自秦汉而远，善书者众矣。晋唐之间，贤圣继起，妙迹名著，蔚成经典。宋元以降，大家辈出，操觚立言，流派纷呈。为政者以己之务，全力以昌，研究者著录阐析，付之篇章。书法由致用而竞美，风貌繁衍出新，汇为中国文林气象。惜乎自20世纪初，书法之命运多舛。虽曾有蔡氏元培先生在美术院校“增设书法专科”之愿望，而于全国美术展览会中书法竟告阙如，1949年至1979年间书法活动亦为“小众”艺术，相关展览寥若晨星。弃书法于“美术”界外之观念使狭义之“美术”日趋促狭，并累及美术馆收藏研究之范围、美术院校系科专业课程之设置等。

　　然自20世纪80年代，书法之命运适时转机。中国书法家协会及各地书法家协会相继建立，各种群众性的书法团体、机构风起云涌，高等书法教育亦由星星之火渐成燎原之势。对于书法发展而言，此况令人振奋，毋庸置疑。国家文化主管部门批准中国美术馆收藏书法作品、筹建书法专馆, 此乃中国书法界的瞻前大事。中国美术馆将书法正式纳入学术观照与研究视野，并以“当代大家书法邀请展”、“首届当代名家书法提名展”、“迎奥运书法邀请展” 等活动，雅集书坛精英，共襄书法艺术于“美术”中所处位置之重塑。类此，当我们置身于不断变幻的国内外文化环境，寄望中华文化之复兴，无不感到推动源远流长、博大精深的汉字书写艺术，以更高的立点重新认识传统文化中精华部分的现代内涵，既是现实责任，亦是历史使命。本馆策划出版《中国美术馆当代名家系列作品集·书法卷》即缘于此，辑中所录方家，各成风貌，亦复渊源有自。付梓成集，探研可示诸同好，游赏则以求大众。

　　刘颜涛是一位以甲骨文为取法和表现并由此拓展到金文以及其他古文字书法创作和研究的书法家。他的创作，赋予了古老文字更多的现代艺术语言，更进一步把笔墨的丰富表现运用在甲骨文、金文中，增强了铸刻文字的书写性，有力地丰富了甲骨文、金文书法创作内涵，给这些古老文字以新的生命意义。透过刘颜涛甲骨文、金文书法中沉着浑穆而又轻松自然、拙朴凝练而又率意天真的线条，我们隐约感受到他面对远古文字时的那种冲动和欲望，感受到中原雄风般的强烈音符。

　　希望通过出版此系列作品集示，使我们能够真切共识影响当代中国书法发展的诸多因素以及如何在今后的创作实践中去开拓书法艺术的未来。相信在社会各界的高度关注和大力支持下,中国美术馆一定能为中国书法事业的发展作出自己的贡献，为后世留下我们这个时期书法艺术发展的印迹。

　　Preface

　　In the ancient Qin and Han dynasties, many excellent calligraphers emerged. During the Jin and Tang dynasties, masters and talents appeared one after another and wrote wonderful calligraphy, much of it considered classic. Numerous great masters also emerged between the Song and Yuan dynasties, creating excellent calligraphy even while drinking and also establishing various schools. Thereafter, the rulers made great efforts to promote calligraphy as an art, and researchers strove to record it and explain it in books. As a constituent of Chinese culture, calligraphy evolved into a fine art in various styles from practical use.Since the early 1920s, calligraphy has been confronted with many obstacles. Although Mr. Cai Yuanpei wanted to "establish a calligraphy specialization" at art colleges, calligraphy was not a part of the national art exhibition. From 1949 to 1979, calligraphy activities were regarded as "minority" art with only a few relevant fairs. The concept of excluding calligraphy from art circles has confined the "art" in narrow sense much more limited, and has affected the scope of collections and research by art museums as well as the arrangement of specialization curriculums at art colleges.

　　The 1980s, on the other hand, were a fortunate and welcome time for calligraphy. It's true that a single spark can start a prairie fire: the Chinese Calligraphers Association and many other local calligraphers associations were founded, a variety of public societies and organizations devoted to calligraphy came into being, and calligraphy began to be studied in higher education. These developments were undoubtedly inspiring to calligraphy artists.It was a milestone in calligraphy circles when the National Art Museum of China started collecting calligraphy works and prepared to build special calligraphy rooms. This was met with the approval of the relevant national cultural departments. The museum has formally included calligraphy in the fields of academia and research, and has organized a series of activities, such as "Invitation to an Exhibition of Fine Calligraphy by Contemporary Masters", "The First Nomination Exhibition of Fine Works by Famous Contemporary Calligraphers", and "An Invitation to an Exhibition of Calligraphy for the Beijing Olympics". The museum has also called upon elite artists to exchange ideas, and has tried to reestablish calligraphy to its rightful place in the art world. Living in a time of cultural changes at home and abroad, we hope to rejuvenate the Chinese culture. We have felt it is our true responsibility and historical mission to promote the splendid and historical calligraphy of Chinese characters, and to redefine the modern connotation of the elites in traditional culture at a higher standing point. To do that, we plan to publish a new book entitled "A Collection of Works by Contemporary Masters at the National Art Museum of China: Calligraphy Section", which will gather together many masters with different styles. Such a collection will be suited for both researchers and readers.

　　Liu Yantao devotes himself to research and practice in inscriptions on ancient bronze objects and other ancient characters through following the example of the inscriptions. He adds more modern artistic languages into ancient characters and also applies writing to the inscriptions. Thus, he increases writing possibility of casting characters, and enriches the connotation of the inscriptions with new meaning. His composed calligraphy in the inscriptions features natural, simple and naive strokes, and also delivers his strong desire in learning remote ancient characters like a strong wind.

　　The publication of such a collection is expected to make us clearly realize the many factors affecting the development of Chinese contemporary art and how to explore its future through new creations. With great support and concern from all walks of life, the National Art Museum of China will make its contribution to the development of Chinese calligraphy, and leave a legacy for the development of calligraphy art for generations to come.

　　Fan Di'an

　　Director of the National Art Museum of China

　　August 2007