抽象绘画的演进及其存在的意义
The evolution of abstract painting and its significance in existence.

生命是变动的

一个人在生命的过程中有许多的改变，社会的思想与精神也一样的常在变化中。宇宙是继续的创造，像圣经里所讲的“代代的传递”。它的构成也要受到改变定理的控制。历史是一种分析性的记叙，艺术就是它最直接、最综合性的表达工具。一个成功的社会精华，我们可以从几世纪流传下来的各种艺术形式中一览无遗。所以时代艺术是随着生命宇宙而变化，并且常超出以前的传统而演进。画家对于美的观念，亦应以时代生活为中心。

艺术是要能够表达情感和激动情感的，一个画家不但能感受情绪，而最主要的是在于能够把所感受到的情绪，在画面上痛快淋漓地表现出来。

绘画不是纪录

所以着重实际主体、忠实表现客观事物外部形态的写实主义绘画便宣告破产，因为这种仅满足于感性认识的艺术，已可以取代于照相机了。绘画也不是科学，所以主张运用光学、色彩学理论，仅追求外光研究的印象主义，已不能满足画家的需求而被厌弃了。因此二十世纪的绘画已换取了一条表现的路，现代的画家所追求的是物象内在的意义，将自我的情感，韵律及对事物的心灵概念，向着表现的路——抽象主义——迈进！

有些人对于一件作品的分析，最总喜欢在结构、技巧、主题、内容及心理方面的细节去着眼。其实，更进一步的，我们应该试行了解作者的性格，从一件作品的周密分析中去发掘作者的含蓄与新的发现。例如拉斐尔的杰作：当时人家所认为他的成就，是在于圣母与子的面部之强有力的表现；现在的人却不怎么看法，而着重于作者是通过什么技巧才能把这幅作品表现出来。

我觉得看一个人走路的样子，比他作品的表现更容易了解他的性格，像罗勃兰的一幅《卧着的女像》，他的背景所作的纵横线条比女人背部的表现，更能增加视觉上的愉快，因为我们要看女人背部的美，可以从裸体摄影画专集上找到更丰富的材料。用简单的话说，我们看一帧作品，实在是通过时代背景，并非通过几世纪传统的见解。至于形象画或抽象画的表现，主观或客观方面，程度深浅等，尽可以置之弗顾。

在二十世纪的今天，还有许多人尊奉着“内容”，“通俗性”为金科玉律，斤斤计较着“这是什么”、“那是什么”的成见，认为作画也像作文章一样，一定要符合一些先决的条件。因此，他们就认为这种抽象主义的绘画，是一种没落支离的趋向，造成艺术史上的一个“黑暗时期”。于是一般尖刻的陈词滥调，就把这类抽象作品抨击得全无内容可言，以为这是一种荒唐的绘画，不但毒害青年，甚至使艺术本身无法成立。

所谓内容

往往被一般人所误解，其实，在绘画艺术上所说的内容，并不是指那些被描画的对象事物而言。对象只是一种构成画面的因素，只能作为一种手段，画家通过对象事物而表现出来的主观态度与个性才可视为内容。比如“劳动”的主题，那题材并不能当作绘画的内容，许多画家同时画一个正在劳作中的农夫，那么可以说他们绘画的内容是一样的吗？不！他们的内容是不能相提并论的。因为劳动中的农夫，只是画家视觉上的一个形象，由形象给予感触，再引起下意识作用的象征，运用画家各自的传达技巧，本着各自的性格与情趣，把思想作为绘画，具体的表现在艺术上。基于此，同样的画因，会作出不同的画果，表现的内容也各不相同。换言之，一幅有艺术价值的绘画必须具有内容——必须反映作者的个性，表现作者的艺术态度。

在门外人看来，抽象绘画是一件大胆而无把握的作为，在一个敏感的人看来，这种严肃不苟的抽象绘画似乎是凑巧的偶然成就。其实，绘画上的抽象理论，只能逐渐地由实在的作品来繙译它，同时这种抽象主义的绘画是经过演进而成，不是改革而成的，一个发现非经过长期和繁重的准备就无从实现。

这是事实

这是事实，大概是一八一四年的时候，英国大画家邓奈Turner的作品，已经是非常接近抽象化了。他的画面光华幻丽，舒出其无尽藏的内心情绪。在他那时代中，可以说没有人能够跟他比较的，这原因只可以用“长期准备”来加以解释。在邓奈六十岁的时候，已经是达到“长期演进”的终点了。在所谓长期演进的期间中，他将表现法的种种问题，用他的绘画来提出讨论。他那种与日俱增的坦白，使我们能够看出他是按部就班，以勇敢和镇定的决心来解决抽象概念（当时是被认为异派）的问题，后来印象派画家费了一段长久时间的钻研才跟得上这位伟大的画家。他们也在细腻的、或柔和、或特别激烈的作品中，多少显现出抽象性的特点来。野兽派，立体派根据前代人的教训，加上他们在画面上的努力，彻底地以明晰的形式和绝对的自由，提出画里的纯粹艺术价值，而给予最后的表现。靠着他们不停地创造、不断的努力，更增加了绘画上抽象性的贡献！

我们的世纪也通过艺术镜子而反映出它的本来面目；在这世纪里有不断的发明，短时机的种种畸形现象、混杂的期望、激烈的波动、夹杂着技术所牵涉而兴起的感觉、复杂而简单的需要……这些都不是意外的事，所以抽象艺术不管受到多少阻碍，它还是受到普遍和日渐滋长的广大欢迎，因为它是和我们这时代能够配合的艺术——是符合二十世纪时代多面形式的一种艺术。

由此，我们知道抽象主义的绘画，并不是一种趋时的风向，也不是一个短暂的局面，更不是针对着写实主义或印象主义的一种反运动，它不过是在艺术的演进中所达到的一阶段，是现代艺术最昇华的造诣。正如科学的世纪，旧的定律已成过去，新的发见不断开展，更不断地往前直进！抽象主义的绘画也并不是终止，因为生命是变动的，艺术是随着生命宇宙而变化，并且要越出以前的传统而演进，新一代的艺术领域也将在我们的眼前拓展了。

Life is in constant flux.

As individuals progress through life, they undergo many changes, and similarly, societal thoughts and spirits are also in a state of constant evolution. The universe continues its creation, as described in the Bible as "from generation to generation." Its composition is also subject to the principles of change. History is a form of analytical narrative, and art is its most direct and comprehensive expression tool. The essence of a successful society can be seen in the various art forms that have been passed down through the centuries. Therefore, art of the times changes along with the life of the universe, often evolving beyond previous traditions. Painters should center their concepts of beauty around the life of the era.

Art should be able to express emotions and evoke emotional responses. A painter should not only feel emotions but, more importantly, should be able to vividly express those emotions on the canvas.

Painting is not merely documentation.

Therefore, the emphasis on realism, which focuses on faithfully representing the external forms of objective things, has been declared bankrupt. This kind of art, which satisfies only sensory perception, can now be replaced by photography. Painting is also not science, so the Impressionist approach, which advocates the use of optical and color theory to pursue the study of external light, no longer satisfies the needs of painters and has been abandoned. Therefore, the painting of the twentieth century has taken a new path. Modern painters pursue the intrinsic meaning of objects, expressing their own emotions, rhythms, and spiritual concepts towards abstractionism.

Some people tend to analyze a work based on its structure, technique, theme, content, and psychological aspects. However, we should go further and try to understand the artist's personality, discovering their subtlety and new findings through a meticulous analysis of a work. For example, Raphael's masterpiece: while people at the time admired his strong portrayal of the Virgin and Child's faces, today's focus is not the same. Instead, we pay attention to the techniques the artist used to create the work.

I believe that observing how a person walks is easier to understand their character than analyzing their artwork. For example, in the painting "Reclining Nude" by Robeiran, the horizontal and vertical lines in the background add more visual pleasure than the depiction of the woman's back, as we can find richer material for appreciating the beauty of a woman's back in collections of nude photography. In simple terms, when we look at a work of art, we should understand it through the context of the times, rather than through centuries-old traditions. As for the expression of figurative or abstract paintings, subjective or objective aspects, and the depth of their significance, we can simply overlook them.

Even today, many people still regard "content" and "popularity" as the ultimate standards and insist on preconceived notions of "what is what," believing that painting, like writing, must adhere to certain prerequisites. Therefore, they consider abstract painting to be a declining trend, leading to a "dark period" in art history. As a result, they harshly criticize abstract works, claiming that they lack substance and are absurd, not only poisoning the youth but also undermining the establishment of art itself.

The so-called "content" is often misunderstood by the general public. In fact, when we talk about content in the art of painting, we are not referring to the objects or things being depicted. Objects are merely elements that make up the composition of the painting; they can only serve as a means. The subjective attitudes and personalities expressed by the painter through the depicted objects can be considered as the content. For example, the theme of "labor" cannot be considered the content of a painting. If multiple painters depict a farmer working, can we say that their paintings have the same content? No! Their content cannot be compared because the farmer at work is merely a visual image for the painter, evoking subconscious symbolic associations and utilizing the painter's respective conveying techniques, personalities, and interests to express thoughts through painting, which are manifested in the art. Therefore, the same subject matter can result in different paintings, each with its own unique content. In other words, a painting of artistic value must have content—it must reflect the author's personality and artistic attitude.

To outsiders, abstract painting may seem like a bold and uncertain endeavor, while to a sensitive person, this serious and meticulous abstract painting may appear as a fortunate achievement. In reality, the theory of abstract painting can only be gradually translated through actual works. Additionally, abstract painting has evolved over time; it is not the result of sudden reform. Discoveries in art cannot be achieved without lengthy and arduous preparation.

This is a fact.

Around 1814, the works of the great British painter J.M.W. Turner had already approached abstraction. His paintings were radiant and exuded endless depths of inner emotion. During his era, it can be said that no one could compare to him, and this can only be explained by "lengthy preparation." By the time Turner reached the age of sixty, he had reached the culmination of "long-term evolution." During this period of so-called long-term evolution, he used his paintings to raise various issues related to artistic expression. His increasing candor allowed us to see that he systematically and courageously addressed the problems of abstract concepts (which were considered avant-garde at the time). It took the Impressionist painters a long time to catch up with this great artist. They also began to show abstract characteristics in their delicate, gentle, or particularly intense works. The Fauvists and Cubists, based on the lessons of their predecessors and their efforts in painting, thoroughly presented the pure artistic value within paintings with clarity and absolute freedom, thus achieving the ultimate expression. Through their continuous creativity and efforts, they further contributed to the abstraction in painting!

Our century also reflects its true nature through the mirror of art. In this century, there have been continuous inventions, various abnormal phenomena of short duration, mixed expectations, intense fluctuations, sensations arising from technological involvement, and complex yet simple needs. These are not accidental occurrences. Therefore, regardless of how many obstacles abstract art faces, it continues to receive widespread and growing recognition because it is an art that resonates with our era—a form of art that corresponds to the multifaceted forms of the 20th century.

From this, we understand that abstract painting is not a passing trend, nor is it a fleeting phenomenon. It is not a reactionary movement against realism or impressionism. Rather, it is a stage reached in the evolution of art and the pinnacle of modern artistry. Just as the century of science has seen old laws become obsolete and new discoveries constantly unfold, abstract painting is also not static. Life is dynamic, and art evolves with the universe of life, transcending previous traditions and progressing. The new generation of artistic endeavors will continue to expand before our eyes.