【2013艺术部落网年度人物推荐-钞氏兄弟】

闻正

老城门老门楼创作自述

文/ 钞氏兄弟

老城门老门楼的创作构想其实由来已久，早在十几年前的学生时代初到北京考察时，就曾经被皇城的辉煌博大气势和颐和园、圆明园、国子监以及老城区的四合院建筑所震撼。当时曾数天侵淫在老城区的大小街道上，常常流连忘返不能自拔，但当时就一直有一种怪怪的感觉，因为在我印象里那些所谓大大小小带‘门’的地名其实实物已经消失，而那一条条老的街道早已被淹没在现代繁华化大街上了。皇城的威仪和古城的辉煌其实是卷缩在这个不伦不类不土不洋“现代”都市里。十几年前当我怀揣梦想来京学习生活再次目睹老四合院的拆迁，看着一条条胡同消失。看着皇城遗址和一个个残垣断壁，彷徨、失落、无助、 无奈，一种撕裂心头悲沧感和责无旁贷的责任感促使自己拿起手中的刻刀。
1999年边开始了老门楼、老物件系列的作品. 作品更多注重泥土语言的运用和怀旧情感的复述上。
《大世纪之一》作品创作动机由来已久，正阳门见证了几百年封建王朝兴盛与衰败，也经历了无数次的血雨腥风和战火洗礼。遥想当年傅作义将军为保护故都与共产党和谈北平和平解放令让人钦佩。但新中国刚一建立，、随之而来的大规模破破坏文物活动便开始了，许许多多的古建文物以及有价值的胡同转眼之间化为灰烬不复存，真的很无奈。二十几座城门也不可避免惨遭灭‘门’，唯独正阳门只剩城门楼和箭楼、德胜门孤零零的像是在的倾诉着什么。这件作品我们采用诙谐荒诞的手法，摄取历史上几个典型的事件放置在这个封建王朝的城池之上，城下出巡的皇帝与进城的解放军不期而遇。城外欢呼的人群，城内的传教士，巡城的清兵，文革的红卫兵造反派，太平盛世观光的游客，京剧人物组成的奥运五环，以及城门外右侧的车祸现场，都在营造一种似梦非梦，真真假假、荒诞离奇的滑稽场面。
  寻找一个好的结合点更好的表现城门、门楼的破败与沧桑，让曾经的历史在作品中凝固。技法上采用泥板成型传统技法与现代工艺结合，材料选择上用陶土烧制，并加入化妆土、色剂、化工原料以及食盐草木灰等等。不同瓷区不同温度的油料与陶土，力争保持泥土固有的特性，使作品以一种朴素、自然的状态呈现出来，心情完全释然了。
                                             
                                             2008年于索家村工作室
      


Self-description of the Creation
for Old City Gate and Gate Tower
                                                      
CHAO BROTHERS

    The creative composition of the old city gate and gate tower has a long history, in the early ten years ago, they were shocked by the gorgeous and spacious Imperial City when they came to investigate in Beijing, such as the Summer Palace, Yuan-Ming Yuan Imperial Garden, the Imperial College as well as Beijing quadrangle in old city. They lingered on these days that were spent on the streets in old cities and found it impossible to stop recollecting, there was a strange sense that these material objects named with the word “Gate” had disappeared, however, the old streets had been submerged under the modern flourishing ones”. The impressive, dignified Imperial City and brilliant ancient city were crouched in the nondescript, non-indigenous and non-modern city. Ten years ago, when we found that the bystreet disappeared one by one, when we looked at the archaeological site of Imperial City and the old ruins, it only left us hesitation, lose, helplessness and hopelessness, and there was a heart wrenching of sadness and indispensable responsibility, which urged them to take up the carving knife.

    The old gate and old objects turned up from 1999. The works are mainly repeating reminiscence, what was more concerned was that they were used in mud language way.

    One of Big Centuries’ creative motivation has a long history, Zhengyang Gate testified the prosperity and decline of hundreds years’ feudal dynasty, which also experienced bloody battles and baptism of fire for heaps of times. Think about the general Fu Zuoyi, who was admired for his protection of former capital and peacefully liberation of Beiping. However, as the foundation of new China, the subsequent large-scale destructive activities of cultural relics arose. Many historic relic as well as valuable bystreet reduced to ashes and no longer existed. More than 20 gates couldn’t avoid breakages, only Zhengyang Gate left the City Gate Tower and Embrasure Watchtower, Desheng Gate, standing there and confided something. As to this work, we adopted the humoristic and fantastic method, and intussuscepted some scenes of typical historical events, and put them on the feudal dynasty moat, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty who was about to patrol ran across with the marching liberation army to city. The cheering crowd, missionaries inside the city, the patrolling Qing soldiers, the rebellious Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, the tourists of millenarianism, the Olympic Rings combined with Beijing opera figures, the scene of the car crash at the right side of city gate, all of which built a both real and sham, imaginary, irrational and surreal art world.

    It was a fantastic way to find an excellent bonding point to express the ruins and vicissitudes, all of which were shown in their works. Technically, they added vitreous slip, toner, chemical raw material, and even salt and wood-ash to the clay by using the traditional mud shaping method with the combination of modern arts. Different porcelain area of soil plants and china clays in different temperature, which maintained the inherent characters, made the works simple, nature and relaxed.
                          2008 BeiJing SuoJiaCun Chao's brothers studio

闻正

寄物以情引新思   
                                   
文\盛杨   
                  
     在最近的20多年里，出现了一批又一批年轻的雕塑家。他们生气勃勃，努力推进雕塑的新发展，并以探索，寻找个人的雕塑语言和个人风格的独特性而展现他们的才华。在这之中，钞子艺、钞子伟兄弟是一对令人瞩目的双子星座，熠熠发光。最初我是被他们兄弟二人的勤劳、朴素、谦虚、热忱所感动。他们在租用的一间大房子里，用于居住的仅是一间吊脚小阁楼，而整个房子则是一个大车间，布满了工作台，工具和材料，堆满了他们的大大小小的雕塑成品和半成品。 你初次进来，一股浓烈的树脂味、烧土味和混杂着的劳动的气息味向你袭来，一个地地道道的手工作坊。然而，当你坐下来和他们谈，再看看他们制作的状态，观赏他们的作品，那未空气就会不知不觉地慢慢地转化为一种苦涩中又渗透着温馨的芬芳，这是一个艺术创造、艺术劳作、艺术畅想的地方。
     由于雕塑艺术自身语言形式的特性，自古以来，雕塑都是以做人，做动物为创作载体去表现大自然和人类社会万千不同的形态、思想和意境。而物件只是提取一些可用作人物配件的道具而出现在雕塑之上，在浮雕上虽然用得多些，但亦不为主体。近百多年来，在西方的现代雕塑家中，有些人改变了这种状况，他们塑造物件，用物件做载体，甚至用真实的物件来表现他们的观念和审美情趣，这种对雕塑体式，对雕塑语言的开拓和发展，在我们国家近二三十年兴起而活跃起来。钞子艺和钞子伟兄弟当他们一踏上艺术征程的时候，就情有独钟地爱上了这以物寄情的艺术体式，一往情深地、执着地、甚至是痴迷的在这条路上走下去。经过十几二十多年的磨砺，做出了一系列的作品，展现了他们的才华，也惊动了雕塑艺坛。他们的作品深深地打动了观众的心绪，沉甸甸的发人深思。
     在许多以塑造物件为表现形式的雕塑家中，有些雕塑家把原来物件的材质转换成另一种材质，使原来的物件有一种新的视觉感和触觉感，从而赋予这个物件以新的美感和联想，有的雕塑家是把某个物件，或某个真实的物件加上某种符号而显示主观的含义.........
钞氏兄弟则不然，他们有自己的特色。他们以写实的塑造、陶土烧制形式、选用看似极其平凡的、甚至是生活细节的物件，真实的刻画历经沧桑、磨难的历史、以唤起人们对往事的记忆、对历史进程的再认识。钞氏兄弟的作品，无论是旧军鞋、旧军帽、冲锋号、冲锋枪、军包、笔记本和茶缸，支援前线的手推车、大板车、水井上的辘轳、土房里的老灶台、墙头的老门框、老门楼，河岸上的破木船，亦或是解放牌汽车、东方红拖拉机、毛泽东号火车头，以及“家园”、“校园”、“寺院”等等，都是寄物以情，睹物思人的艺术表现，把残旧的物件情感化了、生命化了、人格化了。透过这些物件，显示它的主人们所经历的历史，所担负的使命，以及他们的人生命运。无论是征战的胜利，还是壮烈的牺牲，也无论是创业的艰辛和辉煌的成就，还是挫折和失误的沉痛苦楚，都在这些作品中一一触动人们的思念和思路。从而使这些看似一般的物件成为具有纪念意义和纪念价值的艺术品。
     诚然，一个有历史意义的自然物件，本身同样具有这种历史价值。但作为一个艺术品，它不是物体的单纯复制，平庸拙劣的模仿，正如平庸的琴手演奏不出音乐大师的名曲来一样。好的艺术品，取决于艺术家对这些物件的认识，只有深入地研究产生这些物件的历史、和这些物件主人的经历、命运、品质和灵魂，才能充分地表现这些物件的精神内涵。同样作者越是深刻理解，感应了这些物件所渗透的灵魂，就越是能挖掘，发现这些平凡的、破旧的、甚至可能成为垃圾，乃至其形已沦落为丑陋之物它所蕴藏着的美，并创造出展示其美的表现形式。钞氏兄弟的每件作品只是经历了这番苦苦的探寻，由心及物、由物及心、以物交感，才使作品的思想和艺术性达到一个高度，沁心入肺的触动他们的观众。那厚实而磨薄了的鞋底，那脚指突破了的鞋帮，是谁穿过的呢？是一位从战场中走过来又登上了建设岗位的老同志，还是在另一次战斗中牺牲了的无名英雄？那双鞋是谁做的呢？是当年子弟兵的母亲，一位鬓发花白的老大娘，还是送郎参军的年轻的小媳妇？她们还在当年那片贫瘠的土地上吗？.........每件作品都渗透着血和眼泪,都深深的承载着历史的痕迹.残缺的辘轳、陈旧的老灶台、枯朽的破船、破烂的门楼都给我们怎样的思念？飞驰的解放牌老汽车、巨臂的东方红拖拉机、汽笛长鸣的火车头又给我们怎样的情愫？残留的古城断恒、倒塌的寺院碑塔又给我们怎样的忧伤？作者在一刀一塑中扣击我们的心灵。
“诵其诗、读其书，不知其人可乎，是以论其世也。”钞子艺、钞子伟是一对孪生兄弟，河南南阳人，祖祖辈辈是农民。从祖父那代开始，兼以烧制粗泥大缸为业，这也许为他的儿孙们孕育了玩弄泥土的兴趣和才智。钞子艺和钞子伟随着年龄的增长，从大土缸里爬了出来，对更多的形象产生追求和所取，特别是先后在南阳理工学院、中央美术学院的学习、坚定了从事雕塑艺术的志愿和道路。钞氏兄弟是富有社会责任感的艺术家。他们不粉饰历史、也不歪曲历史、不玩弄历史、不嘲笑历史、不咒骂历史，而是力求真实的反映历史。他们以历史的物件陈述往事，追忆过去，激发人们的思路。让推动历史进步的力量永不泯灭而发扬光大，让那些挫折、失误、荒谬、腐败引以为鉴、不再重复。
正像所有的艺术品那样，一定要透过观者的感受，欣赏和解读它的美学价值才可以成立，对于作品观者又以自己的经历，思想和文化素养和艺术品交流，同一件作品在不同的观者中可能衍生不同的反应。然而它的基础仍在于作者的思想境界和艺术能力。艺术家的作品能够和更多的观众产生共鸣，能够引发观者丰富而深远的联想，能够促进人们思想情感的健康和发展，其艺术的力量和价值就更强大，更高尚。
唐代诗人王维有诗云：“红豆生南国、春来发几枝、愿君多采撷、此物最相思”。钞氏兄弟给我们撒了很多“豆子”，有美好的、有丑陋的、有甘甜的、有苦涩的、有困惑的、有醒悟，它催使人们更多更多的思路。
钞氏兄弟几次向我提示，希望我对他们的作品写点品论。但他们最近发展得很快，创作了很多新作品，参加了众多的国内外展览，并屡屡获奖，而我却跟不上，很多作品都未能看到，故不敢对钞氏兄弟的作品作全面的论述，但我真心的称赞他们，并藉此表露我的心情，故就把那些在他们既是工作作坊，又是艺术畅想的地方，和朋友一起聊天时所说的话，回忆写出来，以谢钞氏兄弟之情，并再次预祝他们获得更大的成就。
                                            
                                                           
                                                           2011年5月     
                     盛杨, 中国美术家协会雕塑艺委会主任，中央美院教授

New Thinking Derives from Describing and Emotion
                  
                                             Sheng Yang   
     More and more young sculptors sprung up in recent twenty years. They not only were full of energy, but also strived to advance the new development in the sculpture. Those younger sculptors tried to search for the specificity in sculpture languages and individual style to show their own artistic talent. Chao Ziwei and Chao Ziyi were brothers who distinguished among sculptors. At first, I was touched by their characters-----hardworking, modest, industrious and enthusiasm. These two brothers rented a large house. The whole house was a big workshop except a small attic that was used as living. In a workshop，there were many working- platforms, tools, materials as well as all sizes of sculpture products which were finished and half-finished. When you entered the house, a thick smell with labor breath went towards you. This was an out-and-out manual mill. However, after I talked with them, enjoyed their working status and their products, I felt the atmosphere slowly transform into a bitter and happy fragrant. This was a place where the art can be created, worked and imagined.

     Because of the self-language character in the sculpture, the sculpture has been expressing the nature, people’s thinking as well as artistic conception by carving figures and animals since the ancient time. Things, which were only used as character accessories, were not the main part though most of the things were used in the anaglyph. However, some people changed this concept in nearly 100 years. It appeared a new style that people carved the things to express their perceptions and esthetic sentiments. This style was developed in recent 20 years abroad. Chao Ziwei and Chao Ziyi were both fascinated with this style. Two brothers created many works and showed their talent through 20 years’ time, which shocked the field of the sculpture.

     Among many sculptors that used things to show their ideas, some can create a new sense of vision and feeling by transforming the material quality; some can show the subjective meaning by adding a sign to a thing.

     However, the CHAO BROTHERS was different from them. The CHAO BROTHERS had their own characters. They chose little things to carve a long and rough history which can arouse people’ memory and see the history progress again. All Chao’s products, which were either old military footwear, submachine gun or Jiefangpai cars, Dongfanghong tractors, were showing the emotion by describing the things. Those sculptures demonstrated the owners’ experience, mission as well as their destiny. The victory of wars, Martyrs sacrifice, achievements and so on can be found in those products. Those styles make ordinary things significant and valuable.

     Actually, a thing experienced the history possesses a value of this history. But a good art is not just a copy, or the common and unskilled imitation is just like the mediocre piano player who can’t play chef-d'oeuvre, which depends on the cognition of things. Only by deeply researching the history of these objects and the master’s experience, destiny, character and soul can embody the spirit connotation of these objects. The more understanding of the objects’ soul, the easier to turn the common or old objects into classic will be. After studying the things, Chao’s products touched their audiences. Who wore the shoes that were worn thin and out? The old comrade who survived from the battle or the hero who sacrificed from another battle? Who made a pair of shoes? Was it a solder’s mother or a wife? Each work infiltrates blood and tears, and they carry the historical imprint, fragmentary winch, shopworn old hearth, withered boat, tattered gate, which bring you miss. How do you think of the running Jiefangpai truck and huge Dongfanghong tractor as well as the ringing locomotive? How sad we would be if facing the remaining broken walls and fallen temples or towers? Each work touched our souls.

     Chao Ziwei and Chao Ziyi were twin brothers. They were from Nanyang in Henan Province. Their ancestors were farmers and lived on firing big crock. The two brothers lived in such environment and were actually interested in art. Then they studied in Nanyang Polytechnic College and Central Academy of Fine Arts. They never varnished the history, flirted with history and tried to reveal the genuine of the history. They described the past events based on historical objects and inspired people’s thinking. They carried forward the strength of historical improvement and avoid frustration, misplay, absurdity and putrescence.

     The reaction of a works varies according to different audience. But all those are based on sculpture’s’ thinking and artistic talent. If the works can arouse audiences’ imagination and improve the development of the thinking, the works is more significant.

     The poet Wangwei said: ormosias are from Nanling; it blooms as spring comes; I want you to pluck more because ormosias can express your emotion more. Chao spread many ormosias containing beautiful, ugly, sweet and bitter which stirred up more and more thinking.

     The two brothers asked me to give some comments on their works several times. But recently they have created many new works, take part in exhibitions at home and abroad and were awarded many prizes. Because I did not see their all works, I can’t have an overall comment on their works. I only describe something happened in a workshop. I also hope that they will have a further achievement.

                                                                May,2011           
                      Sheng Yang，China artist association, director Arts
                              council sculpture from cafa reveal professor

闻正

一路钞塑  直抵实在

文/邹  文

钞子伟、钞子艺兄弟二人，算得上北漂艺术家的代表。漂龄十余年。学艺创作，娶妻生子，均处于北漂状态下。我们在北京朝阳区索家村“国际艺术营”设工作室时，与他们做了邻居，赶上他们来北京相对最稳定的一段。钞氏在自己连小产权都没有的两间工棚般的砖房里，居然还建起了烧陶的窑，门外的空地，种丝瓜、葫芦，成熟季节硕果累累，让120多户心神不宁的邻居，总能从这诗意栖居的简易版田园图景中，获得可以安居乐业的鼓舞。然而，好景不长。一天，钞氏兄弟匆匆告诉我，索家村要被拆除。他们主动承担起120户邻居代表的责任，四处奔走，力求找到一切可能的关系，以图改变拆除的法令。除了为自己着急，分明也真的是为所有邻居着急。他们的家园保卫战很弱势，最终不得败走宋庄。但两兄弟旋即就以他们随遇而安的优势心态，在下一个不确定性中安下身来，潜心创作。
从狼籍的索家村搬离时，我竟然发现他们没有半点沮丧反倒有些窃喜。他们说，这又一次的搬迁，是由于被一颗太平洋上的中国卫星侦查到了。想想，某颗高悬在宇宙里的人类之眼，先看见地球，看见亚洲，看见中国再看见北京，停在某刻紧盯朝阳区索家村出现的几排违章建筑，最终锁定在他们家的丝瓜和葫芦，也许被这顽强的定居的决心挑衅了。但钞氏兄弟却似乎感受到了北漂一族，最渴望的发现与重视。
在北京城乡结合部边界线的推移中，在体制内或体制外艺术家的纠结中，在职务性创作与生存性创作的情态里，钞氏兄弟所代表的北漂艺术家们，共性之处无不在于要靠个性立身，要靠创意、已见、绝招或人脉，来标示存在。生存空间的不稳定性和机遇的不确定性，使他们很难因依附被固定，故尔葆有更为珍贵的自由。但更进一步地说，钞氏兄弟与同为北漂的自由状态的其他当代艺术家不同之处，是他们没有因为自由而油滑，没有因为漂移而虚浮。如果可以用两个字来归结他们的人品和艺品，就是“实在”。
所有接触钞氏兄弟的人可能都会有同感，他们待人接物，真实坦诚，不行虚礼，不懂掩饰，经常主动帮人，不求回报。在人际关系中，他们几乎不谙世故与溜须奉迎，很少看他们四处发名片要电话找机会对象合影，如果赶上圈内聚会，他们总是自我边缘地站在一旁，不存批评之心地感受着别人的气氛。自己打车来自己打车去。他们经常替其它雕塑家做雕塑，无意识自己遭到收益的剥削，也不在惜太容易给出去的帮助反而失去矜持和尊重。渐渐地，相处久了，你会被他们的实在感染，享受一种童真、阳光、坦诚，那种附丽在他们及其作品之上的品质。这两个河南人榜样，彻底改变了我们关于河南人的谣传形成的偏见。
     “实在”也是钞氏兄弟艺术的特质。体现在下列几个方面：
      一、表现语言的实在。钞氏兄弟善于极致化地追求塑型的真实，真实到细致入微，每处结构，比例精准，形象高度肖似客观，连肌理、质地、纹路，都会历历呈现，甚至他们已经通过形态表象的细节真实，建构了一种钞氏艺术语言。长期陶艺创作与研究的功底，令他们可以如绣花一般搞雕塑，对造型从不苛且含糊，精微入里。比如做一段城墙与一幢城楼，可见片片砖瓦，开合门窗，数百仪仗，旌旗列阵，物象清晰，情景昭然，认真到精心。一个重要原因，是他们重艺也重技，从不鄙视形而下的技，致力于技艺融合统一，总以精工细作，来保证艺术表达，同时，他们用技有度，能够控制技术和做工的投入，止于沦为工艺之前。看他们作品，少有马虎草率，无处不实实在在。
     二、创作作风的实在
     钞氏兄弟搞创作，从来都是自己动手。而大多数雕塑家这些年来基本上都已转型成了指挥家，画张草图或做个小稿，等不同批次的助手完工再去“点睛”，最后署名。钞氏兄弟一直亲力亲为做雕塑，已属鲜见的实在。另一方面，他们从不故弄玄虚，十分尊重客观真实。他们在中央美院、清华美院雕塑系先后学习，已科班地领受了造型解剖训练，对写实造型没有耻辱感，反以为荣。一次创作唐僧取经的雕塑，特意租了一匹马来当模特。他们最擅做老旧火车、汽车、板车或拖拉机，上面有无数零配件包括难以计数的螺丝、齿轮、管线或板材，不同质地。心情浮躁肯定难以为继，但他们一丝不苟踏踏实实做了一大批，其产量及深入程度，想让人不佩服都难。坚持这种实在的创作，意味着他们从不跟风，不问市场，不懂经营包装，作品没太多水份。
      三、审美趣味和艺术主张的实在
      钞氏兄弟属于中国文化色彩较浓的艺术家，他们来自到处是庄稼和文物的河南，造型底子是陶艺。中国文化与民间艺术元素富含于其作品之中，所以会有抓髻娃娃之类的作品。但另一方面，他们已在审美趣味和艺术主张上，显露了对西方建筑、雕塑以客观真实为最高理想的认同。他们是一对孪生兄弟，外人初识，难分彼此，“这一个”就是“那一个”的“写实”，自小二人就有着镜相有趣的见证经验。秉性的实在，更让二人易于靠近讲求写实的西方艺术精神。他们珍视上帝造物的原创，敬畏客观的相谐和规律，偏执于实在，自觉地抑制着写意、夸张、虚饰或娇情，把心灵的眼睛，交付照像机一般的准确和精密去感知。有无、虚实、是非，一目了然，这种审美的实在，让钞氏兄弟获得一条深进微观的通道，未在途中被虚无诱拐被抽象阻挡，一直深进、深进，直到发现材料的美、情境的美、别人忽视的美。于是，怀旧与复古支撑起他们的美学主张，残垣断壁，废铜烂铁，散发出被当代化洗礼的原味，营造出老照片的氛围，跨时空地复原了一种别具深意的真实。那些停驶的卡车，报废的拖拉机，断履的坦克，已与主人分离的军装，以一种英雄的悲壮静默在我们眼前，传达着钞氏雕塑史诗般的抒情。
       在当代艺术越来越被虚幻、玄乎、伪哲理牵绊的路上，钞氏的实在，乍看拙笨，其实却走得更快和更远。
                                                                                                                  
                                                              2011年5月
                                 邹文、清华大学美术学院博士、研究生导师


The CHAO’s Sculptures----Directly into Honesty

Zou Wen

    The brother Chao Ziwei and Chao Ziyi could be regarded as the representatives of the “north-striving group artists”. During more than ten years’ striving experience, they learned the artistic skill, got married and had babies. When we set up our workroom in “International Art Camp” located in Suojia village, Chaoyang District, Beijing, we became neighbors. Relatively speaking, it was relatively stable period for them. In the two brick rooms, which seemed the construction camp, they even didn’t have the property right, but to our surprise, they built kiln, and planted towel gourd and cucurbit in the open ground, which was full of rich fruits in harvest season. All of this encouraged the 120 families who were upset and let them feel living and working in peace as well as contentment from this poetic garden. However, good times didn't last long. One day, the CHAO BROTHERS hurriedly told us this village should be pulled down. They went around here and there seeking any possible help in order to change the regulation of demolition. It was not only for themselves, but also for the neighbors and the 120 families or more. It seemed weak of their homestead safeguard, and they had to remove from Songzhuang. But the CHAO BROTHERS took their ease from this unrest and dived into creation based on their mentality that taking things as they were.

    When they removed from the disordered village, I found that there was no sadness but delight. As to this move, they said, it was because this village was detected by the one of China Satellites above the Pacific Ocean. Think about it, one of the eyes of human being that hanged highly in the universe, it found the earth at first, then Asia, China, Beijing, it stopped its focus on lines of unauthorized constructions in Chaoyang district, finally, towel gourd and cucurbit were discovered, maybe, it seemed the determination of settling down was provoked. However, the CHAO BROTHERS felt the desired discovery and care as one of north-striving group artists.

    With the change of rural-urban fringe zone of border line, in the twist between outer and inner system of artists, as well as in the modality between operative creation and survival creation, the commonness of north-striving group artists represented by the CHAO BROTHERS was that one should be independent, and they should live with creative idea, outstanding thoughts and relationships. The instability of living space and uncertainty of opportunity made them unsteady and offered them much precious freedom. However, taken a step further, the difference from other north-striving group artists was that the CHAO BROTHERS didn’t become slippery because of freedom, and they didn’t become coxcombry because of drifting. If using two words to describe their personality and art character, “honesty” is the right one.

    The people who got along with the CHAO BROTHERS may have the same feeling, and they were frank and honest in their dealings. They were polite and quite generous in helping others. They never battled with the public, and seldom passed out their business cards all around or asking phone number with people. If they came across to an inner circle meeting, they would stand far way and enjoyed the atmosphere with no criticism. They came and left themselves. They often made sculptures for some other artists, they couldn’t feel the unconsciousness of exploitation from the benefit, and they didn’t care the giving which may let them lose restraint and respect. Gradually, you will be moved for their honesty, you will enjoy the fairytales, sunshine and frankness that attached to their works, which thoroughly changed the prejudice of Henan people.

    Honesty is the character of the CHAO BROTHERS’ works, which is represented in the following aspects.

   Ⅰ. The Honesty of Expressive Language
    The CHAO BROTHERS are good at seeking the truthfulness of sculpture, and each configuration is in accurate proportion. The figure looks real, the texture, character as well as lines are fully showed, and they even form the CHAO’s art language through the detailed actual morphology presentation. They can easily carve like embroidering based on the long ceramic creating experience and deep research. Each detail will not be ignored, for instance, in a circumvallation or gate tower, you can see each tile, open or closed doors and windows, hundreds of flags, waved banners, clear objects, etc. One important reason is that they focus on both art and skill, they never look down upon the skill, and they devote themselves to the combination of art and skill. They express their idea through careful skill, and in the meanwhile, they can control the input of skill and work, which keep the appropriate skill using within the limit, from where you can hardly find sloppy works, and you can find honesty everywhere.

    Ⅱ. The Honesty of Creative Style
    The CHAO BROTHERS always create works by their own hands. However, most of the artists have been transformed into directors who only draft a sketch or manuscript, then ask their assistants in different batches to help and finally they conduct the finishing touch and signature. The CHAO BROTHERS always made sculpture themselves, which belonged to rare honest works. On the other hand, they never made a mystery of nothing, and in contrast, they completely respected objective realities. They studied in China Central Academy of Fine Arts and Art Department in Tsinghua University Academy of Fine Arts, from where they received professional training of sculpt dissection, with respect to true-life sculpture, they don’t feel shame, instead they felt glory. They once rented a horse as a model to create the sculpture of “Tang Priest‘s pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures”. They were good at making old train, truck, handcart and tractor, on which there are numerous accessories like screws, gears, pipelines, and plates with different qualities. Good works were based on scrupulous, their output and degree of works were admired and made us surprised. Upholding of such creation meant they didn’t follow the others, and it also meant they didn’t ask market information and management as well as packaging, all of which indicated their works were real.

    Ⅲ. The Honesty of Aesthetic Taste and Art Proposition
    The CHAO BROTHERS are the artists with heavy Chinese cultural colors, who come from Henan where there are plants and historical relics everywhere, and their shaping base is the ceramics. Chinese culture and folk art can be found in their works, that is why there are some works of “Zhuaji Baby”. But on the other hand, their works indicate that they identify with the western architecture and sculpture, which is the highest objective reality. They are twin brothers, and it is hard to distinguish if you meet them first time, “this one” is the realistic writing and painting of “that one” since they were very young. It was the natural instinct that made them get close to the “true-life” western art spirit. They valued the original creation, and they respected the objective peaceful rules in stead of exaggeration, dissemblance and delicacy. They used the eye of soul to feel, just like an accurate and exact camera. As to their works, it is easy to understand being or not being, false or true, right or wrong. Such honesty of taste made them go further through a channel deep into the microcosmic. They were not abducted or obstructed on their way to art sculpture, and they went further and further until some ignored beauty of material and circumstance were finally found by them. Subsequently, reminiscence and reverting to old days became into their aesthetic proposition. The broken walls and ruins, the iron and bronze scraps sent forth the original smell, which made an atmosphere of old pictures and recovered the profound implication of truth. The disabled tractor, condemned truck, tank with broken belt, separated military uniform from its host, all of which presented silent heroic solemn, stirring emotion and delivered their epic sensibility.

    The honesty of the CHAO BROTHERS looks clumsy at first glance, but actually it will be expanded faster and further while the modern art is being increasingly entrapped by visional, unreliable and false philosophy.
                    
                                                                May,2011              
                     Zou Wen，Doctoral Supervisor of the Academy of Arts   
                         ant Design in Tsinghua University and an Art Critic

闻正

人文制陶、机械美学、反思性纪念物  
---钞子艺、钞子伟雕塑艺术评析

文\岛 子

钞氏兄弟近十年来的雕塑创作经历了两个实验阶段，显现出两种形态迥异而有相互关联的文化意向。
     第一实验期为人文制陶，即1999年开启的“造房计划”，以写实性和表现性相互融合的语言，再现中国传统建筑的人文意涵与现实命运，作品的选题几乎包容了南北方主要的建筑形式。他们选择了门楼作为民居建筑的独立典型，着意表现其历经沧桑的表情，在其象征性意蕴中，历史的肌体凝固，而其灵魂在诉说。这一系列作品一扫当代流行陶瓷的光鲜艳丽、浮泛虚饰，显现着黯淡、沉郁的悲剧色彩。泥板成型传统技法与现代工艺结合，材料选择上用陶土烧制，并加入化妆土、色剂、化工原料以及食盐草木灰等。不同瓷区不同温度的油料与陶土，力争保持泥土固有的特性，使作品以一种朴素、自然的状态呈现出来。这一系列作品将“怀旧”意识提上了现实日程。“怀旧”（nostalgia）无疑是理解钞氏兄弟雕塑的一个关键词，这个源自欧洲十七世纪士兵因思乡而患的一种臆想症，使我们想起米兰•昆德拉式的抒情，那是一种在别处的生活，无可归家的普遍命运。另一个相对的关键词则是“拆”，这个强权性的单词自上个世纪90年代笼罩了神州广大的城乡，构成了中国跛足改革的生动索隐。民间维权运动此起彼落，多半是由于民众失去自己的家园。
     延续至今的第二个实验期为机械美学的表征。如果说钞氏兄弟在人文制陶阶段解决了陶艺的当代性转换，技法层面的实验大于精神的表现，无疑地，在2003年之后，则逐步实现了观念和技法的统一、主题和题材的切合，尤其是红色历史的矛盾性和复杂性的自觉探索，使得《东方红系列》又名“红色机器”，成为机械美学在中国当代雕塑中的一种独特表征。在钞氏看来:“东方红”是“红色中国”的代名词。自中国红色政权建立及巩固之后，“东方红”便以一个特定的符号登上中国历史的舞台。而东方红拖拉机和火车头就是这一时期工业发展的典型代表。我认为这个系列的“东方红号”老火车最能够代表他们的艺术成就。这件长达六米、体量数吨重的雕塑作品，每个单体部件都经过反复设计、反复斟酌，它克服了原先泥塑形式的不确定性和易碎性，改用zz，使之具有机械的强力、重量和锈蚀效果。“东方红号”老火车具有中国工业历史的肖像意味，它是一个超级特写，钞氏兄弟从工业废墟(同时也是红色乌托邦记忆)中萃取了蒸汽机火车头的特定形象，非再现性地通过体态、重量、色泽的变形，给出了毛时代集体主义的感性情态，与其说作品的震撼力来自形象的逼真，毋宁说，来自一种表现性的揭示，来自历史命运的自我反讽。
从艺术发展史来审视，许多早期二十世纪服膺机械美学的艺术家，都牵涉到一个理想目标，就是藉由机器来建立秩序与和谐。但是乌托邦的负面：反乌托邦，渐渐形成一股现代性的反思暗流。关于“美丽新世界”的预言遭致普遍的批判，是因为反思者认为，技术专制会使人类逐渐失去人性。而对于机械美学持理想论调的人将机器暗喻成和谐与力量，却受到疏离的反论。意大利马克思主义社会理论家葛兰西（Antonio Gramsci）相信机械化带来的标准化会威胁到个人的独特性，这样的信念引起大众恐慌，害怕机器会把人类逐出自然界，至使环绕于周遭的都是人工物品：机械零件、制式化环境、巨形（gigantism）、过度噪音与速度。例如在《摩登时代》（Modern Time 1936）这部电影中，卓别林（Charlie Chaplin）就在讽刺北美工厂的管理方法将人类机械化。影片中有一幕是演出主角的卓别林，因长期重复同一生产线工作而导致短暂地精神错乱。在生产线上他必须同时转动两只扳手来拴紧螺拴，卓别林被这种麻木的过程催眠，掉入工厂背后隐藏的运作机制，他变成自动化操作装置完全执行机器指令，引发喜剧式的效果。
反乌托邦思想认为，在这样“除魅”（disenchanted）的机械化世界里，一切先前抚慰人心特质—特别是精神意义已不复存在。科学技术将人类带离宗教情感和巫术魅力之外，也同时把人类带进机械化世界，一个没有救赎依归与目标的世界，使人产生疏离感。此番评论引起葛兰西的共鸣，他认为凡是把劳工职务内容化约成磨蚀灵魂、去人性化的机械式任务的工业规则，都该予以道德谴责。同时马克思主义的“技术决定论”（technological deter-minism）也表示说，虽然许多社会变动因素源于技术工具的改变，但实际上社会生产关系才最能真正地说明任一特定期间内的特殊面貌。沿着马克思主义者的论证思路可得出一点，即政府与资本主义的联合利益终将技术塑造成一种阴暗、狡诈的社会控制形式。其实科技从来不是中性的。科技并非一个能够自我持恒的机制，它的机制是由现存支配秩序所控制，而技术在服务支配秩序之利益的同时，也复制了那样的秩序。但是也只有在我们的时代里，机械终于超越其本身的实用功能，而获得美感与哲学上的不同意义。机械美学的运作涵盖几个层面:机器本身就经常被表现于画面上成为一项艺术品。机器人形化的正面形象当中亦存有其负面印象，就是被塑造成机器偏执怪物。机械美学透过前卫直觉式的功利语汇能够更进一步融入时代意识中，这点可从表现主义与观念艺术的语言差异清楚地突显。
其实机械美学本身是时代思潮（Zeitgeist）的一部分，代表时代精神，是部分艺术家在思想观念与性情上赫然的转变。由此而言，我更倾向于将《东方红系列》视为有美学价值的纪念物，它们可以用来衡量社会变迁与艺术之间的关系，也称得上是红色中国重要的社会指标及其象征。借此，不妨检讨现代性雕塑存在的主要问题，即可以发现这种反思性纪念物的价值所在。我们看到在纪念物的领域之外，现代雕塑的重要性显然不及绘画。现代主义的阐释多与绘画相关联，大部分还是在界定雕塑不是什么，换言之，就只是说明雕塑不是绘画（Greenberg quoted in O’Brian vol 2,1986:60），雕塑也有抽象手法，只是并不成功。除了现成物的利用外，很难将现代主义的绘画创作论应用于雕塑方面。现代主义发觉难以将个人隐喻性的表现方式融入雕塑作品中。主观性的感受较易用绘画来表现，而且现代主义绘画不费吹灰之力就能进入个体的沉思之途；雕塑则依旧残留有公共仪式意涵，神化的人物塑像还是最为广泛接受的形式。现代主义矛盾的地方就是它追求普遍的共性，却又造成不受一般大众观迎的艺术。雕塑直到1960年代地景艺术兴盛后，才返回公共领域，否则多以新画廊或现代美术馆为营：特别是展示于美术馆的雕塑花园或成为巡回性展览。然而，中国当代公共雕塑至今依然乏善可陈，原因有许多，其中关键问题是思想因素的贫乏、反思精神的薄弱、形式实验的畏缩。
当代纪念物可贵之处是其反思性和实验性，制作者所面临的一个基本两难实际上是一体两面的，不论使用任何媒材或手法，都必须经得起未来的考验，历史的“过去未来性”，也就是当代人对历史思考的意义维度。如何利用自身指涉性强的媒材来引述事件而不只是指涉媒材本身？如何能结合更有效的手法来表达主题？但无论在形式上如何实验，纪念性雕塑是以整体观之，首要目的是引发观者反思或沉思。缘此而言，《东方红系列》以严格而繁重的手工作业而非现成物利用或点子取巧，进入了逆反形式的实验，它的涵义令人沉思且具公共性，尽管形式上还需要更具历史语境关联的营造。甚至其尺度、重量以及展示和陈列的空间、地点，都有待更加倚重公共性和纪念性的意向。如此一来，它将进一步把尊严和谵妄、理想和异化、真实与虚拟结合起来，并在一个充满历史寓言的国度继续引发与历史悖谬的美学对话。
                                                   
                                                                                                                    
                              岛 子 ,清华大学美术学院教授,博士生导师

闻正

钞氏兄弟的心思
                                                           
文/宋伟光

如果把钞氏兄弟的作品划分到陶艺当中，表面上看似乎没错，但切实地有些不妥。因为一般“玩陶”者重釉色，重机变，求偶然，而钞氏的“陶”重“写实”，是少依赖于偶然，多依靠控制的费神之作，是把“制陶”作为“制艺”的手段，充分地发挥着陶的这种难以替代的语言功能。说起来钞氏的“写实”，是对现实有心的琢磨、选择和提炼，他们的作品似乎可以理解为是现实物品的“肖像”，且看作品《东方红号》，这件破旧的拖拉机驾驶室的顶棚遮盖着防雨布，防雨布的四周均匀的、牢牢地钉嵌着的按钉已在悄悄生出锈斑，驾驶者早已离去，座位上被遗弃的布包仿佛尚留余温。它虽摆脱了劳作和重负，得以喘息，但它老了，不中用了，它辉煌的时代已经过去，如今只剩下残破的肢体，伴随着它的风烛残年，抚摸着破败的车头，心生感叹，蓦然见到“东方红”这鲜红的标示，依旧夺目、依旧光艳，挣扎着向人们提示它那永不泯灭的骄傲-------
这件作品已经远远的超过了一般的“现实”，一般的客观模拟，它具有肖像般的功能。因为这只“拖拉机”有使用者的痕迹，有它经历岁月磨砺的风雨记忆。像这一类型的作品钞氏兄弟还有许多，如老屋、老城楼、老火车头、老汽车------这不禁使笔者要追问，他们在干什么？他们想干什么？他们想干的原来是人类的一种心理需要——回忆。钞氏兄弟用艺术留住了那一典型时代的典型物件，那种机械化作业给当时的劳作带来的欢乐和美好。他们用这种细腻入微的“笔触”通过现实的种种表象陈述着记忆的价值。
钞氏兄弟眼下又完成了新作，此作唤作《昨天》，这件作品入选了第十一届全国美展。这是一组大型的由流逝岁月的物件和不同角色穿的“鞋”，共同组合构成的记忆，它们按照一种节律来排列组合，在组合中烘托出了作品的主题——“昨天”。
且看，引领这只队伍的是一双巨大的“解放鞋”，它表示时代的巨人在引领方向，而随后者以不同的姿态，不同的身份，从不同的方向朝队伍靠拢。这件组合式的作品像小说一样有故事的开始，发展和插曲，而这个插曲便发生在作品的左角，看到了吗？有一只在行进的过程中鞋底朝天的“鞋”它暗喻掉队者，掉队者的出现使得故事中更有了故事，有了花絮，也平添了几分猜测，几分想象-----
故事叙述到这里就完了吗？还没有。在队伍的后面有三组物件，左侧一组是旧军帽、军包、冲锋号等；右侧一组是皮箱、冲锋枪、防毒面具等；而中间一组是则是由炉子、旧笔记本还有毛主席语录等构成。它们分别寓意着战争与和平、火红的年代和冲锋与防守等多重含义，这是故事的策源点，使人们可以凭借着这种象征语言、回忆起那逝去的但仍然记忆着生命与活力的美好年华。
在此，鞋子是群体的象征，是人群的抽象和隐喻，是笔不到意到的留白。从“鞋子”的不同新旧程度，不同的破损与皱褶，不同的生活痕迹和种类中我们得知，这是行进在艰苦岁月中的工农大众，是共和国建设的一代力量。从这些作品中可以看出钞氏兄弟是用心地在琢磨每一个人，每一只脚，每一只鞋，希图通过这些“鞋子”使人们产生联想，唤起它的潜在功能，并由此生出对他们的怀念和敬意。这与“拖拉机”等异曲同工，都是对选取的现实进行的提炼和浓缩，因为典型的物件本身便具有表现性。
有意思的是这组作品中的构成单元本来是各自独立的，各自具有独立的表现内容，然而通过重组，遂产生了互动，生成了故事，形成了指向。这也说明当代艺术以何种方式展示，本身就是一种创造，所以无论你“在场”与“不在场”，当代艺术都应建立一个自身的语言系统。
起先，钞氏兄弟有“造房计划”，之后又有“旧物件的记忆”和“老城门的诉说”等，而今这些旧物件又在生成一种交响，变幻成一个事件，一种评价，一个故事。这是把生活记号转化成艺术符号，形成了“睹物思人”的纪念性价值。钞氏兄弟的作品不是陶艺，不是波普，也非古之“像生”，而是有心思的以细微的情感撷取和选择典型事物，深化细节，关注社会，追忆过去，留住残缺，留住思考的当代之作。
说到这儿，引发出了一点思考。这可能稍稍偏离开文章的主题，即艺术是要与人交流的，一件作品产生之后，应当要考虑受众对它的理解，这样便于传播自己的艺术主张。在艺术作品前观者的位置是可以转换的，即我看艺术品；我看艺术品，艺术品也在看我。当艺术品也在看我时，便可能产生了共鸣，就钞氏兄弟的作品而言，这种共鸣，应该就是——历史应当记住，精神价值应当永存，因为历史尚有启发今人明晰事理以供借鉴之用，而典型的物件恰是对历史的证明，钞氏兄弟又恰是把这种“原型”的信息细致、入微地传达下来，这种有选择的“摹真”便于深度地留住记忆，留住思考，这便是钞氏兄弟的价值点和心思。
                    

                                                               2009年  
                                             宋伟光 ，雕塑杂志社副主编


Idea of the CHAO BROTHERS
                                                      
Song Weiguang

    If we divide the works of CHAO BROTHERS into ceramics, it looks right superficially, but actually it seems inappropriate. While the common “ceramics players” think highly of glazing color, chance variation and contingency, the CHAO BROTHERS focus on the reality, their great works mainly depend on the control. They regard the “making ceramics” as the “creating art”, in other words, it is a way of creating sculpture, which fully expresses such linguistic function that is hard to be substituted. As to the CHAO BROTHERS’ “realistic writing and painting”, it is a kind of consideration, choice and abstraction of actuality. It seems that their works can be understood as “portrait” of real objects. For instance, Dongfanghong tractor, the beat-up driving cab’s overhead guard is covered with waterproof cloth, which is symmetrically surrounded by rusty thumbtacks. The driver was gone, left the fabric bag that seemed with residue temperature. Although it gets rid of hard work and deadweight, it is old and useless, its resplendent times was gone, only the dilapidated body left. Touching the beat-up headstock, there was a sense of plaint. When you suddenly see the red marking “Dongfanghong”, it is bright-colored and dazzling as before, which struggles to show its indelible pride.

    This work has the “portrait function”, which has surpassed the common “reality” and objective simulation, because this tractor shows the driver’s history and the memory of suffering. Just like such series of works, there are many others like Old House, Old Gate Tower, Old Locomotive and Old Truck. You may ask, what are they doing? What are they thinking? What they want to do is to retrieve the memory, which is a kind of psychological needs of human being. The CHAO BROTHERS retained these typical objects in that typical time, the mechanization work, which brought happiness and goodliness. They indicated the value of memory by means of “writing combination” though several practical images in daily life.

    A new work has been created, Yesterday, which has been selected into the 11th National Art Exhibition. This is a combination of memory, the passed objects and shoes worn by different people. They are arranged and composed according to a kind of rhythm, in which contrasts the theme of this work——“Yesterday”.

    Just look at the leading huge “Jiefang Shoes” of this troop, which indicates the era giant who leads the direction, and the followers who get close together to the troop are in different poses, identities and directions. This combined work likes a novel, which has the beginning, progress and episode, and the episode is at the left side of this work, see? The upside down shoe, which is the metaphor of straggler, and it makes the story colorful and arouses more guess and imagination.

    Is it the end of the story? No. There are three groups of objects in the end of the troop, an old army cap, army bag, bugle, etc in the left group; leather suitcase, submachine gun, respirator, etc in the right group; camp stove, old notebook, Chairman Mao's Ana, etc in the middle group, which respectively reflects war and peace, flaming times, attack and defend, etc. This is the point of story, which makes people recall the past lives and energy through the signify language.

    Hereon, shoe is the symbol of group, and it is the abstract and metaphor of public crowd. From the different new and old levels, dilapidation and rumple, living histories, we can find that the CHAO BROTHERS paid much attention to each person, foot and shoe, in which way make people arouse its profound function through these “shoes”, and subsequently indicate the miss and respect. Such work has the same effect as “tractor”, which is the abstraction and concentration of reality; because the typical object itself has the expressive character.

    It was interesting that each unit in this work was originally independent and respectively had its own expressive content. However, after the recombination, the interaction, story and direction formulated. The art itself was a kind of creation no matter it was expressed in what way, modern art should set up its own language system no matter you “present” or not.

    The CHAO BROTHERS had the idea of “Building House Plan” at first, then “Memory of Old Objects” and “The Old City Gate’s Complain”, and these old objects made the symphony and turned into an event, opinion as well as story. It was a monumental value that life marks had been transformed into art symbol and formed “Missing the people while watching the object”. The CHAO BROTHERS’ works were not ceramics, bop or the ancient “Xiangsheng”, but the modern works, which focused on the exquisite feeling of deepening details, attention to the society, recalling the memory and thinking.

    It comes a thinking that has little to do with the theme. That is to say, art needs communication with people, and it should considered that audience’s understanding after one work is finished, which is helpful to spread the art proposition. The other people may also make such theme, but it causes different understanding because of the different points, methods and ideas. Once a work is finished, it doesn’t mean the finish of significance, which is gradually shaped during the process. However, as to the original meaning of the work, it needs to be explained widely and effectively, which is the characteristic of modern art, because the modern art depends on the attitude of the elucidator. The position of the spectator could be switched, in other words, the artwork watch you when you watch the artwork, at the same time, the resonance may arise, as to the CHAO BROTHERS, the resonance is that the history should be remembered, spiritual value should be kept in mind forever, because history is helpful to explain matters, and the typical objects are the proofs of history. It is the CHAO BROTHERS who transmits the “original” information carefully and in great detail, which is convenient for retaining memory and thinking. This is not only the writer’s “discovery” of the CHAO BROTHERS, but also their value and idea.

2009  BeiJing
Song Weiguang Sculpture magazine deputy editor