谈非洲黑人雕刻
Discussing African black sculpture

谈非洲黑人雕刻（上）

生活最忌俗滥，因为俗滥的生活会使人的精神疲弱，感觉器官变成迟钝，麻木而渐至失去了生趣！美术更忌俗滥，因为美术原是人类最高级的精神产物，必须在浓厚的美趣之下，才能有所创造。否则没有自己的本色，只一味地蹈袭别人的成规旧矩，结果东施效颦，反而益见其丑态！因此那些有进取精神的美术家，就费尽心机，廻避通俗与污滥，极力摆脱传统与因袭，努力的在自己独立自主的心情之下，创立了自己的风格！

当十九世纪末叶，欧洲的美术家，都为了不满当代的美术传统法则，厌恶那亘古不变的所谓正统构图定型，约束了他们那天马行空的灵感，以致无法达到各自的特殊表现，因此，他们无时不在渴求着灵感的新泉源，把他们内心蕴藏着的创造力量充分地诱导出来。终于在二十世纪初叶，因为非洲黑人雕刻的发现，给予当代画家极大的冲动，更给予现代绘画莫大的影响！

在一九〇四年及一九〇五年之间，巴黎的一家古董店里，陈列了许多形态怪异的木雕。人们一看就知道这些雕刻，完全不是出自文明人的制作。原来这些怪异的雕像，是那些征服非洲大陆的欧籍统治者，携带回来的一部分战利品。这些雕像都不超过二呎高，那单纯的线条，凶犷的脸庞，粗野的形态，都具有一种特殊的风格。后来，经过了一批知名画家的仔细端详之后，大家都一致地公认这些非洲黑人雕刻，实在是具有高度美术价值的作品！

为了这无意间的发现，竟引起了许多画家的研究兴趣。起初，他们并没有圆满的从这些小雕像中，发掘出美术上的隽永意味。当画家们发现了这些奇妙式样的非洲雕刻之后，首先是亟亟地收集，后来经过他们细心的研讨，才断定在许多未经开发的土著美术品中，举凡非洲黑人，太平洋中波里西亚的岛民，以及美洲印第安人的雕刻，尤以西非的黑人雕刻最富有活泼的美感。

过了数年之后，这些未开化的野蛮民族的美术品才为毕加索（Picasso）等几位画家真正的赏识。他们从这些黑人的雕像与面具中，充分的鉴识出那卓越的美学质量。目前，人们对于非洲的土人雕刻中所具有的美术价值，已不再怀疑，而且对它的鉴赏力也渐渐普遍了。终于这些艺术品，便逐渐地由人种志博物院移至美术博物馆去陈列了。

这些非洲黑人雕刻，所以能引起画家极浓厚的研究兴趣，是因为它们的确是富有魅惑力的东西：那诡异的形式、颀长的身躯、短小的蹲踞着的双腿、鬼魅似的面孔，都能直接的引起人们的注意力。这些富于原始意味的小雕像，只要在一瞥在间，就能引起人们情绪上的一种强烈的激动。就算你并不曾去研究它是属于那一种宗教的偶像，你对它也会产生一种不可言喻的敬畏的感情！

为了要进一步去研究这些非洲雕刻，以增进我们对它那魅惑性的感情波动的了解与体味，首先，我们要能洞察这些非洲黑人的精神与感觉性，了解它们的信仰、他们的宿命论，以及某些粗野生活的残酷事实，他们所采取的憨直，纯真的写实态度，我们才能从这纯朴的雕刻品中，发掘出那微妙，神秘而又复杂的内心感情。

大约在三十多年前，有一位研究民间艺术的开拓者哈泰（Fduard Von Ber Heydy），经过他细心的分析，认为这非洲黑人雕刻所表现的，完全是一种对祖先和拜物教的崇敬之感。宗教是非洲的美术式之母，社会上的一切生活习惯，以及村民的每天生活方式，都是他们艺术形成的主要因素。为了各种用途上的需要，就给予这些黑人在艺术的创造上以极大的鼓舞！毫无疑义的，非洲美术是以雕刻为最好的表彰。非洲土人除了雕刻之外，已没有第二种方式可以直接地表现出他们的世态。在雕刻品中，不但含蓄着他们的喜、怒、哀、乐的情绪，还反射出他们精神的外貌，以及人与神之间的关联，一切都达到最圆满，最高峰的表现！

无论什么人只要接触到这些非洲黑人的造型美术，他的潜意识中，便立刻会联想到一种纯化的灵性，一种静谧的肃穆感，以及一股热烈的奋发力，竟是那么融和地并存在一个雕像的整体中。人们是会极有兴趣的玩赏着，同时还会不自禁地发出一连串的问题来。

“是谁创造出这富有美术价值的雕刻品？”

“他们从何处获得这股强有力的创作力量？”

Discussing African black sculpture (Part 1)

The most abhorrent thing in life is vulgarity because a vulgar life weakens the spirit, dulls the senses, and gradually leads to loss of interest. Art even more so abhors vulgarity because art is the highest expression of human spirit and must be created under the rich enjoyment of beauty. Otherwise, lacking its own essence, merely following others' conventions and rules, results in imitation without understanding, revealing only ugliness. Therefore, those artists with an enterprising spirit spare no effort to avoid commonness and vulgarity, striving to break free from tradition and inheritance, and endeavoring to establish their own style under independent and autonomous feelings.

By the late 19th century, European artists, dissatisfied with contemporary artistic traditions and the unchanging orthodoxy of so-called traditional compositions, felt constrained by these rules that stifled their imaginative inspirations, preventing them from achieving their unique expressions. Consequently, they constantly sought new sources of inspiration to fully tap into their creative energies. Finally, in the early 20th century, the discovery of African black sculpture in Paris provided contemporary painters with great impetus and had a significant impact on modern painting!

Between 1904 and 1905, a Parisian antique shop displayed many strangely shaped wooden carvings. It was immediately evident that these sculptures were not the work of civilized people. These peculiar statues were part of the spoils brought back by European conquerors who had subdued the African continent. Standing no more than two feet tall, these sculptures exhibited simple lines, fierce visages, and crude forms, all possessing a distinctive style. After a group of renowned painters carefully examined them, it was unanimously recognized that these African black sculptures were indeed works of great artistic value!

Due to this accidental discovery, it unexpectedly aroused the research interest of many painters. Initially, they did not fully discern the profound artistic significance from these small sculptures. However, after painters discovered these marvelously styled African carvings, they urgently began to collect them. Later, through their careful discussions, they concluded that among many undeveloped indigenous artistic products, including those of African blacks, Polynesians from the Pacific islands, and Native Americans from the Americas, West African black sculptures were the most lively and aesthetically appealing.

Several years later, these uncivilized and barbaric tribal art pieces were truly appreciated by painters like Picasso. They fully recognized the outstanding aesthetic quality present in these black sculptures and masks. Currently, there is no longer any doubt about the artistic value of the sculptures from African natives, and appreciation for them has gradually become widespread. Finally, these artworks have gradually been moved from anthropological museums to art museums for display.

These African black sculptures are able to evoke intense research interest among painters because they are truly enchanting: their eerie forms, slender bodies, squatting legs, and ghost-like faces can directly capture people's attention. These sculptures, rich in primitive meaning, can evoke a strong emotional excitement with just a glance. Even if you have never studied which religious idols they belong to, you would still feel an indescribable sense of awe towards them!

In order to further study these African sculptures and enhance our understanding and appreciation of their captivating emotional fluctuations, first, we need to gain insight into the spirit and sensibility of these African black people, understand their beliefs, their fatalism, and certain cruel facts of their rough life. Only then, by adopting their honest and innocent realistic attitude, can we explore the subtle, mysterious, and complex inner emotions from these simple sculptures.

About thirty years ago, a pioneer in folk art research, Edward Von Ber Heydy, after his careful analysis, believed that the African black sculptures entirely expressed a sense of reverence for ancestors and animism. Religion is the mother of African art, and all social habits and daily life of villagers are the main factors shaping their art. For various needs, these black people were greatly encouraged in artistic creation! Undoubtedly, sculpture is the best form of expression in African art. Apart from sculpture, African natives have no other way to directly represent their worldly concerns. In these sculptures, not only do they contain the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, but they also reflect their spiritual appearance and the connection between humans and gods, achieving the most complete and highest expression!

Regardless of who encounters this African black figurative art, their subconscious immediately associates it with a purified spirituality, a serene solemnity, and a fervent enthusiasm, all harmoniously existing within the entirety of a sculpture. People are not only interested in admiring them but also can't help but ask a series of questions.

"Who created these sculptures of great artistic value?"

"Where did they derive this powerful creative force?"