以根問道

文/ 賴 子

2020年12月，衢州市開化縣根宮佛國文化旅游區(qū)榮獲“全球最大的根雕博物館”吉尼斯世界紀錄稱號。In December 2020, Root Palace Buddha Country Culture Tourism Area broke the Guinness World Records and became the largest root carving museum in the world.

循著“嘎吱”的鋸與木的摩擦聲，以及“啪啪”有節(jié)奏的鑿撞擊根的聲音，來到根宮佛國三期的“醉根杯”中國根雕現(xiàn)場創(chuàng)作大賽基地。在三百米的長廊里擺放了五十多張的創(chuàng)作臺，不少根雕藝人正緊張地雕刻著，靠墻角的那位入定似的，盯著一截根樁，另一位手舞足蹈，與根共舞……這已是第六屆“醉根杯”大賽，來自北京、浙江、福建、河南、河北、湖南等十余個省份的四十多位代表國內(nèi)一流根藝水平的藝術(shù)家參加。其間，常見一位胡須拉碴、精神矍鑠的中年人緩步于此，只是看看笑笑，他便是大賽的組織者徐谷青。

開化追夢 文化尋根

位于錢塘江上游的小城開化，寧靜而蔥郁，地處浙、皖、贛三省七縣交界地，是全國著名的“中國根雕藝術(shù)之鄉(xiāng)”?！伴_化根雕”起源于唐武德四年，從明末開始根雕才從木雕中漸漸分離開來，成單獨的藝術(shù)門類?！队赫_化縣志》記載：“城中近百所來所有之坊為十二，皆有坊門望樓。”從政義坊望樓殘留的木結(jié)構(gòu)可以看出，開化的木雕已達到較高的藝術(shù)水準。清光緒《開化縣志》載：“宋國光，字爾衍，清乾隆邑癢生，授例就營千總，善繪畫，善雕琢，得盤根錯節(jié)之樹樁，隨手刻劃為人物花鳥，見者嘆以為真。鐘峰書院落成，門窗雕刻竹葉，鏤梅花兼繪古十八學(xué)士欄壁，形神畢肖?！币淮褡趲熕螄馐谒囉谛煸?，其后形成徐氏根雕派。發(fā)展根雕藝術(shù)，傳播根雕文化，打響根雕品牌，做大根雕產(chǎn)業(yè)，一直是開化人的夢想。

而真正將根雕做大的是后輩徐谷青。他1966年8月15日出生在衢州開化縣林山鄉(xiāng)梅嶺村，這是一個被稱為懸崖上的村莊，眾山夾峙的深山凹，交通閉塞，土地貧瘠?；蛟S正是這樣的環(huán)境，造就他敢闖敢拼、做事就要做到極致的韌勁。初中畢業(yè)后被迫輟學(xué)，但稍有閑暇，他就用心鉆研木雕、壁畫和書法。如今在他的工作室內(nèi)，懸掛著一幅大型的根書—一個“闖”字，這是他對根藝事業(yè)的信心和動力的寫照。原中國根藝美術(shù)學(xué)會副主席李蒂、上海根藝美術(shù)學(xué)會會長胡仁甫給了他許多教益。原中國美術(shù)學(xué)院院長肖峰稱他為“根瘋”，胡仁甫因他醉心于根藝，給了一個藝號“醉根”。

1991年，回到家鄉(xiāng)的徐谷青組建開化根雕廠并注冊“醉根”商標，帶徒授藝，開化根雕龐大的隊伍里，半數(shù)以上曾在徐谷青的根雕廠學(xué)習(xí)或工作，接受過他的言傳身教。開化不僅具有濃厚的根雕藝術(shù)氛圍，而且其藝術(shù)自成風格，選材奇絕、創(chuàng)作精巧、品種豐富，人物作品、自然造型、動物飛禽、四季果蔬以及實用居家用品一應(yīng)俱全。特別是徐谷青的巨型根藝作品，造型簡潔古樸、氣韻生動、氣勢磅礴，創(chuàng)作了世界罕見的巨型根雕群《五百羅漢》《觀音百態(tài)》等根雕藝術(shù)群，以根代言，一把刻刀，讓內(nèi)心對生活乃至生命的感悟栩栩涌現(xiàn)。巨型根藝《五百羅漢》是徐谷青和他的團隊利用千年以上的大型龍眼木根樁，精雕慢琢、巧奪天工而成的。他們施以局部刀筆，形象栩栩如生，各尊羅漢特點捕捉到位，充分利用材料的形態(tài)、色澤、質(zhì)感以及根樁的天然肌理，人物形神兼?zhèn)?、衣紋流暢、富有不同的質(zhì)感，使作品在藝術(shù)與自然兩方面達到和諧和統(tǒng)一。

從“手雕”走向“心雕”

開化根雕在傳承“海派”根雕基礎(chǔ)上又有新的突破，更強調(diào)無為而“制”，人補天不足，從“雕”走向“不雕”，從“手雕”走向“心雕”，有時純用“心雕”法取勝。努力將“巧奪天工”與“巧用天工”結(jié)合得更加完美，“三分人工，七分自然”，這是一般見工不見藝的根藝之作所無法比擬的。有些作品非常接近當代觀念藝術(shù)，與現(xiàn)代裝置藝術(shù)與抽象藝術(shù)是近鄰。徐谷青賦予奇巧的根材以生命的動感和情韻，努力打破傳統(tǒng)根雕藝術(shù)限于在室內(nèi)擺置的框框而走向戶外，以期取得如同城市雕塑的功能，創(chuàng)造真正的現(xiàn)代根藝。如《世紀門》作品取自一個整塊的樹根，天生自然。里面是自然腐爛掉形成的溝壑，外面是樹的筋骨。徐谷青順其根材原有的造型態(tài)勢，從長勢、筋骨出發(fā)把最為自然的大地語言同他的藝術(shù)語言融合起來。經(jīng)過多年積累，開化根雕逐步形成了融根藝、佛學(xué)、美學(xué)、生態(tài)學(xué)于一體，具有獨特地方藝術(shù)魅力的根雕文化，被列為浙江省非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)，是繼東陽木雕、青田石雕、黃楊木雕之后浙江第四雕，是九大歷史經(jīng)典產(chǎn)業(yè)之一。

2020年，針對根雕業(yè)內(nèi)制作工藝傳統(tǒng)滯后、技藝傳承與創(chuàng)新力度不夠、整體上藝術(shù)水平不高的現(xiàn)狀，他牽頭制定浙江制造品牌標準《開化傳統(tǒng)藝術(shù)根雕》，這是根雕產(chǎn)業(yè)向規(guī)范發(fā)展的首創(chuàng)之舉，以“品字標”浙江制造和“國內(nèi)一流、國際先進”高標準定位，制定了包含根雕產(chǎn)品分類、設(shè)計要求、選材要求、工藝要求、檢測要求、產(chǎn)品質(zhì)量要求以及試驗方法、標志、包裝、運輸、貯存、質(zhì)量承諾、根雕設(shè)計制作交易等全過程的標準，這也是中國第一個傳統(tǒng)經(jīng)典技藝的標牌。

根雕作品《五百羅漢》。The 500 Arhats, a root carving artwork.

在徐谷青帶動下，開化根藝企業(yè)發(fā)展迅猛，他一手創(chuàng)辦的衢州醉根藝品有限公司已發(fā)展成為國內(nèi)最大的根雕企業(yè)，公司投資建設(shè)的根宮佛國文化旅游區(qū)，不僅是世界唯一的大型根文化主題公園、國家AAAAA級景區(qū)，是目前國內(nèi)規(guī)模最大、工藝水平最高、以根雕為主題的國家文化產(chǎn)業(yè)示范基地，更是傳統(tǒng)工藝與文化旅游結(jié)合的成功典范。如今，開化的根藝企業(yè)有28家，從業(yè)人員達2200余人，每年加工創(chuàng)作根雕作品超過30萬件（套）以上，形成了開化根雕藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作群。在中國國際民間藝術(shù)、國際民間手工藝品等博覽會上，開化根雕作品曾六次獲得金獎。為傳承發(fā)揚開化根雕文化，衢州旅游學(xué)校谷青根雕班每年招收近40名學(xué)生，由徐谷青與他弟子手把手傳授根雕技藝，三年學(xué)完，可到醉根公司上班。為做大“國”字招牌，培養(yǎng)各類根雕人才，開化根雕還積極與高校聯(lián)合，與媒體互動，與各類藝術(shù)文化搭橋，提高根雕文化產(chǎn)業(yè)的附加效能，提升開化根雕文化品牌影響力，其重頭戲當屬“醉根杯”根雕現(xiàn)場創(chuàng)作大賽，這是中國根雕藝術(shù)現(xiàn)場創(chuàng)作的第一品牌賽事。自2014年以來，開化每年舉辦一屆中國根雕界最高水平的根雕大賽，累計參賽選手260余名，一批批藝人在此得到鍛煉，一批批精品在此誕生，也讓游客近距離見證朽木華麗轉(zhuǎn)身為藝術(shù)精品，引導(dǎo)人們認識根雕、欣賞根雕并愛上根雕藝術(shù)，領(lǐng)略中國優(yōu)秀傳統(tǒng)文化的精髓。

根雕為媒 擁抱世界

如今，根宮佛國成為中國根雕業(yè)內(nèi)展示、交流、研討的最大平臺，吸引了全國有影響力的根雕人才前來交流、合作、創(chuàng)作、展覽。中國根雕司令部—中國工藝美術(shù)學(xué)會根雕專業(yè)委員會也隨之落戶開化，徐谷青任首屆委員會主任，秘書處設(shè)在根宮佛國景區(qū)。專委會不僅創(chuàng)建根雕專業(yè)網(wǎng)站，創(chuàng)辦了根雕行業(yè)綜合性會刊《中國根雕》《醉根》和別具根雕特色的微信公眾號“根雕界”，還對根雕行業(yè)、根雕人物、根雕藝術(shù)進行全方位推介，倡導(dǎo)舉辦一年一度的根雕專業(yè)委員會年會和醉根論壇，來自全國各省份的根雕行業(yè)領(lǐng)頭人會聚于此，推進根藝的傳承與發(fā)揚。2020年12月3日，經(jīng)認證，開化縣根宮佛國文化旅游區(qū)成功挑戰(zhàn)吉尼斯世界紀錄，最終確認博物館內(nèi)的根雕數(shù)量為5696 件，是官方登記的博物館中根雕藏品數(shù)量之最，成為全球最大的根雕博物館。

為打響“世界根雕看中國，中國根雕在開化”品牌，根宮佛國景區(qū)以根雕為媒，擁抱世界。“一帶一路”國際根藝文化交流周活動順勢而為，應(yīng)運而生，從2017年以來，每年邀請10多個不同國家和地區(qū)的根雕藝術(shù)家進行現(xiàn)場創(chuàng)作交流。他們用不同工具、不同的方式，點木成金，用刻刀演繹與傳承本國文化，展示各自的美學(xué)思想和對“根”的理解，并將中國根雕藝術(shù)推向世界。來自英國的William Prickett給自己的作品取名為La joie de vivre（生命之悅），刻畫的是海面上跳躍的海豚，意在表達最純粹的喜悅。他說：“來到開化的經(jīng)歷就像一場奇遇，實在太精彩了。這種‘打擂臺’的方式，促進了中國根雕藝術(shù)的傳承與創(chuàng)新，掀開了根藝史新的一頁。”2020年，在浙江根藝·國際學(xué)堂，來自孔子學(xué)院的各國留學(xué)生舉行莊重的儀式，拜徐谷青等為師，接受根藝傳承培訓(xùn)。老師們悉心講授開化根雕藝術(shù)歷史以及創(chuàng)作特征，讓開化根雕文化通過留學(xué)生群體向世界傳播。“雕刻的過程讓我感覺特別放松，能釋放很多壓力?！眮碜愿鐐惐葋喌暮驳街袊呀?jīng)3年了，他感覺開化根雕相較于其他根雕更加獨特和精致。國家有別，情感無界。根，樹之根，藝術(shù)之根，文化之根，民族之根，更是人類命運共同體之根。

潮平兩岸闊，風正一帆懸。一個從無到有、從有到優(yōu)的文化旅游區(qū)已在開化蔚然成型，根雕成為開化最閃亮、最珍貴的一張“金名片”。業(yè)內(nèi)專家參觀后稱，開化根宮佛國是今天的精品、明天的文物、后天的遺產(chǎn)，是今人留給后人的世界文化新遺產(chǎn)！開化雖是小小山水之城，但應(yīng)該深信深埋于地下的根一旦出土，經(jīng)過藝人之手，必將熠熠生輝，參與到蓬勃奮進的時代，顯現(xiàn)獨有的風采。

“一帶一路”沿線國家的根雕藝術(shù)家齊聚開化，進行根雕作品展示。Artists from the Belt and Road countries gather in Kaihua county, Quzhou city for an exhibition on root carvings.

Seeking Tao in Root Carvings

By Laizi

青年創(chuàng)作者在“醉根杯”大賽現(xiàn)場。A young artist carves a root at the Drunken Root Cup” Chinese Root Carving Competition.

Following the creaking sound of sawing wood and the rhythmic snapping of chiseling roots, I came to the site of“Drunken Root Cup” Chinese Root Carving Competition at theThird Phase of Root Palace Buddha Country. In the 300-meterlong gallery were 50-odd worktables for root carving, where artists were absorbed in their work. That was the sixth “Drunken Root Cup” competition among over 40 artists from a dozen provinces of China, representing the first-class root art of this country. There often appeared a sprightly middle-aged man with a beard, Xu Guqing, the organizer of the competition.

This competition is organized annually in Quzhou city’s Kaihua county, the famous “hometown of Chinese root carving art” by the upstream Qiantang River, where root carving is dated back to 621 AD. By the mid-1600s, root carving was separated as a category of art from wood carving. According to local chronicles,government officer Song Guoguang was a master of painting and carving in the 18th century who could carve lifelike figures, flowers and birds out of tree stumps. Then he passed on his craftsmanship to Xu Yuanxiang to form Xu’s root carving school. Kaihua people have long been in pursuit of this art to establish Kaihua’s own brand and promote its root carving industry.

Such a dream is finally realized by Xu Guqing. Growing up in a village with harsh environment, he is adventurous, resilient and persistent in pursuit of excellence. Now, there hangs a large carved Chinese character “chuang”, meaning breaking through, in his studio, which can be seen as a portrayal of his confidence and motivation in the course of root art. His has been so fascinated with root art that he is also called the “Root Lunatic” and “Drunken Root”. In 1991, Xu Guqing set up Kaihua Root Carving Factory and registered the trademark of “Drunken Root”. He started teaching apprentices so that over half of the workforce of root carvers in Kaihua are either disciples of Xu or have worked in Xu’s factory.

Kaihua is characterized by the artistic atmosphere of root carving and its own carving style with a unique selection of materials, exquisite conception and rich varieties, including root figures, natural models, animals and birds, seasonal fruits and vegetables and practical household articles. Xu Guqing’s gigantic masterpieces, in particular, feature simple design but tremendous effects, and his rare groups of 500 arhat sculptures and Bodhisattva Guanyin of various postures are carved on huge stumps of thousand-year-old longyan trees. The shape, color, property and the natural texture of the roots are fully employed to shape each arhat with their unique expressions and clothes with different textures so that the works might achieve both natural and artistic harmony and unity.

Kaihua’s artists inherited the carving style of “Shanghai School”but stress the best use of natural feature of roots, which makes it extraordinary by minimizing the chisel work or just complementing nature a little bit. Some of the works are close to conceptual art,bordering on installation art and abstract art. Specifically, Xu sees queer raw roots as dynamic living beings with emotions. He challenged the idea that root carving works are only for indoor space and has tried to design carving products like urban sculptures, for outdoor use. His modern root artis a good example.It is made from a natural root, eroded inside but alive outside.Xu carved in line with the growing vein of the root, combining the language of nature and his artistic intension. Kaihua now has established its unique root carving culture with the unity of root art, Buddhism, aesthetics and eco-biology. As one of the historical industries, it has been honored as an item of intangible cultural heritage at the provincial level in Zhejiang.

When the traditional technique appeared outdated, Xu initiated in 2020 the standards of Zhejiang manufacture,, which sets the criteria in the process of root carving, including its classification, designing,material selection, processing, monitoring, qualification, testing methods, labeling, packaging, shipping, storing, warranty and transaction, etc. It marks the first branding in traditional classic crafts in China.

In addition, Xu has greatly promoted the development of carving enterprises in Kaihua. His Quzhou Drunken Root Carving Art Products, Inc. is now the biggest root carving company in China. Root Palace Buddha Country, the cultural tourism zone invested and built by the company, is not only the world’s only large-scale root culture theme park, a national 5A-level scenic spot, but also the largest national demonstration base of cultural industry with the highest level of craftsmanship and with root carving as the theme, and a model of the combination of traditional crafts and cultural tourism. It now hosts 28 enterprises in root carving with a workforce of 2,200 and annual products of more than 300,000 pieces. Kaihua’s art works have brought six gold medals in Chinese and international expositions. Xu and his apprentices annually teach 40 root carving students of Guqing Root Carving Class at Quzhou Tourism School, and actively cooperate with colleges and universities, interact with the media and connect with various art events. The highlight activity is surely the “Drunken Root Cup” on-site root carving competitions which have attracted 260 participants in total since 2014.

Nowadays, the Root Palace Buddha Country has become the largest platform for showcasing and exchanging root carving art in industry in China. As the headquarters of Chinese root carving, the Professional Committee of Chinese Arts and Crafts Society was founded in Kaihua with Xu Guqing as the director. It has its own website, journals (and) and official account on WeChat (Root Carving World).Meanwhile, the Root Palace Buddha Country hosts the nationwide annual conference of Professional Committee of Chinese Arts and Crafts Society and the yearly forum for industry leaders. Certified on December 3, 2020, Kaihua’s Root Palace Buddha Country Culture Tourism Area successfully challenged the Guinness World Records and became the largest root carving museum in the world. The number of root carvings in the museum reached 5,696,which represent the largest root carving collection in an officially registered museum.

“一帶一路”國際根藝作品展共展出來自世界五大洲62個國家的230件根藝作品。Some 230 pieces of root carving artworks from 62 countries are on display during the exhibition of the Belt and Road International Root Carving Cultural Week.

In order to perfect Kaihua’s root carving and introduce it to the world, the Root Palace Buddha Country Scenic Area has organized the Belt and Road International Root Carving Cultural Week since 2017. Each year, a dozen foreign root carving artists are invited to create and exhibit on the spot. The craftsmen with their own cultural genes also introduce their culture, their respective aesthetic ideas and apprehension of roots. William Prickett from the UK, for example, named his carving of a dolphin jumping out of the sea as(meaning the joy of life). Furthermore, students from Confucius Institute have also registered in Zhejiang Root Art International School as apprentices of Xu Guqing and they began to study root art. Through these events, China’s root carving art is communicated to the world and participants and learners from all over the world gain the awareness that people are different, but they are also the same because art and humanity are universal and that the roots of trees are the origin of art, culture, nations and even the community with a shared future for mankind.

Xu and his team are seeking Tao in root art and root carving industry, and Tao is in the various art works they have created. A root is all: the mountain, the water, the people and everything. Tao is also in the small county of Kaihua. With the roots deep down under the earth, craftsmen created a glamourous art zone, Kaihua’s Root Palace Buddha Country.