“技艺承载观念”
解读钞子伟、钞子艺兄弟的雕塑作品
文/黄春平
钞子伟、钞子艺兄弟的作品造型逼真，极具写实性又兼有粗犷之风。题材大多选择带有历史意义的旧物为主题，从早期的老宅门楼到近期的“东方红”拖拉机，都沿用被现代社会淘汰的老式物件为创作对象，具有浓厚的都市怀旧情绪。钞氏兄弟的作品选择易于塑造的陶泥作为创作材料，采用泥板成型的方式，在陶泥上精心雕琢刻画，最后入窑烧制或用其它材料翻制而成，雕刻的作品几乎到了乱真的地步，他们的写实功底造诣很深，这种写实的手法，在他们之前也曾被人采用，比如宜兴、石湾和佛山等地的仿生茶具和写实陶塑，以及台湾陈景亮（阿亮）的陶塑《桥》的创作手法，但是，钞氏兄弟的写实手法加入了更多的主动性，加入了更多对材料自身语言的尊重，“我的作品采用的是超写实手法，但决不是盲目的照猫画虎，搬摹对象，我在制作过程中，要么大刀阔斧，任意挥发，要么精雕细刻，千锤百凿，以车系列为例，我先用泥片在原木上印制出木头的纹理，然后再用非常细腻写实的手法，用极锋利的刀片，削刻出作品所需要的肌理、木纹、朽木、样头、铆钉，并有意识留下那些尖锐的刀痕，以保留陶艺的特质”（钞子伟自述）。
钞子伟创作作品极为勤奋，并注重个人修养的提高，1998年到中央美术学院雕塑系助教班学习，1999年起在中央美术学院雕塑系陶艺工作室学习阶段，是钞子伟个人艺术转折时期，在那里他学到了陶艺的制作技术，接触到来自世界各地的当代艺术观念和现象，扩大了艺术视野，找到了表达自己艺术语言的方式。钞氏兄弟的作品在国内外屡获大奖，2000年纪念中国人民抗日战争胜利55周年美展获“三等奖”（北京）；2002年全国第七届陶瓷艺术展获“金奖”（龙泉 ）；2003年韩国国际陶艺双年展获“铜奖”（韩国利川 ）；2005年 “第七届亚洲艺术节主体雕塑” 三等奖（佛山、广州）。除精湛的写实技术引发观者的赞叹之外，都市怀旧情绪也是得到公众认可的重要因素。这种情绪的表述，一方面来源于钞氏兄弟的自身生活经历，另一方面，则是来自于作为现代人对生活中消逝的旧事物的反思。
上世纪90年代末，中国的雕塑艺术完成了向注重当下文化背景的观念性雕塑的过渡，并开始关注自身的传统文化，对历史意义的事物进行反思，大量的历史题材开始出现，如“文革”题材、毛泽东形象、中山装等，钞氏兄弟的作品也应该属于这种题材之内。当然，这其中不乏功利主义者，利用这些既定的符号特征，来获取市场利益。与这类泛泛之辈相比，由于以纯熟的写实技术为依托，运用材料语言恰到好处，钞氏兄弟的作品表现得极为真实、自然。作品给人最大的印象就是形象逼真，刻画精细，创作过程中如果没有极大的意志力和耐心是无法做到的，他们的每一件作品要耗费大量的时间和精力才能完成，最近完成的大型作品《火车头》花了半年多的时间才制作完，并且要求每一个细节都要做到位，正是这样丝丝入微的严谨精神使得他们的作品不仅耐看，而且经得起推敲。这种精神在当下艺术背景下是很可贵的。也许正是这些可贵的品质，艺术品收藏者的订单不断，近来也有国内外画廊要求与他们签订推广合同。
当然，作为技艺性的艺术家最需要思考的问题是表现对象的选择，以此有效地切入当代艺术的问题上来。钞子伟早期的《门楼》系列尽管成功地塑造了门楼的破败、沧桑感，但由于选择的题材不够新颖，其艺术价值便缺少份量。今年六月在美术馆展出的《“东方红”拖拉机》系列让人耳目一新，作为文革时期技术象征的拖拉机承载了更多的历史意义，不仅有着强烈的视觉张力，更赋予观者更大的思考空间。钞氏兄弟的作品之所以能够成功，离不开材料的恰当选择和熟练的陶艺成型与烧造技术的运用，陶土这种材质本身就是朴素自然的，正好与表现的题材完美的结合在一起。以技术性为依托来表述观念，其艺术性更为凝重，视觉效果也更为强烈。
当代艺术自20世纪40、50年代以来，观念性艺术逐渐占据主流，现成品、影像装置、行为艺术纷纷上演，艺术家可以不需要掌握技艺，只要有一个好点子就可以成为一名好的艺术家，传统的手工技艺似乎要退出这个艺术的舞台，然而，事实并非如此，当代艺术并没有成为观念艺术独霸天下的局面，而是朝着两个方向展开，一个是强调写实的技术性，另一个则注重艺术的观念性，波普艺术和超级写实主义可谓是当代艺术的代表，技术和观念就好比人类的精神与物质一样，二者缺一不可，过于追求物质性，可能带来精神的空虚匮乏，而过于强调精神性，又可能影响生存质量。强调艺术的技艺性并不是反观念，偏重写实技艺的艺术不能只是简单的模仿对象，对当代社会文化现象漠视不管，否则，其艺术作品只会流于平庸，高度写实性绘画的代表人物石冲早期的绘画过多的偏重于画面的细节处理，后期转向观念性的表达使画面具有了深层次的意味。当代雕塑方面则有隋建国、展望、于凡等人，这些雕塑家的作品在扎实功底的写实手法的形式下带有典型的观念性。
各种门类的艺术形式都有着自己独特的艺术语言，表达观念的同时如果没有对该门类语言的基本认识和掌握，必然无法达到理想的效果。观念性艺术家借助他人的技术帮助来实现自己的意图，而技艺性的艺术家通过娴熟的技能表述自己的观点，表现手段可以多样性，在运用材料的语言方面可以做到胸有成竹，这一点是纯观念艺术家不可比拟的。当代艺术家都在思考重回艺术的本体语言的问题，也许，技艺性艺术家在这方面可以起到非常重要的推动作用。
2007年
黄春平,北方工业大学教师
“Skill carries the Idea”
Reading sculpture works created by Chao Ziwei and Chao Ziyi
Huang Chunping
The works created by brother Chao Ziwei and Chao Ziyi are lifelike with both realistic writing and straightforward character. The theme is mainly from significant historical objects, from the early old house gate tower to recent period “Dongfanghong” tractor, and the old objects with rich reminiscence feeling which have been eliminated are used continually. The ceramic was chose as the material for creation, which was easy to be sculptured, they carved and depicted on the ceramic by using the mud shaping method, and finally the works were shaped by kiln firing or other ways. The carved works seemed nearly real with masterly skills, such realistic depiction was adopted by some other people, such as the simulate tea set and ceramic sculpture in Yixing, Shiwan, Foshan, as well as the ceramic sculpture Bridge created by Chen Jingliang(A Liang) in Taiwan, etc. However, the CHAO BROTHERS added more initiative to their realistic writing as well as language respect to the material itself. “My works use super realistic depiction but not the blind copy or plagiarism. During the creating process, sometimes I drastically exerted, sometimes carved with great care again and again, take truck for example, I used mud slice to print wood vein on the log, and then carved the texture, wood grain, deadwood, head sampling, rivet with sharp blade according to the necessity, sometimes left the knife mark in order to reserve ceramic character. “ (Described by Chao Ziwei)
Chao Ziwei worked very hard to create new works, and he paid much attention to improving personal cultivation, he studied in Sculpture Department of China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1998, then he studied in ceramic workroom of Sculpture Department from 1999 in China Central Academy of Fine Arts, from where he learned the ceramic technology, experienced the modern art idea and phenomenon from different countries all over the world, which broadened art view, he found the way to express his own art language. The works of the CHAO BROTHERS won many awards home and abroad. They won the “Third Prize” in the 55th Anniversary of Anti-Japanese War in 2000 (Beijing); the “Gold Award” of the 7th National Ceramics Art Exhibition (Longquan); the “Bronze Award” of 2003 Korean International Ceramics Biennale Guest Exhibition, (Icheon, Korea); the “Third Prize” in the 7th Asian 2005 Art Festival Subject Sculpture (Foshan, Guangzhou). Except for the exquisite true-life skill, there was another important element, that is, the urban reminiscence, which was expressed from their life experience, and on the other hand, it was the rethinking of past events as to modern people.
In the end of 1990s, Chinese artists finished the transformation of conceptual sculpture under the current cultural background, and they began to pay attention to their own traditional culture and rethought historical events. Many historical themes turned up, such as “the Cultural Revolution”, Mao Zedong image and Chinese tunic suit, etc. The works created by the CHAO BROTHERS belonged to this theme. Of course, there were some ignorant people who used them to benefit from market. Compared with such ignorant people, the CHAO BROTHERS’ works were based on experienced true-life skill and material, which were expressed real and nature. The most impression of their works were the visualization, reality and careful carving, they couldn’t be finished if there was no strong willpower and patience. It took much time and energy for them to create each work, the Locomotive cost more than half a year, and each detail was strictly required. It was this rigorous spirit that made their works beautiful and elaborated. Meanwhile, it was this worshipful character that caused the incessant orders, recently, there are some foreign galleries who request to sign contracts with them for spread.
Of course, as to a skilled artist, what the most necessary problem to think about is the choice of representation object, which may effectively cut-in the modern art. Although the early Gate Tower series successfully shaped the ruins and vicissitudes, the theme was not fresh enough, which lacked of art value. The “Dongfanghong” Tractor, which was exhibited in June in art gallery, made people refreshing. As the typical symbol during the Cultural Revolution, the tractor carried much historical significance, not only with strong visual tension, but also with more imaginary space. Their works couldn’t be so successful without the appropriate choice and familiar ceramic shaping and firing skill. The pottery clay itself is simple and nature, which matches the theme perfectly. When it is expressed based on technicality, the dignified of artistic quality, the stronger of its visual effect will be.
From 1940s to 1950s, the conceptive art became into the mainstream, completed products, video equipment and action art showed up, the artists no longer needed to master skill, an good idea could make them into a good artist, the traditional hand skill seemed quit the historical stage, however, actually it was not true, the conceptual art didn’t become the major stream of modern art, it was spread into two directions, one focused on the technicality of true-life while another emphasized conception of art, Pop art and super realism were the symbols of modern art. Technicality and conception were just like spirit and material of human being, neither of the two could be dispensed, pursuing excessively for material might cause spiritual emptiness while excessively emphasizing for spirit might affect the quality of life. Emphasizing the art skill didn’t mean going against with conception, the true-life skill was not the simple copy and disregard of modern social culture, otherwise, the work would be the common one. Shi Chong, the representative individual of true-life drawing, paid much attention to the details of appearance in his early works, and then he turned to conceptual expression in later works, which made deep significance. Sui Jianguo, Zhan Wang, Yu Fan were the representatives of modern sculpture, their works had typical conception character under the solid true-life method.
Each kind of art has its own special art language. If you don’t have the basic understanding and mater for this language, you can’t achieve the ideal result. The conceptive artists reach their goals with the help of the other people’s skill. However, the skilled artists express their idea through experienced skill with various methods. They have a ready-formed plan in the language aspect of material using, which is hard to reach. The modern artists are all thinking about regaining artistic ontology language, maybe, the skilled artist play an important role in this aspect.
2007
Huang Chunping, North China University of Technology
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