展覽海報(bào)

展覽名稱：《紅色機(jī)器·昨天今天》 

藝術(shù)家：周向林

策展人：杜曦云

主辦單位：橋藝術(shù)空間  

開幕時(shí)間：2023年03月04日 下午3:00

展覽時(shí)間：2023年03月04日-2023年3月27日

展覽地點(diǎn)：北京朝陽區(qū)酒仙橋路4號(hào)798藝術(shù)區(qū)D09-1

心理投射物理：周向林畫中的機(jī)器

 文/杜曦云

柏拉圖認(rèn)為世界分為現(xiàn)象世界和理念世界，前者為“可見世界”，后者為“可知世界”。可見世界里，外科大夫無論做多少例開顱手術(shù)，都看不到“思想”。但另一方面，萬事萬物都有其特征、屬性、秩序等，尤其是形形色色的人造物，方方面面體現(xiàn)著制造者們的“理念”，更容易被他人發(fā)現(xiàn)和理解。

視覺藝術(shù)家的職業(yè)使然，周向林更偏重事物的“視覺”方面，從“藝術(shù)”的角度感受和想象其中之“理念”，用視覺方式表達(dá)出來。于是，他的作品乍看是科學(xué)氣質(zhì)的，細(xì)看是藝術(shù)氣質(zhì)的；乍看是在表達(dá)物理，細(xì)看是在表達(dá)心理；乍看是側(cè)重于實(shí)用層面，細(xì)看是側(cè)重于象征層面。冷靜的思辨和熾熱的情緒，融匯于照相寫實(shí)般的繪畫手法中，撐開了藝術(shù)作品的魅力空間，供人駐足回味。

《紅色機(jī)器·昨天今天》No.1   綜合材料   85x120cm 2022年

越逼真的繪畫，越是幻術(shù)：亦真亦幻、忽真忽幻。手藝嫻熟卻不動(dòng)聲色的周向林，如同冷面魔術(shù)師般在二維平面上調(diào)動(dòng)物料、施展手段，把握尺度，誘導(dǎo)觀者進(jìn)入他的視覺力場中。藝術(shù)人終生在形式和內(nèi)容（或曰美學(xué)和觀念、能指和所指……）的關(guān)系中糾纏不休：孰先孰后、孰為本體……但從觀看習(xí)慣來回想，觀者往往是先被形式吸引，然后才可能反復(fù)品咂被形式化的內(nèi)容。

越是了解以往歷史和現(xiàn)代文明的人，可能越會(huì)有感于周向林作品所牽動(dòng)的史料和觀念。但藝術(shù)有其自身規(guī)律和尊嚴(yán)，并非歷史學(xué)、社會(huì)學(xué)的圖解，尤其是經(jīng)過“為藝術(shù)而藝術(shù)”的現(xiàn)代主義階段后。周向林是視覺藝術(shù)家，是出生于1955年的中國大陸人，視覺藝術(shù)獨(dú)有的能量和他本人具體而微的生命體驗(yàn)，才是驅(qū)動(dòng)他創(chuàng)造這些作品、感動(dòng)觀者駐足停留的主因。

《紅色機(jī)器·昨天今天》No.8      綜合材料  85x120cm 2022年

細(xì)膩逼真地寫生“東方紅”號(hào)拖拉機(jī)時(shí)，剝離了背景的對象被標(biāo)本化，保留了歷經(jīng)滄海桑田的各種痕跡，供人在當(dāng)下和過去之間穿行。解放CA10、東風(fēng)金龍、北京BJ212、上海SH760、紅旗CA770……這些具有實(shí)用功能的汽車，在特定的時(shí)段和情境中，曾被賦予了相當(dāng)重要的文化價(jià)值。當(dāng)藝術(shù)家把它們的模型（比原車縮小了多倍）在畫布上放大到原車尺度，用照相寫實(shí)手法重現(xiàn)時(shí)，三維的原車、縮小的模型、放大的二維圖像之間，透疊出豐富的意味來，視覺刺激作為起點(diǎn)，啟動(dòng)觀者的人生經(jīng)歷和知識(shí)儲(chǔ)備。何況，周向林的畫面中，這些模型身披密集的光斑，散發(fā)炫目的夢幻氣息，超出物理的心理意味更加深長了。

人是文化動(dòng)物，文化是“意義”的生產(chǎn)系統(tǒng)和操縱系統(tǒng)。文化環(huán)境中的物遠(yuǎn)不止是物本身，而是或多或少具有文化意蘊(yùn)。甚至，很多物的價(jià)值完全是被文化賦予的。在特定社會(huì)的文化、歷史語境與意義、觀念體系中，憑借隱喻與聯(lián)想的方式，特定的物與人所欲求的豐富“意義”可以聯(lián)結(jié)起來。而且，不管出于有意還是無意，對單個(gè)物的價(jià)值賦予，必然同時(shí)推廣著它所攜帶的整個(gè)文化共同體的價(jià)值體系。身處特定情境中的個(gè)體，對此往往渾然不覺，以為屬于文化范疇的價(jià)值是物的自然屬性。直到時(shí)過境遷有所對比時(shí)，才恍然察覺。

《紅色機(jī)器·之一》 布面油畫  195x195cm 1993年

天生稟賦、人生經(jīng)歷和知識(shí)結(jié)構(gòu)使然，周向林傾向于解析物的文化價(jià)值，進(jìn)而推測其所歸屬的價(jià)值體系。《紅色機(jī)器》、《模型》、《基因工程》等系列作品，聚焦于各種機(jī)械。這些機(jī)械看似客觀中立、普適通用，但科學(xué)技術(shù)從來都貫徹著人性，機(jī)械是實(shí)用功能、美學(xué)趣味和被賦予的文化價(jià)值的綜合體。周向林嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)細(xì)致的繪畫，時(shí)而如同機(jī)械制圖，散發(fā)著冷峻的科學(xué)氣息，但打動(dòng)人的卻是美學(xué)魅力——美學(xué)化的情緒和觀念。

這種奇特的效果，源于他對各種因素的微妙處理。經(jīng)過他的處理后，很多方面被調(diào)換，無情之物有情了，實(shí)用之處變成象征之處，科學(xué)功能轉(zhuǎn)為美學(xué)功能。這種調(diào)換，在科學(xué)角度是不合理的，但在藝術(shù)角度合乎情理，是心理投射于物理后生長出來的美學(xué)效應(yīng)。這在《基因工程》和《紅色機(jī)器·昨天今天》中體現(xiàn)得更為明顯。

《基因工程?Ⅱ》   布面油畫   180x410cm 2019年

今天的我們，已經(jīng)身在2023年，見多識(shí)廣的周向林為何仍然專注于“紅色機(jī)器”？“你不知道那是新的。你不知道那是‘什么東西’。它要等到差不多十年后才會(huì)成為新的，因?yàn)槟菚r(shí)候它才顯得新。”（《安迪·沃霍爾的哲學(xué)》）享年59歲的“波普教皇”的“波普啟示錄”，激發(fā)青春的生命對全新未知的期待。“已有的事后必再有；已行的事后必再行。日光之下并無新事。豈有一件事人能指著說這是新的？哪知，在我們以前的世代早已有了。”(《圣經(jīng)·傳道書》) 從人類文明軸心時(shí)代流傳至今的古老話語，告誡我們?nèi)诵暮褪赖缽膩頉]有變過。

經(jīng)歷了成千上萬個(gè)昨天后走在今天的人，細(xì)思刻骨銘心的人生經(jīng)歷時(shí)，不難體會(huì)到變和不變。有所體會(huì)后觀看周向林的繪畫，缺乏體會(huì)時(shí)觀看周向林的繪畫，會(huì)有不同的反應(yīng)。藝術(shù)作品是感官魅力托底的個(gè)人表達(dá)，對藝術(shù)作品的感受是開放的，這是觀者的自由。

2023年2月16日于北京

Psychological Projection of Physics: The Machines in Zhou Xianglin's Paintings

By Du Xiyun

According to Plato, the world is divided into the world of appearances and the world of ideas, the former being the "visible world" and the latter being the "intelligible world". In the visible world, no matter how many brain surgeries a surgeon performs, they cannot see "thoughts". However, on the other hand, everything has its characteristics, attributes, and order, especially the various artificial objects, which reflect the "ideas" of their creators and are more easily discovered and understood by others.

As a visual artist, Zhou Xianglin focuses more on the "visual" aspect of things, feeling and imagining the "ideas" behind them from an artistic perspective, and expressing them in a visual way. Therefore, his works, at first glance, have a scientific quality, but upon closer examination, have an artistic quality; at first glance, they focus on physics, but upon closer inspection, they express psychology; at first glance, they focus on practical aspects, but upon closer inspection, they focus on symbolic aspects. The calm contemplation and intense emotions are integrated into the photographic realism of his painting techniques, creating a fascinating space for viewers to pause and reflect.

紅色機(jī)器·昨天今天》No.14 Red Machine·Yesterday Today No.14 綜合材料  Mixed media 85x120cm 2022年

The more realistic the painting, the more illusory it is—both real and illusory, sometimes real and sometimes illusory. With his skilled technique, Zhou Xianglin, like a cold and composed magician, manipulates materials and employs his methods on two-dimensional surfaces, manipulating scale and inducing viewers into his visual force field. Artists are always entangled in the relationship between form and content (or aesthetics and ideas, signifiers and signifieds, etc.); contemplating which is more important, which is the essence… But in terms of viewing habits, viewers are often first attracted by form, and then repeatedly examine the formalized content.

The more one understands the history and modern civilization, the more one may be moved by the historical and conceptual implications of Zhou Xianglin's work. However, art has its own laws and dignity, and is not a diagram of history or sociology, especially after the modernist manifesto of "art for art's sake". The unique energy of visual art and Zhou Xianglin’s specific and detailed life experience—being a visual artist, a mainland Chinese born in 1955—are the main reasons that drive him to create these works and move viewers to pause and reflect.

《紅色機(jī)器·昨天今天》No.20 Red Machine·Yesterday Today No.20 綜合材料  Mixed media 85x120cm 2022年

When he meticulously and realistically draws the "Dongfanghong tractor", the object, stripped of its background, is objectified and retains all the traces it has undergone over the years, allowing people to travel between the present and the past. The Liberation CA10, Dongfeng Golden Dragon, Beijing BJ212, Shanghai SH760, Hongqi CA770... these practical cars were given significant cultural value in specific times and circumstances. When the artist enlarges their models (which are reduced several times from the original size) to the scale of the original car on the canvas and reproduces them with photographic realism, rich meanings are layered between the three-dimensional original car, the reduced model, and the enlarged two-dimensional image. Starting with visual stimulation, they trigger viewers' life experiences and knowledge reserves. Moreover, in Zhou Xianglin's paintings, these models are adorned with dense spots of light, emitting a dazzling dreamlike aura, which carries deeper psychological meanings beyond physics.

Humans are cultural creatures, and culture is a system for the production and manipulation of "meaning". The objects in a cultural context are not just objects themselves, but often contain varying degrees of cultural significance. In fact, the value of many objects is entirely bestowed by culture. Within the specific cultural, historical, and conceptual framework of a society, individuals can connect specific objects with the rich "meaning" they desire through metaphor and association. Furthermore, whether intentionally or not, assigning value to an individual object inevitably promotes the value system of the entire cultural community it carries. Individuals within a specific context often take this for granted, believing that the value assigned to an object is its natural attribute. It is not until they experience a contrast that they realize the truth.

《模型·1/20×20·東風(fēng)金龍》   Model·1/20×20·Dongfeng Golden Dragon   布面油畫 Oil on canvas   200×200cm 2010年

Due to inherent talent, life experience, and knowledge structure, Zhou Xianglin tends to analyze the cultural value of objects and speculate on the value system they belong to. His series of works, such as The Red Machine, Model, and Genetic Engineering, focus on various machines. These machines appear to be objective, neutral, and universally applicable, but scientific and technological development is always imbued with humanity, and machines are a synthesis of practical function, aesthetic interest, and bestowed cultural value. Zhou Xianglin's rigorous and meticulous paintings sometimes resemble mechanical drawings, exuding a cool scientific atmosphere, but what touches people is the aesthetic charm—the emotional and conceptual aestheticization.

This unique effect is due to his subtle handling of various factors. After his handling, many aspects are swapped, the heartless object becomes emotional, the practical use becomes symbolic, and the scientific function becomes an aesthetic function. This kind of swap is unreasonable from a scientific perspective, but reasonable from an artistic perspective. It is an aesthetic effect that grows out of psychological projection onto physics. This is more evident in Genetic Engineering and Red Machine · Yesterday Today.

《紅色機(jī)器·昨天今天》No.12 Red Machine·Yesterday Today No.12 綜合材料  Mixed media 85x120cm 2022年

Today, in 2023, why does Zhou Xianglin, who is knowledgeable and experienced, still focus on "The Red Machine"? "You don’t know it’s new. You don’t know what it is. It doesn’t become new until about ten years later, because then it looks new (The Philosophy of Andy Warhol, 1975)." The "Pope of Pop" who passed away at the age of 59 in his "Pop Revelation (or From A to B & Back Again)" inspired young people's expectations for the unknown. "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun" (The Bible Ecclesiastes 1:9). This ancient saying passed down from the axial age of human civilization to the present day reminds us that human nature and society have never changed.

After experiencing thousands of yesterdays and walking in today, people who have deeply felt life experiences can easily understand the change and the unchanged. When watching Zhou Xianglin's paintings with such life reflections, they will have a different reaction than those who lack such experiences. Artworks are personal expressions based on sensory appeal, and the feelings of viewers towards art are open—this is the freedom of the audience.

Feb. 16, 2023, Beijing

周向林

周向林

畢業(yè)于湖北藝術(shù)學(xué)院（現(xiàn)湖北美術(shù)學(xué)院），中央美術(shù)學(xué)院

法國布爾日國立美術(shù)學(xué)院訪問學(xué)者

湖北美術(shù)學(xué)院教授，原副院長

Graduated from Hubei University of Arts 

(now Hubei Institute of Fine Arts) 

and Central Academy of Fine Arts .

Visiting scholar of National Academy of 

Fine Arts, Bourges, France. 

Professor of Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, 

former Vice president.