在東西方文化交融中開辟新境
——王還霆油畫作品略議

文向云駒Xiang Yunju 圖王還霆Wang Huanting 譯曹宇光Cao Yuguang

在東西方文化交融中開辟新境
——王還霆油畫作品略議

New Vista Exploration in the Cultural Integration of East and West——On Wang Huanting’s Oil Paintings

文向云駒Xiang Yunju 圖王還霆Wang Huanting 譯曹宇光Cao Yuguang

一個畫家的藝術眼光、藝術風格、藝術生命、藝術使命是由他的故鄉(xiāng)、閱世、經歷、追求決定的。畫家的藝術道路是他走過的藝術歷程。像一條條溪流最后匯合成大江大海，每一條人生小路的風景，每一次藝術經驗的新辟，每一種技法技巧技術的習得，乃至每一次藝術靈感的生發(fā)和苦悶艱難的堅持，都會留下汗水，流入生命的大河和藝術的長河。畫家舉辦展覽展示自己的心血之作，也就是向觀眾敞開自己的心扉，把自己的生命史透過藝術作品向觀眾展開。所以，凡是真正藝術家的畫展，一定是畫家與觀眾在神圣殿堂里的一次靈魂撞擊、心靈對話和眼神對視。與王還霆作藝術對話，有以下三個視角值得關注。

我們先看他的藝術簡歷。王還霆1958年生于東北哈爾濱市，自幼愛畫習畫，兒時即在少年宮美術班學習，16歲歷經上山下鄉(xiāng)運動，改革開放后考入并畢業(yè)于哈爾濱市工農教育學院繪畫專業(yè)。1988年東渡日本習畫，為日本畫界名宿東山魁夷作過兩年助手，并全面、深入、系統(tǒng)地研究了日本畫、漆畫、木雕，對中國漢唐宋元明的漆畫、貼金、雕漆、沉金、散金技術用十數(shù)年時間打入進去，又深研中國工筆、日本巖繪、蒔繪技法，像工匠一樣把木雕工具和木雕技術掌握到運斤如風的境界；然后不遺余力地在油畫、木雕、漆畫融合上開辟新的藝術道路。

早在1983年他的油畫《媽媽我來》即參加黑龍江全省美展，1985年油畫《變遷》獲全國職工美展優(yōu)秀獎。此后多次參加省級油畫人物展等各類油畫展。1988年以來在日本多次舉辦油畫個展。1991年在東京舉辦個人木雕漆畫作品展。2003年油畫《村童》參加全國油畫展，2006年起兩次在俄羅斯哈巴羅夫斯克市舉辦個人展。2009年起陸續(xù)在廣州、北京等地舉辦個人巡回展。王還霆自2010年起受聘為黑龍江省美協(xié)油畫藝委會副主任。

這份藝術簡歷不僅告訴我們王還霆在藝術上經歷了長期的訓練和刻苦的鉆研，經歷了從油畫到學習借鑒日本畫的歷程；從生活上有過當知青的經歷，有過對東北山水、鄉(xiāng)村城市、中國日本的豐富閱歷。而且它還告訴我們王還霆是一位走著自己獨特藝術創(chuàng)造和探索路程的藝術家，他的繪畫作品的題材內容、風格、特色，不是模仿別人所形成的，而是自己積累和探索出來的。

我們再看他的藝術風格。王還霆的創(chuàng)作以油畫為主，兼制漆畫木雕。漆畫和木雕在中國、日本都是歷史悠久、傳統(tǒng)深厚的工藝美術樣式。王還霆由油畫而兼及工藝的經歷讓我們想起國畫大師齊白石由工匠而藝匠的道路。只是王還霆的探索更加具有難度，他不僅要嘗試把工藝美術和油畫藝術相互打通，而且實質上是要把東方藝術與西方藝術加以融合打通，使之水乳相融，生發(fā)出別樣的光彩。事實上，這正是王還霆油畫的風格、特色、獨創(chuàng)、異樣。

春風 Spring Breeze

春天的鈴聲 The Bell Rings in Spring

王還霆的油畫在充分繼承、發(fā)揮油畫藝術寫實傳統(tǒng)的同時，在畫面中深深地注入了主觀性、裝飾性、意向性、藝術性。他在表現(xiàn)東北風情時，濃墨重彩地渲染和再現(xiàn)了東北的原野、風雪、民俗、村落、人物，具有鮮明的寫實風格。但是他的所有作品中都彰顯著畫家自己的感覺：有一處沉郁的色調，有一些“去寫實”的細節(jié)，營造出一種“藝術”的氛圍。它們不像一些經典油畫逼真程度甚至超越照相，它們也不像印象派、抽象派油畫，影像成為附屬，彰顯的是主觀的光、影、色。王還霆的油畫既不脫離寫實風格，又不純粹地客觀主義，有時甚至刻意具有工藝性、版畫風、裝飾味。比如，有些細節(jié)可以因為工藝性而超過照相的逼真，但主體物象上又刻意疏離逼真。所以，我認為他的油畫是具有自己風格、特色、樣式的油畫，是與前人、別人、他人不一樣的油畫，也是不可復制、不可重復、不可模仿的油畫。他的油畫完全是由他自己的人生道路和藝術歷程鑄造出來的，是特別具有東方意味、東方品質、東方美學、東方技術、東方傳統(tǒng)的西式油畫作品。在東西方文化融合上，王還霆比前人的眼界更廣闊，他在中國、日本、歷史、傳統(tǒng)、民間等更加廣大豐富的背景上展開東方與西方的交融借鑒。這樣的探索盡管非常艱難，但毫無疑問具有深遠的意義和重要的藝術美學價值。

我們復看他的藝術巨制。王還霆花費極大心血創(chuàng)作了兩幅大型油畫作品。一幅是明代抗倭題材，一幅是東北抗日聯(lián)軍抗日題材。兩幅都是抗日題材，一古一今，都是大幅巨制，場面壯闊，人物眾多，具有史詩性的追求。選擇明朝抗倭和東北抗聯(lián)這兩個題材進行巨制創(chuàng)作，是王還霆藝術情結的一個表現(xiàn)。他出生在東北黑土地，他又長期旅日學習。這使他有可能深刻體察和思考中日歷史。一方面說明他是一個在骨髓里浸透著愛國主義精神的藝術家，一方面說明他對中日歷史進行了自己獨特的觀察與研究，一方面還說明了他為此進行了長期的、精心的籌備、準備。他說：“我在國外生活20多年，國外的生活讓我更加思念祖國，對祖國的情感很深，越出國越愛國。”他在日本就產生了強烈的創(chuàng)作歷史畫的沖動，為此專門研究日本古代服裝、武士動作、日常心理狀態(tài)，搜集了大量資料，畫了大量速寫。他研究戚家軍、湘軍，將中國軍隊分為兵、卒、俑三類，研究日本軍人，將其分為武士、浪人、忍者，又用圍棋布陣法來結構戰(zhàn)爭場面，數(shù)十遍地拆局、布局，終于形成巨制的構思構圖、結構場面和人物動作。在反映中日戰(zhàn)爭場面和人物細節(jié)上，很少有人這樣注重歷史的真實。以致于日本觀眾觀看這些作品后都認為，王還霆讓他們在外國人的畫布上看到了自己民族真實的樣子。他每天凌晨一點鐘起床作畫，前后歷時九年時間?？梢哉f，通過數(shù)十年的準備和長達近十年的繪制，王還霆完成了他的代表性作品的創(chuàng)作。戚繼光抗倭東南大戰(zhàn)真實描寫了冷兵器時代的宏大戰(zhàn)爭場面，人物眾多，主次分明，海戰(zhàn)場面震撼人心，海岸沙灘上廝殺壯烈，戚繼光的戰(zhàn)旗、戰(zhàn)馬威震倭敵。在東北抗日聯(lián)軍戰(zhàn)場描寫中，雪白血紅，戰(zhàn)旗、戰(zhàn)火在白雪皚皚中閃亮奪目，大雪蒼茫，鐵騎奮勇，林海征戰(zhàn)，趙尚志、楊靖宇等抗聯(lián)英雄人物的形象與山河同在，與日月爭輝。作者的頌揚、謳歌、崇敬之情躍然畫面，這兩幅巨制生動而深刻地表達了中國人民對歷史的記憶。

一個畫家終其一生能在藝術上找到自己的語言，開辟屬于自己的藝術特色，并且能用這些藝術手段創(chuàng)作出與自己人生、祖國山河、民族命運、人類歷史緊密相聯(lián)的、或大或小的題材和心血之作，那他的創(chuàng)作就是值得尊重的。所有名垂青史的畫家都是從這樣一條藝術道路上向我們走來的。讓我們繼續(xù)矚目王還霆的創(chuàng)作。

村口 Entrance to a Village

留守 Those Left Behind

A painter’s vision, style, vitality and mission in art are determined by his or her hometown, life experience and pursuit while a painter’s personal experience will lead to his or her approach in art. Like every stream that ultimately runs into river or sea, every slice of enlightenment along the living path, every kind of innovation in art experiment, every success in acquisition of technique or skill and even every wink of inspiration or perseverance against hardship demands efforts and contributes to the perfection of life and art. By exhibiting his or her artworks full of devotion, a painter opens his or her heart to viewers and tells about his or her living story. Therefore, a genuine artist’s art exhibition must be a sacred occasion where the artist has a spiritual impact, dialogue and eye contact with the viewers. In the art dialogue with Wang Huanting, there are following three perspectives worthy of our attention.

The first perspective is his art resume. Born in Harbin in Northeast China in 1958, Wang Huanting has borne a particular passion for fine arts and kept practicing painting since his childhood. He used to learn at painting class in the Children’s Palace until the age of 16 when his training in fine art was suspended during the Cultural Revolution. Soon after the policy of reform and opening up was adopted, he was admitted into the Painting Department of Harbin Workers and Farmers Educational College. Upon graduation, he went to Japan for further study in 1988 as a personal assistant of Kaii Higashiyama, a master in Japanese fine art circle. During his stay in Japan, he made an all-round, in-depth and systematic research of Japanese painting, lacquer painting and woodcarving. He even spent over a decade on technologies in Chinese dynasties of Han, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming such as lacquer painting, gold foil, carved lacquer, immersion gold and scattered gold. With a proficiency in Chinese traditional realistic painting, Japanese rock painting and maki-e, Wang Huanting has achieved a superb mastery of equipments and techniques in woodcarving. Then he spared no efforts to explore a new approach on the integration of oil painting, woodcarving and lacquer painting.

As early as in 1983, his oil painting Mom, I’m Coming was included into the provincial fine arts exhibition in Heilongjiang and two years later his work Changing Life won the Award of Excellence in the national workers’ fine arts exhibition. Afterwards, he participated in provincial figure oil painting exhibitions and other oil painting exhibitions on many occasions. From the year 1988 on, he held his personal oil painting exhibitions many times in Japan, and in 1991, he held his personal woodcarving and lacquer painting exhibition in Tokyo. In 2003, his oil painting Child in Village was involved into the national oil painting exhibition and from the year 2006 on, he has held personal exhibitions in Khabarovsk in Russia. Since 2009, he has consecutively staged his personal tour in Guangzhou, Beijing and so on and since 2010, he has been engaged as deputy director general of Oil Painting Art Committee of Heilongjiang Provincial Artists Association.

From his resume, we can obviously see that Wang Huanting has undergone a long-term training and painstaking study in oil painting as well as reference in Japanese fine arts, and he has gained abundant experience about landscape, urban and rural expressions in Northeast China and Japan. Moreover, he has become a distinguished artist with his unique artistic creation and exploration as the contents, style and characteristics of his paintings are outcome of his years of accumulation and exploration in arts instead of mere imitation.

The second perspective is his style in art. With main creation in oil painting, Wang Huanting is good at lacquer painting and woodcarving as well, both of which are significant approaches of fine and applied arts of a time-honored history and profound tradition in China and Japan. Wang’s artistry from oil painting to applied arts will easily remind us of Qi Baishi, a master of traditional Chinese painting evolving from a simple artisan, but Wang’s exploration in art is more difficult. He endeavors not only to combine applied arts with oil painting, but also to integrate essentially Oriental arts and Occidental arts in a perfect harmony so as to bring about extraordinary charm in arts. As a matter of fact, this is just Wang’s unique style, ideal, highlight and innovation in oil painting.

While inheriting and strengthening the realistic tradition of oil painting art, Wang Huanting manages to infuse some subjective, decorative, intentional and artistic elements into his works. In his works about landscape in Northeast China, his thick and heavy colors highlight and recapture the open country, snowstorm, folklore, rural community and figures in a distinctive style of realism. However, all his works convey a different sense of his own as some gloomy tune or some semi-realistic details produce an atmosphere of art. They are neither as vivid as true objects depicted in classic oil paintings nor tiny accessory in oil paintings of Impressionism or Abstract School that stress on subjective light, shadow and colors. Wang’s style in oil painting, based upon traditional realism, is not a simple imitation of Objectivism but intentionally endowed with craftsmanship, print style and decorative feature. For example, some details of high application purpose are more vivid than true objects while the main body looks far from reality as a deliberate detachment. In a word, my conclusion is that, different from oil paintings of his ancestors and peers, his works enjoy a unique style, character and pattern, none of which could be reproduced or imitated. Wang’s oil paintings are completely outcome of his own experience in life and art, inWestern forms but with a particular Oriental taste, quality, aesthetics, technique and tradition. As to cultural integration of East and West, his unprecedented vast vision enables him to manage integration and mutual reference of East and West with such abundant background factors as China, Japan, history, tradition and folklore. Undoubtedly, his exploration, though quite difficult, is blessed with a profound significance and aesthetic value in arts.

The last perspective is his achievement in art. With painstaking efforts, Wang Huanting created two large-scale oil paintings. One is about ancient Chinese military forces’war against Japanese pirates in Ming Dynasty and the other is about voluntary army’s fighting against Japanese invaders in Northeast China in the 1930s. The two giant artworks of the same theme of resistance against Japanese invaders are considered to be epic creations of magnificent event and massive figures and typical presentation of Wang Huanting’s art complex. As a native of Northeast China and a traveler in Japan for quite a long time, Wang has profoundly experienced and pondered over the history of China and Japan. As an artist full of patriotic spirit, Wang Huanting has not only conducted unique observation and study of this sensitive history, but also made long-term and sophisticated preparation for his artistic creation. “I have lived abroad for more than two decades, which results in my deep affection and nostalgia for my motherland and patriotic spirits.” he said. His enthusiasm for those historical creations can be sourced back to his living in Japan, and for this reason, he made such a particular survey about ancient Japanese costumes, samurais’ combat actions and daily mentality that a large quantity of materials and sketches were accumulated. His research about Chinese military forces such as General Qi Jiguang’s army or army from Hunan Province tells differences about soldier, private and warrior and that about Japanese military forces tells about samurai, ronin and ninja. Wang even adopted the game of go to simulate battle formation and his repeated deployment and removal for over scores of times finally led to a comprehensive format, structure and figures’ varied motion. As far as the warfare reproduction and figure details in painting, there is hardly any painter like Wang Huanting who is so accurate with the reality in history. As a result, Japanese viewers unanimously suppose that they have seen the authentic appearance of their ancestors in a foreigner’s oil painting. At one am, he would get up to start a new day’s creation and in this way, he spent nine years until completion. To some extent, Wang’s representative works are outcome of his decades of preparation and nearly a decade of artistic creation. The grand spectacle of warfare in the age of Cold Steel was depicted in the Southeast Battle led by General Qi Jiguang against Japanese pirates. Countless figures of varied features and distinct gradation provide a shocking naval battle, heroic sacrifice on beaches and Chinese glorious victory over invaders. In the painting of voluntary army of Northeast China, the military banner and fire are shining against white snow and red blood. Riding horses in heavy snow and immense forest bravely, such heroes as Zhao Shangzhi and Yang Jingyu outshine the sun and the moon and become as eternal as mountains and rivers, for whom the painter expressed respect, praise and eulogy to the utmost. The two giant paintings are vivid and profound reflections of Chinese people’s memory about this unforgettable history.

If a painter can find an art language of his own, establish his own art features and present some significant works closely related to his life, motherland, national destiny and human history in artistry, his creation is well worthy of our respect because all those painters who earn their places in history have traveled the same path. Hopefully, Wang Huanting will bring more promising works to us in the future.

三羊開泰 Bliss in Three Rams