吧。我在巴黎会有一个个展,新加坡、西班牙、德国可能也会有,在亚洲艺术中心也会有一个比较大的个展。春节过后会定下来。但是以后展览可能会压缩。我下一步可能会进入一个限制阶段。中国的当代艺术在近二十年一直在扩张,艺术家的能量也一直在扩大。限制自己做展览、交易的频率,但明年自己的作品做的会更慢,会琢磨的更深。
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艺术观点
和《Hi艺术》以前去过的艺术家工作室不一样,陈文令的工作室里除了自己的雕塑作品,《Hi艺术》还意外地发现在他的书架上还摆放着几个相框,里面是他和他妻子、女儿一家三口的照片,看来他艺术事业红红火火的背后,还有一个幸福美满的家庭支撑着。按照他的说法,这都跟他与生俱来的草根性有关。上个月陈文令去了趟湖南,说是去找毛泽东-他的组织去了…… (Hi艺术=Hi陈文令=陈) 遥想红孩儿 Hi:现在大多数人看到“陈文令”三个字,想到的还是“红色记忆”,那你当初是怎么萌发创作念头的呢? 陈:这套作品其实也有一点偶然性,在1998年底的时候,当时身体不好,神经衰弱挺厉害的,于是我回到我的出生地-福建省安溪县一个很偏僻的小山村休养,医生跟我讲,吃药没什么用的,要放松,不要考虑那么严肃的事,这才是最好的养病方式。 后来我就回到我的家乡,平时我也一年回去好几趟,但那次回去的时间比较长。我一到村口,看到很多小孩子瘦嘎嘎的,但笑得很无邪、很天真、很灿烂,个小孩子没被物质浸染过,很天然。我就一下子就怦然心动,特别地吃惊,同时也唤起我很强烈的童年记忆,因为我小时候也是那样的,没有一点矫情,把小裤衩脱掉,露个小鸡鸡,这都是一些很本性的东西,不是雕饰出来的。这种记忆像幽魂一样缠住的我的脑袋不放,就觉得这种生活情景对我产生了很大的冲击。 其实我是看到了一种现实,但更多的是看到我个人的一种生存经验,觉得自己从小一路走过来,进了大城市,穿好的、用好的,看似天天在追逐幸福,但总觉得,幸福的彼岸一直一直够不着。童年的记忆一下子让人感觉重新有了一种生命状态,而这种生命,很多人都是经历过的。 回到城市里,我又感到都市的一种物质文明或者一种生存状态,跟我所看到的和一直藏在我心中的生存状态有很大的反差,我的作品其实是把个人的经验极致化,瘦的更瘦,然后又把它们放置在城市里-一个充满物质性的、充满欲望、充满诱惑的、充满权力抗争的环境里面,感受显然就有很强的冲突性,这种当代性才能呈现出来。 Hi:你那段时间一直在做红孩儿系列作品?没有做别的什么吗? 陈:没有做别的作品。我在1998年年底画了草图,1999年就开始动工做。那时候资金也非常的短缺,刚开始不管怎么做都觉得想要说的话没有说清楚,表达力度也不够,当然也有经济上的各种原因,后来做大了,2000年开始有所好转,整个2000年的状态是非常好的。 Hi:当时你经济状况不太如意,为什么不去接一些其他的活,支撑缓解一下自己经济危机? 陈:我还是想接活的,但后来一直接不到什么活,因为接活要拍马屁,要喝酒,要干你很不愿意干的事。我觉得我偶尔干干可以,老干那些事情,我整个人就要变态掉,就不能过属于我想要的生活了。而且当时也不是不想接,但是这个系统太复杂,太黑暗的,很恐怖的。我口才其实是很好的,但是跟官僚比较起来,我的口才就不好了,你得奉承,还得点头哈腰,弄得腰酸腿疼回来,事情还办不成。 被人想起也是一种价值 Hi:幸好你没接到活,才可以持续的把创作做下去。 陈:对,如果谈到这点,要感谢台湾的一个哥们,叫做何志钦。他当时有一个工程,差不多几十万吧,他说要找一个真正的艺术家来做。我当时是不是真正的,我也不懂。他找了厦门很多艺术家,说都是一股铜臭味,不像艺术家。看我傻傻,谈买卖也不会谈,连钱都不会数,一数就掉地上,但他就觉得陈文令可以做好这个项目。作完这个项目,我就赚到了一点钱,能维持我这套作品的整个运作工作。这套作品花了四十几万,当时的四十万是很了不得的。 Hi:你们现在还保持联系吗? 陈:我没有空跟他联系,但是我经常会想起他,他经常被我想起,就是一个价值嘛。 经历艺术戈壁滩 Hi:在做《红孩儿》系列之前,还做过什么? 陈:《红孩儿》之前是我的挣扎期。 Hi:有一些迷茫? 陈:非常的迷茫。不是说我没才气,是当时的环境把我搞得没才气。 Hi:是什么环境呢? 陈:当时整个厦门,整个中国尤其是经济特区都弥漫着铜臭味,空气中飘着钱的味道。如果有人谈什么人文艺术,那都是疯子、是一个异常的人。人家一碰到你就问“最近赚得好吗?现在混得怎么样?”艺术在那个环境里面,绝对是戈壁滩。你看不到一种所谓真正精神的东西。但是现在的厦门好了,我当时就在那个环境下,举步唯艰。 Hi:那你就到北京这边来了? 陈:不是,我是成名之后才来的北京的。我所有的艺术风格、艺术禀性、艺术符号和我的整个艺术规则,都是在厦门形成的,不是北京给我的,北京给我的就是名气更大一点,钱赚得更多一点。 Hi:所以你就把那个《红孩儿》系列送到厦门去展? 陈:对。我当时基本上是跟主流的价值系统-甚至体制是对着干的,我是很容易起义的,你们要这么玩,我不跟你们那么玩,你们大家都去接活吧,管你什么形象工程,我都不去。 绝对崇尚自由 Hi:你参加的都是一些什么双年展,官方展览却很少参加? 陈:官方的展览非常少。参加的几个也是因为我再不参加展览,我就没有任何展览了,我是很不情愿的,但我只能这么玩。从骨子里面,却绝对是农民起义的,绝对挑衅一种所谓的权力标准、主流标准的,我特别喜欢一种自由,一种草根性。艺术要有草根精神,没有草根精神,就不好玩了。 Hi:之所以画廊都没有签,也跟自己喜欢自由有关吗? 陈:现在我也签,但是首先我要跟画廊接洽,他给我的代理费,我可以一分钱都不要。我需要的是一个自由的空间,我给不给作品得看我的。如果我看你不顺眼,那我就不给。合同签了也是白签。但如果对方很好,哪怕是我口头承诺,都会比一个契约都更加积极地来管我自己。 Hi:在学校学的专业是什么? 陈:我没有读过大学,以前在福建工艺美术学校学中国画,叫工艺中国画。 Hi:那个时候没接触过雕塑吗? 陈:接触到一点点,因为我在厦门被抢劫过一次,很严重。我那时话不多,但口才很好,很多同学都不屑跟我对话,我在一年级时还跟他们玩,二年级就没什么动静,三四年级我就销声匿迹了,我觉得一般人都是平庸之辈。我同学至今回忆起我,还是这样子,说我很恃才傲物。那时候老师规定要学界画,就是用尺子画亭台楼阁。我摹了好几年的界画,后来觉得这种艺术表达不了我内心很狂野、很野蛮的状态,野气抒发不出来,因为那样太讲道理了。 快毕业的时候,发现附近有个木质造船厂,到那边去偷了些木头和不要的角料,我当时没有基本功,找了把斧头就乱劈。这是在90年代初的时候,我劈了50几件。卖我的精神产品是在1993年春天,卖了一批作品,钱拿到我手上了。 Hi:多少钱啊? 陈:当时卖了四万多块钱,非常的便宜。我回去就给我弟弟娶了一个媳妇,给我妈妈买了一台电视,给我哥买了辆摩托车。 Hi:那你呢? 陈:我自己留了两万块钱,回去就立马跟我们主编拍桌子走人。我也当过编辑,中专毕业后在一个编辑部里。主编说我是不是疯了,他问我要干吗去?我说我要去搞艺术。他说我只有50%的成功几率,这个是一个很尴尬的指数。我回老家呆了一小段时间,然后去上海看了罗丹的雕塑展。我当时想去看看罗丹是怎么搞艺术的,看了以后我就傻掉了。我想我以前做的木雕偶然性太大,罗丹一堆烂泥就能做成不朽之作。我不愿意做这种带偶然、工艺性、巧合性的东西,有一种所谓的因形施意,什么形态要刻什么样的东西,要有主体性,我的主体性还不够强大。后来我去中央美院进修,我从1993年九月份开始,进修了八个月。我记得当时很多本科生、研究生是没有把我当人看的,也有几个对我很好,但是大多数没有把进修生放在眼里的,我学完就打道回府了。 现在很多人都销声匿迹了,但是有两个人对我产生过很大的精神影响,就是向京和她的丈夫瞿广慈,他们两个一直都在鼓励我。我现在的地位,很多人也对我刮目相看了。就像农民起义摸爬滚打、乱来的! 引领艺术“时尚因子” Hi:红色记忆那组作品为什么选择红色?有什么特别意义在里面呢? 陈:我当时没想那么多,就是蓝天白云,蓝天碧海、黄沙滩,绿草地、红孩儿。一些评论家提炼出什么民族的,但我并没有多余的思想。当时媒体特别的轰动,展览是在海边做的,我来北京到处找了很多美术馆,租金很贵,我根本租不起的。我想算了,我也不跟你们美术馆玩了。于是我在家门口租了十几条船,船头就放着雕塑,给船工一天三五十块的工钱,我说你们想给我开到哪就开到哪,他们觉得这个人肯定是疯掉了。但展览之后却获得了很大的成功。 那一年,广州有个中国艺术双年展,当时中国选了三位雕塑家,我是唯一一位入选的新人。隋建国、展望都是最大牌的,我一个人是最名不见经传的,以前没有任何最边缘的声音进入他们的视野,突然就杀出了一个陈文令,大面积喷红。如果我在国内不是最早的,也是较早的。当时几乎没人像我这么玩,拷漆喷红色,哪知道现在变成了一个时尚的因子。 Hi:当时几乎一夜成名! 陈:对,当时可以说是一夜之间,这个时代是很难一举成名的。我觉得自己对,坚持了下去,大众媒体特别喜欢,尤其是公众,我们不能低估公众的力量。但公众和大众还有点不一样,因为公众涵盖着知识分子,虽然大众也涵盖部分知识分子,但是我觉得大众文化是比较浅层次的。 我后来就从一个绝对弱势边缘地位马上进入了全国性的视野,我的展览也随着多起来。但是真正更加国际化是去年到今年,尤其是今年。我现在几乎每个月出一次国,参加各种各样的活动,今年我的国际化程度比以前更高了。 Hi:国外人也很能接受你的作品吗? 陈:对,我很多作品都卖到国外去了。但是我自始至终没有太考虑我的作品卖给谁,我对作品的要求是,第一我的作品要打动我自己,打动整个策展系统。因为艺术家作品没有进入到策展人系统还是不行的,尤其是没有安全层面的艺术家,所以只要我自己觉得很好,有人邀请我,我就做展览,只要有展览可以做,别人骂你也无所谓。在去年的上海双年展,我做那么大的作品,很多人都说你疯掉了,你的作品肯定卖不了钱,你得租一个房间,让它住一辈子。展览还没有结束,就已经有三个美术馆跟我联系,我立刻卖掉了。所以说这不是问题,作品首先要感动自己,要有力量。 我是一个搅拌机 Hi:幸福生活系列又是怎么开始的呢? 陈:我为什么后来做了猪,做了动物呢?那是因为我觉得小红人系列在上海、北京、广州三大城市展完之后,从以前很边缘进入到现在的中心地位,媒体普遍接受了,符合公众的各个阶层。我觉得它们的风险系数比较小了,没有了冒险性,实验成份就很低了。我想应该念取新经,再创作一个新的。我就做了这套以白色猪为主的《幸福生活》,因为猪对我来说太熟悉了,我们家世世代代养猪,我又喜欢吃猪肉,对于猪,我是可以信手拈来的,特别的自由。而且中国现在就很像一头猪-物质空前膨胀、飞速的发展,但是很多人的同情心、传统道德却一直在流失。早期中国的改革开放太像一头长膘的猪,以我的个人经验与现实社会来划分,是有一种关联的,有时候这种关联是一种很通俗又很意味深长的观念,我的作品里又有黑色幽默,又有调侃,也有一种适度的批判精神在里面。 Hi:但你写实功底其实还是特别的扎实。 陈:从整个大中国的一个写实背景里面看,我不是非常好的,但算还不错的,这个技巧足够表达我的观念和我的情感。我就是像一台搅拌机,或者像一个酿酒厂,乱七八糟的我都吃。但我酿出的酒,肯定要属于我的品牌。虽然罗丹我也学、现代派我也学、民间佛像我也学,但是肯定要经过我这个思想搅拌机的系统,重新组合变成自己的。我艺术创作这块还不错,艺术的代谢功能也很好,书我也乱看,但不是特别多,但是看书特别容易消化。 Hi:你都看些什么书? 陈:抓到什么看什么,地摊书、连环画什么书都看。我每次出差都带一个速写本,随时有闪光的东西我都会记录下来。我看书很少精读,题目大概看一下,标题看一看,有空我就多看一点。所以我的作品应该不是属于那种特别有思想,有观念特别的讲理的那种作品。我要找到一种为我的感官所准备的思想,我觉得这个东西能做,做出来会有序,会有更多的解读空间,我就马上去做。 道理讲得一堆一堆,观念讲得很清楚,但话说不清楚,等于口吃话说不出来。但我只要出现一个闪光点,我立马就会去实施。我们工作室团队的操作模式也是很有战斗力的,我们很多工作做特别细。帮我做雕塑的只有三个人,其实是很少的。但磨工、加工、搭架子,我全部用我直接培养起来的人做。 Hi:这些人跟了你多长时间? 陈:有几个跟了八年,好几个人看我没钱,就跑掉了,后来又回来。我跟他们讲过,我说看不顺眼,就走人。如果说你真的感动了我,我还会让你回来。以前有一个人跟我一年半,见我没钱,跑了。现在看我发了,又过来了,如果到我没钱的时候可能又跑了,为什么会这样?因为他们不是艺术家,很多都是工人,但我对他们也没有埋怨,你爱跑就跑,爱回来就回来,只要你回到办公室,工作就一定要做好。 自卑是一剂良方 Hi:你小时候是从农村出来的,那你身上哪种秉性对你的创作影响最大? 陈:我觉得最大的冲击点是对生活苦难的理解,比纯粹的成名会深刻一点。因为我是农民,我要变成知识分子,就要农民起义。我要跟你搏斗,我不跟你搏斗,我永远就是农民,我是不服气的。所以要抗争!男人要有耐苦性和耐劳性,我觉得都是很好的。 但是也有不好的,比如我们走出去没有那么绅士,有点粗鲁,现在这些在我身上没有不要紧,将来我的儿子就有了,总有一代人要这么做。我现在真是优雅不起来。 Hi:当初你觉得自己没有贵族气时,会不会觉得自卑? 陈:会自卑,你这点问得特别对。我从小就一直自卑,我现在都还自卑,但是现在比以前好点了,我以前是特别自卑的,但我在一块一块地消灭掉,比如我以前穷,我就自卑,我现在挺有钱了,在经济上慢慢就会不自卑,人际关系上我慢慢也不自卑了。因为有人理你了嘛,是不是?但是还要把它消灭掉,艺术对于一种人是为了自卑而去超越的,我不愿意天天遭受那么多的唾沫和白眼。人的尊严,人的灵魂是不能下跪的,灵魂的头颅永远都要高昂着,但是有时候为了生活还是要跪下去,但只是肉体跪,灵魂是不跪的。所以有时候我也会忍耐,如果你不服我,我会让你服气的,但是我不会跟你翻脸。我会用我的智慧、用我的勤劳,让你服气,改变你的看法。 Hi:但我觉得自卑是必须保留的东西。 陈:对,自卑是你不断拥有原动力的一剂良方或者良药。如果说一个人一点自卑都没有,那他就像蒲公英一样,就没边了。我跟人家说我现在自卑,人家不信,我的生命历程就像一块玻璃一样,所以有很多朋友跟我交流什么的,我都是直截了当的。但是在做生意的时候,我有时候也会说谎话。我不可能连成本都跟你说,那我还怎么卖啊!作为艺术家,我是比较真诚,比较透明的!真实是一种力量。所以我一直会忠实于这种良知,然后去做我的艺术。 现阶段会扛住 Hi:现在您生活环境跟以前相比,不管在经济上面,还是交际上,都要比以前好很多,那您在创作上跟以前会有什么不一样的地方吗? 陈:创作状态还是有挺大的变化。整个时间会比较紧张一点,这是一个危险的信号,但是我还是会力求按我的社会活动,重新整理,重新梳理。在北京应酬多,展览多。但在现阶段里面,是必要的。所以现阶段我会扛住,哪怕是有一点勉强,我也尽量维持这种秩序,到一定阶段的时候,我会回到更安静的生活。 Hi:你会每隔一段时间,就回过头来反思一下? 陈:是的,我不是依赖惯性在生活和创造,我没有对任何作品沉醉在一个持久的陶醉中,或者满足中,我每次做的新作品都是一个极大的风险,包括我这次的中国风景。 Hi:你觉得这个风险是在那儿,是怕别人不接受还是怎么的? 陈:我觉得风险应该是双重性的,一个是学术上的,一个是市场,我做中国风景已经投入将近两百万,我到年底可能要投入三百万以上。 Hi:全是你自己投的? 陈:全部是我自己投的,从目前来看,这个风险已经没有了。 Hi:已经有的人要买了? 陈:因为我的展览那么多,都是在用这套新的作品,我只要有展览就不会违背整个市场的需求,即使卖得少一点,我也无怨无悔,但是总的来说,不能让我是没有任何的收入,因为现在是市场经济,市场经济的本质是交换,你做了一大堆,如果没有人要,你也会疯掉的,即使换少一点,那我也会满足。 最新力作《中国风景》 Hi:那怎么又想到做中国风景? 陈:中国风景其实有几个这样的一个背景,第一,我从南方来到北京生活,我以前在厦门很少看到北京这种冰天雪地的景色,这是一个背景;另外一个背景,这几年一直在报道整个地球变热,热了它就会软了,这是一种生物现象和一个物理概念,速度很快,速度快了也会乱。还有另外一点,猪一胖也会发软。我看到很多工人会把这个植物剪成一头猪,一只鹿或者凤,弄得植物不像植物,植物应该是可以稍微的修饰的,但是我觉得人工味太重,太矫情。 Hi:你之前担心它会有风险,但现在已经被一些藏家或者是市场所接受,你觉得他们是看重你的作品,还是利用你个人的名气? 陈:我觉得这两点都有,这两点是没法分家的,就像证明精神和物质没法分家一样。他肯定会看到我的一些知名度,再看我这个作品,也不离谱。如果太离谱,管你名气多大,你做一堆狗屎,狗屎你也要把狗屎做的漂亮,不然他也不会买。 Hi:我发现你作品有一个特点,就是比以前越来越大了。 陈:这一点我可以回答你,第一点雕塑市场越来越好,小件的更好卖,我的大作品有点来颠覆这种潮流,我就要做大,等大家都做大的,我可能来做微雕。因为我觉得如果搞艺术纯粹为了赚钱,那我不如去卖茶;另外一个原因,中国雕塑家一直在骂城市雕塑像菜雕,城市雕塑并没有罪,而是艺术家跟投资商的责任。所以我想要左右这种潮流,谁都不给我钱,我几百万都投入进去,我让你做城市雕塑还不好吗?现在已经开始有很多人意识到做大的重要性,像九月份的艺术北京,在主展场门口就会放置我的《中国风景》作品一号。 助手是左膀亲人父母是右臂 Hi:很多画家都是在画册后面写上自己的简历或者评论文章之类的,但是你写的却是感谢你的家人,感谢你助手之类的。 陈:我刚才提到农民起义,农民起义就有点凶,他有和他一起出生入死的朋友,一个人你起义不了,助手是我的左膀,亲人父母是我的右臂。而我的哪一条胳膊被切断了,我就指挥不动了。我每个月都有很大的工作量,但我都能如期的完成,是因为有很多人都在帮我,所以一定要有感恩的心在里面。 Hi:那是一种人格魅力。 陈:就是你一定要讲义气。 Hi:你现在多长时间回一躺老家? 陈:我没有经常回过,我回去虽然没有搞艺术,但是我回去也是在补课,去修身养性。 Hi:老家也是靠海吗? 陈:不是,我家附近有条小溪,我在小溪边住了十五六年,所以我比较喜欢水,游泳也挺不错。每次回去我就觉得画画改变了我的命运,做雕塑改变了我的命运。我现在变成一个艺术家,起码生活比以前好了很多。我回去一看到家乡的人还是那么质朴,那么艰辛,满头大汗地在采茶种地,我对幸福的感知力好像有所改善,你一比较就会觉得很幸福但不会麻木。 所以从骨子里面我还是爱闽南的,而且我在厦门还有一套房子,我将来要回厦门住,中国人都要落叶归根,老了就回到自己的故土。
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艺术观点
“一个人可以非常清贫、困顿、低微,但是不可以没有梦想。只要梦想一天,只要梦想存在一天,就可以改变自己的处境。”奥普拉的这句话可以说是陈文令真实的人生写照。1969年,陈文令出生在泉州安溪县的一个山谷中,春耕、除草、种粮食,陈文令在这个闽南小村子面朝黄土背朝天的挥洒着童年和少年,懵懵懂懂梦想着自己的人生:亲眼看到飞机、轮船;吃空心菜的叶子而不是梗;走出村庄做现代的都市人;成为一名艺术家;走出中国,走向世界艺术的舞台。 在实现梦想的道路上,陈文令犹如摸着石头过河的孩子,就算要忍受呛水的痛苦,就算不知道彼岸还有多远,也从没想过要放弃。正是这种对艺术的虔诚追求和执著的努力,让陈文令从一个社会最底层的农村娃娃,成长为中国当代艺术大师。梦想,铸就了陈文令非凡的人生轨迹,也让我们了解,每个梦想都是真诚,每个梦想都值得尊重! 请问您少年及青年时的梦想是什么? 我是福建人,我的家乡叫金谷村,那座山谷记录了我人生中最难忘的15年少年岁月。农村的生活,虽然贫穷却也自由、简单,每天最盼望的就是能有飞机从头顶飞过,我会从飞机刚刚进入眼帘的那一刻就紧紧地盯着它,直到它消失在山谷的尽头,依然会久久的凝视它留下的那一条白色烟雾。我暗下决心,有一天我一定要近距离亲眼看到飞机。虽然我的人生活在闭塞的山沟沟里,但是我的心,早已跟随飞机飞到了很远很远的地方。那就是我对现代生活、都市文化、高科技的一种最原始的向往。少年时期的我,已经在艺术方面表现出与众不同的才能,我可以依靠雕刻图章、画画赚的钱养活自己、供姐弟读书。我最早的“艺术家”梦想,就是从“乡村艺人”开始的。但是我知道,如果我不走出这座山谷,一辈子只能是“乡村艺人”,我必须改变我的跑道,才有机会实现梦想,所以我做了人生中最重大的一个决定和最成功的一次公关,说服我的老师将我推荐到市内的艺术学校去学习,我因此拥有了第一个实现梦想的机会。 我的青年时期,是在厦门度过的,我进入了艺术院校,看到了飞机、轮船,从一个小有名气的“乡村工艺师傅”变成了一个都市寻梦人,我实现了少年时期所向往的生活,但是我发现我的自卑感并没有消失,现代生活反而给我带来了更大的“心灵灾难”。改革开放初期的厦门,到处充斥着金钱的味道,贫富差距严重,诱惑无处不在,人们都在一种疯狂的追求物质的状态中迷失了自我。那一刻,内心深处有一个声音不断在告诉我“为了梦想,必须重新更换跑道!”所以,带着对“艺术家”梦想最虔诚的渴望,我来到了北京,也因此有机会成为现在的陈文令。 近一阶段很想实现的梦想是什么? 这么多年来,我始终没有停下追逐的脚步,匆匆走过的路上,我的执著让我获得了很多,也让我错过了一些本该用心欣赏的生活细节。现在的我,很想放慢生活的节奏,用更多的时间和精力协调自己与家人、与事业之间的关系,让身边的一切在共融的氛围中和谐发展。在事业上,多年的累积也到了该沉淀的时候了,举办一个“回顾性”个人作品展览是我近1、2年的一个梦想,开始回顾,并不代表停止,人生到了一定阶段总是要停下来总结一下过去,这样才能带着更强劲的动力再次出发。 有没有一些很喜欢的关于梦想的金句或座右铭? 对我这一生影响最大的一句话,是儿时父亲对我说过的,“人一定要有一技之长,只有自己的思想、智慧和特长,才是不会被释放的。”我们家曾经是富有的地主,但是一夜之间,大片的田地、一座座房屋、所有的长工都不复存在了。我不能忍受的不仅仅是贫穷,更是卑微的“地主仔”身份。父亲所谓的“释放”,即是被别人改变、拿走的意思。物质、身份、名利,都是可以瞬间消失的,只有才能是可以伴随终身的,只有拥有高傲的灵魂,才能扬起高傲的头。这么多年来,父亲的这句话始终是激励我不断向前的动力。而尼采的“以审美的态度看待人生”也让我颇有感悟,人的一生一定会经历很多苦难和艰难,但只要以平和的心态去欣赏而不是抱怨,你就会发现,痛苦也是人生中一道独特的风景。所谓幸福,并非结果,而是过程,是怀着幸福的心去感受生活的过程。 最近您刚刚被邀请参加芝加哥中国当代雕塑展,对于美国,您如何理解,那里是另一个实现梦想的地方吗? 美国兼容的文化、开放的环境、宽容的态度,令每一个有梦想的人向往。正如蔡国强所说“无论你是谁,到了美国,都一样,都要从新来过。”在那里,你必须放弃从前的一切,为你怀揣的梦想而拼搏,这种对于自我的挑战,令人向往。另一个实现我梦想的地方,有可能是纽约。 BOX内容 2009年5月16日晚上,由中国民生银行、旅游卫视、周末画报、搜狐、宣亚国际、徐冰工作室联手打造的大型全民互动活动“中国民生银行非凡财富•2009我的梦想”将在北京欢乐谷盛大启动。启动盛典将汇集社会各界精英、名人明星等重量级嘉宾及全国200家主流媒体,并通过旅游卫视、搜狐网全程播出。 启动仪式分为勇气篇、行动篇和机遇篇,号召大家拿出勇气和行动,抓住这次梦想机会,大声说出自己的梦想,参与到这次的中国全民梦想大行动中来,共同铸就2009的中国梦。 你有梦想,我有行动!启动盛典为你呈现梦想的完美开篇。 图注: 图注1:芝加哥中国当代雕塑展陈文令作品英勇奋斗 图注2:陈文令作品红色记忆-驰骋的心Redmemory-GallopingHeart223X34X209cm铜Bronze红色汽车漆Redcarpaint2008
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艺术观点
2010年11月14日,艺术家陈文令的新作品在今日美术馆的二层大厅亮相。空旷挑高的展厅被黑暗的氛围笼罩着,顶部的聚光灯照亮了悬挂于展厅空中的一个惊心动魄的场景---一头鲨鱼被人捕住,粗粗的绳索捆住了其身体,但是它却超现实的疯狂咬住了一只河马的尾巴,而河马正在吞噬着一只鳄鱼的半身,鳄鱼在情急之中一口咬住了那个正在捕猎鲨鱼的人,人的手紧紧拽住了粗粗的绳索,这样四个生物之间惊恐的搏斗场面就被绳索悬挂在了空中。场面直观逼真而动人心魄。此时故事还没有讲完,观众沿着墙角的绳索以及墙地面斑斑的血迹,便来到了后面一个空间,同样是聚光灯打在三首动物的尸体上,墙角的绳索继续绵延向前,在一扇掩映的门后消失了。前景搏斗中的人无影无踪,留给观众遐想的空间。 而在前景和后景的链接通道的墙面上,一张小小的照片也许才是真正带给观众更多震撼的体验。那是 陈文令1996年3月22日在厦门鼓浪屿皓月园海宝亭遭遇三个歹徒抢劫,被砍二十多刀、血流遍地的现场照片。而这时观众意识到作品中那个男人形象正是陈文令的自塑像。然而,这件作品不是艺术家个人人生经历的微观叙事,它揭示的是整个人类既真实可感又不可言状的生命困境。著名艺术评论家王端延在展览前言中写道:“这是一个存在主义的寓言---萨特之言‘我努力把我从他人的支配中解放出来,反过来力图控制他人,而他人也力图控制我’,在我们栖居的地球上,在我们生活的社会中,危机四伏,险象环生,每一个生命无不处在异己力量的钳制中,孤独、不安和恐惧深深地潜藏在我们的内心深处。” 用扎实的造型手法表现小到个体的生死搏斗大到社会、历史中永恒不变的博弈规律,成为近几年陈文令艺术创作中的关注焦点,也在此基础上他开始建立起其艺术的“个性”。 《艺术与投资》:你十五年前遭遇劫匪受重伤的经历让我很震惊,之前你有根据这段经历创作的尝试吗? 陈文令:从来没有,这段经历已经沉睡了十五年的时间,平时极少言及。可能是今年7月我父亲的去世触动了我内心对生死的思考,也唤醒了这段封尘已久的回忆。现在大家看到的作品中的人物形象是以我为原型的,原先的构思并不是这样,经过一波三折,最后决定把我个人的生命经验加进去,和我个人的经历、命运挂钩。 《艺术与投资》:去年你的作品《紧急出口》同样是以人和兽的形象反映出社会中无处不在的博弈关系,或是搏斗关系,也成为你新的雕塑-装置型艺术方向的探索。《悬案》同样延续了这样的创作思路,但这次你把自己的形象放进去了。 陈文令:对,《悬案》中人和动物、动物和动物间的搏击、博弈的概念,是一年前就构思好的,但并没有和我的血案经历挂钩。但博弈和搏击确实是我近几年关注的概念,以我的经历为直接的例子说,三个歹徒抢我之时是经过十几分钟的血肉搏击。最后我要从死神的魔爪里挣脱出来,而三歹徒试图要从法律的制裁中挣脱出去,变成一场“你死我活的争斗”,但这是我个人的体验,和社会和他人没有关系。我的“血案”的经历的和核心就是你死我活的搏击博弈与挣脱。从人类之初以来,人总在与各种力量博弈与挣脱中一步步地向前发展。五百年前文艺复兴,人类要挣脱的是神权,从神权的钳制中挣脱出来获得更大的自由。而今我们博弈对象和挣脱对象又是什么呢?今天我们博弈的是过渡的透支的物欲和消费时代中的成功标准。也就是我们想要从一台广义的机器中挣脱出来。这台机器包括物质机器,权力机器,和社会机器。 《艺术与投资》:但是你为什么采用这样一种描述方式呢,即以非常巨大的形象、夸张的场景、比较直观的关系阐述等够“激烈”的方式来表达这种够“硬”的现实关系?艺术还有一种方式是曲折的、委婉的和“软性”的表述,为什么没有考虑过这种方式表达呢? 陈文令:我的作品是我内心的真实流露,我撒不了艺术的谎言。虽然我的作品试图去探讨的是广泛的普遍性经验,但最后落实到艺术本身的还是要个人化的。我对一种东西很感兴趣,就是无厘头的黑色幽默,就是要有点拧巴,整个展厅弥漫着一种很狂俊野性的气场和力度,因为我内心也相对比较狂野,这是我的艺术气质。 有一些人批评我的作品过于直白,我不怕别人批评的,我内心里有非常坚固的价值观和艺术观和成长路向。从杜尚开始的艺术史中,我们不难发现艺术的精英性与大众性结盟得越来越紧,我相信艺术肯定不仅仅为几精英服务,还要为为大众服务的,所以我选择深入浅出的表达方式,把艺术的深刻性的观念藏在里边,外面的形式层次尽可能多些,在抓得住人的眼球的同时,让人们停下来观赏并思考。 《艺术与投资》:这次的作品还有一个特别之处就是您设计了二幕场景,类似于超现实主义的戏剧,通过静态的视觉表达个人的微观事件,转化成为一个共享性的公共话题,用一根长长绳索把个人,社会微观,宏观,以及动与静,生与死连接起来。这样的设计似乎在雕塑作品中比较少见,你是如何发展出这样的设想的? 陈文令:表达人兽之争的雕塑历史上并不少见,譬如著名的古典雕塑《拉奥孔》就是一例。它只有一个前戏,没有后戏。只有因,没有果。而我对尝试一种新的方式,即后展厅只有三个动物的尸体倒在地上,而博弈的人消失在一扇掩映的门后,在门里面又有什么答案呢?人到底是死是活没有答案。在这两幕戏中绳子是贯穿其中的灵魂,它把整个脉络都打通了。 《艺术与投资》:制作这么大的作品时,会考虑到体量太大对销售的影响吗? 陈文令:这件作品是有赞助的,我没有考虑销售的问题,我的这个展览的作品是为我内心需要而作的。这几年我每年都要做新的作品,而体量比较大。相对来说肯定是做一些有惯性的作品会容易些,市场也会更好些。但艺术太安全了对艺术本身是有伤害的,我希望在盛年之时冒冒险。 《艺术与投资》:我在展览前言中还看见提到你创立了一个基金会,能介绍一下吗? 陈文令:基金会的事情我现在还不愿意谈很多,因为刚启动,不能还没有成果就到处夸夸其谈。大致情况是我个人和吴作人基金会各捐了10万元建立一个新的基金会,暂定名叫“挂悬基金”。基金经费大多用在一些偏僻村庄的犯过罪的人员重返社会的物质支持。 《艺术与投资》:谈到这里,我还想问的是,你认为艺术或者艺术家在现在的社会中能起到什么样的作用,因为现在似乎谈艺术就是谈价钱和市场。 陈文令:艺术本身对人的影响主要是精神性的东西多些。艺术家和艺术作品时塑造一个社会神采的最好途径。同时也是塑造社会良知,良心的最有力武器。眼下成功的经济人才成为当今最理想的人生形象时,金钱获得多少是一个人的核心指标。在这样的时代背景下,我们更应该思考艺术和真正价值在哪里。
详细内容
艺术观点
他用生命的奇迹证明,他是个内心雄强的男人; 他用艺术的奇迹证明,他是个彻头彻尾的艺术家 ChenWenling,escape 陈文令,死里逃生 text姚进photocourtesyof陈文令interview/editor周逸 十年前,北京的当代艺术圈,还搜不到“陈文令”这个名字;十年前,在陈文令的字典里,北京是个“没有立锥之地”的地方,他踌躇满志而来,失望而归。2000年他以农民起义的方式,让自己的艺术梦从厦门、广州一路开花到北京,2008年,他的“猪”系列作品强悍地冲击了我们的视觉审美,用放肆的幽默调侃了我们已经有些木然的某些现实。十年后的今天,陈文令这个名字排在了中国当代艺术家的前列。 陈文令这个艺术家,够大胆,够强悍,够奇迹。 “一个强壮的男人正落入鳄鱼的血盆大口;不可思议的是,此刻的鳄鱼几乎已被吞入河马的腹中;更蹊跷的是,河马此时又被一条鲨鱼咬住了尾部——一场生与死的较量正处在悬而未决的临界点上。引人注目的是,而所有这些杀戮者又都被一根紧紧抓在男人手里的钓索连接在一起。” 2010年11月,陈文令最新作品《悬案》以上述岌岌可危的三角关系亮相,与此同时,一个发生在15年的故事揭开。一时间,对于事件本身的关注、惊叹+唏嘘,使整件作品被一种悲壮的氛围笼罩,还有一层挥之不去的疼痛感。《悬案》道出了陈文令生命中最致命的一段遭遇,也是最奇迹的一个转折,我倒愿意认为这是他的一个截取式自传,关于一次年轻气盛时冲动的生命代价,一段成熟后释然宽容的生命经历;这段自传是无论如何无法回避的,它使陈文令的生命、爱情得到重新,使他的内心变得雄强,使他的创作体系里一直围绕着“搏斗挣脱”这种暴力的纠缠。 作品之“悬” Vision:这次的作品给我的第一印象是很悬,就是一个“悬”字。 陈文令:有一点点悬。 Vision:作品是用滑轮吊起来的,现场是不是可以让观众拉动滑轮,使作品中几个动物的位置和上下关系处于不断运动中? 陈文令:这个动不了。滑轮只是一个假象,其实里面所有滑轮都是把绳子固定在里边的。 Vision:考虑过让它动么? 陈文令:没有一个人问过我这个问题,但别人都说,这个好像会掉下来怎么样。 Vision:如果要做成可以动的效果,是不是很难? 陈文令:可以,完全可以。一切皆有可能。这里面主要是时间问题,成本问题。这使作品增加一点惊险感也是必要的。近年来,当代艺术似乎是用来浪费和奢侈的。但我的这个作品浪费的还不够多。 Vision:是跟你其他作品比? 陈文令:这个差不多浪费100多万,要事浪费个三四百万,就能达到你说的那种效果了,实现像达明赫斯特的一个骷髅头,上面就有8000多颗钻石,那是用来浪费用来炫耀的。 Vision:你的作品成本一般都很高吧? 陈文令:还好。每年个展消耗一二百万还是要的。 作品背后之“案” Vision:聊聊这个作品背后的故事吧。据说当年是场撼人的血案。 陈文令:我记得很清楚,1996年的3月20号,我在厦门看到新华社的通稿报告一个伟大的数学家陈景润去世。我拿着报纸就愣在那边了,触动很大。厦门的冬天有一点微冷,我边晒太阳,边看着陈景润的生平。当时为什么触动会这么大?陈景润是福建人。是当时整个时代的精神领袖,通过苦读改变命运。我们60年代人,对陈景润特别崇拜。他的死我很伤感。三天后,3月22号的晚上,由于我与友人感情出现危机,两人约好最后分说一下。到底是分还是合。当时我特别穷,记得我问她吃了没有,她说已经吃了,她可能也觉得我没什么钱,吃完了来可以给我省钱。我自己买了3个面包,很想喝可乐(当时已经有矿泉水,但我觉得喝矿泉水有点上当,好像买一杯自来水还要付钱?所以一直觉得买可乐比较合算。)可是买不到可乐,不得不买了瓶矿泉水。我坐在榕树底下,把3个面包吃了,一口气喝掉了那瓶水。然后我带她去公园,那里有一个观海亭。我们坐了差不多45分钟左右,我们并排在一条石凳上。突然有人过来,抓住我的头发。本能的感觉就是对我不敬。我一下子就揍了他一拳,他就不管三七二十一,冲着我的头部到处乱砍,往死里面整。最后我全身被砍了二十几刀,最后抢走我们身上所有的东西。很多要害都砍到,只是不深。我女朋友的脖子上被抹了一刀,这一刀就缝了43针。 Vision:很可怕的回忆。歹徒当时没有说要钱,直接拿刀就砍么? 陈文令:没有。他们三个人刚逃狱出来一个多月。上来跟我殊死搏斗,满地都是血,当时现场的录像我一个朋友现在还存着。我一直不敢看。 Vision:还录像了? 陈文令:对,当时公安局去拍的,照片也有很多。但这次个展为了不掩盖我的作品本身,我们展示了一小张当时的照片,作为一个提示。 Vision:当时害怕么? 陈文令:根本来不及怕了,就是搏斗。后来我们就昏迷在血泊之中,他们就分赃,拿走了我们的BP机,银行卡,我女朋友的一个小戒指,一个戒指等物。 Vision:你们两个人都没有死,真是个奇迹,? 陈文令:太奇迹了。后来,我又醒过来,从血泊里面爬出来,爬了100多米,让人家看到我,他们就寻着血迹去找我女朋友,把我女朋友也救出来,用一台垃圾车送到医院里抢救,从夜里9点多一直抢救到12点,生命之火才重新燃烧起来。 Vision:昏迷中还有什么记忆么? 陈文令:很剧烈的疼。记得当时公安局的人一个扛我的头,一个扛脚,那个扛脚的人说,这个男的好像不行了,另一个说砍到我的手在动。由于拉动我的手巨疼使我醒来。听到这句话,我特别感激他们的救命之恩。 “案”后重生 Vision:抢救后醒来的第一感觉是什么? 陈文令:我当时整个脸被包起来,到处都肿肿的,我姐把我当做尸体一样哭,撕心裂肺,很多人听说都不敢来看我的惨状。我的左眼肿的很高,这一刀很厉害,砍下来的时候往右边滑向了鼻梁骨(现在仍清晰可见一个刀痕),很多年这个眉宫一直痛。医生说不能拿镜子给我看,怕我接受不了。后来我两个女同学拿来一杯水给我喝,我记得很清楚,杯子是黑色的底,放的水不多,我一照,看见自己的眼睛整个都肿起来了,嘴巴也有点歪,三颗牙被他们打飞了。我当时还说,“我的脸挺像金鱼的”,我的同学就说,这就是陈文令的性格,让她们哭笑不得,在这个时候还会拿自己的悲剧调侃。这种态度的确是我一直以来心态没有变态的一个最基本的支撑——不管是血案前后,我一直坚强地成长着。 Vision:在医院里多长时间出院? 陈文令:医生说要一个多月,我15天就出院了。出院后我要做的第一件事就是去看血案现场,还顺便找我的三颗牙。后来我打了一个车,师傅问去哪里,我说去哪里都可以。当时我想我的生命得到重生,肯定要再去看看这个世界。快下车的时候,师傅问你脸怎么变形了,我跟他讲,我就是3﹒22血案被抢劫的那个人,他说太不可思议,我们都觉得你肯定不行了,挺不住的。在电视看到你们流了很多血。他说这个钱我肯定不要的,就算我帮你一点小忙。我顿感温暖,觉得及其世界上美好的东西比丑恶的东西还是多很多。 Vision:重新看这个世界? 陈文令:对。冷静下来后,我意识到自己差点在陈景润死去的三天后被杀死,也意识到那3个面包差点就成为我最后的晚餐了,所以我对最后晚餐是很有感触的。其实生命里是无常的,充满可能性,充满变数。现在吃到每一个晚餐,我都特别感恩,特别幸福。如果那一天我死掉了,已经整整15年了,火化掉了彻底离开这个世界。那一年,厦门十大重大血案中只有2人活了,就是我们。知道吗?完全是个奇迹。 Vision:所以你也要在活下来之后,再创造奇迹。 陈文令:对呀,所以我想我活着,就一定要好好活,一定要感恩和宽恕。我不求好人一生平安,反而觉得,好人一生多坎坷。但好人一生一定心安就足矣。 Vision:血案之后你和女朋友自然就走到了一起?爱情是怎么复活的? 陈文令:比较复杂,比较纠结。当时被砍了二十几刀之后,似乎很多地方被打通了,立马成熟起来。生是什么,死是什么,爱是什么,宽容是什么?责任是什么?沉甸甸的。当时与我受打劫的女友,也就是我现在的妻子,她今年才37岁,已经整整跟我21年多,我们的爱情是生死和血泪的代价换来的。这件事之后让我们有所感悟爱到底意味着什么?可能意味着包容和宽恕。爱情有时候就是相互伤害,就像王溯说的,一边是火焰,一边是海水,我特有感触,真正的爱情就是既相互撕咬,又相互共存,谁都离不开谁。我的作品也有这种关系。 Vision:心态是不是也有较大的转变? 陈文令:经过这场悲剧之后,我的心性和价值观变得更宽阔了。生命是我的,这才是最重要的,有什么比生命更重要啊?只要活着就行了。我能活着,又吃上这么多的晚餐,我很知足。 唤起内心的强悍 Vision:在这次血案之前,你的身份是什么?当时是艺术家么? 陈文令:准艺术家的身份,就是做作品。 Vision:这个事情影响了你的创作么? 陈文令:有的。被抢劫之前,我们家很穷,我也比较腼腆,比较害羞,什么东西都不好意思,有点猥琐。 Vision:浅浅的自卑。 陈文令:对,浅浅的自卑。说话也比较小声,我说话声音尖,有点娘娘腔的感觉,个又高,腰又细,有一点呈阴性的一个少年。但是这个血案之后,我的内心强悍起来,雄强起来。人变得很豪放。 Vision:你的作品看上去很震撼,所以你在做作品的时候,也表现出了这种强悍? 陈文令:这太有可能了。艺术家的观念固然是要的,但要有一个思想支撑,你本人的艺术气场和气质是更重要的,这是一种不可言说的魅力。虽然你说不清楚它,但是它存在着,并时时感召人,感动人。 Vision:当然有没有一些愤怒的情绪在里面? 陈文令:那绝对是恨的。当时主犯被判枪毙,从犯判了20年,还有一个在逃至今,当我看到那个主犯时,巴不得拿一个棍子把他抡死,知道吗?看着他,不是流泪,血都要喷出来了。绝对的咬牙切齿的仇恨。 Vision:现在是怎样一种情绪?你当年的愤怒情绪这么多年又是怎么转化的? 陈文令:时间是拯救一切的最好良药,随着时间慢慢地推移,如果你一直愤恨,就会掉进一个没底的黑洞里;如果你宽恕了,就是个人的一种自我解脱和救赎,是一种自我超脱和拯救的最好途径。我当然会选择宽恕。 Vision:为什么时隔15年,你才想到用自己的创作转化当时的血案? 陈文令:今年,我命运中的一个重大事件就是我父亲去世了。父亲对我的人格塑造是有决定性作用的。我跟父亲感情很深,他的去世使我对生命对生死有一种更深切的理解和体验。父亲是一个源头,我是从父亲那边来的,当我上面的源头已经消失了导致心理变化很大。死亡是一种彻底的断裂,不是藕断丝连。对生命的终极性,我有感知,这种感知唤起我某种沉睡已久的记忆。我能不能用我个人的生命经历、个人体验、个人话题,转化成为一种公共性的话题。这里边涵盖了一个社会学概念,我把这个事件转化成为一个艺术事件之后,这个话题就能够介入社会,并引发一些有关犯罪根源和生死话题的深度讨论。 Vision:听说你们成立了基金会,帮助歹徒村子的孩子们? 陈文令:我与朱青生老师共同成立一个“挂悬基金”。现已有一定的资金。现在想对他们这些家属,尤其是他们那个村庄的孩子进行一些资助和美育。他们那个村庄可能比我们家那个村庄更穷,更偏僻,据说他们村庄在山沟里,教育条件非常的差。 Vision:这次的作品突显了当代艺术的社会性。您的作品一直就是跟社会有关吗? 陈文令:有关。其实一个艺术家,是社会关系的总和,马克思不是说过这样一句话吗?一个人的关系是社会关系的总和。艺术是时代的产物,你一个人要完全离开背离这个时代,是不可能了,这样的艺术肯定也不是当代艺术。因为当代艺术是是今天的人的某种生存状态和精神面貌的反映。 挥之不去的搏击挣脱 Vision:在你以前的作品里,比如《英勇奋斗》、《你看到的未必都是真实的》系列,都有动物之间,动物与人之间的相互撕咬,搏斗? 陈文令:对,这种情绪是有的。 Vision:悬案中的几种动物也是这样一种撕咬关系? 陈文令:对。《悬案》中的人与动物是一种相互搏击和撕咬的三角关系。 Vision:这种撕咬一直在你的记忆里? 陈文令:应该用四个字囊括整个抢劫过程中的一个最大的特征,就是“搏击与挣脱”。我与歹徒的血肉搏击也是为挣脱死神的魔爪。歹徒与我搏击是为财物,同时挣脱法律制裁的视线。搏击与挣脱一直伴随着人生的足迹。500年前,人从与神的搏击中挣脱出来,获得人性的解放。当代人不与神搏击,是与一台坚不可摧的机器搏击。这台机器包括物质机器、社会机器。这台机器是由强大的物质欲望构成的。我们每个人能从这台机器中挣脱出来重获自由吗? Vision:当代艺术拿动物形象来创作的还挺多的。您之前创造的猪形象很轰动,这次我们又看到了河马,鳄鱼,海豚几个新的动物形象。为什么拿这些动物来做? 陈文令:这几种动物极具攻击性、破坏性‘同时非常强悍和凶残。我把自己置放于与它们生死的激斗之中,暗含当时我与歹徒搏斗的某种状态。同时,又是从个人的经验转化出来的艺术形态。它不与生活平行,但更像是生活中的现实。我借用一种比较宽泛的、怪诞的、无理头的、甚至超现实主义的、像魔幻般的方式来表达某种人的生存困境。我把动物和人之间矛盾冲突处理成一种伤害与被伤害,制衡与被制衡的关系。 Vision:这是艺术的可能。 陈文令:对,一切皆有可能成为艺术。我们要相信艺术的无限可能性和开放性。。 观念艺术与艺术的审美 Vision:之前你也提到了观念这个词。观念艺术家这个说法这两年不怎么提了。你的作品还是很观念的,你怎么理解“观念”? 陈文令:其实真正的观念艺术的兴起才几十年,鼎盛期不外于十几二十年。这些年的艺术家已经老把观念艺术挂在嘴边。因为观念艺术知识当代艺术中的一种,不搞纯粹的观念艺术也能获得巨大成功。如中国目前的一些艺术大佬多数不是观念艺术家。但是从泛观念艺术的角度看,每一种被认可的艺术都有其观念的存在,包括我最近的作品也是很有观念的。只是我目前的作品不按西方的价值标准去做作品。我相信当代艺术史不是按一根直线的线索发展的。而是开叉螺线状的或同时性几线冰置的。今天的文化艺术一定是多元性共存的。 Vision:你的创作也应该是观念先行? 陈文令:对,先要有一个观念,有一个思想倾向。我要做什么,这显然比我如何做更重要,这是肯定的。我的作品受观念艺术的影响,但不完全属于观念艺术,也不完全是雕塑,也不完全是装置,我打的是擦边球,博采众长的方式。只要是好东西,我肯定拿过来用,这是毫无疑问的。这个开放性我是有的。 Vision:那你有没有给它一个定义呢?你称自己的艺术是什么? 陈文令:我没有太多定义,就是一个有力量的作品,雕塑也罢,装置也罢,行为也罢,我觉得都是可以的。类别性的定义不重要,重要的在于它有没有力量,而且这个力量是一种视觉力量与精神性力量的二重并置。 Vision:有人评价你之前的猪系列作品说很恶心,或者说很惊讶,很震撼。但很少有人说陈文令的作品很美。对于艺术的审美体验,你是怎么考虑的?你有没有想过在你的作品里去塑造美? 陈文令:艺术审美是要的。比方说我是一个公共艺术家,那你的艺术就不能太主观,不能太个性化。你要有公共性,你要尊重他人的审美方式,也就是说公共艺术要符合人的生存尺度。我以前做的猪系列不是公共艺术作品,所以我用比较个人化的方式去做作品。但我又觉得艺术家不仅仅是贡献美丽的。艺术史美丽的或唯美的东西已经很多了。我能不能做点丑极了又是美极了的作品。这是100多年前罗丹都这么认为的。 Vision:《中国风景》这个作品和您以往的作品不太一样,看上去比较抽象? 陈文令:也不完全抽象,而是意象。我为什么会做这个作品,是个题外话。24岁的时候,我来北京读书,当时是冬天,没有下大雪,老中央美院有大摞的自行车,一辆自行车倒掉,砸破了水管,于是,喷出的水与自行车结成绚丽的水柱。当时王华祥还与它合了一张影。我第一次看到冰柱是那样的,兴奋得舞之蹈之。在我生命中留下了刻骨铭心的记忆,那一幕我永远忘不掉。这种别样的视觉,记忆和经验对一个艺术家的影响是巨大的。它在十几年后起作用了。 Vision:我感觉《中国风景》和展望的作品《中国园林》系列作品有相似的地方,您觉得呢? 陈文令:我认为差别巨大。老前辈的展望的作品是从现成品中转化而来。而我的中国风景是完全主观营造出来。只是材料相同而已。国内外做不锈钢作品的人还很多。是不是都是…… 厦门起义,进入艺术跑道 Vision:第一次来北京试水是什么时候? 陈文令:那是2000年,《红色记忆》系列作品刚做出来,我想来北京展览。我跟张朝阳从厦门一路坐火车到北京,豪言壮语,伟大的规划将在北京实施。到北京找了方方面面的人。一个礼拜之后,两个人精疲力尽,话也一天比一天少,到最后基本不说话了,发现在北京根本找不到立锥之地,都不敢说立足之地。最后一天,我跟张朝阳讲,今天绝对不要去找人,我们去动物园玩。这天,我们在动物园玩得特别开心,因为动物给人没有压力。返厦后,我内心是野性与文明并存的人,我就在想,难道说在北京行不通,我这一辈子就整不了艺术吗?我野性就发作了,我说一定要在厦门以农民起义的方式,搞一场展览。我当时无名小卒,成与败不管,我怕谁,是不是? Vision:您想的挺明白的。起义怎么进行的? 陈文令:我一心思觉得没租金租不到北京的室内战场,那在厦门本土,在室外,在自己工作室门口的沙滩上试着整一个展览。当时一意孤行,挺悲壮的。我助手扛个小孩子并涂成红色,随意放在海边拍张照片回来给我看看。我一看几乎是从沙发里弹起来,我说“成了!”我特相信我的直觉判断。蓝天碧海、黄沙滩、青草地、红孩儿,一种很强的视角张力扑面而来。然后把所有的作品,140多件,全部喷成了红色。浩浩荡荡搬到了海边展出。为了这个展,我卖掉了一套房子,还有一个叫何志钦的台湾人(这个人也是我终生感念的人)资助我20几万,在厦门搞了个展览。 Vision:一炮成名了? 陈文令:一发不可收,比我想象的好的多。当时在网上,包括北京很多媒体都在报道厦门的“小红人事件。”但一件作品都没有卖掉,我当时压力特别大。一天晚上我跑到海边,躺在沙滩上,躺来躺去都觉得有点窝囊,后来我想躺着也要躺一个大字,就四脚八杈的躺出一个大字,仍然迷茫的眼光遥望星空。有一点悲壮和凄凉。这艺术不好玩,它完全是空的。你没有子弹了,没有弹药再打第二场战役。后来我就去上海,在上海寻找出路,站在东方明珠下面,东方明珠高高雄起的英姿让我内心的落差更大更失落,走投无路。就在这个时候,一个很重要的电话响起来。是彭德老师打来的。他邀请我参加广州的一个年展。从此展开始,我换了跑道和战场。至今的十年间我以持续性旺盛的创造力推进着。虽然如今比十年前不知强了多少倍,但是远远没有达到我内心的要求。 Vision:进入艺术圈了? 陈文令:对!我从小村庄转战刀县城,从县城转战刀厦门,福建。从福建转战到全国。目前,正向国际化推进,一路走来,充满艰辛也充满快乐,值!下辈子还做艺术家。 Vision:从来北京到现在,也没几年,你的发展轨迹挺奇迹的,北京当地的艺术家混了十几年,有的还在徘徊呢。你怎么能在短短几年内发展的这么快? 陈文令:我在京急速的成长起来。有时代和个人的两重原因。我来京是2004年,当时的当代艺术家氛围日益加温,尤其艺术市场异常的火烈。再来就我在厦门成长的时段一直致力艺术创作。随我来京有10名助手和两集装箱的作品。可以说我在老家已把刀磨好了,来京时砍柴的季节。另外就我从06年开始转型,每年做新作品,并一个崭新的个展。这使我在艺术上有了许多感慨和长足。不管我今天的成果如何,都是阶段性的。 Vision:你认为自己现在是一线艺术家么? 陈文令:有很多人认为我是一线艺术家,但我自己觉得不全是。学术是,市场不是。我个人很享受这种不太成功的感觉,我喜欢肚子里面有点饥饿感的状态,这种半饥饿感会使自己艺术的胃口更好!更能博彩众家之长。在艺术的跑道上,我觉得前面有人跑,自己不孤独。我只是有追着就可以,条件成熟可以冲刺一下。
详细内容
艺术观点
“胜人者力,自胜者强。”强者关照的是自我内心的力量。就艺术家而言,剥去作品的观念、语言、形、色、文本的参照最终看到的是艺术家精神力量的指引。 如果说“真正的光明决不是永没有黑暗的时间,只是永不被黑暗所掩蔽罢了”,陈文令所经历过的最黑暗时间莫过于1996年在厦门的遭遇。在这里我无意把陈文令的这段往事重新提及,而使得对一个生命有着重要意义的事件变得“矫情”。在于事件本身对于艺术家精神世界的提示和对其作品的解读。宽恕伤害过自己的人的同时也是自我精神的疗伤和救赎的过程。在陈文令《悬案》作品的现场,两组超现实主义雕塑奇观的隔段墙面上,有一张小照片和直接写在墙面上的手写文字。这段文字对照片的提示是:陈文令1996年3月22日在厦门鼓浪屿皓月园海宝亭、遭遇三个歹徒抢劫、被砍二十多刀、血流遍地的现场照片。15年后,陈文令再谈起这段往事时讲到自己对凶手的宽恕;讲到走出伤害与被伤害的困境;讲到生命与创作的关系。陈文令此次在今日美术馆的个展,以雕塑作品的形式呈现个体生命的微观叙事,并引入对人类普遍的物质世界和精神世界困境的探讨。同时也是对新的作品展现方式和雕塑语言的探讨。 “悬案”的因果关系 裴刚:这次《悬案》展象是有戏剧性的两个现场,它们之间是相互关联的,又是整体的一件作品,这种关联是什么? 陈文令:其实就一件。从布展的形式上看是两件,但是精神内在性是紧密关联的。这种关联在于,最早我这个作品朱青生想要叫做“悬挂生死”,就是生死被悬挂在空中。通过现场的那条绳索把前后两件作品贯起来。在线索的两端,就是生与死的两极。这个结构都没有说前面一定是生,后面一定是死。我们还是用一种比较隐喻的方式,还是有隐藏在里边的东西,比如挂在空中,基本上就是答案不完全确定,是生还是死。到后边那个展厅虽然3个动物死了,但是人逃离了,人逃离到一个黑洞里面,生死也是未卜的,也是没有确定的。我喜欢这种不确定性,这件作品有一个因和果的做法。传统的雕塑是在一件雕塑里边把事情完全说出来。而我是做一个因,做一个果,做一个前景,做一个后幕,前后是紧密关联的。 裴刚:无果无终,前边的那几件雕塑是悬置问题,在后面又是问题的消失或者消解,但是又没有给出答案。 陈文令:起码给出不确定的答案。前边展厅悬挂的鲨鱼、河马、鳄鱼及人都是很狰狞的、很强悍的,相互攻击的;但到后面展厅就变成另外一种生命状态,似乎是一动一静、一生一死。从艺术方法论的角度看,这个概念是传统雕塑没有探讨过的,这是当代装置雕塑的呈现手段。这一点我是很喜欢的。 另外,就是绳索本身。这条线本身的贯穿也是这个作品灵魂所在。因为我们可以试想以悬挂展现作品的方式多如牛毛,没有什么稀罕的。但是把挂起的这条线索作为观念呈现的核心,却是很少见的,因为这个作品的“挂”不是为“挂”而“挂”,很多悬挂式的装置作品通常会搞一些玻璃丝,透明的、隐性的,怕看到挂的方式。而我这件作品挂得越粗越暴露就越有力度。挂悬本身就是构成这个作品很重要的核心部分,这个作品如果把这根绳索抽掉就等于把这个作品的神采、灵魂都抽掉了,就完全不成立了。 裴刚:这条绳索是一个线索。 陈文令:起码给出不确定的答案。前边展厅悬挂的鲨鱼、河马、鳄鱼及人都是很狰狞的、很强悍的,相互攻击的;但到后面展厅就变成另外一种生命状态,似乎是一动一静、一生一死。从艺术方法论的角度看,这个概念是传统雕塑没有探讨过的,这是当代装置雕塑的呈现手段。这一点我是很喜欢的。 另外,就是绳索本身。这条线本身的贯穿也是这个作品灵魂所在。因为我们可以试想以悬挂展现作品的方式多如牛毛,没有什么稀罕的。但是把挂起的这条线索作为观念呈现的核心,却是很少见的,因为这个作品的“挂”不是为“挂”而“挂”,很多悬挂式的装置作品通常会搞一些玻璃丝,透明的、隐性的,怕看到挂的方式。而我这件作品挂得越粗越暴露就越有力度。挂悬本身就是构成这个作品很重要的核心部分,这个作品如果把这根绳索抽掉就等于把这个作品的神采、灵魂都抽掉了,就完全不成立了。 陈文令:完全是一条线索,而且贯穿了我个人的生存经历,我的血案,甚至所有动物世界所呈现出来的,所要表达的东西。就像山楂串中间的竹签一样,或者是珍珠串一样,如果没有这根线再好看的珍珠都是四零八落的,构成不了一个很完整的、很强有力的叙事方式。我觉得不存在微观叙事比宏观叙事好,或者叙事艺术比抽象艺术差,主要是看你叙事性的艺术高在哪里。在中国,叙事性的作品有特别深厚的历史,这不是问题。重要是看你如何去叙事。 从个人经验到公共性的转换 裴刚:如果说这一整件作品是由一个线索连接的,那么我注意到中间有一个图片,这张图片在一整件作品的作用是什么呢?这种提示也非常重要,不亚于这两组作品? 陈文令:如果从对人的刺激或者精神的刺激来说,这张图片不会亚于这两组雕塑的,因为那个是生活的,是血淋淋的,真实的生活记录。而这两个作品是艺术家创造出来一个荒诞的、荒谬的无厘头的超现实的梦,一个是现实,一个是梦,这也是一个对应。这张照片是一个提示,艺术家创作观念出发点的理由,没有一个出发点和理由,似乎观念就没有那么坚定,那么有立场了。照片里的经历是完全个人经验的,这跟受众都是无关的。我试图将个人的生命、个人的话题、个人的经验,能否通过艺术方式的转化成为社会性的公共话题,进入公共区域使之成为的具有一种普遍意义的经验。 裴刚:这张图片也使整件作品引导进入一个现实的语境中,是你自己的生命与当代语境的一种结合? 陈文令:它进入更有理由。因为我们这里边作品的核心还真是“悬挂生死”,为什么要悬挂生死,生死为什么要那么血肉搏击和博弈。我们要追问这种博弈背后的根源,是不是过度物欲、过度消费主义、过度失衡,我们周边的一切现实都充满了现代性的急剧扩张,这是非常惊人的。以美国式的扩张最为典型,很多国家都奔着它的价值观而去,难道美国真的就是我们的唯一榜样吗?这是很需要探究的。其实,我们真正博弈的是自身毫无节制的欲望。面对这种现实,作为艺术家我是深受触动的。在某种程度上隐含着跟现实更密切的这样、那样的一些观点,我觉得这种观点是艺术家所感兴趣的,我的这个作品跟现实性有着很多关联,可以一起探讨的话题很多。 裴刚:从之前的《物神》到现在的《悬案》,一直是对现实的象征性的描述或者是隐喻,那么这种方式是怎么形成的?之前的创作是不是这样的一种形式。 陈文令:从03年开始,包括《物神》这样几个系列下来,里面都是对物质主义的、拜欲主义的过渡物质化的呈现。整个时代是一个经济动物,成为这个时代理想的一种人生偶像或者人生形象。精神性的逃离或者流失,变成时代的一个配角的时候。中国这三十年,我们看得非常清楚。这样的比较,还是会引起很多思考。从《幸福生活》开始一直都是对消费时代的关注。因为消费这个概念,在1990年以前中国都是不成熟的。我们改革开放是1978年,当时只是要发展经济,但没有提出“什么都能卖”的概念。什么都要交换,而且急速的扩张,我觉得对这现象可以做一点讨论。如果说这个状况是这二十年来最大的特征,那么在这二十年中,要有作品来表达。整个文化界会以不同形式留下这个时段中国人的足迹和精神痕迹的。我近十年来的作品,相对准确地描述这种精神状态。 对雕塑语言的探索 裴刚:从《红色记忆》到《悬案》,在雕塑语言上有从强烈的符号化向去符号的转变,你对雕塑语言中语言的探索和思考是怎样的? 陈文令:雕塑语言要跟随观念来决定,语言跟材料要听从观念的指挥。比如我这几年,用原来的符号已经服务不了我今天的观念,它已经支撑不住了现在的思想和想法,所以必须要变。 裴刚:哪些想法让你有这种改变的? 陈文令:我的想法应该是比早期做《小红孩》的阶段更复杂一些,更谨慎一些。因为我现在做的作品很少,没有以前做得那么多,所以我就会比较挑剔,包括我这次在今日美术馆的展览否定过很多次,改过很多次,讨论过很多次,我到底要做到一个什么情况才能给自己陌生感,给自己一点感动。如果自己一点感动、一点陌生感、新鲜感都没有,这个展览肯定失败,因为人们太挑剔了。这种变化,这种思想观念的变化,最后使我的整个艺术语言甚至符号发生土崩瓦解,完全改变了,就是我可能不会依赖于我以前的某种东西。我发现有符号和没符号,不是很重要。可以有风格,不一定有符号,这个是需要讨论的,因为也有人说风格就是符号,但在我看来,我觉得风格和符号不太一样。 裴刚:风格可能是指艺术家的气质或者是作品的气质。 陈文令:对,是更精神性的作品的气质,但是符号是更稳定结果的。 裴刚:对,它是形和颜色的存在。 陈文令:我觉得像培根这些比较早一点的艺术家,他们有风格,但是没有符号,像弗洛伊德甚至像杰夫•昆斯,我觉得村上隆还是特别符号的,小花像一个人在笑,那杰夫•昆斯还是不断地做新的作品,当代这一块有一些特符号,有一些也不符号。我觉得现在国际上的大腕都有一种保守跟激进并存的方式,比如像达明•赫斯特那个甩圆圈的作品,我觉得那个太符号化,甩五百张等于看了一张就可以,但是他那么甩有他的市场需要。但是他的装置,还是做了很多,还是有新鲜感的。* 这个作品永远不卖我也无悔 裴刚:你刚才谈到符号化的东西更容易得到传播? 陈文令:更容易得到名声和赚到钱。 裴刚:您怎么看这个问题,就是关于作品的传播带来的市场的效应? 陈文令:在全球有符号化特点的艺术家特多,有符号的作品便于识别和传播,获得成功的个案特别多。我觉得无可厚非。但符号的外延性的大小很重要,有一种符号的外延性自由度很大,是一个可拓展的大符号。有一种符号特稳定、特窄,没有外延性,这是我比较不喜欢的。 裴刚:虽然说作品的指向性非常明确,但是他的可读性或者是其他人误读的可能很大,带来的思考更丰富。 陈文令:有些带有明显符号性的作品很有名牌产品的特性,容易在商业上大获成功。但是这种东西不一定是最能解决人类灵魂问题的艺术。我觉得我们把精英文化和时尚文化做一个比较,就显而易见了,流行文化可能更卖钱,大众都知道,随便一个三流的歌手比一个北大一流教授的知名度更高。显然解决更深层面的精神问题、灵魂问题,我们的路线谁来确定?我觉得可能是严肃的精英、教授、学者,不是三流的歌手。就要看艺术家要什么,这个很重要。 比如我昨天的开幕式,我知道我开幕完之后这个展览的命运如何,我心里面是很清楚的。我经过一年半载的创作,像一个新娘子把盖头掀开,和盘托出给大家看。不管是爱好者是什么人,可能都看过无数展览,但你几年或数年后能想起的不多。是否能让人有一点感动,不管是精神的,视觉的,这两样都需要。我这个作品永远不卖我也无悔,我可以自己收藏,我可以将来献给某些公共空间。不一定说我这个作品一定要卖多少钱,有些作品是自己内心需要的。假如别人会说这样做我可能会吃亏,会输,这一点我无所谓。我觉得敢于输是才敢赢的前提,敢于输才有可能赢,敢于大输的人才可能大赢,输与赢是随时处在转变之中。我觉得人的一生,某种程度上就是一场赌局,我也有一种豪赌气质,现实中我不会赌,但是赌艺术这个我敢,大不了就是不卖钱,大不了我就辛苦一点,但是这样是不是能够提升一种新的可能性呢?因为我对拍卖的规则知之甚少,那一天我就对中央美院的龚继燧教授说:“龚老师我这个作品永远拍卖不掉”,他说:“哪里,哪里,根本你就不懂”,他说:“美国,拉丁美洲的一些大雕塑家,大装置,很大,比你的作品还大都拿出来拍卖,照样可以拍”,这一点我当时是大吃一惊,我真的孤陋寡闻。因为在中国,整个亚洲都是拍一米多、两米多的作品,顶多两、三米,巨型的作品里面基本上拍卖体系没有,他说这个也是可以拍的,只是时候没到,中国的拍卖体系里还没有达到这一步。这一点是我这么多年根本没有想到的,我平日做作品大都是为解自己心里的瘾和痛快。同时,也希望给别人留下一些感动就可以了。我对自己艺术是特别较劲的一个人,我不做则罢,我要做可能要做出对我自己超越的,否则我不做,就是跟我最高水平的作品做一个比较,我以什么样的理由做这样一个展览,否则就不要做个展,因为个展的所有责任都是由你个人担当,别人没有办法跟你分担,做好做坏都是你自己承担。 雕塑语言是为观念服务的 裴刚:你作品中的力度是一个明显的特点,跟自己的生命体验是否有关系? 陈文令:“力度”这个词,我挺喜欢的。但是这个力度精神维度不光是视觉,光是视觉是不够的。对西方的艺术我会很认真地了解但不会迷信和盲从。跟你的内在体系有没有关系?如果没有关系,你学他没用,艺术最主要的还是忠诚自我内心。由内在慢慢成长起来的东西,比如说像我怎么成为艺术家我自己都不知道。但是我自己有一个体会,就是我的成长真的像一个植物,一颗种子钉到一个比较硬的土壤里边。要从那个地方长出来就有一种破土之痛。但是我是这样慢慢一步步地长出来的,我很喜欢。所以昨天展望看我的展览,给我发了一条短信,他说:“你的作品还是有一种持续性的线索,可以走出一条路”,虽然我现在不做很符号的作品,但是我还是希望有一种陈文令在说真话,没有撒艺术的谎言的艺术。 裴刚:作品中包括绳索、图片、墙上的痕迹,这些带有辅助性的提示语言与雕塑形成的一整件作品,它的侧重点是作品的精神性。你的作品往往是超现实的,是深入浅出的叙述对世界的一种看法,刚才也提到了雕塑语言本身的问题,你怎么看待这个问题? 陈文令:雕塑语言本身,我这几年形成的一个特点,基本现在我走的一个路就是把装置、观念、手工性、机械性这种东西并置,比较混杂地并置在一起,我觉得雕塑语言是为观念服务的。整个眼睛不是滑过去的,比如你看过展览,一秒钟滑过去就不想再回来,我喜欢可以读的艺术作品,甚至有很多细节可以反复地看,我个人是比较喜欢这样的东西。有一些东西可能会做得让人家看一眼睛就滑开了,走开了。 裴刚:您认为最讲究的是哪个部分? 陈文令:现场的前一组挺讲究的。这种集四者的关系于一体,鲨鱼、河马、鳄鱼与人的博弈关系,比较复杂的关系。 裴刚:也是作品的结构感。 陈文令:对,所有这些东西都有关系,这一点是我比较感兴趣的,多余的东西就剔除了,就是尽量地争求特干净,所有的东西都是为一个精神,一个思想观念服务。 做我内心更想要的东西 裴刚:您对自己的作品是怎样的一个要求? 陈文令:我希望我每年做不一样的东西,做我内心更想要这个不一样的东西,做我内心更想要的东西,是为内心需要的东西。起码说我此时此刻,我的艺术起码更要为我的内心服务,或者说为别人的内心服务,关注内心的东西要更多些。我的作品卖大钱,这一点我不怀疑,我现在着什么急,所以现在趁年轻做一点我内心更想要的东西,我的要求就是这样的。
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艺术观点
G=环球游报 C=陈文令 1、艺术创作应该是自然而随性的,但是艺术创作过程中会不会也存在“艺术创作策略”? 艺术家的大多创作是在随意和刻意之间进行的,有灵感喷发也有惨淡经营,这些都是非常必要的。任何一个艺术家都不是在绝对的状态下创作,都是在一种包容、宽松自由、琢磨的心理状态下创作作品的。艺术策略就好比是战场上的战略,一个统帅式的人物没有好策略就不可能成为一个好将军,要有战略的同时也要有战术,光有战略没有战术也是不合适的 2、您的作品展出位置有些事很奇特的,比如在书店、百货商场、福建的海滩甚至是北京王府井大街也做过展出,为什么会选择这样的一个地点? 王府井大街的展出是当时参加的一个中国雕塑方面的群展,我参加的是“小红小”雕塑,当时被媒体曝光的程度高一些。任何空间都能成为当代艺术的展览场地,这也是当代艺术或者是后现代艺术的重要特征之一。展览空间不仅仅局限于美术馆里面,任何的空间展出对于任何人群都有可能受到当代艺术的美育和服务。 3、此次展出的《悬案》与以往的作品特别是与“红色记忆”系列作品的角度还有呈现方式都有所不同,也有人批评说是作品越来越“残忍”你自身怎么看待这一点? 说比较“残忍”也是指我这次《悬案》的个展,它是以我15年前的一个真实的惨痛经历为蓝本来阐述的。15年前的我被歹徒抢劫过一次,这次作品所表现出残忍程度远远没有当时我被抢劫时候的那种残忍。作为一个艺术家,作为一个人你要敢于面对现实,不敢面对现实就等于背叛现实、逃离现实。那么我们就无法反思现实,现实也就不能给我有所启示。我这次表现残酷决不是我去弘扬残酷的美学,而是希望我们不要以凶抱凶、以怨抱怨。要对现实终归的仇恨给予化解、给予宽恕。我是被伤害着但是我并不希望拿着仇恨来面对现实。 4、这次展览的现实意义何在? 我希望这次展览是一个“社会雕塑”,呼吁社会要“以德报怨”而并不是要“以怨抱怨”的一种关系。我与北大朱青生教授共同发起成立一个“挂悬基金”,是吴作人艺术国际基金会名下的一个分基金。现在已筹集了二十几万元。想回访当年抢劫我的三个罪犯的小山村,对村里的教育给予帮助,以此来讨论犯罪背后的一些根本性的原因。这次展览的精神核心是关系到如何宽恕的这一命题。现实社会非常需要宽恕,只有更多人学会宽恕,才能达到真正的和谐。 5、《悬案》作品中男子的形象是不是你自己的一个化身? 谈不上化身,就是我自己。《悬案》中有一个男子悬在空中并与凶猛动物搏斗,表现一种很纠结很垂死挣扎的状态。这是我对15年前悲痛经历的体验,只是我用一种更艺术化的手段来描述我当时那种很阵痛很纠结的状态。不是用一对一的描摹方法再现这段过去的“血案”,而是一种对现实的超越。没有对现实的超越就成不了为艺术。 6、怎样理解“偏激才能生存”? 我以前所说的“偏激才能生存”中的“偏激”是指我的艺术风格体系,是一种更形象化的说法,并不是任何东西一定要做得偏激。比如吴冠中说“笔墨等于零”引起轩然大波,现实中笔墨真的等于零么?不是。这是吴先生看到很多国画家把笔墨过度模式化和神圣化,而盲了艺术的本质的时候说出的。他这样说重一些,才能引出一些讨论。我想我说“偏激才能生存”也是这个意思。针对的是现在许多艺术家非常的迎合市场,讨好藏家,把艺术完全变成一种美术,一种媚俗的粉饰生活、装饰客厅的美术品或修饰品。没有精神力量度和思想含量。我为了自己的作品更有力度,所以提出“偏激才能生存”的概念。我09年的作品《牛气冲天》和现在的《悬案》这种作品在市场是显然是不那么好卖的,但却是是很强烈的社会意义,是我内容很需要的作品。 7、你怎么样评价你的2010年? 80分。虽然不尽其美。我一直享受着这种不太圆满的感觉。人一旦生活在一切都很圆满之中就会很膨胀、很扭曲,很快就会大祸将至。 8、2011年有什么样的安排? 具体的还没有确定,但是准备在明年做一些具有公共性的艺术展览。区别于以前做的比较个人性、私密性的东西。 9、请为我们推荐一个你最喜欢的旅游目的地? 国内厦门应该是很好的地方之一,夏天可以边听着涛声,边吃海鲜,什么可以想,什么也可以不想,真享受。国外的话希腊是很好的,爱琴海边非常的美。这些都是我亲身感受过的好地方。
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艺术观点
采访陈文令时,正值陈老师疲惫不堪状,那双疲沓的眼皮真让我为自己的采访捏把冷汗,这与他11月在今日美术馆展览《悬案》盛大开幕式上,像大佬一样招呼各路嘉宾的神采奕奕大相径庭。展览过后,他的这身皮囊累了。需要休息---是我采访时最真实的感受。我知道陈文令已经接受过大大小小、边边角角、形形色色的各式采访,但对我来说,“陈文令”这个名字印在脑里的时间是在2008年第一次见到他的新作《物神》。我相信当时有很多人和我一样,心脏在毫不知情的情况下被灼灼地搅和了一番的,印象就是我们被《物神》里的猪狠狠地、突然地震慑了一下。我不知道你是不是能够接受他这种直接的调侃、讽刺方式,但你是不是在挣扎于这种感官刺激的同时也在想:不知道陈文令下次能整出个什么新花样来吸引大家的眼球?这次在我即将要踏入陈文令《悬案》现场前,我还假装很有经验地提醒我自己做好心理准备,走入展厅看到庞然大物后,没有出乎意料的是:心又揪了一把。出乎意料的是:他的作品更成熟了,就是震你一下,并拐了个弯儿。真没辙!总之,不让你心里留下点什么,就不是他陈文令的作风。 我喜欢狂野美学,就像吴宇森喜欢暴力美学一样 NO:创作出代表作之后,你有没有感到后面不知该做什么了? 陈:那还是有的,艺术家的作品难产比顺产多得多。 NO:你的作品比较极端,什么原因让你和极端这么接近? 陈:在花花的图像世界中,艺术如果不别样、不极端,如何呈现你的个人特征。 NO:你有没有为了作品的完美,迎合过什么? 陈:追求艺术完美本身就是最大的不完美,我们要相信这种缺陷,相信这种偶然性,相信这种不完整的价值,尤其是今天的艺术,追求完美我觉得是不可能的,也没必要的。 NO:你有个作品叫《你看到的未必是真实的》,那你希望我们看到的是什么? 陈:这个名字的意旨是这个展览特殊时期和背景,这个“看到”是从物质性角度肯定是真实的、是存在的。而麦道夫的骗局、欺骗的方式,应该也让很多人只看到了经济泡沫的假象。我希望让人多一份思辨,不仅仅是靠肉眼看到的表象。 NO:对于自己创作上的种种变化,你有意识吗? 陈:我还是有意识觉得自己在变的。我以前如果做一件像今天这样的作品,我说服不了自己,也接受不了这样的样式,我是一步一步的在接受。向观念艺术、装置艺术甚至是行为艺术,很多东西我都能汲取他们的营养,我可能不一定样样去尝试,但是我会琢磨它们。我相信艺术的多样性、开放性、颠覆性、针对性。 NO:作品极端和力度不仅仅是为了吸引大家的眼球。 陈:现在是图像时代,图像泛滥,数码相机人手一台,人们每天都在制造图像,你能贡献什么样的图像?我个人感觉艺术家创造图像的独特性和陌生感是非常重要的。你能给大家提供一种新的视觉经验,是不够的,视觉背后还要有一些更有意思的东西,那就成功了。(后面删) NO:这次《悬案》想要说些什么想法? 陈:把个人的经验转化为公共性的话题。试图引发人们的一些讨论。 NO:为什么作品是一个咬着另一个? 陈:灵感直接来源于1996年我被抢劫的经验,当时抢劫的有三个人,是一场你死我活的血肉搏击。《悬案》是对特定场景或生命记忆的一种抽象化的提炼,我把个人的经验、记忆、话题转化成具有公共性的表达方式,让人联想到一种普通性的生存环境。也就是一种相互吞食、相互共存、相互制衡的复杂关系。 NO:展出的也是一场血腥的搏斗。 陈文令:对,而且是生死未卜的搏斗。 NO:这个展览办下来你还想说点什么吗? 陈:迄今为止我最好的个展,但我真正的巅峰之作还是在不久的未来,这点我是很坚信的。 感谢这七个冬天,很寒冷,但把我这张皮囊磨炼的更有张力! NO:几次拆迁、找房子、搬工作室这些闹心的事,有没有影响到你的情绪、工作状态? 陈:有,但我依然很乐观,很容易从悲观的死角旮旯里走出来。去年底,我挖井、买发电机、生火炉,就是不走。后来我还是走了。房东很后悔,想让我再回去,但我一定要走,因为我发展了,条件更好了,你不让我走我还不干呢,我的工作室真是越来越好。 NO:现在觉得安定了吗? 陈:相对安定了,人的一生从小到大经历过很多困难、挫折才能把你磨炼成一个真正的人。一切困难都是临时,总会过去的。只要你的心不慌,一切都能搞定。 NO:你想念福建吗? 陈:说实话,福建闽南这一带还是我特别爱的地方。我父母亲还有奶奶也都在福建,我爸刚刚去世不久,我基本上每天都跟老家亲人通电话。如果说到文化环境,北京的舞台还是大很多,人的种类更多,名目更多,思想的丰富性也更大。折腾起来有人欣赏。我在北京已经待了七个年头了,感谢这七个冬天,很寒冷,但是把我这张皮囊磨炼的更有张力、更坚韧、更自信。 NO:你有野心吗? 陈:有,但我的野心最好不要给人家带来不开心,野心是我自己的事儿。 NO:你的野心是什么? 陈:做最杰出的自己,最好的自己,做到我自己点头就可以退休了。很多有野心的人让人讨厌,我喜欢做一个有野心不让人讨厌的人。 NO:艺术家果然都以自我为中心。 陈:对,很自恋,非常自恋。 下一个展览也许在厕所 NO:《悬案》展览之后你怎么安排? 陈:休息一段。人的成长往往跟停顿有关。 NO:你的新想法出来了吗? 陈:明年还是会带来意外的惊喜,应该不可能交白卷,但是到底是什么,我现在不知道。有人问:“你明年在哪里做个展?”我有一天喝了一点酒,跟他调侃说:我在画廊美术馆做过挺多回了,在哪里做展皆有可能,也许在厕所做一个展览都有可能。 NO:这是一个悬案。 陈:对,留给时间去回答这个问题。我很清楚我作品的命运。该卖的作品我也卖,但我同时还很想做一点我内心很需要的东西,同时又能给人带来艺术的力量。但我尽量调节个人精神、物质之间的平衡。 NO:这很矛盾。 陈:特别矛盾,但我还是要面对的。 NO:你的大型作品很难被普通的藏家收藏。 陈:是,很多人问我这种问题。你这个作品要卖给谁?怎么卖?去年那个卖了吗?这种话题特别多,他们好像有点担心我的生活,我会回答:你们别担心,我能活得很好,个展还会继续做,而且还要越做出息。我过去的大作品也会让它有一个地方安家。我相信我有能力去弄一些能卖钱的作品,但我个展的作品没考虑那么多,不能把市场放在最核心的位置,有时候艺术家越反市场才越有市场。有输才有赢嘛。 NO:所以你说是迄今为止的巅峰之作? 陈:对,抛开所有,最独立的一件作品。我经常反问自己,那么辛苦地做这样一个东西干什么?前几天有几个年轻艺术家去我那说:“我们每次看你的展览,不管是观念上还是视觉上,有被你像搅拌机一样搅了一下,拧巴一下。”我觉得这对我的评价挺准确,挺高的,我挺喜欢这样的评价。现实中那么多展览,我的作品能成为人家记忆中的一个,我虽然没有得到实际的好处,也觉得够了。我就是要追求特别大气,特别有生猛力量的东西,这就是我的价值观。
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艺术观点
导语: 抽文:博弈和挣脱这两个词汇应该能够折射到今天的一些社会性问题,今天我们在博弈什么?我们又在挣脱什么?我想用自己视觉化的作品来回应我的一点点思想,而且这种视觉化的呈现让社会上每个层面的人几乎都能找到看点。 我的艺术大楼还没封顶 Hi:你每年展览的主题看起来都不一样。 陈:这么多年来,我一直想用一种比较不稳定的、摇摆的、自由的、探讨性的,探险性的姿态来讨论自己潜在的可能性。也许说我每年挖下的每一口井都出不了水,但这是一种态度,一种艺术态度。我现在正当年,不应该让自己的艺术现在就封顶,艺术大楼这么快封顶我不甘心。所以我想每年讨论不一样的东西,挖掘不一样的可能性,以前可能会有一些比较直接的作品,现在我看看有没有可能讨论一些更温暖、更含蓄、更内在性的东西。今年的个展回答了这个问题。 Hi:这次个展作品的体量和夸张性,跟你以前的作品还是存在着某种相似性。 陈:从艺术语言上看是有相关联的地方,但还是会跟以前有一些差别。我的作品一直都有叙述性的成分,艺术的表达种类和媒介没有高低之分,只有表达的艺术手段有高低之分,这次展览还是呈现出来很浓重的社会写意的感觉。我没有抛弃我的艺术本体论,我在演讲一个社会事件。 15年前的血案 Hi:这次创作的动机是什么? 这次创作的动机来源于整整15年前厦门的一个抢劫的血案,被抢劫的人就是我。随着时间远去,这个事件背后的一些东西更加清晰地凸现出来。当时抢劫我的那个主犯已经被枪毙,从犯也被判了20年,也许现在也已经出来成家立业了,也许现在还狼藉街头,也许也被枪毙了,另外一个从犯现在还在逃,这更是一个悬案。去年以来,我父亲的身体就一直不好,今年七月份他去世了。其实我是一个孝子,但是不管怎样还是觉得对父母歉疚特别多。推己及人,当年抢劫我的那三个人,他们也有父母兄弟。现在15年过去了,我从对他们的极度仇恨慢慢开始谅解和宽恕他们。所以我今年就萌生了一个概念,能不能把我这个不幸的经历变成一个带有社会性的话题?这不是我个人的话题,个人性的话题显得微不足道,但个人性的话题是不是具备普遍性?能不能从这些罪犯的背后探寻到新的更有社会意义的可能性。 Hi:是什么原因让你想起了15年前的事? 陈:跟我父亲去世有一点点关系。我今年41岁,父亲的去世时我第一次体会到最亲的人离去,对生死有一种更深切的体验思考。15年前的那次血案对我的人格、行事方式和艺术观、人生态度都产生了深远的影响,正如博伊斯当年的飞机被俄国击中之后,当地人用黄油跟毛毯帮他复活一样,他一生的作品都会出现这些元素。1996年3月22号那个晚上对我的抢救从晚上九点一直持续到十二点,医生都说快不行了,但后来我的生命之火又重新燃烧起来。那个晚上成了我的第二个生日,我生命获得了重生。但是这个重生的背后应该不仅仅只是一点肌肤之痛的回忆,肯定会与生命和灵魂的发生了关联。 博弈和挣脱 Hi:发生了怎样的关联? 陈:我不是理论家,说不出很深刻的话,但是我很想用一种直接的、形象生动的视觉语言来描述和概括这个事件。在这个事件上,我能找出两个词汇来描述它的核心,无外乎就是博弈和挣脱。歹徒和我之间就是你死我活的、生与死的一种血肉搏击和博弈。在这场博弈中,我的胜利意味着他的死亡,他的胜利意味着我的死亡,博弈之后他的逃窜也是在挣脱,挣脱公安的追捕。而我也在挣脱死神魔爪,挣脱这个事件对造成我的阴影。博弈和挣脱这两个词汇应该能够折射到今天的一些社会性问题,今天我们在博弈什么?我们又在挣脱什么?我想用自己视觉化的作品来回应我的一点点思想,而且这种视觉化的呈现让社会上每个层面的人几乎都能找到看点。 Hi:这似乎也成了你艺术表达的一个特点。 陈:这也是我的艺术相对比较平易近人的原因,正如我做人一样的风格,但平易近人不代表就一定是直白的叙述。就像在这次个展对博弈和挣脱的讨论一样,我们在讨论今天的博弈和挣脱的时候,要追溯历史上我们曾经博弈过什么,又曾经挣脱过什么?文艺复兴时期我们博弈的对象可能是神,我们要从神权里挣脱出来、解放出来,获得更大的自由。我们今天显然不是在跟神博弈,现代人是不是在跟过度的物质主义博弈?是不是在跟机器博弈? Hi:跟机器博弈? 陈:我所说的机器是一个广义上的机器概念,涵盖了物质机器、权利机器以及社会机器。以前是一个泛神论的时代,什么都是神,现在几乎人人都是无神论者,上帝都已经死了,我们还跟神挣脱什么?我们应该跟广义上的这部机器博弈,所有的人类、所有的种族国家都要面对这台坚不可摧的机器,我们能不能逃脱?我们的逃脱的状态像不像我雕塑上的人呢?在挣脱的过程中,我们与机器或者说社会的关系是不是以一种伤害和被伤害、制衡与被制衡的关系存在?也许不分胜负。 荒诞透视现实 Hi:从河马嘴里挣脱出来的那个人是你吗? 陈:那个人是我。一个艺术家当然要有一个批评的立场,为什么不能把自己作为一个剖析的对象?我是从血案里走出来的,把我自己放在作品里更有意思。因为这件作品是以我的生与死,血和泪铸成的经历,我当时就是那样的腹背受敌,在殊死的阵痛和纠结之中的生命状态由我来描述似乎会更准确。 Hi:这一次为什么会选择河马、鳄鱼或者是鲨鱼作为你的题材? 陈:当时抢我的是三个人,我不可能把这个三个人如实做出来,显然就与现实并行了。在我的噩梦中,他们是很凶猛的。而这三种动物也是很凶猛的,那难道人类就不凶猛?人类其实是凶猛的最根本的根源,是罪恶的根源。河马、鳄鱼、鲨鱼和人类是四种不同的物种,而且是不可能同时并存,这够无厘头了,够荒诞了,但是这种无厘头是不是印证了某种现实? 自嘲和反讽不是我的目的 Hi:你现在的作品好像多了一点幽默的东西,是一种自嘲吗? 陈:自嘲和反讽不是我的目的,而是一种手段。我本身的艺术语言就带有灰色幽默或者说黑色幽默,通过把沉重转换为轻快的手段来揭示一些更有普遍性的问题。幽默也罢,嘲讽也罢,不应该是一种趾高气扬或者居高临下的艺术姿态,作品应该跟观众并行,让观众思考幽默背后有没有隐藏某些东西。 Hi:你现在期待作品在展览时出现一个完整的气场吗? 陈:我在追求一种不可控性,作品在现场处理时会出现一种不确定性,只有在现场才能看到作品的完整状态。我对作品的期待就像母体怀胎一样,在这个过程中不能单独拿出来看,只有到分娩时期才能看的。本次展览的作品在展厅里呈现了全部意义。在我工作室看不出所以然。这是我要的东西。 Hi:你的作品已经开始变得具有很多指向,叙事性是不是已经不仅仅指向某一个单一的方向? 陈:是,但是我所有作品的都贯穿着某种精神,就是对过度物质主义、拜物主义和消费主义的批判,这一点是一直都有的。
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艺术观点
艺树:您认为艺术家跟媒体之间的关系应该是什么样的状态? 陈文令:今天是一个媒体资讯急速传播的大时代,艺术家要不断地为社会,为大众,为各个层面的人提出新的有价值的看点和思考。艺术家离不开媒体,媒体也离不开艺术家。 艺树:那您在跟媒体接触的时候会考虑到大众的接受能力吗? 陈文令:面对一些很大众的电视节目、视频、或时尚媒体的访谈是需要深入浅出的言说,他主要不是给专业人士观看的,要把很深刻的东西用通俗易懂的方式传递出来。有一些小众精英一点的杂志可以谈得更学术更专业一点。另外,我觉得艺术家不能跟媒体太过同步或平行,媒体抛出一个价值导向,艺术家不一定顺着他,而是应该贡献另外一种价值维度为读者打开另一扇新的窗户去思考。 艺树:作为艺术家您怎么把握您与策展人或展览主题之间的关系? 陈文令:艺术家和策展人之间的关系,是在相互较真.较量.协商中共同成长的。我跟一些很重要的策展人合作过,都有这种不那么“顺畅”的默契。从人的角度我对你恭敬,但是学术上我是不妥协的,有一些地方是要强调艺术家的个人观点和个人立场的。现在有一些现象,展览活着,策展人活着,艺术家或艺术作品不见了,当然一个群展过度凸显一件作品也是不妥当的。一个好的展览主题应该具有很大的包容性,艺术家是可以从各种维度进行创作的。 艺树:您的作品大都呈现出艳丽的色彩,这是否结合了一些时尚的元素还是与您的成长经历有关? 陈文令:有些人说我着装时尚,其实我并没有太刻意去跟时尚结盟,我天生就是这样一个人。作品中那种色彩的绚丽,我觉得跟中国传统民俗文化的色彩对我的影响有一定的关系。 艺树:您的成长环境和教育背景对您的艺术创作有什么影响吗? 陈文令:我是福建南方人,福建是民俗雕刻工艺美术大省,各种民间的雕塑都非常丰富。古代文人士大夫的艺术跟古代雕塑之间存在着很大的审美差异。前者注重雅致,其核心是为少数人服务的一种精英文化,而后者是民众性的艺术。 我听过一位研究民俗文化的专家讲过,在清代及民国的时候,闽南如要盖一个庙,东楼跟西楼会用不同的工匠,分对来PK比赛。一开工双方只能拿一半的工钱,剩下工钱谁来拿呢?由谁来决定呢?是这个寺庙开幕的那天的若干个香客来评价决定。他们如果一致评说东楼好,那么东楼就胜出并能拿到剩余工钱。这给我一个启发,就是中国古代建筑雕塑及民间绘画不全是文人玩的东西。而是很民主、很开放、很后现代的。 比如今天电影艺术跟传统文人画完全不一样,电影谁来决定胜负,买票就是给你投一票,不然这个电影就死了。古代文人士大夫的画不是这样的,他是一个小圈子人说了算,是上流社会的一小撮人玩的雅事,而中国古代传统雕塑的适应性却是很宽广的,在各个阶层都能被人阅读。我的作品很注意这一点,既要跟大众对话,也要跟专家对话。我不喜欢那种表面看起来特别深刻,其实后面又很肤浅得东西。我觉得有一种艺术是表面看起来肤浅,其实背后又隐藏着某种深刻。 艺树:您在艺术创作中最注重的是什么? 陈文令:我觉得中国传统雕塑是很注重民众性,社会性,民俗性,也就是一种所谓的“人民性”,有一种可以广泛交流的适应性和分享性。我刚才讲了中国传统雕塑或民俗文化,这些概念是很符合后现代的某种价值观。西方的安迪沃霍和杰夫昆斯,达明赫斯特还有东方的村上隆等等,他们太公众了,我觉得真正的大师是要有广泛的普世性的,绝对不仅为一小撮人服务的。中国古代士大夫是看不起雕塑的,他们觉得这个是雕虫小技,是低俗的,民众的,登不了大雅之堂的,但是我认为在今天这些东西恰恰是最主流的,你不这样觉得吗?大众里面也涵盖着专家。什么是大众?众,是由三个“人”叠在一起代表无限的,代表无限多的人的价值取向。 艺树:您早期创作了《红色记忆》,《幸福生活》等,您能大概讲述一下您在艺术中的思想脉络吗? 陈文令:我最早做的是“小红人”,这套作品是出于我个人的生存体验,是对那段特殊岁月的一种记忆,“一个人的典型性也就是一个社会关系的总和”。在文革,小孩的生命特征跟政治之间的关系没有那么直接。对成人们的人政治斗争及灾难,小孩子倒觉得挺好玩的,这是孩童本性的东西,他超越了成人化的一种价值观趋向。更主要的是这套作品有很强的公共性,“小红人”第一个个展是在海边,从市长、大学教授、学生、普通市民、甚至乞丐……在一个公共语境,什么人都能看,很像在阅读寺庙的佛像。 当时我是没有比较过中国文人画和中国传统雕塑的,但是我现在就明白了为什么能做出这样的作品来。艺术家的感觉有时候是不可言说的。我当时觉得是蓝天碧海,金沙滩绿草地,红孩儿,色彩关系好看。有一种诗意的画面。 之后我做《幸福生活》,为什么会做猪?在中国传统民俗里面猪是家喻户晓的,家庭那个家字下面那个“豕”就是猪的意思了,每家必有一猪,有猪必有希望。在民俗文化里面猪是财富的象征,与此同时猪还很脏、很懒、很享乐、又很宿命,吃就是为了更快的死,长得快死得也快……但是在我看来猪很有生产力,十年前,我在厦门晚报看到,有一只母猪一口气生了28头小猪,我就去拜访这只英雄母猪。当时觉得猪就是“中国制造”的典型代表,它是一个工厂,它的生产力就是copy,一只一只,哗啦啦的生产出来,这是我个人的解读,也促使了这套作品的产生。 此后我做中国风景,采用中国传统里面一些山水、山石、梅花、熊猫、等传统素材加以当代性的转换,我故意把物象特征处理得有点模糊,因为模糊反而更开放,话不要说得那么干净,是留有余地给别人。 再下来做“紧急出口”个展,金融危机表面上看只是殃及了一群富豪,但其实也影响到每个人的生存现状。 艺树:那我可以这样说,您的创作原则是基于一个公共性的分享,还有其他吗? 陈文令:其实我也是比较自我的,但是我强调的“自我”是一个大我,是一个有分享性的我。就个人而言,我创作是没有什么太多必须遵循的法则。虽然说我这个年纪还不能在中国名满天下,不过能够让更多的人分享我的艺术——做具有电影精神的当代艺术家是我毕生的奋斗目标。 艺树:您在创作中的精神诉求是什么? 陈文令:前几年做的几个个展,我经常喜欢一个个展就做一两件作品,虽不好卖,但是我把内心话说出来了,把自己弄得很激动。别人看了我的个展也应该可以带着某种激动回家的,这就够了,也是一种莫大的欣慰。 艺树:您认为艺术需要革命精神吗?微博上有谈到70、80后的艺术缺少了60后的那种革命精神,您怎么看待? 陈文令:艺术家的革命性是非常重要的,但是我觉得革命性也千差万别,比方说我们一般人人认为的革命性是苦大仇深、关注社会、关注宏大叙事那一面。而现在八零后的革命性可能就是要把自己的这一生革的很幸福,这一点能做到很极致同时还能还影响到别人,让一大堆人幸福起来也是一种革命。革命性就是一种极致的状态。比方说村上隆认为,深刻就是一种罪,他表面上似乎特别肤浅和世俗,追求一种艺术的超扁平。革命性也是一种独立性,一种彻底性、不可拷贝性、排他性、唯我性。 艺树:现在我们正好在一个时代的节点,您对“2012”比如“玛雅预言”或者未来是一个什么样预想呢? 陈文令:这个命题也是具有世界性的,今天我就在做一个关于“玛雅预言”作品,这个话题我还不想说太多。对于未来,从我的内心体验是世界一定会毁灭的,从宇宙的演化论来说,有始必有终。在这样一个没有意义的人生里,我们反而保持微笑。人的灵肉也是必须要分家的,谁都逃脱不了,地球也是会毁灭的。真正懂得悲剧的人才懂得真正的乐观。宗白华曾说:“要用审美的眼光来看待人生”。
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李圆一:从你最早开始做做的红色记忆系列,然后从幸福生活,英勇奋斗、中国风景开始,一直到现在的这个以华尔街金牛为素材的作品,所有出现的动物都在象征人类的某种东西,什么促使你这一路的转变? 陈文令:我作品中的动物形象其实是在象征中国乃至世界当下的人的某种精神状态,这里面包含了一种消费文化的状态。为什么做小红人、英勇奋斗、在到如今的麦道夫金融巨骗这样一个人物。当时在厦门的时候相对在一个封闭的环境里,我是依靠个人的一种本能的经验。后来慢慢地参加了各种展览之后,不停奋斗的一个历程是从地域性然后不断地向一个国际语境的方向发展。 李圆一:之前到你的工作室看到一张大的红色的照片,都是猪头的宴席。这类的乡土文化,对于你幸福生活和英勇奋斗系列选择的猪这种动物是不是有影响。 陈文令:这个东西对我应该影响是很大的。但是这两年针对中国的当代艺术家要么十分本土,要么十分国际化的语言的方式进行了思考。我觉的要放弃对于这两方面单独的依赖,而是要这两者结合起来,建立个人的一个艺术语言是十分重要的。以国际化的主题、国际化事件、国际上的艺术观念相融合,个人高超的艺术技能与具有前瞻性的观念的结合,是我更高的目标。对于我的作品我希望有一部分可以让人言说的,但是有一部分力量是不可解释的,就像我紧急出口这次的作品,这种力量是不好描述的,你可以现场感受。中国自古以来追求一种博大的气派。比方说中国的故宫、中国的长城、中国的陵墓。这个是中国人传统的人文性的基本特征。这不是我追求的终极目标,但是我想把这种力量延续。 李圆一:当你提到大中国文明发展,辽阔的土地、场景气派等等的,这是一个非常勇敢的词,至少中国以外的民族都很敏感,尤其在现在非常敏感。用大字来做作品达到一种什么感觉。有很多的中国当代艺术家都在做很大的东西,越做越大。成为现在一种很流行的时尚。难道你不相信小的东西有力量? 陈文令:在我的艺术经验里面我觉得拿我们东方国家来说,我觉得印度的卡普尔跟古普塔他们做的比我大。我觉得大和小不是衡量艺术品好坏的标准,但跟艺术家的自身的艺术气质有关,跟国际政治甚至是霸权主义无关,它不是属于政治威胁论范畴的话题。大在美学上也有独立价值,卡塞尔文献展博罗夫斯基走向天空的那件作品,如果做成一个人的高度,那就失败了。从雕塑的本体论来说,讲艺术不讲观念。那么空间的深浅是雕塑的灵魂,大的空间和小的空间反衬出来的气场和视觉魅力是不一样的。回过头来我还要说一个小雕塑的价值,有一种雕塑是必须要小它才有价值,这个是卡特兰的《希特勒跪走》这个必须要小,观念在这里是作品最重要的,空间一切都要围绕着这个观念。我将来我有力量挑战做优秀的小作品。 李圆一:注重外在的爆炸性的这种东西,外在冲击力的这种东西很好。今后也可以往内心的小的里面有那种东西慢慢去挖掘。通过你的艺术作品来谈论整个文化上的东西。在你的个展上一个作品很大,但是另外一个作品很小,大和小是很平衡的。它们之间的关联是一个是水平地出来一个小的,然后又是大的往上冲上去,是什么一种关联? 嘉宾:这里面的关联我是用传统的雕塑来实施我的艺术计划的。首先我要把传统的雕塑语言转换成既有现代性特征的语言,这件作品是由屁和地面,人和墙面形成一个三角型的构架关系。它消解了传统雕塑作品的重心感。传统雕塑必须要有一个重心才能站得住。那这个重心完全被我拿掉,我去掉了一个传统重心。 李圆一:你想提醒大家,现在在全球在整个世界上物质和精神是失衡。 陈文令:我所有形式的变革,都要围绕着观念服务,不然我就取消这个形式了。大的作品的就是在探讨由物质欲望所引发的精神层面的问题,结构是对这个观念的最恰当的表现形式。而那件小作品太小而空间太长,为了要均衡控制空间,拿一个镜子里面来映照这个形象,可以控制这个地方。用镜子来实现对空间的占领,让这个地方不会失衡。镜子是破碎的,也就说任何东西过度的飞速发展,里面会有一种破碎性。这里面有一种寓言性和宿命性的一种暗示。 李圆一:灯光的设置照在牛身上,这形成了牛的一个阴影也是同等重要的。 陈文令:我以后的作品可能会有东方神秘主义特征。也就是说这种概念跟这种镜像的概念是中国很传统的东西,是不存在的,是一种虚无感,又是一种幻象,这里强调这种幻象的力量。就是说传统的所有的雕塑是一个实体艺术,我把这种幻象作为艺术的材料,扩散雕塑的维度。使用这两种语言,用大作品小作品语言的综合性,使这个雕塑本身既是很传统,但是又很当代,包含了装置性的综合性语言。 李圆一:给你一个非常个人化的评论,在过去的五年里,从在上海的双年展到西班牙等等的展览,我看到了你的个人艺术进程,用各种综合性的语言在做你的作品。这次展览的作品达到了一个新的高度。像小房间的,这个已经不仅仅是个雕塑,是一个装置,而且这个装置用了一些很好的语言。让我想起俄国的一个艺术家,他的神秘性当时就很吸引我。 陈文令:有一点阴性的和中国古代哲学思想在里面,佛教里面说色即是空,空就是色的这个概念。色是指物质的意思,这个不是色情的色。虽然是物质的东西,但是最后可能是空的。我觉得这件作品开始就呈现神秘主义东方性的某一些东西。 李圆一:这个不仅仅是一个批评家和一个艺术家之间的谈话,实际上这是一个从文化层面,很好地对艺术作品的一种引导,一种解读。 陈文令:这里边我当时理解人世间的很多物质,很多很多事件都是像宗教里面有一个“一切有为法,如梦幻泡影,如露亦如电,应作如是观”,一切人世间觉的真实有用的东西,在中国传统哲学里面就是虚无、幻象。“为法”就是有作为的事。表面看里面很有作为,其实它是很容易消失的。我觉得这个影像有一点点指向,它只是一个影,不要以为真的发展的很快。 李圆一:有一个传说李白是在河里边淹死的,因为喝醉后他想去抓那个月亮,结果一下就淹死了。这个牛有点像21世纪李白象征体,企图要抓住一个现实里面什么东西,但是现在这个东西是虚幻的东西。这是一个毫无希望的,浮在那的一个形体。你现在这头牛从地球像火箭一样冲向宇宙的无限的一个空间。然后就像美国的阿姆斯特朗登上月球一样在空间中。这个就像一个没有希望的浮在宇宙当中的一个东西,像蝙蝠侠,或者一个超人。牛上的这个人对一个观者来讲的话,好像是无助地飞在空间,但是他没有力量飞,只有靠骑着这个牛身上。 陈文令:我的理解是现实的世界就像飞机场的那种输送带,你能在上面走,你一上去之后是不能停下来的,就像跑步机一样的输送带。你上去跑不能停的,停了要给你弹下来。没有别的选择,你要一直往前冲,有这种暗示的意思。被推着走,大家随着世界潮流被推着走。我会从很多现实中获得的启发的,美国有核武器,中国也要有,俄罗斯也要有。现在朝鲜有,韩国可能也要有。也就是说在这个游戏规则中永无止境的,将所有的人都要向前推。人类出现这样的格局,整个社会的物质、财富也都在发展。那人文如果不发展,那人类将来是会毁灭的。所以说人文艺术科学比单纯的物质更高的,物质控制人类,而精神反过来可以制约它,这样的世界才安全。 李圆一:所以我们用小房间的作品来谈象征性、神秘性就很明显。你五年以来得发展从局部的、地区性的,然后到全球性的发展过程是很清晰的。看到你的草图《斗鸡》等等的照片,包括你谈到吊上去的马等,你做了很多仔细研究。这种对全世界范围内艺术观念的学习和研究,对于你的发展像来说向用火箭把你发射上去的一样,升到了一个高度就是已经脱离了地心吸引力的高度。如果说达到人造卫星这种高度的时候,你会在24小时内看到全世界。你如果在人造卫星高度循环的时候,你可以看到12次太阳,12次月亮,太阳升起和降下去,有非常不一样的视角,在地上只能看到一次,而这不是仅仅看到中国的视角。 李圆一:我是希望今天这个谈话不仅仅是关于你的艺术,而且是关于整个中国当代艺术的行为。 陈文令:我希望能为中国当代艺术提供一个崭新的观看方式。其实卡特兰把一个马吊在天顶上面,这个就是一种新的观念模式。 李圆一:你说的不仅仅是一个观念的事情。 陈文令:一个艺术品给观众提供崭新的观看方式,也是观念的重要组成。所以我觉得一个伟大的艺术作品,世界性的艺术作品要提供给人想,同时要给人看。现在很多艺术家只给人想没有给人看。你说的可以俯视全球视野的这个理想的高度,我会用10年、20年,甚至毕生来努力达到它。 A Dialogue between Won-il Rhee and Wenling Chen Won-il Rhee: You started to produce "Red Boy" series in the late 1990s, followed by "Happy Life"," Valiant Struggle","China Scene", "God of Materialism", and for now you take inspirations from the Wall Street golden bull and Bernard Madoff. All these animals symbolize some qualities of mankind. What impels you continuously to change along your road? Wenling Chen: The various animal images appeared in my works serve as symbols or metaphors of some human mental condition in consumption times, such as expansion, inflation, violence, desire, greed, and alienation. The "Red Boy" series is created when I was in my hometown Xianmen, which is a comparatively closed environment. As a mirror of my childhood, this series reflected my genuine qualities in my childhood, represented my sentimental attachment to my childhood, and became the turning point of my art career. It was the "Red Boy" that took me to the track of contemporary art. Rhee: I noticed a huge red huge photography work concerning a pig head feast in your studio. Does this sort of local culture have a great impact on your "Happy Life" and "Valiant Struggle" series? Chen: I do acknowledge the influence that grass-root folklore had on myself, however, I'm still not a regionalism artist. I always believe that over-emphasizing nationalism is narrow nationalism. Extreme nationalization and extreme westernization are the two trends which will result in difficulty in reading and reduction of audience. I strive to mingle nationality, internationality, popularity, and elitism into my works, in order to provide a kind of spiritual demand and reading possibility for more people. Rhee: I find you are making larger-sized works in the recent years, inputting enormous manpower and material resources. How do you think of this? Chen: I never think size is the decisive criteria for evaluating an artwork. Actually I'm obsessed with a kind of aura diffused by artwork, which cannot be explained in words. You can sense the aura only on site, while looking at pictures is entirely another matter. I hope my works can arouse people's thinking as well as visual sense, more than a topic or a story. China has a long-standing tradition stressing the beauty of breadth, for instance, Chinese grottoes, mausoleums, Forbidden City, Great Wall and so on. Your question reminds me that many Western artists make much larger artworks than that of mine, including earth artists and device artists. I believe elephants have their own reasons to be big, while butterflies have their own reasons to be small, allowing no explanation. Rhee: You are very brave to mention China's beauty of breadth and large population on vast land, and these topics are very sensitive to nations outside China. A number of Chinese contemporary artists are producing larger and larger artworks as a kind of fashion. Don't you believe small things have power? Chen: I believe in big power as well as small power. Indian artists Anish Kapoor and Subodh Gupta have made much larger artwork. Italian artist Maurizo Cattelan has made much smaller artworks. However, they are all first-rate artists. Large or small only relates to the artistic temperament of an artist, rather than international politics, economics, military affairs, or hegemonism. It does not belong to the threat theory, so there is no need to be too sensitive about that. Large and small have their independent value in aesthetics. Take Borofsky's sculpture Walking to the Sky at Kassel Documenta as an example, if the inclined steel pipe was as small as a chopstick, it must be a failure. Another example, if the Italian artist Cattelan's kneeling Hitler is not much smaller than a real person, but made into a 20 meters high city sculpture, it would be a failure too. Sense of space of artworks gives off different aura and visual glamour. I think large or small should serve the thought and concept of an artwork. Anyway, I would like to thank you for your question. I have confidence to challenge myself with excellent small artworks in future. Rhee:I appreciate the focus on external explosiveness and inner impact. Later on, you can gradually search into those tiny but culturally rich artworks in your heart, and discuss the overall cultural issues through your artwork. Some of your artworks in your solo exhibition are quite large, some very small, while, large and small make a harmonious match. The large work rushes towards the wall, and another seems to struggle out of the wall, therefore, it creates an ingenious association. Chen: The most distinctive feature of the two artworks is that they abolish the sense of gravity created by traditional sculpture which should stand vertically against ground. They take the wall as the weighted plane directly. Such a manner presents dangerous and terrifying feelings. Besides, I obtained many inspirations through device art and conceptual art, to transfer traditional sculpture language into contemporary sculpture features. I do not support the evaluation criteria of artwork from the perspective of art taxonomy; however, I firmly believe that great artwork can be produced with any art media. Easel painting and sculpture will remain alive, depending on how to produce them. Rhee: Several of your series works revealed the unbalanced relationship between material and spirit in consumerism times. Chen: All the innovations of my form language and methodology are in consistent with the theme concept. I would never be an artist who creates form only for form's sake. Today the mainstream value is quite different from that of Axis Era two thousand years ago when integral humanity was respected. After stepping into the industrial era, the so-called "powerful" countries, for instance, the US, the UK, German, Japan, are powerful in material and economic aspects, and are characterized with expansionism and exploitation. They have been seeking the material world day and night. They also set up the standard of the world's mainstream value, which all the other countries must follow, otherwise they might suffer beating or bullying. This is also true to military affairs. Real "denuclearization" and "military mutual trust" put forward by Obama could hardly be realized. At least it cannot be accepted by King Jong. That is to say, science is far more developed than humanities. If some politicians were crazy, the world would have been bombed several times. The world is lacking in sense of security. I feel it is a kind of material and spiritual imbalanced or weightless relationship. Rhee: In the small room at your exhibition, the light projects on the flying bull with its shadow on the wall, while right in the opposite is a broken round mirror. The shadow and the broken round mirror are quite impressing and profound in meaning. This way of exhibition went far beyond the traditional sculpture presentation. Chen: There is a little Oriental mysticism. In a small dark room, the shadow of dynamic bull's wind, and the broken round mirror are separated in different space, while they are linked in a subtle way, quite like the style of traditional Chinese painting. Making the room filled rather than empty, is the artistic reality that I draw from the sense reality. Then it is combined with the final idea of "how to escape". In a word, it is a sculpture with device language, and I hope it can convey a sense of strangeness to audience. Rhee: I will make a very personal comment. During the five years since you came to Beijing, in the significant exhibitions such as Shanghai Biennale in 2006, Asia Arts Exhibition in Germany JKM, Spain Biennale, I can see clearly that you are making progress, producing artworks with comprehensive languages. It is so surprising that this exhibition attains a new dimension. The work in the small room is not only a sculpture, but a device, which employs a delicate artistic language. That reminds me of a good Russian artist. I'm fascinated with his mystery. Chen: You could find a sense of masculinity in my previous works. However, the in the small room is somewhat feminine, with a little Chinese Zen taste. The shadow on the wall and mirage in the mirror, for example, convey a sense of void and mystery. That echoes with a word in Chinese Buddhism, "Se is empty; emptiness fills Se." Se refers to the material world. In recent years, I find myself intensely interested in the method of transferring and absorbing traditional Chinese culture, including folklore. Thirty years has witnessed the development of Chinese contemporary art. Nothing would be worse if today a Chinese artist still devotes himself to the Western art, and produce his works totally in the Western way. Rhee: Today's dialogue exceeds that between an artist and a critic. We are discussing not only your art, but some cultural issues on large scale. And we hope this can shed some light to young artists. Chen: Today's mainstream value is quite materialized. Everyone appears to have his own personality, while in fact they share more or less the same character. It is very worrying if artists fail to keep distance from the mainstream value. I appreciate the Taiwan director Hou Xiaoxian's remark, "Intellectuals always stand opposite to the mainstream of the society. You are supposed to find problems and raise criticisms in times of peace and prosperity, and find the light and hope when everyone else is cursing the time." Artists, in the same way, should hold transdencity and criticism to reality. Rhee: There is a story that Li Bai was drowned. When was drunk, he intended to grab the moon in the river, but slipped and fell into the river, finally drowned. Your flying bull runs to an insubstantial mirror, is similar to the situation that Li Bai tried to grab the moon. People try to grasp concrete things in reality, only find an illusion. The bull's wind, like a rocket, sends the bull and the person into the universe, just like Armstrong's stepping on the moon, insubstantial and illusory. Chen: The world, in my mind, is characterized by speed and expansion, leaving you no moment for breath. It seems everyone is running on the treadmills as fast as possible, and will be thrown away once the machine stops. Everyone is running, but not clear about the destination. In each field, the direction weights more than the speed. If you follow a right direction, you may get there even you walk slowly. In contrast, if your direction is wrong, the faster you run, the farther you would leave to the destination. Sometimes I reject too much external consultation, to avoid losing my own idea or being at a loss. To trust yourself is much more important than to trust others. Rhee: I know you are from Fujian Province, which is the hometown of many prominent artists, such as Cai Guoqiang, Huang Yongping and so on. Do they have any influence on you? Chen: They embrace Minnan Oceanic Culture— open, challenging, adventurous, and wise. They stood on a high position from the start and have a broad and long foresight. This is what I should learn from. Rhee: I know your art starts from a grass-root perspective. We are glad to witness your progress from a local artist to an international artist. In recent years, you've also conducted insightful research on prominent artists' concept and their methodologies worldwide. When an artist reaches certain height, he would escape the gravitation, and reach a satellite's height. At that time, you can see the world within 24 hours of a day. If you travel on the satellite's height, you can see the sun twelve times a day, see the moon twelve times a day, and how observe how they rise and fall. That is a very special perspective. On the earth you can see that only once. Significant Chinese artists are not confined to the Chinese perspective. Chen: It is my sincere hope that I could step on a high level and have a broad view. What I have achieved is nothing but a beginning, and there is still a long way ahead. I have a strong mind to conquer higher artistic highland one after another. The ideal perspective to overlook the planet you mentioned, is what I would strive for in ten years, twenty years, thirty years or even my whole life time. Date: Sep 4, 2009 Place: at a café in 798
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陈文令的小红人系列具有颇大的视觉冲击力,这证明,他创作的心理场非常广阔,有一种舍我其谁的劲头。我听到一些人用了“壮观”的字眼来评价,“壮观”无非说明作品在“量”上的庞大和“质”上的张力,同时也表明某种惊人的新奇感,没有新奇感,能引起这个花 花世界人的注意么?人们已被各种各样的花招弄得胃口全无,除非在花招之中确实具有让人警醒的东西。小红人以规模和组合取胜,因为陈文令的制作原则是重视环境和作品的交融及互动,这也是当代艺术,特别是当代雕塑的一个特征。从相对封闭的展示场所走向公共空间,使作品更富公共的参与性,如此,雕塑就不再是单纯的存在,而是作为整体环境的一个有机部分,参与者和作品之间构成了呼应关系,产生出一种“在场”的情景,这种情景可能是诗意的,也可能是观念的。小红人系列在诗意和观念的交叉地带,陈文令既不像本雅明定名的诗人气质,又不是昆德拉说的哲理类艺术家,我的看法是,他属于在生活中寻找灵感并将其融化为创作源泉的人。就是说,在背后支撑他的是一股生活的原始力量,它与形而上思考, 与抽象道理都无多大的联系,他紧贴着感觉的经验,或是经验的感觉。正如他自己一再声言的,是生活本身教给了他一切。 “门”没有关住陈文令,却倾注给了他反抗的激情和动力。很显然,没有艺术家可以在信息渠道和交流通途完全中断的情况下创作出好作品,也没有艺术家可以在时尚风气的随波逐流中得到大家尊敬。陈文令身处“边缘”,与主流艺坛保持距离,但他没有忽视最新资讯对创作的促进。当代艺术的多元化和多元化所要求的当代性是 一致的,一个有实力有创见的艺术家必须站在当代艺术的平台上,否则便很难获得发展。陈文令以雕塑的形式来表达他的全部生活感受,他对雕塑语言的理解是“后现代”式的,与学院主义,与现代主义都不一样,“语言”的位置退居到了次席。刺激的红颜色,不断的复制,大大小小的形状组合等等,这些都显示了特殊的表现力,封闭的状态被他用实际行动打破了。也许,就他的单个作品而言,并无突出之点,为数不少的雕塑家都能够做到或者做得更好, 这不说明任何问题。小红人系列是个整体,以亚里士多德的说法,整体是大于各部分之和的。我仍想指出,陈文令伫立在诗意和观念的交叉地带,小红人系列不仅是视觉形式,还有背后那种原始的生活情态,以及被概括过的想象空间。 在一次谈话中,陈文令表示,小红人系列已经成为他创作的过去,他的感觉和经验还要更深地挖掘,以他的话说,有多少东西争先恐后涌动在脑海里,需要适当释放出来。小红人系列只是一个他目前的符号,尽管这个符号具有强烈的个人色彩,受人瞩目,但它仅是第一个台阶,做艺术家不容易,做优秀的艺术家更是难上加难! What is behind The Red Memory? The Red Memory series of Wenling Chen has a very strong visual impact, from which we can tell that he is an artist with an extraordinary open creative psychology, and the energy of one of a kind. On the occasion of describing this artwork, the word "magnificent" often came to my ears. "Magnificent" states the tension in both quantity and its great character, and also means there is an amazing sense of newness in this work, in this razzle-dazzle world, the public hardly ever find anything attractive without such newness. We've already lost our appetite to all kinds of fancy tricks unless there is something truly mindful in it. Its size and combination made The Red Memory an outstanding piece of artwork, since Wenling Chen upholds the creative principle of respecting the interflow and interaction between the environment and the artwork; and this is also a significant feature of contemporary art, especially in contemporary sculptures. Moving from a relatively closed exhibition space to a open space makes the artwork much more participatory to the public, thus, the sculptures are no longer a simple existence but an organic part of a holistic environment; an echo emerged between the artwork and the participators, creating a scene of "being-there" , and this scene could be poetical, or, conceptual. The Red Memory series stands in the junction of poetical and conceptual, Wenling Chen is not exactly the poetic temperament described by Walter Benjamin, or a philosophical artist referred by Milan Kundera, in my understanding, Chen is more like someone looking for inspirations in life and sublimes it into sources of artistic creation. In other words, what really behind Chen's back, is a primal power of life, it doesn't have much to do with the metaphysical thinking or abstract truth, he simply sticks to the experiences of feelings, or, the feelings of experiences. Just as he has declared, time and again, it is life taught him everything. The "gate" did not cage Wenling Chen but poured the power and passion of resistance in him. It is clear that no artist can create a masterpiece without any information access and channel of communication, or either can one earn respects by drifting along with the current of fashion. Chen is at the "fringe", where he keeps a distance from the main stream art circle while he appreciates that how artistic creation can be stimulated by the latest information. The diversification of contemporary art is consistent with the modernity required by the diversification; a capable and creative artist must stand on the platform of contemporary art in order to pursue further development. Wenling Chen uses the form of sculpture to deliver all his feelings in life, his understanding of sculpture language is "post-modern", different from academism or realism, "language" slide back to the background here. The stimulating color of red, the repeated duplication, the combinations of various sizes and shapes and so on, they all demonstrate a strong expression in his work, he has broke the imperforation with actions. Maybe one red boy doesn't stand out as one single separate piece of sculpture, which many artists could achieve this or do even better; however, it doesn't mean anything. The Red Memory is a whole, a unity, a bigger picture, according to Aristotle: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. I would also want to point out that, Wenling Chen is standing at the junction of poetical and conceptual, The Red Memory is much more a visual form, there is an original vital spirit behind it, and as well, a summarized imaginary space. During a conversation, Wenling Chen has expressed that The Red Memory is now his past, and he needs to dig deeper for feelings and experiences, in his own word: there are so many things tumbling and falling over each other in my head, which need to be properly released. The Red Memory is a mark for his present, though it is a very strong personal mark and has brought him a lot of attention, it is still a first footstep for him; it is hard to be an artist, but it is much harder to become an outstanding artist!
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黄:我们今天的话题可以谈得比较广泛一点,从艺术本体到社会经济问题及政治问题等。当然,我们最主要是谈你的个人创作。目前,中国的当代艺术出现了一些惊喜的变化。尤其是2008年9月纽约发生了“金融风暴”之后,对全球的艺术冲击很大。在这个情况下,我们并没有看到中国艺术的消沉,反而呈现出更多的艺术活动。如,今年有“杨千个展”、“武明中个展”、“隋建国个展”、“岳敏君个展”等等,从而出现了一些非常有价值的作品,这反映出艺术家个人在经济震荡下的明智决策。我想,你作为这一现象中的一位艺术家,你是怎么来考虑调整自己的艺术思路的? 陈:你提的那些艺术家,他们都经历过比较漫长的历练期,曾经受过的冲击都要比这次金融危机的考验大得多,所以他们可以很从容地应对这场突如其来的金融海啸。全球金融危机爆发后,会让今年的冬天变得更加漫长,何时才能走出低迷期呢?我觉得在金融危机期间,艺术市场很低迷的情况下,更应该好好的“冷思考”。因为前些年艺术家实在太狂躁、太膨胀了。“冷思考”就是好好“自反”、“自省”一把,之后定有“知不足”,有了“知不足”才会有“学无厌”,懂得“学无厌”就必定会有“顿开新悟”。之后,一定能让你找到更客观的自我坐标,并且心态趋于平静。这对一个艺术家而言是至关重要的。在这个特殊的背景下,我尽全力举办了今年“紧急出口”的这次个展。希望它能给今年这个严冬带来一丝温暖的阳光。 黄:面对这样一个严峻的形势,艺术要有一种针对性,比如现实的针对性、文化的针对性、社会的针对性,甚至政治的针对性。它是依赖于对某一个突发事件的分析和批判,这无疑反映出了一个艺术家的态度。当然,事件艺术并不是描述事件的表象,也不是把事件作为一种政治再现。我想在当代艺术中在任何关于事件与艺术关系的分析,它更注重的是把政治作为一个观念性去解析,强调这个事件在艺术中所隐含的一些东西,或者是观念的一些东西。你在这次展览中的两件作品,一件是“你看到的未必是真实的”,另一件是“如何逃离”,题目本身就揭示了一个哲理式的观念,作品本身也是在表达了一种关于真实、欺骗性和虚假性的东西,实际上形象本身已是作为一个艺术载体,那么,你怎么来创作事件与艺术关系的作品? 陈:记得去年我的个展“物神”是9月13号开幕的,而奥巴马在今年的9月14日发表了这次金融危机一周年的专题演说。现实中真是有很多的巧合,我去年个展之后第二天,美国正式宣布金融危机爆发。“物神”个展开幕之后,我阅读了大量的时事要闻,有关金融危机的资讯铺天盖地的。自然而然地对这一世界性的事件颇有触动。于是,我就想拿金融危机这件事情来做点相关的作品,当然有关金融危机的作品并不是金融危机的一种注脚、一种再现,而是有所抽离和反思。并且要反应出这次金融危机背后隐藏着一种全球性的普遍的生存困境,同时反映了这次金融危机所折射出的资本主义自由经济体系中人与资本之间复杂而又纠结的一种关系。 黄:你可以谈谈“你看到的未必是真实的”创作初衷吗? 陈:我想一件艺术品的本体价值应该超越一个事件或一个时代的某种局限性。艺术语言或艺术形式往往比其内容更具有永久的价值和力量。在08年底我一直在创作有关这次金融危机的小稿,数易其稿皆不满意。刚开始的泥塑稿只是出现了牛撞人的情景,也没有原子弹式的牛屁,更没有麦道夫。之前的平面创意草案中,还出现过牛撞马、牛撞自由女神、牛撞小布什等等的情景。同年3月中旬我受美国芝加哥大学巫鸿教授之邀,去了一趟芝城参展,并途经纽约专门去华尔街溜达了半天。回国后,一切的难点都顺理成章地得到了解决。创作伊始,我试图用虚拟的手法营造出一个真实世界的图景,而不是平铺直叙地去描述当今的现实社会。 黄:在这次展览中,你作品有很大跨越,它的主心骨还是延续了你自己的方法论,也就是说,作品仍然很具有想象力、夸张、诙谐、幽默、讽刺、批判等特征,因为想象力和创造力是艺术家的语言、观念、形式的一个最根本性的东西。 陈:对于个人化的艺术语言来说,我发现目前有挺多中国的当代艺术家,要么过度的西方化,要么过度的地域化或民族化,这两种倾向都会造成东西方受众的错位阅读。我试着去寻找一种更具包容性的艺术语言。我相对比较注重观念与技能相结合的艺术表现手段,同时还汲取一些民俗文化。试图营造出一种雅俗共赏和深入浅出的视觉图像,而不是一种浅入深出的故弄玄虚。 黄:最近,国内一些评论家在讨论和批评中国的艺术家作品做得很大。其实,大只是相对而言,从艺术的角度看,中国的任何艺术家做的大作品与西方大地艺术相比就显得小了。这不是艺术的根本性的一个问题,大与小是取决于它的观念的需要,取决于它的空间的需要及它的语境的思考。 陈:前段巫鸿老师组织了一个研讨会上也有批判家言及作品大小的问题,会上我说,90年代初,博罗夫斯基在卡塞尔文献展的“走向天际”的装置雕塑,如果那根倾斜的圆柱不是20几米长,而是筷子一般大小,必将导致作品的失色,又如前几年意大利的卡特兰做的那件“下跪希特勒”,如果做成20米高,像城市雕塑一般大,那也必将是失败的作品。再假如热带雨林中的大象长得像小狗一般小,那样必将减弱它的力量和影响力;又如一只蝴蝶大到同飞机一般,也许会让你感到非常的恶心。如果把载体的大小和媒介的进化作为艺术优劣的衡量标准,那是很可笑的。 黄:我一直认为,中国的艺术批评总是处于一种从文字到文字的游戏状态,当然我们要强调纯理论的批评,但是纯理论的批评也是要建立一个实践的意义上的,看不懂画,看不懂雕塑,看不懂观念艺术,那么怎么去谈,只能是言不及义的空谈,我认为中国的艺术批评急需在一种基于实践意义上的批评。比如你多年来的作品也是在不断地推进和完善之中,批论家对你的作品也是难以用一种概念加以定论,而是要用动态的眼光看待你的变化。 陈:三十年来我们的国门已经打开到这样的程度了,我们一直走出去,外面的人一直走进来。这种人来人往的国际化语境中,我们肯定会听闻到外面的很多声音和现象,各种新媒体艺术、观念艺术、装置艺术等等的艺术方法论,同样对我都会产生深远的影响,我吃了这么多年的艺术杂粮,一定会衍生出一种新的当代艺术语言。我认为艺术家是艺术史的创造主体,艺术家的创造是必须要有前瞻性。所以很多艺术家当下的作品无法完全被理论界接受也是正常的。 黄:在这个阶段中,中国的艺术家还是做出了许多很大胆的试验,无论是装置雕塑,还是录像艺术,还是平面绘画等等都有着很大的突破。那么,你是如何把写实雕塑语言转换成为一种个性鲜明的当代艺术语言,给予很多的年轻人新的启示。 陈:我觉得这跟我学过中国画有关系,我记得当时我十八九岁,满怀激情的想当个画家,当个中国画家、当个书法家。古代画论认为,中国传统艺术是一种承前启后艺术传承链,就是你要先继承前人,然后才有可能去启示后人。这种方法论对我有一定的影响。当然,我不能说我现在的艺术就一定能够启示后人,但我依然要对传统文化艺术语言有所继承,包括民俗艺术等等。我知道自己这种方法论是不时髦的、也不讨巧的,更不是用一种断裂的态度去独创或原创所谓的某种当代艺术,因为在互联网资信空前爆炸的今天,对所谓独创或原创,我常常是持有怀疑态度的。从根本上说今天的艺术都是各种门类的文化艺术相互碰撞、相互融汇和相共生的再造结果。我在“卓越”的这次个展如果用纯粹传统的雕塑布展方式,用半天就完事了,而我们这次布展用了11天,从作品组装、灯光、地板到墙面等等的处理,都是通过装置艺术和观念艺术等等的概念来驾驭整个展厅,从而营造出一种崭新的呈现方式。 黄:所以,这个作品本身既有雕塑的因素,也有装置的因素。而相关草图和纪录片的呈现都大大的丰富了这个展示空间。一般的传统雕塑的展览都是人围着作品这个中心转悠,而你的作品完全取消了重心力附着在地面的常规法则,而是直接着立在墙面,并营造出一种让观众可以穿行其中的阅读方式。 陈:我在小空间里面的作品“如何逃离”布展过程也是一波三折、起死回生的,由于空间太长而作品太短导致作品的力量难以充盈整个空间。后来运用了“笔断意连”的弥补方式在作品对面墙上装有一面圆形的镜子,并击碎镜面中的雕塑影像与“如何逃离”的终极性的理念相呼应,并在飞牛一侧投以集束光柱以致对面墙上出现一个很诗性的奔牛雕塑的影像。另外,就是把整个小展厅的六面都刷成黑色。这与雕塑镜面、影像和光束等元素构成了很东方的神秘色彩,这样的布展方式大大的丰富了常规雕塑的展示方式和艺术观念。 黄:这次展览给我很有力度的感觉,实际上它充分的体现一种综合性,不仅仅是一个雕塑本身,而是强调了作品的不确定性,不确定性改变作品空间的常规方式,所以你考虑了展览的整体性。开幕之前,我美国的朋友来看,他们很吃惊地感受到这个作品本身所具有的国际性语言,能看到一个艺术家的想象力和观念的表现力,它是涉及到有关人的信仰、道德、伦理等危机背后的思考,这不仅仅是一个典型事件的简单注脚,而是通过典型事件揭示出更深刻的思想观念。 陈:对的,通过这样的一个作品可能揭示的不仅仅是金融危机表征,而是揭示了其背后的诚信、道德、精神信仰等一系列的危机。因为它带有当下社会的一种普遍性特征,我们所说的关注社会、关注现实,这里的社会和现实所指的是全球性的社会和现实。 黄:从本质上来讲,这个作品的意义是把世界性的集体意识转换成为极具个人意识。这种转换是建立在一个观念语言形式上的,而不是建立在一个主题上的表层。 陈:挺多的当代艺术家通常会采用“指着秃子骂和尚”的手法,也就是用“指桑骂槐”、“借尸还魂”的隐喻手段来揭示事件背后的真相。比如说我用这个“屁”来隐喻金融危机的这种泡沫化的弥漫和扩散。我用华尔街这个大家都非常熟悉的“金牛”作为基本造型的来源,总觉得这个“金牛”本身就是一个新民俗的符号,现在我们到处都能看到很多公司里面都会放一头“金牛”。而这里的“牛”所指的不是鲁迅先生说的“横眉冷对千夫指,俯首甘为孺子牛”里的“牛”,吃的是草,挤出来的是奶,默默无闻,任劳任怨的样子,而是象征着一个经济和股市概念的牛。 黄:其实,无论是在华尔街还是在中国很多大老板都用老虎或狮子等作为某种象征物,或者是作为某种权利的象征物。而你做的牛就是作为牛市的寓言。从艺术史关于动物的角度看,博伊斯跟一只死兔子讲话,是在探讨一种关于死亡的问题。而卡特兰用的动物,在一张桌子上有一把手枪放在松鼠跟前,无疑是一种暗喻,或者有象征性的东西。我想这是一个媒介,一个象征的媒介。 陈:我觉得一个艺术家的艺术语言,包括他的展览方式、造型方式、媒介方式都是极其重要的,他的艺术语言要有一种个人性、极端性、偏执性、唯一性和排他性。光有一个好点子、好花招,没有表现出自我艺术语言特征的作品一般都像宣传画,或是一种观念的简单图解。有人说把“艺术”两个字拆开,“艺”就是思想与观念,“术”就是技能与语言。二者合为一,既是艺术。而“风格”二字拆开,“风”是流动的、变数的、不确定性的,它起之哪里,落之何处是随机而动的,“格”既是稳定的、定格的、有客观丈量的法则和上下文脉关系。所以,有风格的艺术家和有符号的艺术家是有本质差别的;有风格的艺术家是持续在变,而有符号的艺术家则一成不变。真正的艺术家应该有点像实验家和探险家一样的精神,他们对未知世界充满好奇心和挑战精神。 黄:你的这件作品给人带来很多震惊。之所以让人感到震惊是因为你不按照艺术常规出牌,而是超过一般人的想象。一个好的艺术家的品行应该就是要怀疑自己,颠覆自己,超越自己,这是艺术家的内核力量。那么从这种意义上说好艺术家永远不是定格式的思维模式,他的观念永远是在往前走,永远不落俗套,永远不按常理去做事情,甚至对艺术史和艺术的怀疑。 陈:当然,有力量、有自信的艺术家通常是相信自己胜过相信别人。他对艺术史和别人的学习不一定是用来模仿、借鉴和合作的,而是用来回避、反对和放弃的。从而更好的定位自我艺术的坐标。 黄:有一些人对你的作品提出过一些批评,实际上在我看来,就是他们难以读懂你的作品,他们的经验跟你的观念之间是有差异的,甚至是错位的。 陈:我是觉得每一次个展其实都是一次自我艺术精神的“阅兵式”,同时也是最大程度暴露自身弱点的过程。二十几年的艺术实践告诫我,一个艺术家要懂得包容各种不同的声音,褒贬不一的评判,尊重多样性的文化差异和价值标准。什么样的声音和批评都有可能成为我成长的良方和武器。我终生会去追求成为一个有特点的艺术家,而不是一个完美的艺术家。所以说被人质疑和批判也是在所难免的。我心里很尊重学理式或学术式的各路批评,而没空去听那些泼妇谩骂式的批评。我一定会把听别人谩骂我或我谩骂别人的时间用到自我艺术磨练的实践中去,这才是最安全和最必须的生存状态。 黄:最后,你能否给年轻一代的艺术家一些建议呢? 陈:毛泽东曾经说过:“未来是你们的”。年轻一代也必将超越我们这一代的成就。但是我仍然有一个小小的建议:今天多数的年轻艺术家有点舍远求近、急于求成、过早和过度地追求商业性的成功,商业性对于艺术家而言确实是把双刃剑。有人说过一个例子可以和大家共勉:当西红柿小小颗的、未成熟之时,如果催促它变红,红了的西红柿就不再长大了。也就是说红了并不等于果实真正的长大成熟,反而会阻碍它的进一步成长。如果我们给它们足够的时间来成长,从青涩到红润、最终结成丰硕的果实。同理,年轻艺术家同样需要一个稍长一些的成长过程。 黄笃望京工作室 2009年9月3日Where is the "Emergency Exit"? ---- Conversation between Chen Wenlin and Huang Du Huang Du Studio September 3, 2009 Huang: Today we could talk about the topic widely. Besides art itself, we could also talk about related socio-economic problems and political problems. Certainly, your personal art creation is the theme of the conversation. At present, there are some positive changes in China's contemporary art. As we know, world financial crisis in 2008 had big impact on art world. Under this kind of situation, we did not see depression in Chinese art. On the contrary, there were more activities in the art world. For example, this year, we had Yangqian's exhibition, Wu Mingzhong's exhibition, Sui Jianguo's Exhibition, Yue Minjun's exhibition, and so on. There were very valuable works among these exhibitions, which reflected that these artists have made wise decisions under the economic crisis. As an artist in this phenomenon, how did you think of adjusting your artistic ideas? Chen:The artists that you mentioned had relatively long experiences in this field. They had received the impacts were much bigger than this financial crisis. Therefore, they could cope with the sudden financial crisis comfortably. The global financial crisis will make the winter become longer. When can we go out of the depression? I think we should learn to "cool thinking" during the recession of art market. Because a few years ago, artists were too manic and too inflated, "cool thinking" is a way of "self-reflection", then we have "known the insufficiency", which would let us "learning without satisfaction". Learning would help us to "get new understanding". Afterward, we could certainly find a more objective self-coordinate, and our sprits would be tranquil. This is critical for an artist. In this particular circumstance, I have tried my best to hold the exhibition of "emergency exit" in this year, and hope it will bring a little bit of sunshine to this winter. Huang: Under this kind of severe situation, art should have the specific points and relevance, such as reality relevance, cultural relevance, social relevance, and even political relevance. It relies on the analysis and critique of a specific social problem, which undoubtedly reflects the attitude of an artist. Of course, event art is not to present the appearance of the event, nor is it the case of a political representation. I think that contemporary art is more focused on the politics as to a conceptual analysis, stressed some things which conceals in art or in concept. In this exhibition, there are two works. One is "What you see in is not necessarily true," the other is "How to escape". The titles themselves reveal a philosophical concept. The works were about the real, deceptive and false nature of things. In fact, the image itself was an artistic medium, then how did you come to the relationship between art works and art events? Chen: I remembered my former solo exhibition "the Fetish" was opening on Sept. 13 of last year, and on Sept. 14 of this year, Obama issued the keynote address for the first anniversary of the financial crisis. There are really a lot of coincidences in our daily lives. The day after my solo exhibition opened last year, the United States announced the financial crisis. After "the Fetish" exhibition opened, I read a lot of news and information about the financial crisis, and I was quite surprised and touched by this news. So I wanted to take this financial crisis as a point to create some art works. Of course, works on the financial crisis were not a footnote to the financial crisis, or a kind of reappearance. I wanted to reflect the dilemma of the world behind the financial crisis, and to reflect the complicated relationship between people and wealth in this capitalism and materialism world. Huang: can you talk about the original intention of creating "What you see is not necessarily true"? Chen: I think the natural value of an art work should go beyond a certain event or a time limitation. Artistic language or artistic form are often more permanent than the content. At the end of 2008, I have been drawing about small manuscripts of the financial crisis. I made several manuscripts but I was not satisfied. First manuscript was only a bull and a person crashed by the bull. There was no bomb-like bull fart and no Madoff. The previous manuscripts included "bull crashed horse", "bull crashed the Statue of Liberty, "bull crashed Bush", and so no. In the mid-March of this year, I was invited to Chicago by professor Wuhong to join the city sculpture event. I took a stroll to New York and spent half day at Wall Street. After this trip, all the difficulties in my creation have been resolved. I tried to create a virtual real-world picture by hypothesized technique, not to describe the contemporary realities of society directly. Huang: In this exhibition, you made a big step forward, and the backbone of the works was an extension of your own methodology. Your art still have imagination, exaggeration, humor, satire, criticism, and other characteristics. Imagination and creativity are the most fundamental characteristics for artistic language, concept, and form. Chen: Regarding to the personalized artistic language, I discovered that Chinese contemporary artists either stressed westernization excessively, or stressed nationalization excessively. These two kinds of tendencies could result in misreading by east and west audiences. I tried to find a more comprehensive artistic language. Relatively, I focused on the combination of concept and skill, also incorporate with some folk cultures. I tried to create a widely appealing and easy to understand visual images, rather than the presentation of simple trick. Huang: Recently, some domestic critics criticized Chinese artists tended to make works in a big way. Actually, big is only relatively speaking. From the angle of art, even the big works of Chinese artists are small compare with the western earth arts. This is not a fundamental question of art, large and small depends on the needs of its concepts, depending on its space needs and the context of it. Chen: yes, I once took part in a seminar which organized by Wu Hong. Some people there also criticized the size of the artwork. In the seminar, I said:"in the early of 90s, Borofsky' presented an installation "Man Walking to the Sky" in the Kassell Documenta. If the size of the incline column was not 20 meters long, but short like the chopsticks, it could not generate such impression to visitors. Another example, MaurizioCattelan had an art work "kneel down Hitler". If the size of the work was bigger than 20 meters, then it would be a bad art work. If elephant in the tropical rain forest looks like a puppy, we could not feel the power of elephant, and if the size of a butterfly as big as the aircraft, it would let us feel unusual disgusting. In general, using size as a standard to measure the merits of art is ridiculous. Huang: I always think that criticism of Chinese art is like literature game. Of course, we emphasize theoretical criticism, but the pure theory criticism needs to be established on a practical sense. If a person can not understand painting, sculpture, and conceptual art, how could you communicate with him? I think Chinese art criticism needs to be based on practical sense. For example, you art creation was constantly moving forward during these years. The critics could not make an easy conclusion for your work, but need to use a dynamic judgment with regarding to your changes. Chen: Right now, China opens a lot compare with 30years ago. We could go out and see the world freely, and people from other countries could also come and visit China. In the process of globalization, we will definitely hear different voices and see different phenomenon from outside world. Different artistic methodologies, such as new media art, concept art, and installation art, had the profound influence on me. I have already eaten artistic miscellaneous grains many years, certainly will generate one kind of new contemporary art language. I think that the artist is the main body of art history. Artist's creation must be forward-looking. Therefore, it is normal that many works of contemporary artists can not be fully accepted by theorists. Huang: Chinese artists still made some bold experiments during this time. They got great breakthrough in the filed of installation, new media, and painting. So how did you change from the realistic sculpture language to the distinct contemporary art language, and gave many young people a new enlightenment. Chen: I think it is because I have studied Chinese painting. I remembered when I was 18-year-old; I wanted to be a painter or be a calligrapher. According to the theory of Chinese Ancient painting, Chinese tradition art was one kind carrier of the artistic heritage chain. You must inherit the predecessor first, and then you has the possibility to enlightenment future generations. This methodology had certain influence on me. Certainly, I cannot say that my art can enlighten future generations, but I must inherit the traditional culture and art language, including folk custom art, and so on. I knew this kind of methodology was not fashionable, and was not a easy way. Not like some Chinese contemporary artists who got rid of the tradition and created so-called contemporary art with kind of break manner. In the era of unprecedented explosion of internet, I doubt many of so-called unique or original staff. Basically, today's art is a combination of different cultures and the arts, which blend together mutually, and the results come after this. For example, my exhibition in Zhuoyue gallery, if I presented it according to a traditional way, I could finish it in half day. However, we spent 11 days to install the exhibition. Not only the works, but also the lighting, the floor, and the wall, were all arranged by the concept of installation art and conceptual art. I tried to create a brand new presentation through this exhibition. Huang: So, the works not only had the sculpture factor, also had the installment factor. And the relevant manuscripts and documentary have enriched the exhibition space greatly. Traditional sculpture exhibition in general display the work on the ground and visitors walk around the center work. However, your work completely cancelled the rule of gravity; it is attached directly on the wall, which created a way for viewers to walk through the work and read it. Chen: My work "How to Escape" in the small space was difficult too, because the space was too long and the work was too short. So the strength of the work could not fill the entire space. Then I used a concept of Chinese painting -"the line was broke but the idea was connected". I put a round mirror on the opposite wall, and crushed the mirror. It was exactly an echo of the theme of "How to Escape". I also put a beam of light and a shadow of the flying cow cast on the side wall, which was a poetic image of the bull. In addition, the six sides of the wall were painted by black color. The sculpture, the mirror, the beam, and the black walls constitute a very mystery atmosphere of Eastern. This exhibition greatly enriched the presentation of conventional sculpture and art concept. Huang: This exhibition gave me the feeling of strength. In fact, it reflected an integrated, not just a sculpture itself, but stressed the uncertainty of the work, and it was an uncertainty way to change the conventional exhibition space. You have thought the integrity of the exhibition. Before the opening, some of my America friends came to visit. They were surprised by the international language of the works. They could tell the artist's imagination from the works. The works were related to the thinking of faith, moral, and ethical issues behind such a crisis, not just a simple footnote to a typical event, but a deep reflection behind the typical event. Chen: Yes, the works might reveal not only the characterizations of the financial crisis, but revealed a series of underlying crises, such as the integrity, moral, faith, and ethical issues, and so on, because they had a universal feature of contemporary society. My attention to society and reality is referring to society and reality of the world, not just about China. Huang: Basically, the significance of this work was to convert the collective consciousness of a world into a very personal sense. This conversion was based on a concept of language form, rather than on the surface of a topic. Chen: Many contemporary artists often use the method of "scolded the monk by pointing bald person" to reveal the truth behind the event. For example, I used this "fart" as a metaphor for the financial crisis of the bubble. I used the bull of Wall Street as the basic shape of the work. In China, bull is a symbol of new folk. We can see bulls in many big companies in China. The "Bull" of my work is not "Cow of Ruzi", which is willing to serve the people whole-heartedly, but a stock market symbol of prosperity. Huang: Actually, no matter using the tiger, the lion, or the bull as some kind of symbols of fortune and power in China or in Wall Street, your bull is a metaphor of bull stock market. Looking from the animal's angle of art history, Joseph Beuys spoke with a dead rabbit, which discussed the issue of death. MaurizioCattelan put a pistol on a table with a dead squirrel. It's also one kind of metaphor. The animal in the works was a medium, a symbolic medium. Chen: I think that an artist's artistic languages, including his display way, the shape form, the media type, are all important. His artistic language must have one kind of uniqueness and exclusiveness. If a work only had a good idea or trick and did not display the self-artistic language, then the work was same as a poster, or a simple diagram. With regarding to Chinese character, some people think there are two components of "art", one part is the skill, and the other part is the concept and idea. Putting these two parts together, it's art. Just like "style", according to Chinese character, the word also has two components. One part of the word is "wind", which means fluid, variability, and uncertainty. The other part is "format", which means objective measurement and the relationship between rules and context. Therefore, there are two kinds of artists: style artist and mark artist. There are basic differences between these two kinds of artists. Style artist always keeps changing, and mark artist always stays at the old place. A real artist should have the courage and curiosity like scientist and explorer. He or she always tries to challenge the unknown world. Huang: Your works in this exhibition bring a lot of surprises to visitors. The reason is because you do not play a card according to the artistic convention. Your creation always surpass visitors' imagination. A good artist needs to suspect himself, subvert himself, and surmount himself. This is the essence of an artist. From this perspective, a good artist should never set the format of thinking. His idea always keeps moving. He never does things by common sense, and he even has the courage to doubt art history. Chen: Certainly, the artist who has the energy usually believes himself. Studying art history and others is not for imitating, but for avoiding, opposing and getting rid of it, and then the artist could locate the art of himself. Huang: Some people put some criticisms to your works. In my opinion, it is just because it is difficult for them to read your work; their experiences are different from your experiences. So there are differences in the understanding of art and concept. Chen: I think that each exhibition is a review and inspection of my artistic spirit. It is also a great exposure of my weaknesses. 20 years experiences in the field of art told me that an artist should know how to accommodate a variety of different voices and a mixed evaluation. An artist should respect for diversity and the cultural differences. Any kind of voices and criticisms are likely to be a good way for me to grow. I will devote my whole life on becoming a unique artist, not a perfect artist, so the questions and criticisms are inevitable. I respect theory based or academic type criticisms, and don't have time to listen at abusive criticism. I would rather to spend this time to concentrate on my art and creation, this is best way to live with art. Huang: Finally, could you give some advices to young artists? Chen: Mao Zedong once said: "the future is yours". Younger generation will surpass the achievements of our generation. But I still have a small suggestion to them: many young artists today are eager to pursuit the commercial success. However, the commercial success is indeed a double-edged sword. I have an example may encourage all of us: there is a small and immature tomato; if we put something in it to make it become a red tomato, then the tomatoes will not grow up anymore. Red skin of the tomato does not mean the real growing up and maturing. On the contrary, it will hinder its further growth. If we give it enough time to grow, from the green to the red, eventually, it will become a mature fruit. Similarly, young artists also need enough time to grow.
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陈文令是新一代中国当代艺术家的重要代表之一。他经过近一年的缜密思考和精心准备最终在798卓越艺术空间向观众呈现了一个令人惊叹的个展《紧急出口》。展览分别在大小两个厅展出两件大小雕塑作品:《你看到的未必是真实的》和《如何逃离》。同时,还配以一些草图和一部纪录片。与以往展览模式颇为不同的是,他此次个展的关注点更多聚焦于观念和现实,而所开辟的新的雕塑-装置的展示方式是其观念转变的关键。 陈文令的个展《紧急出口》是一个令人浮想联翩的哲理性命题,蕴含了“观念-社会-日常”的双重意义:一方面本意是指安全逃生之意。一方面引申是指社会公共安全之意。然而,观众看到的是没有安全之路可逃。它使观众对主题的猜想与展览的结果之间产生了某种强烈的心理错位。 在这两件最新作品中,陈文令主动解构了以往的艺术思维模式,将文学性、戏剧化、大众媒体等要素的转入自身的雕塑语言。尽管陈文令保持以往某些充满力量和动感的夸张手法,但他还是在创作的整体思路上进行了大胆的调整。首先是他在观念、语言和形式上以“超真性”(Hyper-Reality)来塑造一种鲜明的个性化风格,以摆脱了那种由民俗性、波普性、艳俗性符号所认定的话语模式。其次是他的政治经济学观点的转变,关注国际性的经济政治问题——把全球金融危机的个案作为视觉文化的分析对象,即选择了华尔街上竖立的著名“金牛”雕塑和“庞氏”金融骗子麦道夫作为创作对象。 在作品《你看到的未必是真实的》中,麦道夫被一个放着爆炸式的屁的牛顶在墙的中央,戏谑性地再现了麦道夫处于走投无路的窘迫、无奈、痛苦之状,引人注目的是那种腾云驾雾的充满动感和力量感的“牛屁”,不仅暗喻了人过度贪婪“吹牛”的结局,而且象征了国际金融中心虚拟泡沫的危险。在这样一个市侩社会中,金钱被人虚拟了很多假象,而假象也迷惑许多人。麦道夫只是艺术家选择的一个对象,作品“你看到的未必是真实的”被进一步解读为“人忽视了真正的事实和真相”,这是一个非常具有观念性的社会批判性的寓意。艺术家通过对这一代表性人物的讽喻,明确发出了对当代资本社会无保留驱动人的欲望的追问,也就是对撇开道德、信誉、信仰后的那种以猜疑、欺诈、暗算、骗局、阴谋为手段的掠夺和剥削的追问。 与之前作品相比,陈文令的新作趋于观念的批判性。这是一种建立在真实与超真性、现实(主义)与超现实(主义)、日常与超日常关系之上的新语言,他紧紧抓住了把运动置于思想之中的理念,并在观念和形式上对经典雕塑进行了大胆的改变,从而创造出了一种新的雕塑-装置语言形态。 实际上,陈文令的艺术与其说是生动而形象地再现了人和资本之间的复杂搏弈关系,倒不如说是分析和揭示了视觉表征背后令人沉思的道德危机、信誉危机和信仰危机。这才是陈文令艺术观念的真正本质。他用清晰而生动的视觉语言向为观众提供了一种新的观看方式和一种独特的理解方式。 Chen Wenlin: Where is The "Emergency Exit"? Curator: Huang Du Chen Wenlin is an important Chinese contemporary artist of new generation. After one year's careful thinking and preparation, he presented an amazing exhibition "Emergency Exit" in Zhuoyue Art Space. The exhibition displayed two sculptures separately in two exhibition halls. The name of the two works are "What You See is not Necessarily True"and "How to Escape". At the same time, the exhibition also included a number of drafts and a documentary. Compared with his former exhibitions, this one focused more on the concept and the reality. The sculpture - installation demonstration is the key of changing concept. "Emergency Exit" is a matter of imagination in philosophical proposition, contains a double meaning of "concept and daily life". On the one hand, the original intention was refers to escapes safely. On the other hand, it was refers to the social public security. However, the visitors saw that there was no safe way to escape, which caused the visitors have some kind of intense psychological dislocation between the subject suspicion and the display result. In these two latest works, Chen Wenlin deconstructed his former art thinking mode on his own initiative. He put the literariness, dramatization, mass media, and other elements into his sculpture language. Although Chen still kept the energy and dynamism in his works, he has made some bold adjustments on the whole creation process. First, he used "Hyper-Reality" in his art concept, art language, and art form to shape a distinctive personal style, to get rid of the marks which are from the folk, pop, and gaudy symbols. Second was the transformation of his political economy viewpoint. He concerned international economic and political issues and put the global financial crisis as an object of visual culture to analyze. Therefore, he has chosen the famous Wall Street "Golden Bull" sculpture and "Ponzi" financial swindler Madoff as the object of the art work. In the work of "What You See is not Necessarily True", Madoff was being pushed on the center of the wall by a bull pushed by a detonation-like fart. The work displayed the shape of helpless and desperation of Madoff. The "the bull fart" was really noticeable, which looks like clouds and full of sense of excitement and power. It was not only a metaphor for the over of excessive greed, but also a symbol of the danger of bubble in the international financial center. In such a philistine society, people used money to make virtual illusion, and the illusion also confused many people. Madoff was just a selected object by the artist. "What You See is not Necessarily True" could be further interpreted as "the ignored reality and truth by people", which was the social criticism implication of this work. Through the parable of this representative character, the artist questioned people's non-retention desire in the capital society. He also questioned that people ignored the characteristics of moral, ethic, and credibility. Many people just tried to plunder and exploit others by fraud, cheat, and conspiracy. Compared with his previous work, Chen's new works tend to make more art critical concept. This is a new language based on true and hyper-reality, reality (ism) and super-reality (ism), and daily and super-daily. He firmly grasped the ideas of putting motion into the spirit, and made bold changes in concept and form of classical sculpture, thus created one kind of new sculpture - installation language. In fact, Chen Wenlin's art was not so much about vividly presentation of the complex relationship between human and capital; his art is more about the analysis and revelation of moral crisis and faith crisis behind the visual representation. This is the true nature of Chen Wenlin's artistic concept. He used a clear and vivid visual language to provide the audiences with a new viewing mode and a unique way to understand it.
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黄笃:像美术界对你的成长经历了解的不是特别多,有必要请你介绍一下自己艺术教育的背景及个人的艺术发展。 陈文令:可以简要介绍一下,我1969年出生在闽南的一个很偏远的小山村里。儿时的贫瘠生活,塑造了我一种很坚韧,很倔强的性格特征。 我儿时是一个无可救药的野孩子,整天敲敲打打,捏泥人,做各种玩具,我没有一样玩具是我父母亲给我买的,都是自己弄出来的。当时的快乐只能自己去寻找、自己去创造。做着做着,也不知道是哪一天,可能为今天种下了一些种子。而后考上厦门工艺美院国画班,毕业前做了一个木雕个展,1992年在厦门市政府某机关工作;后来在中央美院进修雕塑。2004年在北京定居。艺术道路几乎是草根性的野路子,一路跌跌撞撞,坎坎坷坷,其实是“痛并快乐着”。 黄笃:很高兴你邀请我来策划你的个展,请问你为什么在最近有一个做个展的想法呢? 陈文令:因为我来了北京已有四年,主要想给大家做一个阶段性的艺术汇报。 黄笃:你具体是哪一年来北京的呢? 陈文令:我是2004年底来北京的,到今年的十月份就整四年了。对我来说,四年不长也不短,一个人只有朝前走,但没有回头看是不行的。于是,我就有了做个展回头看看的想法,这不仅是对自己艺术才能和经验的检测和展示,而且是对自己不足之处最大程度暴露。个展就是检验自我的阅兵仪式,有助于自我艺术的成长。 黄:你把个展是从一个整体方向来思考,还是从具体艺术观念上来思考呢? 陈文令:在这次个人新作展中,除了一件是2006年参加上海双年展的作品(但这件作品表面效果是重新处理的,且没在北京展出过),其余的雕塑都是今年的新作,它们是比较强调视觉与观念并重的作品,还融入大量的新媒介,如装置、图片、录像等因素的介入。这显然是对我2007年以前的艺术提出全新的挑战。 黄笃:在一般人印象中,你的作品基本上把“猪”作为一个表现对象,或作为一个观念的载体。最近,你作品的每个阶段的转变,都是以“猪”为主的。一直到现在,比如说“物神”仍延续的这种方式。试问在你创作的几个阶段中,“猪”在其中到底起到了一个什么样的作用呢? 陈文令:的确,“猪”在我若干个系列中都有不同的新的发展,它承载了不同的内涵和观念,并在视觉上也有明显的演变与推进。其实,我是用一种借尸还魂的方式把猪扮演成各类的角色,它像一个演员,可能出演乞丐,也能饰演教皇,而不是用一成不变的观念来表述。我总认为符号化也不是问题,主要是看你的艺术符号是不是具有巨大的外延性和拓展性,能够不断地向前拓展。我所唾弃的是一个无病呻吟的重复的小符号。 黄笃:既然你的作品在创作过程中有演变与拓展,那么能否谈谈你作品中不一样的地方在哪里呢?或不同阶段的区别在何处? 陈文令:第一阶段是《幸福生活》,作品气质较拟人化,既温情又幽默,跟现实也比较平衡,夫妻猪表现得尤为突出。第二阶段是《英勇奋斗》,作品气质比较激越、癫狂和无厘头,是对现实经验的一种过滤和放大,如参加您策划的“2007年首届今日文献展”的那一件雕塑。与其说是猪与人的搏斗,不如说是人与物欲的搏击。第三阶段《中国风景》系列作品的气质具有鲜明的公共性,是对公共空间与社会的直接干预。这件雕塑的尺寸巨大,糅合了具象和抽象的双重语言,而且作品与人和环境之间具有互动性,很明显地回避了架上雕塑的价值取向。这样,它又不适合在人造光之下的展示,可以直接安置在户外展出。第四阶段不是以系列方式呈现,而是以雕塑装置方式呈现的,大量的新媒介的介入,脱离了纯粹雕塑概念的约束,是一种扩张性的艺术概念。 黄笃:也就是说,你特有意识的思考问题,除了对以“猪”作为一个对象之外,你还有什么别的想法介入到你的雕塑中呢? 陈文令:我的新作中主要吸收了民俗与时尚的元素。民俗与时尚都不被认为是一种严肃的文化,而是一种次文化或亚文化。我想在自己的作品中通过挪用和转化这些非正统或亚文化的要素来颠覆人的常规审美经验。其实,在当代艺术现象中,很多的当代艺术作品都是被艺术家把原本人们认为不是艺术的做成艺术。这正是艺术的魅力所在。我今年的所有雕塑作品,表面效果都是手工绘制的,很有绘画效果,不采用以前的烤漆和金属锻造技术,强调心灵和手艺的高度统一。再加上互动式的装置、庙会的纪录片,还要邀请车模和茶艺小姐到现场表演。 黄笃:其实,你谈到的是一种艺术方法论,它根本上涉及个人的直觉、判断、选择和过滤的问题,这显然是有一个艺术的拿捏度的问题。我认为在你的作品中可以看到你对亚文化、流行文化和正统文化之间的“度”进行了一个很好的拿捏。然而,在你作品中,具体受哪些民间艺术的影响呢? 陈文令:因为我在美院里受教育的时间较短,而在学院中学到的经验并不多。正像你所知道的,福建省是工艺美术大省,各种民间工艺制品名目繁多,尤其是石雕、木雕、藤艺、漆艺等。几十年甚至几百年来,长盛不衰,这些民俗艺术对我影响挺大的。 黄笃:也就是说,你的方法受启于这些民间艺术的能量,但你才智具体表现出非常个人化的艺术语言,其中的转换或转译在作品中起了非常重要的作用---即过滤和放大。因为在你的作品中,我能看到民间的语言要素,但它又不是纯民间的东西,它是经过你的处理或提升的语言,最终构成了独特的艺术风格。 陈文令:的确这样。我喜欢那种能用通俗易懂的语气把深刻的真理说出来的人,绝不喜欢那种装逼装深刻的人,弄得你满头雾水都听不懂。如《诗经》里风雅颂,风的部分的诗体琅琅上口,通俗易懂。如:窈窕淑女,君子好逑。连农民、文盲都能说出几句;如李白、杜甫的很多诗,再土的人都能吟出几句。伟大的人民性的文艺作品就是具有巨大的社会覆盖面,让很多层面的人都能有看点。 黄笃:是的。人民性是艺术中一个很尖锐的问题。 陈文令:关于艺术的人民性的这个概念是不是雅俗共赏。我们后面可以继续讨论。 黄笃:对。但我觉得你的作品在语言上既有波普语言和超现实语言,又有民间语言,还有学院语言,所以你的作品构成了一个混杂体。那么,你的雕塑到底是一个什么类型或风格,我觉得很难去界定。你说它有纯粹的波普嘛,又有一些民间语言在其中;你说它有纯粹民间语言呢,又有一些波普语言,或有一点超现实的语言。所以,我觉得你的雕塑就是把各种语言吸纳在作品中。 陈文令:总之,我现在艺术面目是我的受教育的背景和成长经历决定的,因为我全日制地在美院雕塑系地地道道学习了一年的时间,学院的经验太薄弱了,只有通过四处游学所得来的经验多点,所以作品里所夹杂的讯息也比较混杂。 黄笃:所以,你的艺术没受到更多的约束? 陈文令:对。什么东西都吃、都喝,营养混杂。如果我是从附中到美院再到研究生都很正规的受教育十几年,可能又是另一个模样了。 黄笃:也许是很定型的。 陈文令:而我的思维和工作方式没有什么惯性,也没有一个强大的艺术标准来制约我。我一直是处于一个自由状态的,其实是一个走野路子的人。 黄笃:我们继续接上刚才谈的人民性的话题。 陈文令:是的。这就是我的作品为什么把所谓的人民性作为关注点。 黄笃:如果把人民性放在当代社会语境中,已难以看到60、70年代的中国政治运动中的人民性了,那个时期人民性体现在一种集体无意识和政治无意识的状态,具体说是一种服务于政治的人民性,而今天的人民性则体现在一种自觉的主体性意识。 陈文令:是的。 黄笃:这里并不是指一种艺术样式,而是指一种文化的“根”,如何让艺术风格和艺术观念与普通人之间建立起新的交流关系。 陈文令:你所说的普通人是不完全等于人民,人民应该包含着普通人,还要更宽泛得多。 黄笃:如果说你认为的人民性是你作品的一个基本的观念出发点,那么你如何来建构这种艺术语言呢? 陈文令:所谓人民性,就我的理解,在以前个人偶像崇拜的年代,人民性是大一统的,为一元化的政治意识形态服务的。其实人民性是包括了整个社会中很多层面的人,甚至包括其他国家的民族。作品通过一种深入浅出的,把严肃的、精英的、深刻的东西,放在一种很喜庆、很幽默,甚至很有娱乐性的表象背后,并通过非常视觉的东西传达出来,安迪•沃霍、杰夫•昆斯都是这类的艺术家。我们看到很多观念的艺术作品,既晦涩难懂,又不平易近人,或要依靠文本辅助引导大众才能进入作品内部。总之,我通过一种视觉化和观念性的作品,它甚至没有标题,没有任何文字注解,让所谓的人民产生阅读作品的欲望。我喜欢作品能为大众提供多种解读的可能性,也就是让作品内部有多重意义指向。 黄笃:你的这个出发点很能说明自己的艺术方法,那么,你如何能把艺术的内在性激发出来?激发出一种观众易于理解的语言呢? 陈文令:我觉得作品内在性和外在性不是绝对分离的。因为我的多数作品是通过表面大量生动细节,营造出一种疯狂的力量感---这就是我作品视觉气场的魅力所在。我的作品表述了欲望狂奔的消费时代中的融合与冲突,充满了一种扩张性的膨胀感。我作品的内在性观念在哪里呢?在我后来的作品里,吸取了中国盛唐的唐三彩极为丰腴和膨胀的语言特点,它与西方古代雕塑完全不一样,而今的中国远胜于盛唐时期的昌盛,于是我选择了猪作为表现对象。我觉得,我做的猪与中国传统雕塑语言有种一脉相承的东西,只是我推进得更加极致化,因为猪的形态更能把体积推向极致化的膨胀。猪在中国人看来,它不仅贪婪,而且好喝懒做,既享受,又快乐,还具有很脏、很色情、很蠢等特征。科学研究说明猪非常聪明。在我看来,猪还有一种速度感的象征,比如说饲料猪,一两个月就能屠宰;另外,猪还是有巨大生产力的表征,五年前,《厦门晚报》报道了一只母猪,一口气生了三十只小猪,我还去拜访了这只英雄母猪。猪是日夜疯狂长膘的动物,表面看是一个好事,但长得越快,被屠宰得也越快。这是猪的“宿命性”。你看猪的种种象征性,以及猪的生长速度,我觉得猪跟中国的现实有着很多暗合之处。猪的形象在中国民俗文化中有极其重要的地位,连汉字“家”下面的“”也是猪的意思嘛!因此,逢年过节猪也是随处可见。我为什么不做猫?为什么不做狗?什么样的动物不能做,偏要拿猪来说事呢?这里面就有我强大的内部的观念指向。我的作品既是视觉的,又是观念的。我必须要把猪这个主题说得很干净,说得很透彻。 黄笃:你对猪的观察、理解和诠释很有意思,尤其是你讲到了对传统丰腴之美的认知与猪的内在联系,进而引伸出作品的社会意义和象征意义及流行性。 陈文令:其实猪的很多特性也很暗合全人类的更多属性,难怪十九世纪英国的大哲学家穆勒曾说:“我宁愿做一个痛苦的苏格拉底,也不想做一头快乐的猪。”可今天的现实是反其道而行的。 黄笃:我觉得在你的作品中有很多“艳俗”风格。当然,我不是指“艳俗”与中国“艳俗”艺术的联系,而是主要谈你的作品与杰夫•昆斯观念的不同。 陈文令:我觉得杰夫•昆斯的艺术形态是美国生活方式决定的。美国物质财富经过几百年的雄厚积累,整个国家的都市化生活方式的程度非常高,消费文化极其盛行。昆斯的作品透露出来的是非常都市化、非常奢华繁复的贵族化的生活方式的产物。 比如他的“性爱题材”的作品,他与自己的艳星妻子扮演成表演的主角,他的作品正是美国现实生活和文化形态的一面镜子。我认为中国的现实跟美国还有很多差别,因为当今的中国是一个极其多元的混杂体。中国是一个农业时代、工业时代、后工业时代、电子时代、互联网时代、消费时代混交在一起的特定转型期。我的作品并非完全像昆斯那样都是都市化的题材,而是把握住了带有浓郁的农耕文化过渡到城市文化的糅合体的特征,同时又保持在很东方、很中国的艺术语言特征。 黄笃:你是否认为自己的作品是一个雕塑概念,还是一个扩张的雕塑概念呢? 陈文令:我觉得应是扩张的雕塑。我的个性必须具有与社会的普遍性发生最大程度的共振关系。也就是说,我注重个人经验能被换化成一种广泛的社会经验,我非常认同波依斯“社会雕塑”的概念,他的个性正是基于扩张的观念,强调了对人的塑造、人的社会参与以及与人分享的思想,否则,过于私密的个性不过是一种孤芳自赏的无病呻吟。 黄笃:请继续说吧。 陈文令:中国的艳俗艺术是脱胎于波普艺术的一条支流,但是,多数的中国艳俗艺术家的作品用过于简单的农民趣味来描述中国现实。我总认为自己与艳俗没有太多的关系,决不能用色彩鲜艳的作品就判断是艳俗艺术。事实上,我的作品主要从民俗文化、时尚文化,以及西方艺术和中国传统艺术中汲取养料。 黄笃:也就是说,你的作品中并没有一个确定的点。 陈文令:是的。 黄笃:是比较模糊的。 陈文令:具体说是多元而混杂。当然,我走一条比较中国化的艺术路子,也不是像85的老艺术家,先从西方艺术体系中去探究或拿来很多经验,然后再慢慢蜕变出来;也不像海外的四大金刚,他们打中国牌,打四大发明,打中国传统文化,这种艺术在西方有很高的有效性。不过我成长的背景不一样,我也只能紧贴中国现实的这片土地,从微观的近距离现实出发,直接就上路了。 当然,我与学院的艺术系统也有一个比较大的差异,因为学院派里多数人会把艺术做得很优雅、很理性、很中立、很讲道理、也很政治,甚至有一种传统文人、士大夫的精神气。这些都是我要放弃的。我是用直截了当的语言说话,我注重作品作用于观众的速度感,反正大家都很忙碌,没空儿与你的作品磨磨蹭蹭。我很认同安迪•沃霍用“伟大的业余”去对抗“伟大的精英”,其实在沃霍“肤浅”背后隐藏一个更伟大的精英,今天的精英标准与先前的精英标准不大一样。 黄笃:也就是说,你的作品里传递出这样的信息---以日常来抵抗宏大,以平淡来消解深刻,以简洁颠覆繁琐。 陈文令:对。 黄笃:但你的艺术语言是很开放的。 陈文令:只有开放,才会有无限的可能性。 黄笃:这就意味着不要墨守成规。 陈文令:绝对不能墨守成规。我对影响过我的老师永远感念,但我不轻易崇拜他们,我的作品让人看不出我的师父是谁最好。对我而言,草根性的成长方式在我内心是根植得非常深的。 黄笃:那么,你怎么理解草根文化?或者说草根文化在中国社会中有什么样的价值和意义? 陈文令:“草根文化”通常用于指官方及学院等制度、系统之外的自发形成并经营运作的艺术创作和艺术生态体系,它的存在大大丰富了整个社会的文化艺术生态。草根文化具有强大的生命力,也比较容易体现社会普通的价值取向。在当代社会中把艺术弄得过于精英化和私密化,干预社会的力量太小,而草根文化的繁荣,可能给没有学院、画院等体制做靠山的艺术青年提供成功的样板和理由。 黄笃:关于这个问题,你已谈的挺清楚了。你在理解艺术与社会的关系上显然与别人不同。 其中一点,就是说不要把艺术搞得晦涩,有的人把艺术搞得晦涩难懂,要么用德里达理的论,要么是福柯的理论,作为自己艺术观念的解释,这当然不是不可以,但最终要用作品说话,不能把理论变成一种嚼头。我觉得你似乎看到了今天的艺术存在的障碍---在当今社会中,当代艺术过于小圈子化,这个小圈子与整个社会之间的交流存在着很大距离。 这涉及了两个方面的问题:一是艺术深度,一是思想深度。如何把艺术扩张到公众中去?或者说艺术的社会性如何扩张到普通观众的视觉范围中? 无论如何,不管是纯粹观念的艺术,还是波普艺术,还是其它的艺术,都有一个与社会、与人交往的问题。那么,如何理解把一个观念看做是一种扩张的艺术? 陈文令:扩张的艺术? 黄笃:扩张的艺术如何渗透到社会领域中去。我想鲍伊斯实际上在他的社会雕塑中已做了一些具体实践与精辟论述。 陈文令:对,他种橡树的行为就很扩张。 黄笃:对。实际上,他的思想观念已超出了他的那个行为本身,也就是说他的思想渗透到对社会中,就恰恰起到了观念的干预作用---他的思想与行为中包含的是对现行的社会制度和系统的改造。 你谈到一个问题,就是说你不想让作品只变成一种少数人的对象,你想让艺术更具有社会的影响力。这种影响力主要想从哪些方面把它推动到社会上去?或通过哪些途径? 陈文令:比如以我自己的艺术实践来说,2001年冬天,我直接把140多件红孩子分别安置在厦门的珍珠湾海边沙地上、灯塔上及小船上展示。红孩儿、黄沙滩、蓝天、碧海、绿草地交相辉映,呈现出红黄蓝绿的色彩关系。作品与环境融为一体,潮起潮落、阳光的走向、观众的互动都成为我作品的一种媒介,展览远远出乎我的意料,观众中有市长,有社会上的各界知名人士,学生,民工等。这样的展示行动可能直接作用于社会,也就是对社会的干预。 黄笃:所以,这就体现了你雕塑的社会性,而雕塑作为一种艺术媒介,是一种具有创造可能性的媒介,那么,这种可能性体现在哪儿呢? 陈文令:我觉得当代艺术有这个责任对社会各阶层尤其是底层人的美育作用。 黄笃:从某种意义上来说,雕塑是对人的塑造也是对人的改造。 陈文令:是。 黄笃:当我们理解鲍伊斯“社会雕塑”的时候,不要把“社会雕塑”理解成一种鲍伊斯模式。 陈文令:鲍伊斯的艺术观念对中国五、六十年代出生的艺术家产生了深远影响。 黄笃:在一般情况下,理解的鲍伊斯模式就是种树,这是一种表面化的理解,实际上他的艺术思想在内涵和外延上都有无限的发展能量。我想,就像马克思主义理论在全球的发展一样,马克思主义理论也并不是变成一种单一的模式,而是被后来发展成了形形色色和各种各样的马克思主义。 陈文令:当然,理论与现实的相互结合。 黄笃:所以,你的作品中的这种社会性,也是体现了一种与福建区域文化、语境的关系,这是挺有意思的地方。 陈文令:十几年前,中国有四个经济特区,现在全国到处都是经济特区模式。我觉得当时深圳和厦门是中国社会现实的缩影,另外,闽南文化很有特色。于是,我把区域文化转化成为具有国际化的特征。以前中国艺术家都从文本上学国际化的语言,而今中国艺术家的作品已是构成国际化艺术语言的重要组成部分。 黄笃:许多认知你是通过你早期的雕塑“红孩儿”,你是在什么时候创作“红孩儿”的? 陈文令:萌生于1998年的想法,1999年进入全面的创作状态,做到了2001年底出炉示人。之前想来北京搞展览,投路无门,我拜访过很多艺术家,很多策展人,十几天下来发现没有我的立足之地。灰头土脸回到厦门,一气之下,野性发作,用农民起义的方式在厦门海边做个展,并且获得了很好的效果。2002年在广州参加“中国艺术三年展”,从此“柳暗花明又一村”。 黄笃:那么,你还有一个从“小红人”到“猪”的创作之路,什么原因造成你的这种转变过程呢? 陈文令:从小红人转变到猪是这样的。我当时去参加彭德、李小山在广州策划的那个“中国艺术三年展”后,作品被媒体关注的非常多,应该是抢尽了风头。但是我觉得这个风头背后也有一种危机,我总感觉这套作品离现实问题有点远。于是,我四个月没有做任何作品,比较系统的读了一些书,直接和间接地发现了很多中国现实性的问题。我应该以一种近距离的、近聚焦的视觉来看待自己的艺术与现实社会的关系。后来决心另辟蹊径重新上路,最终选择了“猪”作为我新的开始。 黄笃:如果把你的作品放在中国当代艺术的潮流或发展谱系中看,你认为自己处于一个什么样的坐标? 陈文令:我是从边缘的草根地带中生成的,与隋建国、刘建华、向京都是不一样的。隋建国是在80年代末期,就已很深入地探索西方当代艺术的方法论,主要依靠观念说事,而且观念变幻多端。刘建华是通过糅合观念与中国元素打出来的。而向京是从中国的学院体系走出来的,她改良学院的雕塑语言,用一种非常个人化的艺术语言站在世人面前。而我并没有抓住他们的尾巴亦步亦趋地走,那是没有出路的。 黄笃:2000年以后,尤其是2004年以后,中国当代艺术市场非常火爆。我想整个艺术市场的异军突起,并不是说这个市场是在这几年积累的结果,而是整个中国经济快速发展的缩影,换句话,中国当代艺术的发展是中国经济发展的阶段性必然爆发。 有一些著名艺术家在艺术市场上已占有主导性。我想这个市场也不是他们一天得到的,而是他们几十年积累的结果。我想问一个问题,作为一个艺术家,也是一个在市场中存在的艺术家,你怎么处理艺术与市场之间的关系? 陈文令:对我而言,我是很强调个人艺术独立性和先导性,绝不跟着市场走。所以我决不轻易跟画廊签约,如果签的这个画廊很商业,那你就签了一份你必须去上吊的绝命书。在中国,能对艺术家的学术很负责的画廊寥若星辰。 王鲁炎就说过,艺术家反市场,如果反得好,反得准,那最后更会被市场吃掉。天天跟着市场跑才没有好市场。我觉得中国的有些人越来越虚荣,在拍卖市场大肆炒作,明明只能卖三百元,非炒到三千元,在这种虚荣背后反而暴露极大的不自信。您说是不是? 黄笃:我第一次见到你是哪一年? 陈文令:应是2004年。 黄笃:冬天吧。 陈文令:是冬天,认识您之前,好多人认为您很傲慢。接触了您之后,觉得您其实很随和的。您还给了我讲了一个关于雕塑情景的事,如一个婴儿雕塑放在白色底座上和放在婴儿车里面的感觉是不一样的。我在北京参加第一个展览就是参加你策划的展览。 黄笃:那个展览发生在将台路的一个办公室里,展览名字叫“无界”。 陈文令:我刚来北京的时候很不自信,不知京城的水有多深,一开始投石问路,摸着石头过河。经过四年的奋斗,我相信自己了。在中国,北京是适合我呆的城市。 黄笃:我觉得你从2005年以后,参加我在办公室策划的那个展览后,就有一些学术上的变化。然后接着是上海双年展,你特意创作了一件非常大的雕塑装置。 陈文令:是“英勇奋斗”那一件,8米高,已被澳大利亚悉尼的一个美术馆收藏。 黄笃:去年(2007年)我策划了“首届今日文献展”,我为“今日文献”选择你两件作品---一个作品在外面,一个作品在里面,这两件作品都挺有张力的,很有戏剧性和梦幻的超现实的感觉。它们很受观众的欢迎。今年你会有新作品参加上海当代博览会的主题展及第三届南京三年展。 陈文令:还有韩国釜山双年展,西班牙第三届塞维利亚国际当代艺术双年展,艺术北京主题展等。 黄笃:都提供了一些新的作品。 陈文令:今年在亚洲艺术中心的个展是今年参加重要展览的所有作品的汇总,是我在北京的第一个个展。 黄笃:那么,你对你未来有什么想法? 陈文令:人生是无法完全按人意设计的,我不喜欢太设计性的人生,边走边看调整就成了。 黄笃:你对未来在艺术上有什么思考呢? 陈文令:我在艺术的维度上应该会拓得越来越宽。 黄笃:你的意思就是不要把它纯粹变成一个雕塑语言。 陈文令:对,不仅仅是一个雕塑语言。 黄笃:可能是一个跨学科的、跨媒介的。 陈文令:一定是跨媒介的。包括创作的方式,展示的方式,传播的方式等等,用一种绝对开放的姿态探索我的未来。 日期:2008年8月6日下午13:40:05 地点:望京,黄笃工作室 Mixed Realism ---A Conversation between Huang Du and Chen Wenling Time: Aug. 6th, 2008 13:40 p.m. Location: Huang Du's Studio, Wangjing Huang Du: The art Circle knows little about your life experience; therefore, it is necessary for you to introduce your background in art education and your artistic development. Chen Wenling: I'll make a brief introduction. I was born in 1969. My home was in a remote mountain village in the southern part of Fujian Province where my childhood experience of poverty molded strong will and stubbornness into my character. I was a mischievous child, monkeying around every day and making clay figurines and various toys. I made all my playthings rather than asking my parents for them. Back then, one had to rely on one's own hands and own creation to make one's day. This childhood experience in making toys may have prepared me for what I am now. Later on, I was admitted by Xiamen Arts and Crafts College to study traditional Chinese ink painting. My graduation exhibition was woodcarvings. Starting in 1992, I worked as a civil servant in Xiamen, and afterward I attended advanced studies on sculpture in China Central Academy of Fine Arts. I settled down in Beijing in 2004. My journey towards art is typical of grass-root artists, full of frustration and setbacks. In fact, my exploration in art is one filled with pain and joy at the same. Huang Du: I am really glad to be the curator of your solo exhibition; then why do you want to hold a solo exhibition lately? Chen Wenling: Because I have been in Beijing for four years and I want to present an artistic summary of what I have done in this period of time. Huang Du: At exactly what time did you come to Beijing? Chen Wenling: I came to Beijing at the end of 2004, and it will be four full years by this October.. To me, four years are neither a long period of time nor a short one. A person could not make it by just advancing all along without an examination of his past. So I got the idea of staging a solo show and exam what I did in the past. It is not only an examination and showcase of one's artistic capacity and experience, but also an exposure of one's defects to the maximum. The solo exhibition is like a military parade. It is a way of self-examination which brings progress to one's development in art. Huang Du: Do you conceive this exhibition as a demonstration of your whole understanding or art or just some concrete conceptions art? Chen Wenling: All the works exhibited in this show, except one piece of work which was shown in Shanghai Biennial (the surface of it has been retreated and it has never been shown in any exhibitions in Beijing), are new works from this year, emphasizing both vision and conception with various new mediums, such as installations, photos, videos etc, integrated in them. All together, these works pose a brand-new challenge to my art before 2007. Huang Du: Most people's impressions on your works are that, the image of "pig" is your basic subject matter or a carrier for the certain conception. Recently, "pig" dominates your works when your art is transforming into a new stage. Till now, this pattern is still going on in your works, for example, in your work Wu Shen (God of Materialism). My question is that in the different phases of your artistic creation, what role exactly does the image "pig" play? Chen Wenling: Absolutely, "pig" has different developments in several series of my works. It embodies various connotations and conceptions, and undergoes apparent evolution and progress visually. Actually, by making "pig" play different roles, I express the same symbol in different ways. "Pig" is like an actor: it could be a beggar but it could also be the Pope. I always believe that symbolization is not a problem as long as the symbol itself contains great extensionality and expansibility and keeps on expanding forward. What I despise is a repetitive petty symbol that makes a fuss about nothing. Huang Du: Since you have gone through evolution and expansions in your works, could you talk about the differences between your works? Or how your works differ from each other when they are created in different stages of your artistic pursuit? Chen Wenling: At the first stage of my creation, the Happy Life series, my work is characterized by personification; it conveys warmth and humor and achieves a relative balance with reality. The image of "pig couple" explicitly demonstrates these features. At the second stage, the Valliant Struggle series, my works are given a temper of infuriation, insanity and nonsense, which could be viewed as a filtration and magnification of the reality. For example, my sculpture in the "1st Today Documents" exhibition held by the Today Art Museum under your direction could be interpreted as the wrestle between the human beings and their material desires instead of pigs and men. At the third stage, the China Scene series with its apparent publicity is a direct interference to the public space and the society. This gigantic sculpture is fused with the double talk between concrete and abstract language. The interaction among the work, the man and the environment apparently avoids the value tendency on the shelf sculpture. Therefore, this work is suitable to be exhibited outdoors directly rather than in the lamplight indoor. Works created in the fourth stage do not come in series. They are presented as installations. With varieties of new mediums involved, these sculpture works disentangle themselves from the restriction of the pure-sculpture concept. They embody the artistic conception of extension. Huang Du: That is to say, you are consciously contemplating these problems; do you introduce any other ideas in your sculptures besides "pig"? Chen Wenling: I absorbed elements of folk art and fashion in my new works. Both folk art and fashion are considered as subcultures instead of the high culture. I seek to subvert men's conventional aesthetic experiences by appropriating and transforming elements from these subcultures in my works. Actually, among contemporary artistic phenomenon, lots of works are the result of the artist's successful transformation of something that is not commonly viewed as art into works of art. This is where the enchantment of arts lies. The surface of all my sculptures made year is hand-painted, instead of the former techniques of baking varnish and metal forging, to stress on the extreme harmony of soul and handcraft of the artist. Interactive installation and documentary of temple fairs are also a part of my installations. Car models and Chinese tea ceremony performers are also invited to give live shows. Huang Du: Actually, you are referring to an artistic methodology that fundamentally concerns an individual's instinct, judgment and filtration. Apparently this is a problem about where to draw the line of art. I think that you have done a great job in balancing elements from subculture, pop culture and high culture in your works. However, which folk arts especially influence your works? Chen Wenling: Because I did not stay very long in an art college, I learned little from the academics. However, as you know Fujian is a major province for arts and crafts, where various form of folk arts exists, especially stone carving, wood carving, cane crafts, lacquer crafts and so on. These folk arts thrive in Fujian for tens even hundreds of years and influence me a lot. Huang Du: Could I express it in this way that your approach to art is inspired by the energy in folk art, but your ability and intelligence presents an extremely personal language of art, in which the conversion or translation, namely filtration and magnification, plays an important role in your works? The reason is that I can see elements of folk language in your creation, but they are not pure folk arts. It is a kind of folk language treated and elevated by you which eventually forms a unique style of art. Chen Wenling: I believe so. I appreciate those who could convey a profound truth through simple expressions instead of those who put on airs and pretend to be profound, and their remarks confuse you more instead of clarify the question. Take the Chinese classic Book of Song for example. This book contains three parts, Airs of States, Odes and Hymns. The Airs of State is overwhelmingly readable and understandable, containing sentences like "Lovely is this noble lady, fit bride for our lord." Even peasants and illiterates can recite lines like this. Another example is that many poems written by the famous Chinese poets Li Bai and Du Fu could be heard reading by people with the lowest social status. Great popular art works have the ability to enjoy a large social following, enabling people from different social backgrounds to find his or her own point of interest. Huang Du: That is correct. Popularity is an acute problem in art. Chen Wenling: we can talk more about the question whether popularity in art can suit both refined and popular tastes later. Huang Du: OK. In fact, I think the language of your works is a combination of Pop language, surrealistic Language, folk language as well as academic language; that is to say, your work is a hybrid. I find it hard to define what style or type your sculptures really belong to: if I say they are pure Pop, there are traces of folk language in it, but if I dub them as pure folk, there are traces of Pop language and surrealistic language in it Therefore, I would rather say your sculpture contains all kinds of art languages. Chen Wenling: All in all, my current artistic outlook is determined by my education background and life experience. Because I only spent one year in an art college as a full-time student of sculpture, my experience with the academy is too weak. So my experience of art comes more from informal learning; that's why the message in my works is a mixture. Huang Du: So your art is free from further restricts? Chen Wenling: That's right. My art is like a person who eats and drinks any thing hence absorbs mixed nutrition. My works of art would be different if I had received formal school education from an art high school then an art college and all the way to post-graduate studies. Huang Du: Probably your sculpture would be stereotypical in that case. Chen Wenling: There is no inertia in my manners of thinking and working and I have no formidable artistic standard to place any restrictions on me. I've always been in a free state. To be frank, I am unorthodox. Huang Du: Let's get back to the topic of popularity. Chen Wenling: Sure. That is why I highlight the so-called popularity as the focal point of my works. Huang Du: If placed under the contemporary social context, popularity is very different from what it was in the political movements in China in the 1960s and 1970s. Back then, popularity represented a state of collective unconsciousness and political unconsciousness, specifically, a type of popularity that has a political aim. Whereas the popularity today presents itself as a conscious sense of subjectivity. Chen Wenling: I agree with you. Huang Du: We are not talking about a pattern of art here but rather a cultural "root", that is, how to establish new communication between common people and artistic styles and conceptions. Chen Wenling: The "common people" you just mentioned is not completely equal to the notion of populace, which contains the former and has a wider range of significance. Huang Du: How do you construct your artistic language if the popularity you believe in is the point-of-departure for your works? Chen Wenling: According to my understanding, the so-called popularity was uniform and served for a unified political ideology in the era of personal worship. Actually, popularity covers people from all walks of life, even including people in other nations. Explaining something complex in a simple way, placing serious, elite and profound ideas behind festival, humorous even entertaining representations and conveying these ideas in a none-visual way is what artists like Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons do. We've seen many conceptional works of art which are hard to understand and appreciate and rely on the textual assistance to guide the people into it. To sum up, I want to create a type of conceptional works that are visualized. Even without titles or captions, they could arouse a desire to read the work from the so-called "people". I prefer my works to provide various possibilities of interpretation to the people, that is, I want my works to have multiple significations internally. Huang Du: Your point of departure offers an excellent explanation to your artistic methodology. But my question is that how can you stimulate the internality in art and transform it into a comprehensible language to the spectators? Chen Wenling: I recognize that there is no absolute separation between internality and externality. My works create a sense of fanatic power through massive details on the surface, which is the charm of my aura of vision. My works express the integration and conflict at the age of consumerism when desire is running at a maximum speed and they are also filled with a sense of extensional swelling. But where does the internality of my works come from? In my later creations, I appropriate the textual characteristic of plumpness and swelling from the Tang Tricolour Potteries produced at the height of the Tang dynasty, which are so different form western classical sculptures. Contemporary China enjoys a higher level of prosperity than Tang Dynasty; that's why I chose pig as my subject matter. I think the pig I made has something in common with the traditional Chinese sculpture language; only that I put it to the extremes. The pig in the Chinese tradition is regarded as greedy, gluttonous, lazy, dirty, horny and stupid as well as content and happy. While scientific research has proven that pigs are very clever. In my eyes, pig is also a symbol of speed. For example, it only takes one month or two for a feedlot pig to be fattened and. In addition, pigs can also be regarded as a sign of enormous productivity. Five years ago, Xiamen Evening Newspaper carried a story about a sow that had given birth to thirty piglets at one time. I even paid a visit to this heroic sow. Pigs are crazy animal which puts on weight day and night, which it good superficially, but the faster they grows, the sooner they would be slaughtered. That is the destiny of pigs. The various symbolisms of pigs and their speed of growth coincide with the reality of China. The image of pig plays an important role in Chinese folk culture as well. Even the Chinese character for home has a part with the meaning of pig. The image of pig can be seen everywhere in Chinese festivals. Why I selected pig as my subject matter instead of cats, dogs or other animals? It is because the image of pig carries a powerful internal signification. My works are both visual and conceptional. I have to exhaust the theme of pig. Huang Du: Your observation, understanding and interpretation of pig are very interesting, especially the part you talk about the correlation between pig and the traditional Chinese concept of the beauty of chubbiness, which leads to the discussion of the social and symbolic significance of your work and its popularity. Chen Wenling: Actually, many features of pig coincide with that of human. No wander Mill, the great British philosopher of 19th century, said that "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied." But today's reality goes against this. Huang Du: I think there are a lot of "gaudy art" elements in your work. Of course I'm not indicating the relationship between "gaudy art" in general and Chinese "gaudy art" in the 1990s, I mainly want to talk about the difference between your work and that of Jeff Koons. Chen Wenling: I think the artistic form of Jeff Koons is determined by the American life style. After amassing fortune for two hundred years, the USA has a very high level of urbanized life style. Its consumer culture is in full swing. Koons' work is the product of a very urbanized and very luxurious aristocratic way of life. Take his works with the theme of sex for example: Koons and his porn star wife dress up as leading roles in a performance. His work is a mirror reflecting the real life and culture formation of the USA. Because China is a diversified hybrid today, I think there are a lot of differences between its reality and America's. China is going through a special period of transformation which is a hodge-podge of agricultural era, industrial era, post-industrial era, electronic era, the age of Internet and consumerism. I don't focus on the urban theme in my works like Koons does but grasped the features of a jumble which is formed by the transition from an agricultural culture to an urban one. At the same time, I also manage to maintain a very oriental and Chinese artistic language. Huang Du: What do you think about your works, a traditional concept of sculpture or an expanded one? Chen Wenling: I think it's an expanded concept of sculpture. My personality must echo the social universality in the highest degree. That is to say, I focus on the feasibility of transforming personal experience to a kind of universal social experience. I highly agree with Beuys's notion of "Social Sculpture". His character is exactly based on the concept of expansion, emphasizing the thought of molding people, the idea of people's social participation and the notion of sharing with others. Otherwise, a character that is too private is nothing but making a fuss about an imaginary illness and narcissism. Huang Du: Please go on. Chen Wenling: The Chinese gaudy art is a branch of Pop art, but most of Chinese gaudy artists describe the reality of China with simple farmer's taste in their works. I always think that I don't have much to do with the gaudy. You can't categorize a work as gaudy just because it's brightly colored. In fact, my work is mainly inspired by folk culture, fashion culture, western art and Chinese traditional art. Huang Du: That is to say, you don't have a specific point in your work. Chen Wenling: Yes. Huang Du: Your art is a bit vague. Chen Wenling: To be specific, it is diversified and hybridized. Of course, my approach in art is thoroughly Chinese unlike the old artists from mid 80s, who first research or borrow much experience from the western art system, and then under go a gradual metamorphosis. Nor am I like the overseas "Four Guardian Warriors" (four famous overseas Chinese artists). China, Four Great Inventions and traditional Chinese culture are just their trump cards. This kind of art enjoys a high level of following in western countries. But I come from a different background; I have to stay tightly in touch with the Chinese reality and start my art directly from the microscopic proximity to real life. Certainly, I differ greatly from the academic art system as well. Most people from the academic group would make their art very elegant, rational, neutral, reasonable and political; even endow it with a spirit which belongs to traditional Chinese literati and scholar-bureaucrats. These are exactly what I want to give up. As everybody is very busy and has no time for a work of art that beats around the bush, I tend to express myself with direct language and pay attention to the speed my creations work on the spectators. I highly agree with Andy Warhol's action of using the "Great amateur" to confront the "Great Elite". Actually there is a greater elite hiding behind Warhol's "shallowness". The standard of what is elite is not the same as before. Huang Du: That is to say, the message from your works is using the mundane to resist the grand, utilizing the plain to deconstruct the profound and adopting the concise to subvert the sophisticated. Chen Wenling: Right. Huang Du: But your language of art is very open. Chen Wenling: Only by remaining open can one has infinite possibilities. Huang Du: Which means one needs to think outside the box? Chen Wenling: Absolutely. To teachers who have influenced me, I always feel grateful. But I don't worship them easily. It is best if people cannot infer who my teacher is from my work. To me, the developing pattern of "grass roots" art is deeply rooted in my heart. Huang Du: So, what's your understanding of grass roots culture? In other words, what's the value and meaning of grass roots culture in Chinese society? Chen Wenling: "Grass roots culture" normally refers to artistic creation and an ecological system of art which is formed spontaneously and operates outside the institution and system of the government and academy. Its existence has greatly enriched the artistic and cultural ecology of the whole society. Grass roots culture possesses a great vitality and easily mirrors the common value orientation of a society. At present, art is made too elitist and private to interfere with the society. What's more, the prosperity of grass roots culture may offer a pattern and reason for success to young artists who have no system like art colleges or painting academies to fall back on. Huang Du: You have talked very clearly bout this question. Apparently your understanding of the relationship between art and society, you are different from that of the others. One point is that art should not be made too hard to understand. Some people like to use the theory of Derrida or Foucault as the explanation for their conception of art thus obscures their art. Of course there is room for theories in art, but eventually you must express yourself through your works. Theories can not be turned into fancy gibberish. I think it seems that you have detected the obstacle to the existence of art today, i.e. at the present, contemporary art is limited to a small circle, which is distant from the whole society in terms from communication. Questions of two aspects are involved here: one is the depth of art and the other is the depth of thought. How to expand art to the public? In other words, how to expand the sociality of art to the visual range of the common audience? In any case, no matter art of sheer concept or Pop art, or other kinds of art, they all have a problem of communicating with the society and the people. So how can we understand the notion of treating a concept as a kind of art of expansion? Chen Wenling: Art of expansion? Huang Du: How to permeate art of expansion through the social domains? I think actually Beuys's has made some specific practice and brilliant observations in his theory of social sculpture. Chen Wenling: Right. His behavior of planting oak tree is very typical in illustrating this point. Huang Du: Yes. Actually, his thought has gone beyond the behavior itself. That is to say, the filtration of his thought into the society intervenes in the way a concept would act. What contained in his thought and behavior is the alteration of present social rules and system. You have talked about a question that you don't want to make your work exclusive. You want to endow your work of art with more social influence. So through what aspects or ways you plan to assert this kind of social influence? Chen Wenling: Take my own art practice for example. In the winter of 2001, I put more than 140 red boy sculptures directly on the beach, beacon and small boats near Pearl Bay, Xiamen. Red boys, yellow beach, azure sky, blue sea and green grass contrasted beautifully against each other, showing a colored relation among red, yellow, blue and green. The works integrated themselves into the environment. The rise and fall of tide, the movement of the sun and the interaction with the audience all became a kind of medium of my work. The success of the exhibition was totally unexpected. The audience included the mayor, students, migrant workers and famous people from all walks of life. Exhibitions like this may directly influence the society, i.e. it can intervene in the society. Huang Du: So, this event reflects the sociality of your sculpture. But, sculpture is a kind of art medium which is capable of creating possibility. So what exactly is this possibility? Chen Wenling: I think it is the responsibility of contemporary art to offer aesthetic education to people from all social backgrounds, especially those from lower classes. Huang Du: To a certain extent, sculpture is able to mold people as well as reforming them. Chen Wenling: Yes. Huang Du: When we are trying to comprehend Beuys' "Social Sculpture", we should not restrict "Social Sculpture" to Beuys' pattern only. Chen Wenling: Chinese artists born in 1950s and 1960s are deeply influenced by Beuys' conception of art. Huang Du: Normally, Beuys's pattern is comprehended as tree-planting which is an oversimplified understanding. Actually, his thought of art has infinite energy of expanding both internally and externally. I think it's the same as the global development of Marxism theory: instead of turning into a single pattern, Marxism has developed into various types. Chen Wenling: Sure, it is the result of the combination between theory and reality. Huang Du: So the sociality of your work also embodies a correlation with the regional culture and context of Fujian. This is an interesting point. Chen Wenling: More than ten years ago, China had only four special economic zones. But today, economic polices first experimented in the special economic zones are adopted all over the country. I think at that time, Shenzhen and Xiamen are microcosms of Chinese social reality. Besides, Southern Fujian Culture is very special, so I try to give a regional culture some internationalize features. In the past, Chinese artists learned the language of internationalization from books, while artists today have made their works as one important part of an internationalized language of art. Huang Du: Many people begin to know you through your early sculpture, "Red Boy". When did you create it? Chen Wenling: I first had the idea in 1998 and I came into a wholehearted creation of the sculpture in the next year. At the end of 2001, the work was finished. At first, I wanted to stage an exhibition in Beijing but found no way to start. I had visited a lot of artists and exhibition planners, but after more than ten days, I found out that there was no space for me in Beijing. Humiliated and frustrated, I returned to Xiamen. With a surge of temper, I staged a solo show on the beach of Xiamen, just like a peasant who resorts to rebelling when he had no luck with the established institutions. The show was very well received. Then in 2002, I joined the "Triennial of Chinese art" in Guangzhou, after that, my career advanced smoothly. Huang Du: Well, you changed the focus of your creation from "Red Boy" to "Pig", why? Chen Wenling: The change comes like this. When I joined the "Triennial of Chinese art" organized by Peng De and Li Xiaoshan in Guangzhou, my works attracted great attention from the media: I actually stole the thunder from all the other works also displayed in the exhibition. But I sensed a crisis behind all the success, I have always felt this series of work was a little far from reality. So I didn't produce any new works in four months, but conducted a systematically reading of books. Directly and indirectly, I found many practical problems of China. I decided that I should observe the relationship between my art and social reality from a close proximity and with close focus. After that, I decided to start all over again and finally chose "pig" as the new beginning. Huang Du: Placed in the tide or developing pedigree of Chinese contemporary art, where do you think you are? Chen Wenling: Different from Sui Jianguo, Liu Jianhua and Xiang Jing, I grew up from a marginal grass roots zone. Sui Jianguo had explored the methodology of contemporary western art deeply in late 1980s. He mainly depends on conceptions to express himself and his conceptions are subject to constant change.. Liu Jianhua found his way through mixing conceptions with Chinese elements, while Xiang Jing came out from China's academic system. She improved the sculpture language of the academy and faced the people with an extremely personalized language of art. But I didn't follow them step by step: doing so would leads to a dead end. Huang Du: After 2000, especially after 2004, the market for Chinese contemporary art is very hot. In my opinion, the sudden prosperity in art market as a whole is not the result of the accumulation of the market in recent years, but rather a microcosm of the fast development of Chinese economy. In another word, the development of Chinese contemporary art is an inevitable periodical boom of the Chinese economic development. Some famous artists have won leading positions in art market. In my view, they don't take the market in one day but through the accumulation for dozens of years. Then, my question is—as an artist, who is a part of the art market, how do you deal with the relationship between art and market? Chen Wenling: For me, I emphasis the independence and enlightening effect of personal art, and I will never follow the market blindly. Therefore, I won't sign contracts with a gallery imprudently. If it is a very commercial gallery, then the contract is actually the noose around your neck. In China, there are few galleries that are responsible for the artists' artistic pursuit. Wang Luyan has observed that artists have to stand up against the market and if one artist finds a good point to resist the market, he or she will be extremely well received in the market eventually. Following every change the market ends up falling out of it. I think some Chinese artists are becoming vainer and vainer. For example, they hype their works in the auction market so that some thing worth 300 RMB can be sold at 3000 RMB. This vanity exposes a extreme lack of confidence in these people. Huang Du: When did I meet you for the first time? Chen Wenling: It should be 2004. Huang Du: In winter? Chen Wenling: Yes. Before I know you, many people think that you are very arrogant. After I came in contact with you, I thought that you are very easy-going. I remember you told me some thing about sculpture scene, that is, it feels very different whether the sculpture of a baby is placed on a white base or in a baby carriage. The first exhibition I attended in Beijing was a show under your direction. Huang Du: That exhibition was in one office of Jiangtai Road, named "No Boundary". Chen Wenling: When I came to Beijing, I was not very confident. Unfamiliar with Beijing's situation, so I treaded cautiously. After four years of hard work, I now begin to trust myself. In China, Beijing is the place for me. Huang Du: I think that after 2005, that is, after the exhibition in the office, you have some changes in your art. Then, you created a very huge sculpture for Shanghai Biennale. Chen Wenling: That is Valliant Struggle. It is 8 meters high and has been acquired by a museum in Sydney, Australia. Huang Du: Last year (2007), I planned The First Today Document exhibition, and I chose two of your sculptures---one was place inside the door, the other was installed in the open air. Both the works are full of tension, dramatic and dreamily surrealistic, so they were much appreciated by the audience. This year, your new works will appear in the ShContemporary and The Third Nanjing Triennial. Chen Wenling: I will also attend Busan Biennial, The Third International Biennial of Contemp. Art, at Sevilla, Spain, Art Beijing and so on. Huang Du: Your new works will appear in all these exhibitions. Chen Wenling: The solo exhibition in Asia Art Center is a collection of all the works that have been included in important exhibitions this year, which is also my first solo exhibition in Beijing. Huang Du: So, do you have any plans for the future? Chen Wenling: I believe that life cannot be designed completely according to human wishes. I don't like life that is designed. I shall just adjust myself as I move forward. Huang Du: Any thoughts about your art in the future? Chen Wenling: My dimensions in art should become wider and wider. Huang Du: You mean that your art will not restricted to being a sculpture language. Chen Wenling: Yes, it should be more than that. Huang Du: Maybe an interdisciplinary and a cross-media art. Chen Wenling: It must be a cross-media art, like the way of creation, the means of display and the method of transmission, etc. I definitely shall explore my future with an open attitude.
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导语:一直以来,艺术家陈文令的作品创作总是与社会现象息息相关。近日,陈文令携以个人真实经历为蓝本的作品《悬案》亮相今日美术馆,这次艺术家将一件视觉性装置作品,演绎成一部触目惊心的悬疑剧。 正文 中国当代雕塑家陈文令新的工作室有1600平方米,加上生活区有2000多平方米。在这个远离北京喧闹市中心的偏隅一角,他完成了自己2010年的年度个展作品——《悬案》。这是一组关注到一个血案、生与死以及宽恕的作品,是和博弈与挣脱这些关键词相通的, 呈现在展厅里的作品弥漫着特别野性的美感,有点像吴宇森的暴力美学,透露着很强劲的感觉。陈文令说:“这次是一个有点黑色幽默的生死题材,我觉得能把生死这么严肃的题材做得很cute,也是一种成就了。”他的作品在充满力量的同时,也给观众造成了一个有陌生感的世界图像,“还是要有一个更重要的观念在,这样展览可以做得更优秀。我还是想在今天这个时代里,把作品做出它的独立性、别样性,我今后的展览会在有这点的同时,更加推进我的观念。” 《悬案》的诞生也是几经波折,刚开始的想法出不来,过程中变化很多,反复推敲、推进。“想了很久,刚开始是计划做两个鳄鱼相咬,把跟生死有关的想法做进去是到了2010年的7月份,我想是跟我父亲去世有关系。以前觉得我们都特别年轻,父母都健在,我对生离死别没有体验,我奶奶今年94岁也还在。我父亲的离世,让我对生命会陷入很严肃的思考,并与自己的个人经历慢慢地挂上了。我当时很焦灼,每个月都要回家一两趟,这边的方案又没定下来,在我回北京处理作品方案时,父亲去世了,我没有赶上看他最后一眼,感到非常的自责和内疚。所以这个作品是在一个很特殊的时期下,产生它的重要关联,来推出它最核心的工作版块的。最后这个作品还是坚持做下来了。” 在艺术追求上,陈文令每年的展览都在变化,也都会让观众有所期待。从06年到现在连续的4个年度个展中,他明显感觉自己在进步。最大的进步体现在:展览的结构中拖泥带水的地方少了,更严谨,更干净有力,一年比一年更精准,一年比一年更层次丰富,“我希望在自己的艺术创作生涯上,还是要一层一层往上叠加、往高处走。” 从厦门北上,他形容自己在北京的工作节奏比在厦门更快,工作量大了一倍,一天可以做好几件事:早起散步、回来给女儿回一封信、读报纸、来工作室做雕塑、处理邮件、接受采访、会见藏家、参加活动、和批评家沟通,等等。“但是每天要坚持做作品,尽量坚持和工作室的员工多对话,这也是一天最快乐的事。” 作为B型血双子座的艺术家,陈文令在生活上其实很传统,不喜欢太大的变化。但他每天都要看点书、看点报纸,而且喜欢在餐厅里看书。他平常有写点心得和和画点草图的习惯,“我的包里放一个速写本,我觉得哪句话有意思会把它记下来。” box推荐的书 这两年看长篇累牍的书已经没有时间了,但我会一次性买四五百块钱的报纸、杂志,会挑杂志里的一两篇文章精读一遍。10年前,王小波的《一只特立独行的猪》,对我还是产生比较深的影响的。 Box陈文令 中国当代艺术家,出生于福建安溪。在作品《悬案》里,艺术家陈文令以隐喻的形式向观众呈现了一组无比震撼的食物链灾难,而这个灾难,是生物的欲望,特别是人的欲望,而使之充满了交织和不确定,通过挂起而得以真正形式上的提示。
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陈文令的红男孩,通体鲜红,如火如荼。红色是2002年的流行色;从韩国的红魔拉拉队到欧洲足坛以往罕见的红队服,再到中国各式各样的红色物象,举目四股,处处红色。红色的流行使得红男孩们找到了名正言顺的色彩空间。在历史中,红色是中国南方的标志色和吉祥色。在现实中,红色的人体改变了作品的写实倾向,加强了非现实意图,表达出作者对现实中成人们势利、紧张、焦虑、恐惧、残酷的否定,也不期而然地道出了人们的共同心愿:对童真状态的怀念和对早熟了两千年的中式文明的质疑。 2002年春,当陈文令率领这群红男孩在厦门珍珠湾海滩露面时,立即吸引了成千上万的观众。临近收场时,市民曾向政府呼吁将他们长留厦门。一时间,红孩子成了厦门传媒每天的话题。2002年秋,陈文令的红男孩在广州参加首届“中国艺术三年展”,不仅又一次引进传媒和观众的好评,也引起了美术批评家的关注。这群裸体男孩塑像,总共一百多个,分为几类在水边嬉戏玩耍的姿态。作品用玻璃喷制,打磨,抛光,喷上红漆,放置在沙滩、树干、船头、灯塔上。这组作品投资四十五万,是所有参展作品投资最多的一件。艺术和投资和艺术价值不一定成正比,但陈文令这组作品的确产生了水涨船高的效果。 中国每年数以万计的个展和联展,脱颖而出的作品只是极少数。它们大多能满足一项视觉需要:新鲜。陈文令的作品属于新型的艺术形态,介于写实雕塑、装置、互动式行为艺术和偶发艺术之间。作为雕塑,陈文令的雕塑有别于学院派的正和现代派的奇,有别于马约尔的“肥”和贾柯梅蒂的“瘦”。作为集装置和行为于一体的行为艺术,他的作品同以往走极端的前卫艺术相比,在艺术观和艺术表现上有根本的不同。这群红男孩不是天真的而不是邪恶的,是健康的而不是病态的。众所周知,20世纪晚期的视觉艺术,无论美术还是影视以及电子游戏中的三维动画,充斥着暴力和无病呻吟的作品。陈文令的红男孩有着出淤泥而不染的品格,切合了人们对前卫艺术新流向的渴望,也就是从艺术作为人性批判的武器转变为人性建构的载体。他的作品,使外行和内行、学院派和前卫批评家都能找到自己的看点。 陈文令的这组作品,取名为《红色记忆》。他具有当代艺术见仁见智的多义性。人们面对这群孩子,可能会想到古典文化中的赤子,但却感受不到迂腐。人们可能会想到《西游记》中的红孩儿,但却找不到妖气。人们可能会想到文革中的红小兵,但却看不到杀气。人们可能从厦门这个军事重镇去回忆过去的战火,但却不会造成丝毫的恐惧感。熟悉陈文令的人,还可能会将红男孩同他的一段经历联系在一起:1996年《厦门日报》发表题为“难能可贵的自卫与自救”的文章,说的是一对青年男女在海边被歹徒劫持,男方奋力反抗,身中几十刀,被割开两个手腕的动脉,血染全身,成为当地流血最多的血案。被文章作者描述并视为英雄行为的男青年,就是大难不死的陈文令,不过,在陈文令的《红色记忆》中全然看不到仇恨。 当代艺术强调作品蕴涵的观念,常常派生出观念超载的作风,让人一看就累。陈文令于此相反,显得朴实,没有刻意制造的观念。裸露的躯体剥去了伪装,留下的只是人与自然的直接关联,只是人与社会的直接对话。面部与肢体语言的适度夸张,是对这两种关系的强调,这组作品,可以说是对观念超载的解脱,也可以说是携带着裁减观念的观念。 The Red Boy is having his moment The red boy from Wenling Chen's The Red Memory is bright red all over the body like a ragging fire. Red is the color of 2003, from the "Red Devils" cheer squad of Korean to the red team shirts in European football, which were very rarely seen in past years, and then not to mention all kinds of Chinese objects in red; red is everywhere if you take a look around us. And this very popularity of red color offers the perfectly reasonable color space for The Red Memory. In the history, the color of red has always been an iconic color and the symbol of auspiciousness in South China; in the actuality, the redness of the body altered the realistic tendency of the artwork, emphasized the non-physical intention, while communicated the artist's deny against the snobbery, tension, anxiety, fear, cruelty of human being in reality, meanwhile, unexpectedly expounded the common aspiration of us all: Our cherished memories of the innocent childhood, and the query against the precocity in Chinese culture for over two thousand years. When Wenling Chen first had his group of red boys displayed at Xiamen Pearl bay beach in spring 2002, thousands of audiences were attracted to them at once. By the end of the exhibition, the citizens of Xiamen appealed to the authority to keep them in the city permanently. The Red Memory once became a daily topic of the local media. Autumn 2002, Chen's Red Memory was exhibited in the first Triennial of Chinese Arts in Guangzhou. This time, the art work did not only won praises of the media and the audiences again, but also attracted the attention of critics. This group of sculptures of over a hundred naked boys is divided into a few categories by their different postures of playing by the water. The sculptures were grinded, buffed, and sprayed with red paint, and then placed on beach, tree trunks, prows and lighthouses. ¥450,000 RMB was invested to create this artwork, which made it the most invested piece among all exhibited artworks. It is true that value of an artwork doesn't necessarily in proportion to the cost to create it, but in this case, the ship certainly has risen with the tide. There are over thousand of solo and group exhibitions in China every year, only very few artworks stand out from the crowd and they almost all meet one visual need: Freshness. Wenling Chen's works belong to a new type of art form, a joint among realistic sculpture, installation, interactive performance art, and happening art. In term of sculptures, Chen's work is different from the orthodox of academism or the novelty of modernism; it is different from the 'fat' in Maillo's work or the 'slim' in Giacometti's work. In term of an artwork that combines installation and performance art, Chen's work is also radically distinct - in both artistic perspective and artistic expression - from the avant-garde art that often tends to extremes. This group of red boys is innocent but not evil; it is healthy but not morbid. As is well known, the visual art in late 20th century are flooded with violence and artworks that making a fuss about imaginary illnesses. Wenling Chen's red boys have the character of a lotus, which rises unsullied from mud, and it fulfills our thirst for a new direction of the avant-garde art, where art starts to transform from a weapon of Human nature criticism to a medium of human nature building. Whether amateurs or professionals, academism or avant-garde critics, everyone can all find their own focus in Chen's work. Wenling Chen's group of red boys is named The Red Memory. As a piece of contemporary art, it has the ambiguity that opens to interpretation. When people looking at these boys, they might think of the phrase "Redboy", which means newborn baby in classical Chinese literature, but not so pedantic; they might think of the "Red Kid" in the classic novel The Journey to the West , but not so wicked; they might think of the Red Guard during the Culture revolution, but not so violent. People might also look at the Xiamen, the military town, and recall its histories of wars and battles, but without any fear whatsoever. For whom knows Wenling Chen, might also associate the red boys to an experience of the artist: 1996, Xiamen Daily published an article under the name of The Commendable self-defense and self-rescue, about a pair of young man and women was robbed and attacked by the beach, the young man fought back with all his strength, he was terribly injured with dozens of knife wounds, the his arteries on both wrists were silted, and his entire body was soaked in blood. It was the most violent crime of the city then. This brave young man in the report is the very artist created the red boys, Wenling Chen, who had survived from death. However, there is not even a glimmer of grudge in his work, The Red Memory. In contemporary art, the concept that the artwork implied is much emphasized, and this often leads to artworks overloaded with concepts, which makes the audiences tired at a glance. On the contrary, Wenling Chen's work is modest and earthy, without any deliberately made concepts. Camouflages were taken off from the naked bodies, and what's left is the straightforward connection between man and nature is the direct dialogue between human and the society. The moderate exaggeration of facial and body language is an emphasis on these two relationships, and this group of work can be interpreted as liberation from concepts overload, or, an idea of concept cut down.
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李:从最早的“小红人”到“英勇奋斗”、“幸福生活”直至今年的“金牛系列”,突出的视觉效果、充满张力的体量感、主题的不断创新等特征一直贯穿于您的作品,您作品所呈现的艺术气质是您真实性格的投射吗? 陈:我的性格特点是只言片语难以言尽的。我是双子座、B型血,败落的地主阶级的后裔,少年时干过农事,当过乡村画师。也许这些影响了我的艺术气质,充满着摇摆和不确定性,同时敏感且富有激情。其实,有很多方面我也说不清楚自己,我无法真正认识自我,我是一个充满矛盾的人,常常要花好多时间去说服自己,很难与自己谈和。如此的性格基调为我的作品铺垫下了一层底色:一种草根生猛、睿智,并充满挑衅力和冒险精神。 李:一个人童年时代的生存环境和人文环境对其日后的艺术气质起着至关重要的作用,那您的童年是怎样的状态呢? 陈:我出生于福建安溪县金谷村,举目环顾皆是层层叠叠青翠的山谷。当年的金谷村是一个非常贫瘠的山村,村中间淌过一条清澈的小溪。我在这条溪边天天摸爬滚打着成长,不是捕鱼就是掏鸟窝,不是捉迷藏就是打水仗等等。我的童年充满了一种野生成长的状态。当时,社会环境唯阶级论,由于我家的阶级成分是地主,常常遭人白眼和欺负,再加上孩提时我口吃十分严重,一句话半天说不出口,时常引得村童的捧腹大笑,他们越笑我就越愤怒,越愤怒就越说不出话来,经常把我急得不行。常常气不过之时,便和村童们打架。无论打赢还是打输,回家父母心定再爆打我一顿。总之,我的童年很压抑的时光会多一些。儿时话说得不流利,可是我的手脚倒是挺灵光的,用今天的话说就是患了“多动症”,什么药也治不愈。不知是哪天起我迷恋上在沙地上涂画、在田间捏泥人什么的,每每都感到格外开心。从此我感觉心里的艺术之门就慢慢地打开。我艺术的种子可能就是那时候种下的。日本著名艺术家村上隆说他的艺术来源于愤怒,我想我的艺术大概来源于愤怒和超越自卑的情绪。 李:也就是说您的童年快乐是通过自己寻找的? 陈:是的!在我整个童年时代里,父母从未给我们这些孩子买过任何一样的玩具,不可能像今天我女儿的玩具堆积如山。我童年的快乐都得自己去寻找和创造的。当时自己做了很多木制那样的或土捏的手枪、大炮、轮船、飞机什么的,玩得也不亦乐乎。让我记忆犹新的是,村子有些稍富的人家外墙是粉刷成白石灰墙,我就情不自禁的拿着木炭在白墙上涂龙画凤,或者画一些日本鬼子踩到地雷的图,描画着日本鬼子被地雷炸得钢盔、手枪、胳膊、大腿满天飞,非常痛快刺激。小孩们看得兴高采烈,白墙的主人们却气得狗血淋头,白刷刷的墙总是被我给糟蹋了。今天看来,这挺像是我最初的展览。我十二岁的时候全国恢复宗教信仰自由,处处大兴土木,修建寺庙、祖祠。大人们用木头雕刻神像,我就用田泥模仿做了些小神像,大人们抬着大神在村口山上举行开光仪式,我们村里的小孩们就抬着我做的小神像挨家挨户的去巡境。这有点像行动中的展览,村里的男女老小感到格外的惊喜。儿时的游戏对我日后从事艺术产生了不可低估的影响,我非常眷恋我快乐的童年时光。 李:那艺术的理想对于当时环境下的你应该算是一个梦一般的愿望吧? 陈:我十几岁时每个寒暑假期都要下田去帮助父母干农活,多余的时间就去帮村里的寺庙或祖祠画点门神龙凤什么的。每个假期都能挣得几十块钱以补家用。至今村里多处还保留着我十三四五岁时画的活。我们的村子坐落在群山环抱的小小盆地之中,房前屋后都是麦田而今却是茶园满目。有很多次,我们在埋头割小麦时,慢慢地听到飞机从山沟上飞出的轰轰声,每次都让我兴奋不已,紧紧盯住喷着一条长长白烟的飞机,盯着飞机从出现直到消失在天际边。心里想的是现在要好好割麦,好好读书、画画,以后考到大城市去,去看大飞机,不能永远待在村子里看这么一点点的。一个充满理想的农村少年,梦想着离开那片黑土地,真是一颗驰骋万里的心。 李:在当时,是谁引领你走这条艺术道路?整个80、90年代的厦门是经济特区的前沿,福建人天生就有的生意头脑让厦门处处弥漫着金钱、物质和商业气息,而当时艺术更多的是个很理想但是没有钱赚的职业,你是如何走向职业艺术家这条道路的? 陈:当时,我在老家跟启蒙老师翁火枝学习了三年画画,在厦门师从马心伯老师和李维礼老师学习雕塑。他们对我艺术基础和人格塑造也都产生很大的影响。91年毕业时我做为优等生分配在厦门市政府主办的鹭风报社当美编,92年底邓小平南巡讲话,推动市场经济体系的改革。我就是这个时候辞去了工作走上了职业艺术家的道路。先是回到安溪老家待了半年,做了些木雕。93年到中央美术学院雕塑进修。94年返回厦门成立陈文令工作室,当时工作室非常简陋,一直折腾到99年春天才有了大一点的转机,当时的商业雕塑活几乎都不做了,着手于“小红孩”系列雕塑的创作。 李:在90年代末,选择作为一名职业艺术家是艰难的。但是你还是坚持用最大的胆识和精力在厦门珍珠湾海滩做了一个对你来说具有里程碑意义的展览——“红色记忆”的个展。 陈:整个90年代,中国雕塑家几乎都在承接带有甲乙方关系的城市雕塑,这是很难保证艺术家创作的独立性。98年我萌芽做“小红人”雕塑的念头。并从99年至01年的三年里潜心地创作这套作品。2000年7月初,我到北京四处碰壁,找不到展场,后来无奈地被逼推到海边去展示,真是歪打正着起了意想不到的展示效果。“小红孩”置于蓝天、碧海、黄沙滩、绿草场之中,还有一些搁小木船上。激起很强烈的视觉张力。而且具有大泛的公共性,前来观展的什么人都有,从厦门市长大学师生到卖艺者,甚至乞丐都来观展。当时,乞丐仍然是在展场讨钱而已,哈哈!这种展示方式所产生的互动关系很有意思。当时有人赞不绝口,有人破口大骂,厦门的媒体也作出了很多评论和介绍,随之在国内也引起挺大的反响,尤其是在南中国。确实是向社会抛出了一个被谈论的话题。我认为艺术家的个展似乎是一次自我艺术的全面体检。不论你是驴是马都得拉出来溜一溜,这才能检验出一个艺术家的底气。每次个展后所引发的各路声音都能成为我成长的养分和理由。其实一名艺术家的成长史就是一部个人艺术发展的展览史。 李:在完成“小红孩”系列作品之后,你有了更明确的方向感。并把自己的全部精力都投入到个人作品的创作上来,已经进入了职业艺术家的状态。 陈:把艺术当职业是我的少年梦想。孩时,就是想长大后天天游山玩水、雕塑、画画、每天睡到自然醒,远离文山会海的条条框框。因为我这个人就是典型的属于那种宁挖一口井,不挖十个坑的人,尽量把这口井挖到出水,甚至出石油为止,艺术无疑是我的最爱。创作“小红孩”之前,我一直在黑洞里摸索着,看不到黑洞出口的一点曙光。但我铁打的心坚信自己一定出得来。 李:之后你作的“幸福生活”和“英勇奋斗”这些系列的作品在中国当代艺术界产生很大的反响,并频繁地亮相各种国内外的各种双年展等重要展览,这与您个人的生活经历有关吗? 陈:我做“小红孩”的时候,身处比较封闭的环境中,外界对我的影响不多。大都只能随着自己的生存经验去创作。当然艺术家个人的典型经验往往也是典型的社会经验或是集体经验的投射。相对而言,“小红人”是比较内向型的作品。后来“小红孩”参加广州的一次三年展之后,我决定做一套相对外向一点的作品,所谓“外向”就是更加直接关注现实和介入社会。于是我从2003年春天开始着手做“幸福生活”这套作品,在后来又做“英勇奋斗”、“中国风景”、“物神”、“紧急出口”等系列作品。 李:不同于一些艺术家所坚持的一种符号化的创作思路,您的创作思路一直在转向之中,每次系列的创作完成时间不超过两三年时间,近年来更是一年一个面目,但是精神内核大多是涉及消费主义社会的种种现实问题。那您对消费主义的理解又是怎样的? 陈:从根本上说我是一个有风格没符号的艺术家。我的内心要求我不断超越自己、打倒自己。我骨子里挺欣赏那些战死沙场的英雄,不欣赏那些抱着勋章自我陶醉、停滞不前的英雄。消费主义与消费文化是不同的概念。前者是贬、后者是褒。消费主义是舶来品。它是推崇人的一切价值都建立在消费、炫耀、极度的奢侈、无节制的物欲之上。把消费主义当做是人的终极目标。对于消费主义疯狂的时代,什么都可以被消费,每个人在消费别人的同时也被别人消费。消费主义刺激每个人的物欲的扩张和人性的异化。消费的本质就是交换的规律。有次,我回福建看到一个富人出殡队伍的长龙,其中有三个妇人扑在灵柩上哭喊得很厉害。当时我对边上的人说,这位去世的老人一定是很受爱戴和尊重的长者。边上人说,这些哭得最厉害的都是花钱请来哭丧的。本来一天是150元的佣金,今天她们每人可拿到500元。也就是说她们拿的钱越多哭的就越是撕心烈肺、肝肠寸断。哭价越贵、哭得越痛而内心越开心。这真是哭笑不得的现实社会。这些哭丧的妇人的被消费对象是哭声、眼泪、痛感的表情。这就是她们的生存所依。其实,今天的穷人比古代自给自足的农耕时代里的穷人要痛苦多了。因为今天的消费社会分工太细化了,所以今人比古人被物质欲的异化的程度要严重得多。 李:你今年的“紧急出口”展览得到了很好的口碑,在学术上也得到了广泛的认可,可以说对以前作品的一次大的超越。你是如何挑战这个新的主题? 陈:这几年的社会现实中关于坑蒙拐骗的事端频频见诸媒体,各种花招层出不穷。华尔街的麦道夫正是典型的缩影。我想通过自己的艺术做出一点回应。“紧急出口”展的这两件作品不适用粉饰生活,更不适用娱乐百姓或歌功颂德,而适用认识人性,了解社会,是解剖社会的听诊器。我也知道自己永远治不好这些“社会病”,但我力争提出一些问题,激发一些人去反思就足够了。 李:我觉得您的很多作品都是用来对社会进行剖析,然后用一种寓言的幽默方式来表达。比如之前作品里的猪,或者这次作品中的牛,他们都是一个演员来充当不同的角色? 陈:对我而言,猪是寓意物质性最好的载体,它的内在指向也比较复杂。比方说:猪的生产力,猪的烈量,猪的富足感,猪的闲散的快乐,猪的膨胀的速度,猪的脏,猪的愚蠢或聪明等等等。上述的种种让人难以一言道尽。它能为受众提供更多的阅读可能性,哪怕是误读,错读都是我不反对的,同样是一种解读。我想把“读”的自由度交给公众,让我的作品有更大的开放度。而近作中的“牛”,不是“孺子牛”,而是华尔街的“金牛”,它是金融,股市兴盛的象征,这是不言而喻的。我把华尔街的金牛的“屁”作为助推气,把叱咤风云的华尔街巨头顶在墙的中央,从而营造出一种戏谑、荒谬、反调的戏剧般图境。 李:纯粹探讨艺术语言或纯粹探讨艺术观念可能都不是当下对艺术最好的呈现方式,艺术语言和艺术观念的兼容并包是艺术家要面对的。在中国当代艺术领域里,您的艺术语言和方法论都是极具个人风格和代表性的,您是怎样来构筑和传达您的艺术观念的呢? 陈:我从观念艺术、新媒介艺术、装置艺术等艺术形式中吸取我所要的营养。希望我自己天天在吃不同的大米,当大米进入到艺术之胃的时候,要经过反复的转换,提炼,酝酿和琢磨,然后酿造出自己香醇的米酒,而不是一个吃米拉米的机器通道。我应该是个酿酒厂,终究是要酿造自己的艺术美酒。再者我推崇雅俗共赏的艺术,喜欢深入浅出的方法论,讨厌浅入深出、故作深沉的伪艺术,徐冰说他的作品比较“平易近人”,对于这个提法我有深刻的共震。 李:金融危机对于当代艺术是一次巨大的考验,考验艺术市场的基石、考验艺术家的职业素养、考验艺术家的信心。中国当代艺术家苦过,但是经历财富的迅速积累后,艺术家的心里素质反而差了很多,而您恰恰在大家出于信心低谷的时候大手笔的投入新的展览,您怎么看艺术市场波动对于一个艺术家的影响? 陈:经过金融危机和北京艺术家工作室的大拆迁后,我们会发现英雄气短的比英雄气长的多得多。这是一场雪上加霜的双重创伤。大多数的中国当代艺术家都要经历这场暴风骤雨的洗礼。我想真正强悍的艺术家一定是愈挫愈勇的。在不景气的冬天,我们更应该好好磨刀,待到春天之时定有用武之地。今年确实是最严峻的一年,我以“紧急出口”展回应我的基本立场。 李:您的艺术经历和生命历程经历充满了故事甚至带有些传奇色彩,您可以用一个比喻来概括您走过的这四十年的风风雨雨吗? 陈:我出身贫微,早年身处边缘的边缘人。98年以前我像是一台土炮,浑身是劲,满腔激情,但缺乏正规军的洗礼和规范。土炮的炮弹打不远,杀伤力也不大,当炮弹打尽之时,敌军顶多数是轻伤而已,而我军却是死伤无数,最后只落得一片滚滚浓烟、碍我远见。而今的我更像是一架腾空而起、搏击苍穹的战斗机。试飞已过,初得要领,自由翱翔,虽称不上歼敌无数,但已有用武之地,并且已经拥有了自己的雷达装置和导航仪系统。只要不骄不躁,必能达成目标。诚然我一生的终极心愿就是想成为一把无声手枪,袖珍干练归于平静,不动声色。这种淡定从容的边缘人的生活就是我的理想国。我的一生就是从边缘人走向边缘人。其实我上述的自诩也是从无数历史能人的生命经验中得到的开示。 李:听说您2010年还会有一个更具震撼性的展览,您可以谈谈未来新展计划? 陈:其实,人生的许多方面是无法按照自己设计好的方式走的,我今天的想法可能明天就会有变数,所以现在还不好说清楚,待到明年时敬请大家多多关注我的新作吧。 陈工作室 2009年10月1日Actually, I do not really know how I grew up Li Guiming Made an Interview with Chen Wenlin Chen Art Studio October 1, 2009 Li: From earliest " Little Red Child" to the "Heroic Struggle ", "Happy Life"" until "Golden Bull Series" of this year,some characteristics, such as the prominent visual effect, tension-filled body feeling, continuous innovation of the theme, have been pass through your work. Do you think your art is projection of your true personality? Chen: My personality is difficult to be characterized by few words. I am a Gemini, B-type blood, declined landlord class's descendant. When I was a young man, I has done the farming, has worked as a village painter. Perhaps these experiences have influenced on my artistic makings, which full of uncertainty and sensitivity. Actually, there are many aspects that I do not know myself. I am unable to really know myself, I am a person full of contradictions; often spend a lot of time to convince myself. Many times, it is difficult to talk about. These characters pave the way for my art works: a vigorous grass-roots, wisdom, and full of provocative and adventurous spirit. Li: The living environment and the culture environment of a person’s childhood usually play an important role to his art making. Could you tell us something about your childhood? Chen: I was born in Jingu Village of Anxi County in Fujian Province where the green valleys were all around. At that time, Jingu village was a very barren mountain village, and there was a river flowed through the village. I played around this river everyday, fishing, digging bird nest, hiding-and-seeking, water fighting, and so on. My childhood was truly wild.At that time, people in the society was only being considered by class origin. Because my family's class origin was the landlord, I was treated disdainfully frequently. In addition, I had stutter problem when I was child. A few words needed to be said quite a while, which often caused other kids’ laughing. I was angry about the laughing, the more angry the more stutter. I was always anxious under this kind of situation, So I was always fighting with them. Regardless of wins or loses, my parents would hit me again when I went home. In short, my childhood was kind of depressed. Although I had stutter problem, my body was quite flexible. I was very active at that time. Maybe it was "hyperactivity" with the words of today. Gradually, I became obsessed with graffiti in the sand and pinching clay figurine, and often feel especially happy when I was doing that. Since then, I felt that art opened the door in my mind gradually. The seed of art was probably planted in my heart at that time. The Well-known Japanese artist Takashi Murakami said that his art came from anger, I think my art was probably from anger and from the effort of beyond the emotion of low self-esteem. Li: So, the happiness of your childhood was seeking by yourself? Chen: Yes! Throughout my childhood, my parents never brought us any toys. Not like my daughter, she has plenty of them. The joy of my childhood had to go to find and create by myself. At that time I have made a lot of wood or soil staffs, like pistols, guns, ships, aircraft or something else. At that time, the outer wall of the wealthy villagers’ house always been painted by white plaster. I could not help to use charcoal painting on the white walls. I was drawing everything on the wall, such as drawing some Japanese stepped on mines, drawing their helmets, pistols, clothes run all over the place. It was really fun, and the owners of the houses were very angry about these paintings. From today's perspective, it’s quite like my first exhibition. When I was twelve years old, the country restored the freedom of religious belief, and then local people began to build large scale temple and ancestral hall everywhere. Since adults used wood to carve statues, then I used clay to make some small statues to imitate adults. Adults carried giant gods and held opening ceremony at the mountain, and our kids also carried and showed our little statues all around the village. This was a bit like the moving exhibition. Some villagers were particularly surprised by our little statues. The games of my childhood were important to my art career; I really missed my joyful childhood time. Li: Regarding to the environment of your childhood, art just like a dream for you, right? Chen: when I was a teenager, I had to do farm work after the school and painted something for the temples in the extra time to make some money for my family. Until now, many places in the village are still retaining my teenage painting. Our village is located in a small basin surrounded by mountains and wheat fields are all around the houses. Many times when I was cutting wheat, I heard the airplane flying above the valley. I was very excited. I was always staring at the airplane until it disappeared into the horizon. At that time, I decided to study hard, paint well, and later I could study in a big city to see the big planes, not just stayed in the small village. At that time, I was an idealistic rural youth and dreamed to leave the small village. It’s really an ambitious heart. Li: Who was leading you to the filed of art? Xiamen was the Special Economic Zone during the entire 80 and 90s. People in Fujian Province have strong business-mind so that the city filled with money, material and commercial atmosphere. At that time, art could not make good profit compare with other careers, how did you move toward to the road of professional artist? Chen: At that time, I spent three years to study with my first painting teacher Wong Huozhi, and learn sculpture with teacher Ma Xinbo and teacher Li Weili in Xiamen. They also have tremendous influence to my art foundation and my personality. In 1991, I graduated and was assigned to Lufeng Newapaper as an art editor. Lufeng Newapaper was a government sponsored newspaper. At the end of 1992, Deng Xiaoping visited Shengzhen, and released the famous southern tour speech to promote the reform of market economy. At that time, I resigned the job of the newspaper and stepped onto the path of professional artist. At the beginning, I was back to my hometown and made some wood scuptures. In 1993, I went to China Central Academy OfFine Arts to continue my sculpture studies. After that, I was back to Xiamen to set up my art studio in 1994. The studio was very simple at that time. The situation was not changed until the spring of 1999. Since then,I didn’t make city sculptures any more and proceeded in the "Little Red Child" series at that time. Li: In the late 90s, the choice of being a professional artist was not very easy. But you still insisted on this with great courage and energy, and made the milestone exhibition "Red Memory" in Pearl Bay Beach of Xiamen, which was a very significance step for you. Chen: Most of Chinese sculptors undertook urban sculptures according to contracts during the entire the 90s. It was very difficult to guarantee artists’ creation and independence by doing this kind of sculptures. In 1998, I had the idea of making the sculptures of "Little Red Child", and devoted the following three years to create this series. At the beginning of July, 2000, I tried to find a place in Beijing to exhibit these works, but I failed. I was forced to display the works at the seaside of Xiamen. However, the demonstration effect was unexpected good. These red child sculptures were placed among blue sky, blue sea, yellow sand, and green grass field, which provoked a very strong visual tension. It also had a wide range of public nature. The visitors were various, which included mayor, professors, college students, and so on. Even beggars came to the show, ha-ha! This kind of demonstration produced the interactive relations which were very interesting. At that time, some people praised the exhibition extremely, and some people abused it. Xiamen's media also introduced this show and made some comments. The show caused the very big reaction in the whole country, particularly in the south China. It was truly a topic thrown to the society at that time. I think artist’s exhibition is comprehensive examination of the art itself. Whether you are a donkey or a horse, you must show yourself in front of people. It is the way to examine the energy of the artist. The different voices of each exhibition could become the nutrients that help me to grow. Actually, the growth history of an artist is the history of his art exhibition. Li: After completion of the "Little Red Child" series, you had a clear direction of your art and put all of your energy into the individual art creation. You totally worked as a professional artist since then. Chen: Becoming an artist was my dream of youth. When I was child, I dreamed to enjoy the beauty of nature, to make sculptures, and to paint everyday in the future; and I could be awake naturally everyday and far away from the rules of society. I am a person who is rather to dig a well, than to dig ten pits. I always dig as far as possible until find water in this well; even find the petroleum in the well.Undoubtedly, art is my most favorite thing. Before the creation of the "Little Red Child", I had been struggled in the black hole and could not see the exit point of the black hole. But I believed I could come out. Li: After the "Little Red Child", the "Happy Life" and the "Heroic Struggle" series also received great response in Chinese contemporary art world. These works frequently appeared on a variety of domestic and international Biennales and some important exhibitions. Did these works relate to your life experiences? Chen: when I did the "Little Red Child" series, I lived in a relatively unenlightened environment. The outside world did not make too much influence on me. My creation was major based on my own experience. Certainly, the typical experience of individual artist is also the typical of social experience or the projection of group experience. Relatively, the "Little Red Child" is a quite internally oriented work. After the "Little Red Child" participated in Guangzhou Triennial, I decided to do some relative extroverted work, which means I wanted to pay more attention to social reality and wanted to be involved into the society. Therefore, I started from the spring of 2003 to do "Happy Life". After that, I made the "Heroic Struggle", "Chinese Landscape", "the Fetish", "Emergency Exit" series, and so on. Li: Unlike some of the artists who have insisted the creation of a symbolic mark constantly, your creations were always in change. You completed each series no more than two to three years. Recently, you have different presentation every year. But the spirit of your works always focuses on the reality problems of the consumption society, then, what’s your understanding of consumerism? Chen: Basically, I am not a labeled artist. I always pushed myself to continue to surpass myself. I appreciated these who died in the battle filed, and did not appreciate these who always stayed in the old place. Consumerism and consume culture are two different concepts. The former concept is a negative one, and the latter concept is a positive one. Consumerism is an imported concept. It is a principle that all human values are built on consume, showing off, extreme luxury, and intemperate desire for materials. People put this as the ultimate goal. In the era of consumerism, anything can be consumed.Everyone consumes others as well as consumed by others. Consumerism stimulates people’s desire of material expansion and alienation of human nature, because the nature of consumerism is the rule of exchange. For example, in Fujian Province, I once saw a rich person’s funeral, people cried in the queues. There were three women among them flapped in the coffin and cried badly. At that time, I said to others that this dead person must be a very respectful person, and was deeply loved by others. But people around me told me that these three women who cried most powerful were hired for the funeral. Originally, the commission fee was 150 Yuan a day. But today they could get 500 Yuan a day. That was why they cried more intense than others, the more intense the more money. They cried painful, but their hearts were happy because they could make more money. This was really a dumbfounding reality of society. The consumer objects of these women were tears and painful expression. They made living by these. In fact, poor people in today suffered more than ancient people, because today's social divisions of labor are too comprehensive and detailed, so people’s alienation by the expansion of material desire is much more serious in today. Li: The "Emergency Exit" exhibition has received very good comments, and obtained widely agreements in academic aspect.This exhibition could be considered as a big surmounting of your previous art creations. Could you share with us how you challenged this new theme? Chen: In recent years,we saw a lot of troubles of the society. There were all kinds of tricks and endless cheating. Wall Street’s Madoff was a typical miniature. I wanted to make a point about the society through my own artistic response. These two works of "Emergency Exit" exhibition were not for decorating our lives or entertaining people, but for understanding human nature and the society. I knew that I could never cure the "social disease".I just tried to ask some questions to stimulate people to reconsider their lives.This is enough. Li: Most of your art works were used to analyze the society by a humorous way, Such as the pigs in your previous works and the bull in the latest works. These animals were playing different roles in your artistic creations. Chen:For me, pig is the best carrier for my art implication.Its internal characteristics are also complicated. For example: the productivity of pig, the strong volume of pig, the rich sense of pig, the happiness of pig, the expansion rate of pig, the dirty aspect of pig, the stupid or smart characters of pig, and so on. All these characteristics are difficult to be represented by others. It provides visitors more possibilities to read, even if it is misread. I do not oppose misread.It’s also a kind of interpretation. I want my works have enough freedom space and open mind to the public. The "Bull" of my latest works is not "Cow of Ruzi" which is willing to serve the people whole-heartedly, but a stock market symbol of prosperity. I used "the fart" of the bull as the boost of the mad Wall Street, which squashed the influential Wall Street giant Madoff to the central of the wall, thus created a sense of playful, absurd, and anti-dramatic atmosphere. Li: At present, exploring the art language purely, or simply exploring the art concept may not be the best presentation of art. How to combine these two elements is a problem that artists must face. Your art language and methodology are very personal and representative in the field of Chinese contemporary art. How did you build and convey your artistic ideas? Chen: I abstracted nutrients from conceptual art, new media art, installation art, and other art forms. I hope that I am different everyday, just like eating different rice everyday. When rice gets into the stomach of art,it need to be gone through again, such as brewing, refining, and converting, then I could get the aromatic rice wine finally. I should be a brewery. I must brew my own artistic wine eventually. Furthermore, I esteem art which has both academic and popular tastes, and I like the methodology of explaining the profound in a simple language. I hate false art which presents deep intentionally. Xu Bing said his art is easy to access, I totally agree with him in this point. Li: The financial crisis is a great test for contemporary art. It tests the cornerstone of the art, tests artists' professional qualification, and tests artists' confidence. After experienced hard time and the phrase of rapid accumulation of wealth, the sprits of Chinese contemporary artists are more vulnerable than before.But you presented such a large scale exhibition in such a difficult time, how do think of the influence of market fluctuation regarding to artists? Chen: After the financial crisis and the demolition of Beijing art studios, we found a lot of people lost their sprits and courage. Chinese contemporary artists need to go through this stormy baptism. I think the real artists must be more powerful under this kind of situation. In this cold winter, we must prepare ourselves until the spring time. I believe we will have opportunities at that time.This is indeed the most severe year. My exhibition of "Emergency Exit" represents my basic position. Li: Your life and art experiences are full of stories, and some of them just like legendary stories. Can you make a simple summarize of your life so far? Chen: I was born at a poor family and lived in the edge of the society when I was young. I want to use weapons as the metaphor of my life. Before 1998, I was a simple and primitive artillery, which was full of energy and passion but lack of regular training. The artillery could not hit very far and the destruction ability was not large. Even it hit best, the injury of enemy was small, but I myself suffered serious injury. The battle finally ended up with billowing thick smoke, to obstruct my foresight. And now I like a sky fighter which passed the test and got the initial main point. Now I fly freely and have the opportunity to provide outstanding military service. I have my own radar equipment and navigation systems. I will be able to achieve my goals as long as I can keep humble. My ultimate wish is to become a silent pistol, pocket-sized, calm and tranquil, living in the edge of the society, keeping calm and leisure. These are my idealistic life style. My life is from edge to edge. Actually, I mentioned above were from the life experiences of numerous historical genius. Li: I heard that you have an exhibition in 2010; can you talk about your plan for the future? Chen: Actually, life is always not following its own design. Today’s idea may be changed at tomorrow. So it is hard to say something accurately right now. I just hope people pay attention to my new works in
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要了解陈文令的作品,我们就必须清醒当代中国社会在过去20-30年间的转型。随着新中国的建立,提倡优雅的文人传统被主流意识形态视为对立物,而逐渐被清除出日常生活的话语范畴。与此同时,民间的通俗文化,成为主流意识形态标榜文化特性的武器,对视觉文化的生产形成新的冲击。无论的是解放后期的油画民族化讨论,还是水墨画中的新年画运动,抑或是中国雕塑向民间泥塑学习产生的“收租院”这样的雕塑,在不同媒介的艺术创作中,追求带有民间通俗文化意味的语言和形态迅速成为主流。80年代开始的中国当代艺术运动,事实上是中国艺术学习西方现当代艺术的语言复兴。但是当中国当代艺术在90年代开始进入国际当代艺术的意义生产时,作为边缘的中国当代艺术很快发现,对于西方的了解和模仿,并不能带来国际艺术对于中国当代艺术的认同。在这种背景下,曾经被当代艺术否决的民俗与民族语言因素开始进入到当代艺术的语言创造中来。 同样,我们也必须注意到,在日常生活层面中,中国当代生活的财富是在过去20-30年代间建立起来的。一方面是文化层面中的精英意识被主流意识形态的清除,另一方面是物质财富和欲望在中国以前所未有的速度的叠加,二者之间无法弥补的鸿沟,造成了当代中国视觉文化的特性。诞生于90年代中期的艳俗艺术虽然脱胎于政治波普,但是相比后者在视觉趣味上却更宣扬中国的民俗符号。但是艳俗艺术产生于中国当代艺术于国际艺术市场之间边缘与中心的不平衡状态,从某种意义上说,它更多是迎合西方对于中国的“暴发户”文化想像而自我建构,充满异国情调的视觉样式,是后殖民文化的产物。 然而,中国当代艺术语言的丰富性并不是艳俗艺术所能“简单化”的。更多的试验在那些富有责任感的艺术家的语言创造中以不同的方式试验着。如前所述,财富的叠加与文化趣味的丧失是中国当代社会的根本矛盾,对于社会文化趣味的反省、嘲讽和比拟也成了很多艺术家试验的方向。如果说脱胎于85新潮的隋建国用观念艺术来重新阐释社会现实主义的语言的话,那么新一代的雕塑家则开始有意识的彻底摒弃了观念艺术的有效性,用本土民俗化的语言符号同时向社会主流意识形态和西方文化偏见开战。展望用流行而廉价的不锈钢批量复制代表高雅文化的“假山石”,刘建华则是套用陶瓷中彩塑的概念,反讽地贩卖着“异国情调的旗袍”。 陈文令的作品就是在这样的文化和艺术的上下文中展开的。在福建学习工艺美术的陈文令并没有太多文化符号和理论的负担,所以相比上述隋建国,他对于西方当代艺术的先进性完全没有依恋,相比展望和刘建华,他也不留观念艺术的尾巴。相比艳俗艺术,民俗艺术并非是一个符号,相反是他创作的主题。陈文令并非像艳俗艺术那样,在用鄙夷的眼光审视故作清高的审视着当下的日常生活。相反,他是用民间符号和语言来重新诠释那些故作高雅的“幸福生活”。 从某种层面上说,陈文令创造的是真正“视觉艺术”而不是观念艺术。在他的作品中,饱满的造型总是充满特殊的力量感,无数形体的非理性组合,使得面对他作品陷入到莫名奇妙的狂喜之中。同样,也可能与他对中国民间文化的了解有关,在他的作品中,符号系统往往是简单而明确的。猪必然象征着财富和衣食无忧和生活的快乐,而对于性感的呈现,则是胸大屁股大;美丽和品味则体现为血红的嘴唇和硕大的珍珠项链。在最新的创作中,陈文令试图发展出一种与民间神话相关的寓言风格,创造出各种奇怪的动物形象,以比拟当代生活。相比中国当代艺术体系的观念艺术试验,陈文令是个十足的草根:他并非关注观念的理性推演,相反对现实的非理性化有着浓厚的兴趣;相比那些后殖民激发的艳俗艺术,陈文令则是真诚得近乎透明:从气质上说,他从不居高临下地嘲讽,拙劣的模仿,往往,他要表现比现实更加疯狂。 从视觉上看,陈文令的作品的绝妙之处在于他的疯狂和力量感。他的作品中所有的造型都是圆形趣味,体量丰硕,充满肉欲而毫无优雅可言。从趣味上说,这种简单直接的造型脱胎于耕种文明的民间文化,相比当代社会而言,他们多少有点不堪如目,过于粗鄙而不登当代都市生活的大雅之堂。但是,草根出生的陈文令的文化目的恰恰是要用这种粗鄙的“农民趣味”来呈现当代都市文化被高雅所遮蔽的原始冲动。安徒生童话中,象征着对爱情忠贞的美人鱼,被陈文令用肥硕的形体呈现,用珠光宝气打扮,并编排到充满粗鄙的胖男人的床上。在这里,艺术家所试图传达的是一种“下层”的眼光,他同庸俗来消解高雅,用原始冲动来消解当代的情感与趣味。 被艳丽的色彩和肉欲的造型所包裹着的这些作品,其实是民间眼光对于当代生活的一次有力剖析。它们是对一个在短期内积聚巨大财富的社会的生活趣味的极端体验,但是从另一个角度看,陈文令作品的真正指向是反讽地反应出在追求财富与欲望实现过程某些重要文化环节的缺失。就像16世纪尼德兰画派中的博鲁盖尔用民间寓言反讽基督教文化的虚伪一样,相比那些高雅的当代艺术而言,陈文令难以置信的将庸俗作为一种力量发挥到及至,让我们赤裸裸的面对我们在当代生活中试图掩盖的东西。 On the Gaudy and the Tawdry: A Double Exposure Pi Li In order to understand the work of Chen Wenling, one must first investigate the past 20 to 30 years of change in China's social structure. During the establishment of the "New China," the cultural elegance advocated by the humanistic tradition was taken as the antithesis of mainstream ideology, and was slowly eliminated as a mode of everyday discourse. At the same time, folk culture became a weapon of this same mass ideology, attacking visual culture in general. Styles, languages, and forms borrowed from folk culture were quickly absorbed into mainstream culture across multiple media: the development of oil painting after liberation, political movements in ink painting, and the clay statue-influenced Rent Collection Yard all reflect these trends. The movement known as Chinese contemporary art that began in the 1980s was, in reality, a restoration of the language of modern Western art. But as Chinese artists quickly discovered when they began to participate in the international production of semiotic meaning in the 1990s, understanding and imitation of the West would not be enough to achieve the recognition of the international art world. Under this background, the semiotic elements of folk arts and crafts once rejected by contemporary art slowly began to re-enter the visual language of contemporary art production. In the same way, we cannot ignore the fact that, on the level of daily life, the material wealth of contemporary life in China began to be established only 20 to 30 years ago. Whereas on the one hand elite ideologies were wiped out of China's cultural sphere by the mainstream, on the other hand material desires were inflated at an unprecedented rate; the irreconcilable gaps between these two levels of social construction have created the characteristics of China's contemporary visual culture. Gaudy Art, born in the middle of the 1990s, was born out of Political Pop, but in retrospect much more heavily emphasizes symbols and images from Chinese folk art. It was also created under the unequal conditions of the periphery-center relationship between China and the international art metropoles, so perhaps it may be possible to call it a synthesis between the West and the culture of China's new rich—something simultaneously imagined and constructed. A visual form full of exoticism and sentimentality, it was certainly a product of post-colonialism. On the other hand, the rich language of Chinese contemporary art cannot be so easily flattened and simplified by Gaudy Art. Generally speaking, the semiotic production of responsible artists manifests itself in experiments of widely ranging styles. If the past serves as any example, the expansion of material wealth and forfeit of cultural modes may be the fundamental contradiction of contemporary Chinese society; many artists have taken this very loss of modes of cultural production as a direction for meditation, analogy, or satire. For example, it could be said that Sui Jianguo, who emerged from the 85 New Wave, uses conceptual art to illuminate the language of social expressionism; it must naturally follow that the new generation of sculptors, who have closed the door on conceptual art, use the linguistic symbols of native folk art to begin a perverse war with both mainstream ideologies and Western culture. Zhan Wang uses the popular (and moderately priced) medium of stainless style to reproduce en masse the scholar's rocks that have come to represent refined culture. Liu Jianhua uses the concept of painted porcelain to sarcastically sell his exoticized Qipaos. Chen Wenling's work belongs to this category, unfolding in the contextual space of art and culture. Studying craftwork and fine arts in Fujian, his work carried very few cultural symbols, and bore no theoretical burden—so unlike Sui Jianguo he holds no attachment to the Western avant-garde, and unlike Zhan Wang and Liu Jianhua he does not linger on the tail of conceptual art. Unlike Gaudy Art in general, folk art does not appear as a symbol in his work; on the contrary, it takes on thematic importance. Chen Wenling rejects the tactics of Gaudy Art, refusing to inspect the pretensions of everyday life with a condescending gaze. Instead, he uses the images and language of folk art to reinterrogate the false elegance of "the Good Life." On any level, Chen Wenling works in visual art, not conceptual art. In his works, fullness of form takes on a special kind of strength. Countless shapes come together irrationally, forcing the viewer to fall into an unaccountable rapture. Perhaps due to his understanding of Chinese folk culture, his systems of signification are often simple and clear. A pig inevitably symbolizes wealth, comfortable living, and happiness; sex is invariably manifested in large breasts and large buttocks; beauty and taste are demonstrated by red lips and large pearl necklaces. In his latest work, Chen Wenling attempts to develop a system of fairy tales or folk mythology through a series of images of strange animals—a metaphor for contemporary life. Compared with the experiments of China's contemporary conceptual art circle, Chen drifts without roots—he ignored the rationalist implications of conceptualism, but expressed interest in the irrational tendencies of expressionism. Compared with the Gaudy Art aroused by post-colonialism, Chen Wenling is honest and transparent; he never mockingly looks down upon his subject matter and puts forth poor imitations of life; often, what he wants to express is even more insane than real life. Visually, the strong points of Chen Wenling's work lie in their insanity and feeling of strength. His images feel rounded, heavy, fleshy, and inelegant. Conceptually, this type of simplicity and directness is born out of the folk culture of an agricultural civilization; these subjects are almost difficult to look art, overly vulgar and unrefined. And this is precisely the artist's goal—to use this vulgar "peasant flavor" to expose the primal impulses of urban China, despite their veneer of elegance. The fish that represents love, beauty, and innocence in Anderson's fairy tales is appropriated by Chen Wenling and turned into a fat and formless shape dressed out in jewels and finery and placed on a fat, vulgar, and tacky man's bed. Here, the artist attempts to express a sort of "low level" point of view, using filth and vulgarity to undermine elegance, or using primitive human impulses to resist contemporary affect and aesthetics. These works, covered in flamboyant colors and fleshy forms, should be considered a dissection and analysis of contemporary life from the perspective of folk culture. They certainly reflect the extreme experience of a lifestyle that has undergone a massive accumulation of wealth in a very short period of time; from another perspective, Chen Wenling engages in an ironic response to the lack of cultural life in the space between the pursuit of wealth and the realization of material desires. Just as 16th century Dutch painter Peter Bruegel used folk mythology to satirically reveal the emptiness of Christian culture, Chen Wenling brings out and takes full advantage of the power of aesthetic vulgarity, forcing the viewer to gaze nakedly upon that which his contemporary life tries to conceal.
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陈文令的雕塑表现了消费社会在中国形成后的精神群像。他的雕塑使用了一种寓言化的形象,揭示了九十年代的物质主义对一代人的精神渗透,以及九十年代以来中国人的自我状况和后意识形态的日常精神形式。 他的雕塑主要表现两个方面的主题,一是对人性极端状况的表现,二是对消费社会中精神群像的表现。对于自我极度状况的表现开始于“红孩子”系列,这个系列既非现实主义,也非前卫雕塑,它主要是陈文令个人对生命临界状态的自我表达,比如恐惧、喜悦、游戏和幻想等基本的主题动机,“红孩子”系列表达的是一种个人自传性体验的自我形式。 九十年代的雕塑潮流主要是对观念艺术和前卫艺术的吸收,这使当代雕塑表现为现实主义和前卫雕塑两条主线,陈文令的雕塑实际上很难归属到这两条线中的任何一条。这个系列表现的是一种单一的自我状况,它采用的是一种将普遍人性的经验转化为一种寓言化的自我形式,“红孩子”在形式上使用了风格化的颜色和极度夸张的形体动作,表现人性的具体主题状态,没有复杂的形式和主题叙事。这种单一性的自我形式尽管没有前卫雕塑的观念性和现实主义的真实状况,却具有一种临界状态的极度性表现产生的直指人心的视觉魅力。 “红孩子”系列标志着陈文令雕塑的语言方式的形成,一是雕塑形式的寓言化,其次是人性的极端状况的表达。他的雕塑表现了一种世俗精神的极度状况的价值观,并对人的处境的各种存在状态作了主题性的形体概括,比如极乐,以及孤独、受困等。这种对于快乐和痛苦状况的形象表现并不是一种写实主义视觉,而是一种理想性和终极状态的表现,它强调了人达到某种状态后绝对的自我成立的意义状态。 出于对精神极度性的偏好,陈文令事实上已经将这种状况提升到一种准宗教色彩的自我观看,为了这一层次的自我状况的透彻呈现,观念和叙事成分都减到最低限度,使灵魂进入更为直接的自白状态。“红孩子”系列是一种自我和普遍人性的表达,雕塑语言主要是限于一种自我的形体状况,借此体现自我主题、自我状况和自我表现。 “幸福生活”系列标志着陈文令雕塑的一次重要转变,即从自我表达的范畴转向一种社会和群体状况的表达。这个系列转向了消费社会背景下对一种群体存在状况的实质揭示,在雕塑语言上也开始脱离“红孩子”的朴素和自我模仿的形式,吸收了民间雕塑、叙事性和反讽风格等元素。 在“幸福生活”中,陈文令选取了肥硕可爱的猪和处于极度快乐的人这两个形象,进行一种日常生活状况的虚构。比如夫妻之间的拥抱和亲昵;一群大猪小猪像杂技演员那样做倒立;一个绅士或者主妇抱着一头大猪,一群小猪围在四周;或者一对夫妻骑在猪身上,其中的丈夫挥着砍刀像骑着战马一样处于极度癫狂的临战状态;或者一个史前大汉抱着巨猪的头呆在半空中与猪搏斗;或者一个青年猎人骑在猪身上拿着古代长筒望远镜在眺望。猪和人在陈文令的雕塑中都处于一种极端的自我状况,极度充满幸福感的自我快乐或者极度怪异的自我癫狂。 猪在不仅在动作上,而且在自我状态上都被高度的拟人化;而人尽管保持人的形体和动作,但在自我和精神状况上也几乎跟猪没有什么分别。在体态和精神特征上,这个系列中人和猪的区别事实上并不大,猪接近人的状况,人接近于猪的状态。这实际上建立了猪对人的一种比喻关系,以及人处于猪的一种寓言状态。在这一点上,陈文令找到了一个形象象征表达的视觉形式。 可爱化和绝对的快乐主义是这个系列主要表现的两个形象特征,这实际上也是九十年代消费社会进入中国后时代精神状况的一个总的自我特征和价值取向。“幸福生活”尽管延续了“红孩子”对自我极度状况的表现方式,但已经越出了自我状况和普遍的人性表现,而转向一种自我的社会化状况和人性的时代征候的表现。 在这个系列中,对于“幸福生活”主题的阐释实际上被表现为一种没有任何痛苦的极度的快乐主义,以及一种可爱化的人格特征。每一个猪和人都似乎生活在没有过去和未来的快乐状况,他们似乎努力使自己的日常性可爱和无痛苦化。 “幸福生活”系列由于侧重于社会集体状况的题材,在形式上要比“红孩子”更具有内含的多重性和深刻性,在主题上实际上倾向于一种社会批评。猪人浑同,比如猪像人一样穿衣服、做各种动作,人则被塑造成猪一样的物质化状况和体态,这揭示了一种深刻的社会生存状态,而在其背后,还具有一种消费社会的日常意识形态批判,比如消费社会中人格的小市民化和拜物教意识。 对于消费社会在中国形成后的当代雕塑的表现,从九十年代中期开始成为一个主要的表现领域,像徐一辉对麦当劳、盒饭等商品的表现,刘力国、刘建华对于身体欲望和花哨外表的表现,李占洋对娱乐场所和暴发户阶层生活场景的表现等。消费社会文化从九十年代中期就一直被作为一种反讽主题的文化批判对象,从它的文化表象到欲望和文化衰败的内在经验。但这种揭示主要还是在一个自我存在和社会意识形态状况的层次,在揭示消费社会的人的异化和人格的萎缩这一点上,陈文令的“幸福生活”要表现得更为深入,并且真正揭示了这个时代的一种群体精神状况的本质。 “幸福生活”系列不仅在主题上表现了这个时代的群体的自我本质,在雕塑语言上也具有很多观念和形式上的实践,比如寓言化和叙事雕塑的形式、形象的反讽性,以及在雕塑中引入群像和现场叙事的语言形式。在雕塑语言上,由于陈文令工艺美术学院的教育背景,他的雕塑比较强调对民俗雕塑风格的学院派的形式改造,注重当代雕塑对民间造型特征的吸收。陈文令吸收了一种喜剧性的民俗人物的形象特征,比如胖女人、呆痴的表情和噘起的嘴,这些形象原来在民俗艺术的年画和雕塑中表现为一种喜庆和乐观主义的开朗状态,这种喜庆特征被用来作为对可爱和无痛苦化的征候的表现,但在民俗艺术中实质上是一种底层社会的理想性表达,而在陈文令的表现主题中被用作一种反讽性的群体精神状况的特征。 在陈文令的近作中,他的语言上更倾向于一种超现实主义的神话语言的形式,比如人骑在类似史前大像或者史前怪物那样的猪身上,或者像英雄与恐龙搏斗那样在与猪争战。这个近作系列社会指向性和象征性模糊一些,而更倾向于一种形象的自我荒诞状况的揭示。形式实验一直是陈文令雕塑实践的一个重要部分,他的近作更接近于一种雕塑语言的艺术实验,这个系列剥离掉了“幸福生活”中雕塑形象的社会性和后意识形态的直接的批判性,似乎在转了一圈之后又回到了对人类自我迷狂的呈现。但与“红孩子”系列对于普遍人性和极端状况的表现相比,这一次陈文令表现的不是一种理想性和对于人性向完善状态的想象性,而是一种悲观性和荒诞感,他试图在艺术的这种神话意境中增加一种强有力的自我成分,使得这个视觉格局看上去还处在搏斗之中。 陈文令的雕塑主要表现人处于某种激情或者极端的人性超常状态,这是他早期雕塑语言最初的自我形式,这种自我主题后来被引入到一种社会性的语境,成为一种对消费社会人向可爱和快乐主义动物状况的反讽。而在他的近作中,陈文令似乎并不准备只是讽刺和批判,而是在试图在悲剧性层次进行一次与自我的博斗和拯救的想象。 2006年3月6日写于望京 Fable of Chen Wenling---the Fighting and Imagination in Consumption Society The cluster of immaterial images when China comes to a consumption society is represented in Chen Wenling's sculptures. His sculptures adopt an allegorized visualize, which reveals the mental infiltration of the materialism in the 90s to a generation and the Chinese self-condition from that time, and also the common consciousness of post-ideology. The two main themes of Chen Wenling's sculptures are the manifestations of extreme humanity and immaterial images in a consumption society. His self extreme condition begins from the series of "Red Boy". It is neither realism nor vanguard sculpture, but the self expression of Chen Wenling himself to the critical state of life. For example, dread, gladness, game and fancy are the basic main motivations of his sculpture. This series of the "Red Boy" conveys his experience in an autobiographic form. The sculpture trends in the 90s are mainly the absorption in the Concept Art and the Vanguard Art, which makes the contemporary sculpture to two main lines of realism and vanguard sculpture. But in fact, it's hard to classify Chen Wenling's sculptures to either of them. This series of "Red boy" shows a singular self-condition, and transfer the universal humanistic experience to a kind of allegorized self-form. It has no complicated format and narrative theme, but using a styling color and exceedingly exaggerated body action to display the specific topic estate of humanity. Although the singularity in this form of self-representation doesn't conclude the concept of vanguard sculpture and the reality of realism, it has a stroking visual glamour which arising from the extremity of the critical state. The series of "Red boy" symbolized the formation of Chen Wenling's expressing method. One is the allegorical sculpture forms and the other is the manifestations of extreme humanity. His sculptures show earthly values in extremity, and physically generalized various existence of human like extraordinary joy, isolation, hardship and so on. This expression of happy and pain is not a realistic perspective, but an ideal and ultimate manifestation. It emphasized the absolute self condition when he came to some point. Because of the partiality for extreme spirit, Chen Wenling actually has elevated this condition to a self view which had standard religion color, in order to present his self-condition thoroughly and decrease the elements of conception and narration to its minimum, which employ the soul to amore direct confession. The series of "Red Boy" expresses a kind of oneself and the common humanity; the language of his sculpture is mainly his own physique status, which is to show the self-theme, self-condition and self-expression. The series of "Happy Life" is an important transformation of Chen Wenling's sculpture career. He changed his self-expression to manifestation of the society and the masses. This change delineates a colony of people's existence in this consumption society, and the sculpture language is no longer the naive and self-imitational form, but absorbing the elements of folk sculpture, narration and irony style. In "Happy Life", Chen Wenling chooses lovely chubby pig and extremely happy person for his two images to make a fictitious daily life. For example, a couple embraced intimately; a flock of pigs doing handstands like acrobats; a gentleman or a housewife holding a plump pig, with a group of little pigs around; a couple riding on the pig, and the husband, holding a chopper and deeply believing that he was on a horse back facing a war; an extraordinary strong fellow grasping a gigantic pig's head and fighting with it in mind air and a young hunter riding on the pig back viewing with an archaic long tube telescope are all Chen Wenling's outstanding works. The people and pigs in Chen Wenling's sculptures are in a terrific self-condition that they feel an excessive happiness or extremely baroque madness of themselves. In his works, the pigs not only in their actions but also in their self-conditions are highly personated. On the contrary, the persons keep human forms and actions, but their self- condition and mental world are in real pigs' state. The people and pigs in this series have few differences of each other in posture and inner world. Pigs are close to human and men also to pigs. Actually, this method established a parable relation to the pigs and human beings and the allegory that human are like pigs. On this point, Chen Wenling initiated a symbolized way to express visual form. Loveliness and absolute happiness are the main characters of this series, which are also a chief feature and value orientation of contemporary spiritual states in the 90s when China comes to a consumption society. Although"Happy Life"continued the expression method of personal extreme state like the "Red Boy", it exceeded the self-condition and general humanity, transferring to the manifestation of personal socialized status and human nature of the time. In this series, the interpretation of "Happy Life" is in reality expressed as an extreme but entirely painless optimism. Each pig and person seems to live in a joyful state which has no past or future tone. They tried to make their daily life cute and non-suffering. In form, the series of "Happy Life" has more meaning and seemed more profound than "Red boy", and it inclined to a social criticism in the theme, because it emphasized on the study of a group. Man and pig joint together. For example, pigs wear clothes like people, and their actions are also reminiscent of people, but people's bodies are presented with pigs in physicality and materiality. This skill reveals a profound social living condition, behind which he criticizes the ideology in consumer society, like the parochial thought and fetishism in personality. From the middle of the 90s, contemporary sculptures are mainly focus on the characters in the consumption society. For example, Xu Yihui's works about McDonald's, box lunch and other commodities, Liu Liguo and Liu Jianhua's exhibition of body appetite and flowery appearance; Li Zhanyang's reflection of recreational ground and arrivistes' life site and so on. The consumption social culture from its culture idea to its inner experience of downfall was regarded as the critical object of irony theme. But such disclosure is mainly limited to a level of the self's existence and social ideology. On the point of revealing man's dissimilation and shrink of personality, Chen Wenling's "Happy Life" is more deepgoing, and truly posts the essence of a group's spiritual states in this time. "Happy Life" not only exposed the personal essence of a group in this time, but in the language of sculpture also involved many practice both in concept and form. The various formats conclude allegory, narrative sculpture, visual irony, group images and on-location narration. Because he graduated from the Academy of Art and Design, in terms of artistic language, he insists on reforming the folk sculpture to academism, especially learn from the popular postures. Chen Wenling absorbs the comical features of folk figures: for example, fat women, idiotic facial expressions, and puckered lips, which are shown a state of joyous and optimistic in folk Spring Festival pictures and sculptures formerly. This joyous estate was used to show loveliness and painlessness, and in folk custom art, it was essentially an ideality of the bottom people, but in Chen Wenling's subject, it displayed to an irony of a group's emotional states. In terms of artistic language, Chen Wenling's recent artworks are closer to a type of surrealistic legendary language structure, for instance, people are riding on pigs as if they were riding the pre-historic elephant or pre-historic mammals, they seems to be fighting against pigs just like the heroes struggling against dinosaurs. The recent series blurs the directness of the social metaphor, but is inclined to revealing the preposterous being of the self. Form experience is always a crucial part in Chen Wenling's sculpture practice, so his recent works are more like an art experiment in artistic language. These series departure the sociality of sculpture and the direct criticism of post-ideology in "Happy Life". It seems that this brings Chen Wenling back to presenting the human realm of self –indulgence in a circuit. Compared to the universal humanity and the extremeness in "Red Boy", this time, what Chen Wenling wants to show is not an ideality or imagination which directs the humanity to perfect, but a pessimism and preposterous sense. That is, he attempts to insert a strong element of the self, causing this visual layout to appear still in the midst of a struggle. Chen Wenling's sculptures focus on showcasing people in some state of enthusiasm or extreme extraordinary humanness. This became his early form of self-representative language in sculpture, and this self-representative theme was later brought into the context of social issues, where it became a satire directed toward people came to overlade loveliness and animal hedonism in the consumption society. However, irony and criticism seem not Chen Wenling's single technique, he more wants to have an image of self-struggle and redemption in the level of pessimism. Zhu Qi Written in Wangjing March 6th 2006
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李圆一:从你最早开始做做的红色记忆系列,然后从幸福生活,英勇奋斗、中国风景开始,一直到现在的这个以华尔街金牛为素材的作品,所有出现的动物都在象征人类的某种东西,什么促使你这一路的转变? ...
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【评论】李圆一对话陈文令
陈文令的小红人系列具有颇大的视觉冲击力,这证明,他创作的心理场非常广阔,有一种舍我其谁的劲头。我听到一些人用了“壮观”的字眼来评价,“壮观”无非说明作品在“量”上的庞大和“质”上的张力,同时也表明某种惊人的新奇感,没有新奇...
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【评论】小红人后面是什么?
黄:我们今天的话题可以谈得比较广泛一点,从艺术本体到社会经济问题及政治问题等。当然,我们最主要是谈你的个人创作。目前,中国的当代艺术出现了一些惊喜的变化。尤其是2008年9月纽约发生了“金融风暴”之后,对全球的艺术冲击很大。...
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【评论】“紧急出口”在哪里---黄笃、陈文令访谈
陈文令是新一代中国当代艺术家的重要代表之一。他经过近一年的缜密思考和精心准备最终在798卓越艺术空间向观众呈现了一个令人惊叹的个展《紧急出口》。展览分别在大小两个厅展出两件大小雕塑作品:《你看到的未必是真实的》和《如何逃离》...
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【评论】陈文令:《紧急出口》在哪里?
黄笃:像美术界对你的成长经历了解的不是特别多,有必要请你介绍一下自己艺术教育的背景及个人的艺术发展。 陈文令:可以简要介绍一下,我1969年出生在闽南的一个很偏远的小山村里...
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【评论】混杂的现实主义---黄笃与陈文令访谈录
导语:一直以来,艺术家陈文令的作品创作总是与社会现象息息相关。近日,陈文令携以个人真实经历为蓝本的作品《悬案》亮相今日美术馆,这次艺术家将一件视觉性装置作品,演绎成一部触目惊心的悬疑剧。 ...
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【评论】陈文令:雕筑生命的“温度”Carving
陈文令的红男孩,通体鲜红,如火如荼。红色是2002年的流行色;从韩国的红魔拉拉队到欧洲足坛以往罕见的红队服,再到中国各式各样的红色物象,举目四股,处处红色。红色的流行使得红男孩们找到了名正言顺的色彩空间。在历史中,红色是中国...
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【评论】红男孩为什么走红
李:从最早的“小红人”到“英勇奋斗”、“幸福生活”直至今年的“金牛系列”,突出的视觉效果、充满张力的体量感、主题的不断创新等特征一直贯穿于您的作品,您作品所呈现的艺术气质是您真实性格的投射吗? ...
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【评论】其实我也没有真正知道自己是如何成长的--
要了解陈文令的作品,我们就必须清醒当代中国社会在过去20-30年间的转型。随着新中国的建立,提倡优雅的文人传统被主流意识形态视为对立物,而逐渐被清除出日常生活的话语范畴。与此同时,民间的通俗文化,成为主流意识形态标榜文化特性...
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【评论】对媚俗与媚雅的双重戳穿
陈文令的雕塑表现了消费社会在中国形成后的精神群像。他的雕塑使用了一种寓言化的形象,揭示了九十年代的物质主义对一代人的精神渗透,以及九十年代以来中国人的自我状况和后意识形态的日常精神形式。 ...
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【评论】陈文令的寓言:进入与消费社会的搏斗和想象
艺术观点
《红艺术》:最近有什么新的创作吗? 陈文令:我现在的很多思路还在酝酿之中,没有最终敲定,都只是在做一些小的方案、小的样稿。明年七八月份可能就会有作品出来。我新的作品可能会有一些新的面目,但不是突变,是一种渐变式的水到渠成的慢慢转变。 《红艺术》:您是如何将民间的东西与现代性的转变进行衔接的? 陈:我个人的感觉就是,首先你的关注的应该是当下的是今天的,你做的内容关注的是一种现实的人文关怀、一种现实的针对性,我认为传统的艺术语言...
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和《Hi艺术》以前去过的艺术家工作室不一样,陈文令的工作室里除了自己的雕塑作品,《Hi艺术》还意外地发现在他的书架上还摆放着几个相框,里面是他和他妻子、女儿一家三口的照片,看来他艺术事业红红火火的背后,还有一个幸福美满的家庭支撑着。按照他的说法,这都跟他与生俱来的草根性有关。上个月陈文令去了趟湖南,说是去找毛泽东-他的组织去了…… (Hi艺术=Hi陈文令=陈) 遥想红孩儿 Hi:现在大多数人看到“陈文令”三个字,想到的还是“...
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“一个人可以非常清贫、困顿、低微,但是不可以没有梦想。只要梦想一天,只要梦想存在一天,就可以改变自己的处境。”奥普拉的这句话可以说是陈文令真实的人生写照。1969年,陈文令出生在泉州安溪县的一个山谷中,春耕、除草、种粮食,陈文令在这个闽南小村子面朝黄土背朝天的挥洒着童年和少年,懵懵懂懂梦想着自己的人生:亲眼看到飞机、轮船;吃空心菜的叶子而不是梗;走出村庄做现代的都市人;成为一名艺术家;走出中国,走向世界艺术的舞台。 在实现梦想的道路上,陈文令犹如摸着石头过河的孩子,就算要忍受呛水的痛苦,就算不知道彼岸还有多远,也从没想过要放弃...
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2010年11月14日,艺术家陈文令的新作品在今日美术馆的二层大厅亮相。空旷挑高的展厅被黑暗的氛围笼罩着,顶部的聚光灯照亮了悬挂于展厅空中的一个惊心动魄的场景---一头鲨鱼被人捕住,粗粗的绳索捆住了其身体,但是它却超现实的疯狂咬住了一只河马的尾巴,而河马正在吞噬着一只鳄鱼的半身,鳄鱼在情急之中一口咬住了那个正在捕猎鲨鱼的人,人的手紧紧拽住了粗粗的绳索,这样四个生物之间惊恐的搏斗场面就被绳索悬挂在了空中。场面直观逼真而动人心魄。此时故事还没有讲完,观众沿着墙角的绳索以及墙地面斑斑的血迹,便来到了后面一个空间,同样是聚光灯打在三首动物的尸体上,墙角的绳索继续绵延向前,在一扇掩映的门...
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他用生命的奇迹证明,他是个内心雄强的男人; 他用艺术的奇迹证明,他是个彻头彻尾的艺术家 ChenWenling,escape 陈文令,死里逃生 text姚进photocourtesyof陈文令interview/editor周逸 十年前,北京的当代艺术圈,还搜不到“陈文令”这个名字;十年前,在陈文令的字典里,北京是个“没有...
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“胜人者力,自胜者强。”强者关照的是自我内心的力量。就艺术家而言,剥去作品的观念、语言、形、色、文本的参照最终看到的是艺术家精神力量的指引。 如果说“真正的光明决不是永没有黑暗的时间,只是永不被黑暗所掩蔽罢了”,陈文令所经历过的最黑暗时间莫过于1996年在厦门的遭遇。在这里我无意把陈文令的这段往事重新提及,而使得对一个生命有着重要意义的事件变得“矫情”。在于事件本身对于艺术家精神世界的提示和对其作品的解读。宽恕伤害过自己的人的同时也是自我精神的疗伤和救赎的过程。在陈文令《悬案》作品的现场,两组超现实主义雕塑奇观的隔段墙面上,有...
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G=环球游报 C=陈文令 1、艺术创作应该是自然而随性的,但是艺术创作过程中会不会也存在“艺术创作策略”? 艺术家的大多创作是在随意和刻意之间进行的,有灵感喷发也有惨淡经营,这些都是非常必要的。任何一个艺术家都不是在绝对的状态下创作,都是在一种包容、宽松自由、琢磨的心理状态下创作作品的。艺术策略就好比是战场上的战略,一个统帅式的人物没有好策略就不可能成为一个好将军,要有战略的同时也要有战术,光有战略没有战术也是不合适的 ...
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采访陈文令时,正值陈老师疲惫不堪状,那双疲沓的眼皮真让我为自己的采访捏把冷汗,这与他11月在今日美术馆展览《悬案》盛大开幕式上,像大佬一样招呼各路嘉宾的神采奕奕大相径庭。展览过后,他的这身皮囊累了。需要休息---是我采访时最真实的感受。我知道陈文令已经接受过大大小小、边边角角、形形色色的各式采访,但对我来说,“陈文令”这个名字印在脑里的时间是在2008年第一次见到他的新作《物神》。我相信当时有很多人和我一样,心脏在毫不知情的情况下被灼灼地搅和了一番的,印象就是我们被《物神》里的猪狠狠地、突然地震慑了一下。我不知道你是不是能够接受他这种直接的调侃、讽刺方式,但你是不是在挣扎于这种...
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导语: 抽文:博弈和挣脱这两个词汇应该能够折射到今天的一些社会性问题,今天我们在博弈什么?我们又在挣脱什么?我想用自己视觉化的作品来回应我的一点点思想,而且这种视觉化的呈现让社会上每个层面的人几乎都能找到看点。 我的艺术大楼还没封顶 Hi:你每年展览的主题看起来都不一样。 陈:这么多年来,我一直想用一种比较不稳定的、摇摆的、自由的、探讨性的,探险性的姿态来讨论自己潜在的可能...
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艺树:您认为艺术家跟媒体之间的关系应该是什么样的状态? 陈文令:今天是一个媒体资讯急速传播的大时代,艺术家要不断地为社会,为大众,为各个层面的人提出新的有价值的看点和思考。艺术家离不开媒体,媒体也离不开艺术家。 艺树:那您在跟媒体接触的时候会考虑到大众的接受能力吗? 陈文令:面对一些很大众的电视节目、视频、或时尚媒体的访谈是需要深入浅出的言说,他主要不是给专业人士观看的,要把很深刻的东西用通俗易懂的方式传递出来。有一些小众精...
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