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
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