曾健勇的錯(cuò)位生靈
文：Carol Cheh
曾健勇的近作「大隊(duì)長(zhǎng)」系列描繪的是中國(guó)的學(xué)校班級(jí)里的頂尖學(xué)生，他們不但成績(jī)優(yōu)秀，而且能夠尊重師長(zhǎng)，團(tuán)結(jié)同學(xué)。大隊(duì)長(zhǎng)意味著在各方面都出類拔萃，是中國(guó)小孩向往的榮譽(yù)。同時(shí)，這一頭銜受到的重視體現(xiàn)出孩子們所肩負(fù)的文化壓力。這些壓力除了有學(xué)習(xí)方面的，還有社會(huì)環(huán)境方面的，在某些情況下，它們會(huì)對(duì)孩子形成壓迫與傷害。在最極端的例子里，這種壓力會(huì)導(dǎo)致抑郁癥甚至自殺行為。
在曾健勇的畫里可以看到日常裝束的小孩（一個(gè)或多個(gè)）被置于空白、中性的背景之上。他們手臂上帶有三道杠的袖章以及胸前醒目的黑色領(lǐng)巾揭示了他們的大隊(duì)長(zhǎng)身份。曾健勇意不在寫實(shí)，而是帶有象征和諷刺的意味。盡管通過努力分辨可以看出那些小孩之間的區(qū)別，但他們都有著同樣的標(biāo)簽式外貌：皮膚上疑似血跡的紅斑，過大的頭部，小巧的口鼻，以及令人驚異的仿佛破裂的大理石般的銀灰色眼睛。
畫家瑪格麗特•奇恩的那些大眼睛小孩在一九六零年代成為美國(guó)大眾文化的重要現(xiàn)象。和奇恩一樣，曾建勇在這批作品里以眼睛為焦點(diǎn)，為畫中人物提供了張力，并為觀者提供了可玩味的元素。透過看這些小孩的眼睛，我們也看到了他們所看到的事物以及我們自身。不過，奇恩筆下那些大而清澈的眼睛似乎包容了整個(gè)世界，而曾健勇畫中孩子們的目力似乎受到了他們那玻璃般的眼睛的限制。那些眼睛像是某次創(chuàng)傷之后的產(chǎn)物，令這些孩子永遠(yuǎn)只能偏狹地觀看這個(gè)世界。觀畫者不禁要想：究竟出了什么問題？這些作品里的破碎感似乎來自那破碎的眼睛，而在眼睛周圍是一塊塊仿似血脈般的痕跡，遍布孩子們的臉和手臂。
曾健勇曾說，作為藝術(shù)家，他「珍視人類本性中的弱點(diǎn)，如非理性和脆弱」，并試圖在作品中面對(duì)這些特質(zhì)?！复箨?duì)長(zhǎng)」系列的靈感部分來自于他年幼的兒子。兒子在小學(xué)里的經(jīng)歷與畫家自己的不謀而合。從風(fēng)格上講，曾健勇說自己的影響主要來自西方當(dāng)代藝術(shù)。除奇恩之外，他的作品還會(huì)讓人聯(lián)想到麗莎•于斯卡維治、約翰•卡靈或伊貢•席爾等人筆下那如吸毒者一般的扭曲人像。同時(shí)，你還可以在其中看到奧諾黑•多米埃和喬治•格羅茲等社會(huì)批判主義者的影子。曾本人表示，意大利靜物畫家喬吉奧•莫蘭迪那簡(jiǎn)單低回的風(fēng)格以及用色都對(duì)他有著長(zhǎng)期影響。
曾健勇使用的材料與中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)水墨畫有關(guān)：手工制作的紙、墨以及礦物質(zhì)顏料。然而在「大隊(duì)長(zhǎng)」系列以及「閑著」系列中用到的技巧則是他自己的。這一系列中的每張畫都要用到兩張紙，曾把一張貼到畫板上，在另外一張上作畫，待顏色干后，再把它貼附到畫板上。如此一來，顏色就夾在了兩張紙的中間。由于所采用的紙具有類似米紙般的半透明效果，觀者可以透過紙張看到畫面。用這種方法制成的畫有一種褪色的熒光效果－－遙遠(yuǎn)而又迫近。雖然圖像略顯模糊，但其張力仍然穿透紙面，呼之欲出。有時(shí)為了加強(qiáng)這一效果，畫家還會(huì)在紙面上添補(bǔ)幾筆。
曾健勇的作品之所以獨(dú)特而引人入勝，其原因是多方面的，其中有東西方兩面的訓(xùn)練和影響。用藝術(shù)家自己的話說：「如果覺得我的作品融合了東西方藝術(shù)風(fēng)格，我想，這是一個(gè)很自然的結(jié)果。我在學(xué)生時(shí)期同時(shí)接受東西方繪畫訓(xùn)練，即關(guān)注東方藝術(shù)的歷史，也關(guān)注西方藝術(shù)的發(fā)展。后來又有很多創(chuàng)作經(jīng)歷：中國(guó)畫，油畫，版畫，繪本圖書及多媒體及三維動(dòng)畫等等。這些經(jīng)歷已經(jīng)使我不用去衡量東西方風(fēng)格問題了。可能可以用很多的文字來分析我的創(chuàng)作中的東西方元素，也可能我的創(chuàng)作本來就不是東方的，也不是西方的。各種各樣的推理和邏輯背后，我還是依順自己的直覺?！?/FONT>
（Carol Cheh，作家、策展人，現(xiàn)居洛杉磯。）
ZENG JIANYONG’S DISPLACED CREATURES
Carol Cheh
The Header series, a recent group of paintings by Zeng Jianyong, refers to a term used in the People’s Republic of China to denote the head of the class—the top pupil, a child who not only earns good grades, but respects his or her elders and gets along well with others. The “header,” held up as an example of all-around excellence, is something that Chinese children eagerly aspire to be. At the same time, the existence of this lauded position highlights how much cultural pressure there is to excel in both scholastic and social environments—pressure that can at times become harmful and oppressive. In more extreme cases, this pressure has led to depression and even suicide.
Zeng’s paintings depict a single child or group of children in ordinary dress against an empty, neutral background. An armband bearing three horizontal stripes and a prominent black scarf worn about the shoulders identifies the header. Intended as emblems or caricatures rather than realistic portraits, Zeng’s children, while discernible from one another, all have a certain trademark look—ruddy marks on their skin that could be blood stains, overly large heads, tiny noses and mouths, and startling silver-grey eyes that look like shattered marbles.
Like Margaret Keane, whose paintings of big-eyed children became an American pop-culture phenomenon in the 1960s, Zeng uses his children’s remarkable eyes to fix both the viewer and the subject, providing a focal point for tension and interaction. We look into the children’s eyes to see what they see, and to see ourselves reflected. Unlike Keane’s children, however, whose eyes are so large and clear that they seem to take the whole world in at once, Zeng’s children seem to be saddled with malfunctioning glass eyes, perhaps introduced into their bodies following some kind of trauma, and now dooming them to forever see the world in a skewed fashion. One wonders, what went wrong here? The splintered eyes seem to be the origin for an entirely splintered sensibility, which reveals itself in the bloody vein-like markings spreading across the children’s faces and arms.
Zeng has said that as an artist, he “treasures the weaknesses of human nature, such as irrationality and fragility,” and tries to tap into these qualities when making his art. The Header series was partially inspired by Zeng’s young son, whose current experiences in primary school are reminding the artist of his own upbringing. Stylistically, Zeng cites the influence of Western contemporary sources. In addition to Keane, his work can be linked to the whacked-out portraiture of Lisa Yuskavage, John Currin, or Egon Schiele. It also has something in common with the social criticisms of Honoré Daumier and George Grosz. Zeng himself cites the simplicity and modest charms, and perhaps the color palette, of Italian still-life painter Giorgio Morandi as an abiding influence.
Zeng uses materials that are associated with traditional Chinese painting and watercolor—handmade paper, inks, and watercolors. However, the technique that he employs in the Header series, as well as in the Spare Time series (discussed later in this book), is his own. Using two sheets of handmade paper, Zeng adheres one sheet to a board, then takes the second sheet and paints the image on the surface. Once the image is dry, he flips it over and adheres it to the first sheet on the board. then takes the second sheet and paints the image on the surface. Once the image is dry, he flips it over and adheres it to the first sheet on the board. Thus, the image is sandwiched between the two sheets, which have the delicate translucence of rice paper, and the viewer sees the image through the paper. The result is that the paintings have a luminously faded look—a look of faraway urgency. While there is a mild obscuring of the image, its intensity still shimmers through, sometimes accented by extra layers of ink added to the top surface.
Zeng’s unique and absorbing work is the product of a wide variety of influences and training, both Eastern and Western. In the artist’s own words, “If my art is considered a mix of Eastern and Western styles, I prefer to view it as a natural result. During my student time of artistic training, I had training in both Chinese and Western art skills, and I studied the histories of both. I have tried many different methods, such as Chinese traditional painting, oil painting, printmaking, illustration, mixed media, and 3D animation. All these experiences naturally improved my style. It is possible to elaborate on the Eastern elements and Western elements in my art, or, to deny that my art belongs to any style. I always follow my intuitions.”
Carol Cheh is a writer and curator based in Los Angeles.
【編輯：賈嫻靜】
