泛论现代绘画
General discussion on modern painting

我们要评论同时代的画家，是比评论历史上的画家来得容易。因为对一位同时代画家的评论，我们可以连年累月地根据他们作品的进展程序，以及他们所发表的绘画概念，作画态度去研讨。更因为生活在同时代的圈子里，我们可以更亲切的了解画家的思想范畴。具有了这些条件，再去评论一个现代的画家，是比批评家的评鉴来得更加妥切了。至于那些历史上的画家群，我们不能不先深一层地去了解他们的时代背景，及当时的美术动向，还得研究他们作品中所蕴蓄的内容，从中去分析画家的个性与思想的倾向。有时因为年代久远，以致作品淹没，考据无从，就大大的影响了我们的鉴识！

为了要了解现代的美术，许多观赏家就设法订立了一个传统法则，以览古鉴今的精神去评鉴现代的绘画。他们或以十五世纪文艺复兴，或十七世纪巴洛克（Barque）和十八世纪罗可可（Rococo）的美术，作为一种美的标准去衡量现代的绘画。因此他们愈看愈觉失却了联络，也离开他们所规定的标准愈远，于是他们惶惑迷乱了，都觉得这些所谓现代绘画与历代绘画根基的连锁，好像完全脱了节，令人苦于理解。其实，现代的绘画是一面争新，一面蹈袭古人的旧迹而进行的。不过，作者是把创意（Originality）掩蔽了他那蹈袭的痕迹，不使它明显地表露出来而已。这种鉴赏现代绘画的困难，只有靠批判家的直觉力才能克服。如果以过去的美术标准来衡量，那简直是茫然不知所云了！现代绘画之所以在艺术史上受到激烈的抨击和非难，其主要原因也就在于此了。

刚才曾经说过，一个观赏家，为了要了解一件的艺术品，他们一定要以传统的法则，根据作品的主题，然后才由主题的处理去推论或分析画家的观念。然而现代的画家却扬弃了主题，他们极力摆脱物象的约束，充分地提高自觉性而表现出他们各自的情感与精神。因为画家看自然，决不是视觉上的反映，而是反映画家的心。至于像不像自然，那决不成为绘画上的问题。因此，一般的观赏家就误解了这种没有主题的绘画，也同时是没有内容的。于是主题与内容，在绘画方面又引起了一番纷歧的争论了！


其实，现代的绘画是更加注重内容的，这内容是无处不存在，它分布在整幅的画面上。许多的画家，他们运用线条的动势Movement，来引起观众情感上的激动，以色彩的调和Harmony，或对比Relativeity来给予我们和谐的感受或是跃动的情思，运用完善的布局来加强直接感情的表白、律动等抽象感觉。总而言之，现代的绘画是感情的实实表现，是画家内心的讴歌，是画家自身理想的表现！现代的绘画内容就是根据这种意识的特质而确定的，完全与主题无关。

进一步说，主题并不是内容，主题也不能作为确定艺术品好坏的标准。一幅绘画作品，从美术的眼光去看，如果在表现的方法上，一无所取，但是在描绘的事实上却告诉你是怎样的故事。这种的绘画已脱离了画境，从纯正的美术立场上来说，已不能称之为艺术作品。这作者也不能称之为画家，他只能够算是一个记录员或插画家！

总之，无形象美术经过现代画家的钻研，已达到情绪的表现高度了。过去的那些历史绘画、肖像画、风景画、静物画，完全注重实质的重现。这种崇尚于现实的客观模写技法，照相机已可以解决一切，不须再藉画家的手腕去描绘了。所以这些绘画再也不为现代的画家所崇拜，所向往了。他们的美术观点已完全的改变，他们认为绘画并不是以模仿事物为目的，而是以创造为目的的。正如塞尚Cezanne所说的：“我不是描绘事物，我是表现事物的感觉。”这种论调就是加强主观的要素。所以这种摒弃主题观念，着重通过内心表现情感的抽象绘画，就成为现世纪最高的表现形式了。当然，这种尖锐的转变，难免引起许多人的误解和嘲骂，许多人都这么说：“为什么不好好画人家看得懂的东西？这些男人不像男人，女人不像女人，既不像是风景，又不似静物，画来究竟有什么用途？”但是他们是否留意到当他们的女朋友穿着一件美丽的衣服时，他也许会这么地赞美道：“啊！你这件衣服真美！”可是在他发出这衷心的赞美之前，他是否曾经先去研究这布料的花样是什么？这些花画得像不像？是玫瑰还是海棠？……当你看见一幢新式的房子，那壁上漆着一块红，一块黄的色彩方格装饰，倾斜的墙边，大小不匀的柱子，莫名的铁花，窗帘，你大概也会很愉悦地赞美道：“啊！这才够新！这才够美！”然而，你可曾想像到，这些都是抽象美术运用到现实生活上来的吗？

在任何一派绘画的进程中，都必须经过线条、形式和色彩的训练，都必须先由描绘形象开始，然后逐渐演进，才能摆脱形象，步上新的创作境域。抽象主义的大师蒙特里安Mondrian，他虽然已极力地把他的抽象观念推进到极端的境界，但是，他开始习画的时候，还是一样的由描绘事物的自然现象开始。我们由他那著名的抽象连续演变图解《树》，就可见其一斑了。后来他才由立体主义逐渐地演进，而创立了新造型主义的绘画，完成了二十世纪美术革命的事业，影响所及，把全世界的美术观念完全刷新了！

康定斯基（Kandinsky）是以音乐的音响为基调，他在画面上所追求的是精神的颤撼。从他所发表的绘画论精神和谐的艺术（Art Of Spirtual Harmony）中，可以看出他对色彩的研究，是有着多大的心得了。他潜心研究寒色与暖色的对立，色彩的水平运动和远心求心的运动，以及色彩的明暗与黑白的关系。所以他的绘画是色彩主观的交响乐。他的论调和中国六法中的气韵生动，却不谋而合。他为我们拓开了新的一代的美术疆域。但是他开始的时候，也还是由描绘自然入手，再由野兽派演绎而创作出绝对主义的抽象绘画。

这些美术史上的辉煌伟业，并不是一蹴而成的。当时曾经受过多少舆论的攻击，几乎使之陷入消沉阶段。到了一九四二年，才有一群以巴建尼Bazaine为首的青年画家，为了反抗德国纳粹政治的重压，而根据自己的意向作画，这时还有许多画家响应，如梅尼西亚（Manessier），郑谷（Tal Coat），依士迪（Esteve）等。他们在巴黎举行了一个画展，完全是藉抽象的形式，从精神的自然中去创作各自成果。因此他们被称为抽象的写实主义画家。巴建尼的色彩是那么的清新调和，而且充满了感情的色调，梅尼西亚则成功地运用波动的或纯正的线形去表现出深度的观照。由于这些画家的努力，把冬眠状态的抽象绘画，又再度地复兴起来了。接着，一批又一批的后继者，他们运用各种表现的技法，突破了过去传统的束缚，推开了未来成功的大门。这时美国的鲍罗Pollock，杜贝Tobey，佐基Yorky，意大利的柏仑迪罗Pirandello，马菲Mafai，阿弗如Afro等也加入作战，成为了抽象写实主义的画家！

今天的年青画家们，已不再陷入一种学院派的古典美术教育了，他们都以愉悦的眼光，去欣赏那些波动的线条，和清新的色彩。他们不诘问画的是什么物象？正如儿童一样，他们一致地画出内心的灵感，并不是为了教师的要求而绘画。他们纯粹是为了美的表现，而创作了抽象的形式！

现代的画家已不再为中心主题所完成的一贯形式，而感到兴趣了。他们要以更自由的想象力，去达到他们绘画上锐感深刻的感情表现！这并不是衒奇，也不是求新，他们是一面努力于形式的破坏，一面获得创造的自由。也许有人会问：“像这种仅能给予我们在创造上自由的绘画形式，是不是能够永久存在呢？”事实上，美术的演变永远不会圆满的，如果说艺术已达到完美，那将是一种完全危险的错误。许多绘画的主义，并不是标新立异，而是要发现真实的绘画本质的一种实验Experience。感情是生生不息的，美术的疆土也是永远开发不尽的，生命时刻在进行中，艺术的创造也时刻在演变，除非世界到了末日，美术的演变才会停止。否则，人类不断的活动，宇宙不断地随之更新，这种富有创造性的美术活动，又怎能滞留在一个固定不变的阶段上呢？每一个画家都是自然地跟随着时间的韵律而前进！我们研究美术的，也必须沉浸在“真”的理想中去寻求自己的路，不取巧、不苟且，努力诚恳地刻意于“善”的追求，这样，才能够创造出美的作品，才能够完成自我的艺术风格！

It is easier to critique contemporary painters than historical ones. This is because we can study a contemporary painter's progression and conceptual evolution based on their works and attitudes over time. Moreover, being part of the same era allows us to understand the painter's thought process more intimately. With these conditions in place, critiquing a modern painter becomes more appropriate than relying solely on critics' evaluations. As for historical painters, we must first delve deeper into their era's background, artistic trends, and the content contained within their works to analyze their personalities and ideological tendencies. Sometimes, due to the passage of time, works may be lost, and scholarly research may be lacking, greatly affecting our understanding.

To understand modern art, many art enthusiasts have attempted to establish a traditional rule - using the spirit of comparing ancient and modern art to evaluate contemporary painting. They may use the art of the Renaissance in the fifteenth century, or the Baroque and Rococo art of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as a standard of beauty to measure modern painting. Consequently, the more they look, the further they feel disconnected from these standards, leading to confusion and a sense that modern paintings seem entirely disconnected from the foundations established by previous generations. In reality, modern painting is a blend of innovation and homage to the past. However, the artist conceals traces of homage within their originality, making it less obvious. Overcoming the difficulty of appreciating modern painting requires the intuitive insights of critics. Evaluating modern painting using past artistic standards would be utterly bewildering! The intense criticism and condemnation that modern painting faces in art history mainly stem from this.

As mentioned earlier, to understand a work of art, an observer must follow traditional rules, analyze the handling of the subject, and infer or analyze the artist's concepts based on this treatment. However, modern painters often abandon subjects, striving to break free from the constraints of representation and fully express their emotions and spirits. Because when a painter looks at nature, it is not a mere visual reflection but a reflection of the painter's mind. Whether it resembles nature or not is not a question in painting. Therefore, the misconception arises among ordinary observers that paintings without subjects also lack content. This misunderstanding has sparked debates regarding themes and content in painting!

Actually, modern painting places even greater emphasis on content, which is omnipresent and distributed across the entire canvas. Many painters utilize the dynamics of lines to evoke emotional excitement in viewers, while employing color harmony or contrast to evoke feelings of harmony or lively emotions. They use sophisticated compositions to enhance the direct expression of emotions, rhythm, and other abstract sensations. In summary, modern painting is the genuine expression of emotions, the artist's inner anthem, and the manifestation of the artist's ideals! The content of modern painting is determined by this consciousness, entirely unrelated to themes.

Furthermore, themes are not content, and themes cannot serve as standards for determining the quality of artwork. From the perspective of fine arts, if a painting lacks artistic expression but simply tells a story through its depiction, it has departed from the realm of painting. From a purely artistic standpoint, it cannot be considered an artwork, and the creator cannot be called a painter; they are merely recorders or illustrators!

In conclusion, non-figurative art has reached a high level of emotional expression through the study of modern painters. Historical paintings, portraits, landscapes, and still lifes in the past were entirely focused on substantive reproduction. This advocacy of objective realism in the past, which the camera can now resolve, no longer needs the skill of painters to depict. Therefore, modern painters no longer admire or aspire to these paintings. Their artistic views have completely changed, as they believe that painting is not about imitating things but about creating. As Cezanne said, "I am not painting objects, I am painting sensations." This statement strengthens subjective elements. Therefore, abstract painting, which abandons the concept of themes and focuses on expressing emotions through inner feelings, has become the highest form of expression in the present century. Of course, this sharp transition inevitably leads to misunderstandings and ridicule from many people. Many would say, "Why not paint something understandable? These figures don't look like men, women don't look like women, it's neither a landscape nor a still life, what's the use of painting this?" But do they realize that when they see their girlfriend wearing a beautiful dress, they might praise it by saying, "Ah, your dress is beautiful!" Before expressing this heartfelt praise, did they first study what pattern the fabric is? Do those floral patterns resemble anything? Are they roses or peonies?... When they see a new-style house with color-block decorations on the walls, slanted walls, unevenly sized columns, inexplicable iron flowers, and curtains, they might also praise it joyfully, saying, "Ah, this is so modern! This is so beautiful!" However, have they ever imagined that these are all applications of abstract art in real life?

In the progression of any painting style, training in lines, forms, and colors is essential. Artists must start with depicting images and gradually evolve to break away from representation and enter new realms of creativity. Even the master of abstraction, Mondrian, began his artistic journey by depicting natural phenomena before pushing his abstract ideas to the extreme. His famous series of abstract evolution diagrams, such as "Tree," illustrate this progression. Later, he transitioned from Cubism to establish the new form of neoplasticism, completing the revolution of 20th-century art and completely refreshing the world's artistic concepts.

Kandinsky, on the other hand, based his work on the sounds of music, seeking to evoke spiritual resonance on the canvas. His exploration of color, as evident in his treatise "Art of Spiritual Harmony," reveals profound insights. He delved into the contrasts between cool and warm colors, the horizontal movement of colors, the quest for the center, and the relationship between color and light/darkness. Thus, his paintings became subjective symphonies of color. His theories resonate vividly with the principles of qi and rhythm in traditional Chinese painting, opening up new horizons in the art world. However, like Mondrian, Kandinsky also started by depicting nature before evolving from Fauvism to create absolute abstract paintings.

The glorious achievements in the history of art were not achieved overnight. They faced considerable criticism at the time, nearly leading to a state of decline. It wasn't until 1942 that a group of young painters led by Bazaine stood up against the heavy pressure of Nazi politics in Paris and painted according to their own intentions. Many other artists joined in, such as Manessier, Tal Coat, and Esteve. They held an exhibition in Paris, where they created their works entirely based on abstract forms, drawing inspiration from the spiritual realm of nature. Hence, they were called abstract realist painters. Bazaine's colors were fresh and harmonious, filled with emotional tones, while Manessier successfully used fluctuating or pure lines to express profound insights. Thanks to the efforts of these artists, abstract painting, which had been in hibernation, experienced a revival. Subsequently, wave after wave of successors broke through traditional constraints and opened the doors to future success with various expressive techniques. American artists like Pollock, Tobey, and Yorky, as well as Italian artists like Pirandello, Mafai, and Afro, also joined the battle and became abstract realist painters!

Today's young artists are no longer confined to classical art education in academic circles. They appreciate dynamic lines and fresh colors with joyful eyes. They don't ask what the painting depicts. Like children, they consistently express their inner inspirations through painting, not for the demands of teachers, but purely for the expression of beauty in abstract forms!

Modern painters are no longer interested in creating consistent forms around central themes. They aim to achieve profound emotional expressions in their paintings with freer imagination. This is not about showing off or seeking novelty; they strive for the destruction of form while gaining creative freedom. Some may ask, "Can painting forms that only provide us with freedom in creation exist permanently?" In fact, the evolution of art is never complete. If art were to reach perfection, it would be a dangerous misconception. Many art movements are not about innovation but an experiment to discover the true essence of painting. Emotions are ever-flowing, and the territory of art is endlessly expanding. Life is constantly evolving, and artistic creation is constantly changing. Unless the world comes to an end, the evolution of art will not stop. Therefore, every painter naturally progresses with the rhythm of time. As students of art, we must immerse ourselves in the ideal of "truth" to seek our own path without taking shortcuts or compromises, earnestly striving for the pursuit of "good." Only then can we create beautiful works of art and achieve our own artistic style!