匠心讀人

王智媛

鄔大勇和他的人物畫

鄔大勇的作品《圖像志——我的大學》入選第七屆全國青年美術作品展，并被列入直送作品名單。為此，我們專門采訪了這位年輕有為、以油畫人物創(chuàng)作見長的藝術家，傾聽其“匠心讀人”的心路歷程。他將他讀到的人，用他最擅長的語言呈現出來。我們透過他的作品，可以讀到歷史，讀到青春，讀到豐盈而有趣的靈魂。

讀人亦讀史

鄔大勇總是笑稱，他和中國美術學院早已在冥冥之中注定了不離不棄的緣分。很小就展現出繪畫才華的鄔大勇，初習繪畫時的兩位老師就來自中國美術學院油畫系，現如今鄔大勇成了他倆的同事。1992年，鄔大勇順利地考入了中國美院附中，后又順利地拿下了中國美術學院的學士、碩士、博士學位。在中國美術學院油畫系求學期間，鄔大勇的本科老師和研究生導師都是以創(chuàng)作人物畫、歷史主題畫為主的，這就潛移默化地影響了鄔大勇的創(chuàng)作題材與風格，致使他后來更側重于重大題材油畫的創(chuàng)作。留校任教至今，“三十年了，不曾離開，這也許就是冥冥之中的緣分吧”。

他扎實的繪畫功底和勤奮的工作態(tài)度，深得時任中國美術學院院長許江先生的贊許。一次幸運的機會，他與許江、孫景剛、崔小冬合作國家重大歷史題材美術創(chuàng)作工程《1937·12·南京》（現收藏于中國美術館）。這幅油畫在場景表達上，呈現出戰(zhàn)爭中狼煙沖天、殘陽如血的遠景與尸骸堆積如山的近景;在構思設計上，突出坑里坑外的對比，給觀者帶來視覺和心靈的雙重震撼。他們希望通過這幅作品向世人傳遞真相，每一個人都不該忘記1937年12月的南京。這幅作品的橫空出世，引發(fā)了社會各界的強烈反響，也為該團隊后續(xù)展開更深度的合作奠定了基礎。

隨后，他與許江、孫景剛再度合作，參與了中華文明歷史題材美術創(chuàng)作工程項目，誕生了巨幅油畫《天地悠悠——文天祥過零丁洋寫照》（現收藏于中國國家博物館）。這幅采用棕紅色色調、筆觸凌厲而不失精到的油畫，融入強烈的東方寫意感，運用極具人物肖像表現力的創(chuàng)作手法，穿越歷史的云煙，生動地還原了南宋宰相文天祥為抗擊外敵被俘的場景，充分展現了古代民族英雄拯救國家的堅定信仰和視死如歸的高風亮節(jié)?！叭松怨耪l無死？留取丹心照汗青?！比松な?，英雄從未彷徨。

再后來，他三次參與了“百年追夢”浙江美術創(chuàng)作精品工程項目。其中，群像油畫《文軍長征——1940年國立浙江大學西遷》（現收藏于浙江美術館）的誕生在鄔大勇的藝術創(chuàng)作生涯中別具意義。這不僅是鄔大勇獨立完成的省部級繪畫創(chuàng)作項目，也是鄔大勇十分熱愛和擅長的靜態(tài)人物群像組合。這幅作品生動地描繪了國立浙江大學師生西遷辦學途中的場景，彰顯了浙大師生“以天下為己任”的使命與擔當。此時的鄔大勇，也是中國美術學院的師者，他深受文軍長征精神的影響，在藝術教育事業(yè)中踐行著自己的初心與諾言。

“歷史畫是一個宏觀概念，既有古代的、近現代的，也有當代的?！?020年初，新冠病毒肆虐全球，沒人知道這場沒有硝煙的戰(zhàn)“疫”要持續(xù)多久。正當人們感到不安和焦慮的時候，傳來了一則新冠肺炎孕婦成功誕下健康男嬰的新聞，這新生，像一道沖破陰霾的光芒，為人們帶來了生命的鼓舞與希望。鄔大勇深受觸動，當即決定要用畫筆來還原這個特殊時期的特別故事，以鼓舞人們保持樂觀心態(tài)，共同抗擊疫情。在這次創(chuàng)作中，他“將一些抽象元素，譬如具有沖擊力的色塊組合運用到主題性繪畫中去，而不是完全由內容去牽引創(chuàng)作構思，既是一種嘗試，又是一種實踐”，于是就有了新作《浙里抗疫——新生》（現收藏于浙江展覽館）。

讀他的人物畫，就是讀一段歷史、讀一個時代，讀其情懷之“大”。

讀人之青春

在重大歷史題材創(chuàng)作過程中，鄔大勇深深感到，塵封的是歷史，長明的是青春。他開啟了一系列青春題材的創(chuàng)作，而其中，最具代表性的作品莫過于為第十三屆全國美展創(chuàng)作的油畫《覺醒——1919青年中國》和為第五屆全國青年美展創(chuàng)作的油畫《90后有約》。

他在與許江、孫景剛參與建黨百年大型美術創(chuàng)作工程的三年時間里，他通過查閱大量史實文獻，觀看大量電影和紀錄片，誕生了巨幅油畫《紅潮——五四運動》，從正面視角呈現了游行隊伍的宏大場面。那些振臂高呼、步履鏗鏘、目光堅定的熱血青年深深烙印在他心中，于是他就從側面視角特寫了幾位走在游行隊伍前列的青年，獨立創(chuàng)作了油畫《覺醒——1919青年中國》，以紀念五四運動100周年。無論是正面的還是側面的，無論是遠景還是近景，它們都記錄了一代青年的覺醒。

“無論是歷史題材創(chuàng)作，還是青春題材創(chuàng)作，都有一致的趣味在里頭，都是偏平面性的，都不是靠大家公認的某種細膩讓畫面深入，而是靠對比、靠推敲形態(tài)來讓畫顯得耐看?！边@類成功實踐的作品中，就有入選第五屆全國青年美展并獲優(yōu)秀獎（最高獎）的作品《90后有約》。以學生為原型創(chuàng)作的《90后有約》，呈現了一位身姿秀麗、面容皎潔的姑娘臨去赴約前的提鞋瞬間，古典的線條結合柔和的色調，富有很強的個人主觀感受，靜中有動、動中有靜，美得自然、舒暢，閃耀著青春的光澤。

在他的畫中，青春迸發(fā)著“一身能擘兩雕弧，虜騎千重只似無”的力量;在他的畫中，青春鐫刻著“草長鶯飛二月天，拂堤楊柳醉春煙”的美好年華;在他的畫中，青春激蕩著“進前而勿顧后，背黑暗而向光明”的夢想。

讀他的人物畫，就是讀青春之泉，讀其噴“勇”不息。

讀人亦讀己

創(chuàng)作人物畫，先要讀透人，讀《覺醒——1919青年中國》中的熱血青年也好，讀《90后有約》中的韶光美好也罷，其實都是在讀人。讀人的過程，何嘗不是觀照自己、涵養(yǎng)本心的過程。

在完成一系列歷史題材作品和青春題材作品的創(chuàng)作后，鄔大勇開始認識自己，他久久地審視著自己的靈魂?！拔议_始思考，是什么構成了我成長進步和自我超越的寶貴養(yǎng)分”，于是，他回顧青春時期對自己產生深刻影響的文藝作品和人物，打破常規(guī)歷史畫創(chuàng)作的思維模式限制，讓老舍、傅雷、肖洛霍夫、加繆、羅曼 · 羅蘭、馬奈、薩特、魯迅、陀斯妥耶夫斯基、塞尚、索羅利亞這些不同年代、不同國度的人物，穿越時空會聚在他的青春圖騰上，他將這幅作品深情地命名為《圖像志——我的大學》。1A5914E9-C578-4358-99C3-F023FF0A7C1C

于是我們不難理解，緣何他的《圖像志——我的大學》入選第七屆全國青年美術作品展?！拔蚁Ｍ梢詫⑵渥鳛閭€人敘事的一個小結，也希望喚起某種文學感和儀式感?！编w大勇成功地做到了。從學理維度來看，《圖像志——我的大學》是一幅群像式的個人敘事作品;從空間維度來看，《圖像志——我的大學》更是一個“鄔”托邦的藝術廳堂。置身其中，你會驚奇地發(fā)現，在大的群像“敘事”中又鋪陳著諸多小的細節(jié)“敘事”，例如畫面細微之處可見其大學時期深愛的弗里德里希的名畫《霧海中的旅行者》以及Nirvana、Metallica等樂隊主唱的照片和唱片封面。

在鄔大勇的畫室，一幅正處于創(chuàng)作初期的巨幅油畫十分醒目，我們又見到從不同年代、不同國度穿越時空會聚而來的人物，我們又讀到很多大“敘事”中的小“敘事”，這應該是《圖像志——我的大學》的姊妹作，我們期待這幅作品早日問世。交談中，談及其被收藏于中國國家博物館、中國美術館、浙江美術館、浙江展覽館、中國美術學院美術館的作品時，我們驚異于這位青年藝術家所取得的藝術成就，他卻云淡風輕地將其歸功于幸運。而筆者認為，幸運，從來都是能者的謙辭。

讀他的人物畫，就像步入一個“鄔”托邦的藝術廳堂，讀其豐盈而有趣的靈魂。

“精華在筆端，咫尺匠心難。”如今，人們仿佛很難靜下心來把一本心愛的書讀完，而他，卻愿意用幾個月甚至幾年的時間來打磨一幅人物畫。這個創(chuàng)作的過程，就是匠心讀人的過程。沒有情懷之“大”，沒有青春之泉的噴“勇”，何以構建一個“鄔”托邦的藝術廳堂！

鏈接：

鄔大勇，現任中國美術學院繪畫藝術學院副院長，油畫系第一工作室教授、博導，油畫歷史畫創(chuàng)作研究所負責人。

作品《致青春·勇者有約》獲第十三屆浙江省美展銅獎并入選第十二屆全國美展獲獎提名。

作品《覺醒——1919青年中國》獲第十四屆浙江省美展銀獎并入選第十三屆全國美展。

作品《故事》入選第四屆全國青年美展獲優(yōu)秀獎（最高獎）。

作品《90后有約》入選第五屆全國青年美展獲優(yōu)秀獎（最高獎）。

Ingenuity to Read People：

Wu Dayong and His Figure Paintings

By? Wang Zhiyuan

Wu Dayongs Iconography — My University was selected into the Seventh National Youth Art Exhibition and shortlisted for the 14th National Art Exhibition. In a special interview with this young and promising artist who excels in figure oil paintings， Wu shared his journey of “reading people with ingenuity”. Through his works， one can learn history， youth as well as rich， interesting souls.

Wu Dayong said with a smile that he was destined to an indissoluble bond with China Academy of Art （CAA）. Showing his talent for art at an early age， he was initiated by two teachers from the Oil Painting Department of CAA. After finishing its affiliated high school in 1992， Wu was enrolled to CAA， where he obtained the bachelors， masters and doctorate degrees， and was assigned to teach after graduation. During his days in the Oil Painting Department， both his undergraduate and postgraduate tutors were specialized in figure painting and historical theme painting， which subtly influenced Wus creative themes and painting style： he would be focused more on oil painting with major themes later.

Wus solid painting skills and diligence won the praise of Xu Jiang， the then CAA president， with whom he cooperated afterwards. Together with Sun Jinggang and Cui Xiaodong， the four of them worked on a national major historical art project Dec. 1937， Nanjing （now collected by the National Art Museum of China）. In the background， the setting sun， silhouetted against smoke from war fire， is like blood， whereas in the foreground， bodies are heaped up like a mountain. There is also a sharp contrast between the inside and outside of the corpse pit， bringing both visual and spiritual shock to the viewers， reminding the Chinese people not to forget the humiliation. It has aroused strong responses from people of all walks of life， laying the foundation for the team of four in engage in more in-depth cooperation.1A5914E9-C578-4358-99C3-F023FF0A7C1C

Subsequently， Wu， Xu and Sun worked in cooperation again on a project with the theme of Chinese civilization and history， which gave birth to the huge oil painting The Eternal Heaven and Earth — A Portrait of Wen Tianxiang Sailing Through the Lingdingyang Bay （now collected in the National Museum of China）. In crimson tones with sharp， precise brushstrokes， the painting incorporates a strong sense of oriental freehand brushwork， which endows its figures with impressive expressiveness. It vividly restores the scene of Wen Tianxiang （1236-1283）， the last prime minister of the Southern Song dynasty （1127-1279）， being captured in his fight against invaders， which reflects the steadfast determination of ancient national heroes to save their country.

Wu thereafter participated in Zhejiangs boutique project “A Centurys Dreams” three times. His oil painting Long March by a Literary “Army”： National Zhejiang University Relocates to Western China in 1940 （now collected in Zhejiang Art Museum）， with a combination of static figures in which Wu excels， demonstrates the mission of teachers and students of Zhejiang University to “take the world as their own responsibility”. At this time， Wu， a teacher at China Academy of Art， deeply influenced by this spirit， pursued his original aspirations in the cause of art education.

“History painting is a macro concept with a time span from the ancient to the present.” In early 2020， word came that a pregnant woman affiliated with COVID-19 successfully delivered a healthy baby boy. This new life， like a ray of light breaking through the darkness， brought the hope of life. Deeply touched， Wu decided instantly to reproduce the special story in this special period， encouraging people to maintain optimism， which resulted in his new work Fight Against the Pandemic in Zhejiang — New Life （now collected in Zhejiang Exhibition Hall）. Here he tried to incorporate some abstract elements， such as impactful color blocks， into a thematic painting”. Admiring Wus figure paintings is to admire a piece of history and an era in his “big” vision.

In creating major historical subjects， Wu understood that though history could be sealed in dust， youth would always shine. During his three-year cooperation with Xu Jiang and Sun Jinggang， Wu independently created Awakening – the Youth of China 1919， featuring several young people walking in the front of a parade from a side perspective. This commemorated the centennial of the May Fourth Movement， recording the awakening of a generation of youth.1A5914E9-C578-4358-99C3-F023FF0A7C1C

“Whether its history theme or youth theme， the interest is the same to me. Both are two-dimensional and about the contrast and scrutiny of form to make the painting appealing， instead of some usual subtlety.” Among such successful works is A Date of a Girl Born after the 1990s with Wus student as his prototype， which pictures the moment when a rosy-cheeked， delicate-looking girl checks up her shoes for dating. The classical lines combined with soft tones， with movement and stillness intertwined， so that the painting shines with the luster of youth perceptible from his strongly subjective strokes. Youth presented in Wus art bursts with power， engraved with beautiful days and stirring aspirations. Admiring Wus figure paintings is to admire the energy fountain of youth.

To execute figure paintings， one must first read people thoroughly. The process of studying people is also a process of self-reflection and self-improvement. After completing a series of historical and youth-themed works， Wu began to read himself. With a review of literary and artistic works and figures that had had a profound influence on him during his youth， Wu broke through the limitations of conventional thinking in historical painting， and brought together Lao She， Fu Lei， Sholokhov， Camus and other figures from different ages and nations in a new work， which he affectionately entitled Iconography — My University.

“I hope it serves as a summary of my personal narrative， evoking a literary and ritual sense.” Wu made it. Theoretically， this is a personal narrative of group portraiture， yet it is spatially more of an art hall of Wu-style utopia， as the big narrative of group portraits contains many a small， detailed narrative. For example， theres C. D. Friedrichs Wanderer above the Sea of ??Fog and the photos and album covers of the lead singers of bands such as Nirvana and Metallica hidden in the details.

In Wus studio， a huge oil painting in its early stage of creation is very eye-catching， with also figures from different eras and countries， who have come together through time and space. This should be a sister work of Iconography — My University. Though the artistic achievements of the young artist are amazing， during the interview， Wu light-heartedly attributed all these to luck. Luck is always the humble mantra of the talented.

Nowadays， its difficult for people to calm their minds and finish reading a book， but Wu is willing to spend months or even years polishing a figure painting. This creative process is one of reading people with ingenuity.1A5914E9-C578-4358-99C3-F023FF0A7C1C