中国国家博物馆副馆长 陈 履 生

　　书法的要义在於法。就流传有绪的中国书法史而言，法有各种各样，既成定律又有发展，既有淘汰又有演进。就研习书法而论，需要“以最大的功力打进去”，但是，能不能“用最大的勇气打出来”并不重要。“打进去”就能成家，“打出来”则能成体。从历史的角度来看，能够“打进去”就可以卓然成家，当然，再能够“打出来”自成一体则更好，不过，这是难上加难的事情，一部中国书法史上千年，成体者屈指可数。

　　美林与书法的关繫可以溯源到五岁，可以说，绝大多数儿童的天性很难让其静坐在桌前面对碑帖和米字格或九宫格，因此，他的老师经常敲他的头，而头上每一个鼓起的包都是深刻的记忆。他没有记恨老师，因为老师让他最早认识了颜鲁公。中国的师徒教育有时候有不够人性化的地方，其中的“体罚”最为人所诟病。拿写字来说，执笔要求指实掌虚，虚者，掌里能握得下一个鸡蛋。还要求把笔捏得非常紧。老师在抽查的时候，往往会在学生不注意的时候从上面抽他的毛笔;如果捏得不够紧，笔从下而上迅速滑过会弄得满手墨汁。所以，即使学生不愿意，但当老师走近他的时候，他都会紧紧捏住毛笔。这是一种强化教育。这种强化教育能够让孩子自小就得到一些技术性的锻炼以及审美教育，往往会影响其后的发展，甚至受益一辈子。美林就是在这样一种教育制度下培养出来的一位艺术家，反映在他身上的许多问题都可以从早期的教育以及生活中找到根源。

　　美林非常感念这种中国特色的早期教育，因为这种教育使他建立了与书法的毕生联繫，因此，当他从事艺术创作的时候，书法的功底多多少少会影响到他的创作。而兼及书法或回到书法，则显得非常自然。美林在艺坛半个多世纪，声名满天下。长期以来，在书法方面的成就却不为人所熟悉，因为其书名被其他门类的艺术成就所掩。过去很长一段时期，美林写的楷书虽然也受到了大家的关注，可是，人们都没有像重视他的绘画或雕塑那样重视他的书法，相信，书法界的很多专家都不会认同他的书法。

　　在很长一段时间内，美林在书法方面以最大的勇气打出来，脱离了传统的规范，却仍然保留了颜真卿那种肥壮、刚健、浑厚的感觉和笔意，但是，人们更多的是从装饰、绘画等方面去欣赏他的书法，因此，他的书法存在几乎和他的画难以分离。中国自古就有“书画同源”的传统，“书画同源”也是中国艺术独特性的重要方面。过去所说的“书画同源”，是指同为毛笔，同为以书写为主要特征的技术性的内容，使得书法和绘画在历史的源头形成了必然的联繫。另一方面，书法绘画在实际的发展过程中，早期源头使人们对它的认识有著相似的视觉内容。

　　几年前，当美林的“天书”问世的时候，给予了社会强烈的震撼，因为，他以其独特的勤奋以及才情，用另外的方式演绎了与中国书法相关的另一方面的内容，这就是在各种笔劃和结构中间，在原始艺术和文字的各个方面，沟通了相互的联繫。“天书”之美的意义，在於他把结构和书写演绎得丰富多彩和琳琅满目，表现得意味深长，由此，我们看到中国文化的魅力。几年之后，美林把他书写的真草隶篆以书法的形态集中呈现在人们面前，我想人们的新的惊讶是继“天书”之后的又一次感悟。他满足了人们的期待。因为，人们在看到“天书”之后，感觉到美林艺术的发展已经到了尽头——还能玩出什么花样?但是，人们根据美林的性格又给予了无限的期待，因为他总是让人们有着出於意想之外的惊喜。

　　从美林体的楷书出发，延伸到汉简和行草，美林将书法纳入到了他的创作体系之中，从而为他的艺术世界开拓了一片新的天地。美林的汉简只是玩弄一种形式，因为这种形式中会留存往日楷体的笔法，更多的是追求书法的画意。因此，他既表现出了汉代竹简上先人的意味，同时，他的现代性则将一些传统的符号和趣味表现得更具有美林风格。与之不同的是，美林的篆书和画一样，讲究结构之美，为了种种富有意趣的结构，他不忌讳模拟石鼓文，也不忌讳模拟金文。他以他的书写让人们感受到石鼓文和金文之美，却又不是简单的临写。美林将“书画同源”的意义提升到抽象的形态，这种以文字为依托的抽象，既符合了中国书法的本质特征，同时，又将“书画同源”中的画的感觉表现得淋漓尽致。美林篆书的笔法和他的硬笔画的笔法有很多相似之处，或者我们於此中可以找到美林的硬笔画在用笔方面的来源。因此，也可以把他的篆书作为一幅抽象的绘画来欣赏，字与字之间的关繫，以及每一个字的结体，都饶有兴味。

　　如果说美林的楷书、隶书、篆书都和他绘画有直接联繫的话，那么，行草就是一种现实的宣洩。他和许多以书法为生的书法家的不同之处，不是为书法而书法，而是在艺术创作和生活之余的一种性情的挥发。就艺术而言，楷书、隶书、篆书都符合他的艺术特征，但是，就性情而言，草书则吻合他的人格特点。美林性格豪爽，而且又有自幼学习书法的功底，加之几十年来在书法方面的不断努力，综合素养集中运用到草书之上，会有许多得之於必然的感觉。所以，当美林的草书呈现在人们面前的时候，专家们可以用非常专业的态度去评判他，可是，很少有人能够一眼发现这是韩美林的草书，因为，韩美林极具个人化的特征使他在各种不同的专业范围内处处露出他的“尾巴”，只有他的草书在努力靠近书法的本体而不留“尾巴”。在书法本体的范围之内，美林能够把书写的感觉以及他的兴趣表达出来，並得到尽情的发挥。就实际情况而言，美林在楷书方面多年的表现已经形成了为公众所熟悉的风格和面貌，现在让他脱离“美林体”，於草书的方式中表现出书法的纯粹性，确实有著去除习惯的难度。当一位艺术家的风格变成不是自己的时候，是难以想象的一种割舍。美林非常让人感到意外的是在草书中隐藏著自己的“尾巴”，他像专业书法家那样去尽情挥洒，痛快淋漓;一气呵成，性情勃发，俨然又是一个活脱脱的美林，只不过是一种新的面孔。

　　还是应该从“书画同源”方面来认识美林的书法。艺术的融会贯通使美林的书法跃上一个新的平台，它和其他艺术形式之间的联繫，是我们认识和欣赏美林书法的一方面内容。这确实很重要。美林在书法方面的经营，书写所表达的各种趣味，在书法本体的范围之内是极尽所能，然而，他的拓展是想超脱书法的局限性，这就是走向现代的书法。20世纪后期的中国书坛上曾经刮过一阵流行书风，其积极的意义是以打破书法惯常的审美方式而表现出突破传统的态势，从而显现出现代性的特征。流弊则在於失去传统并流行成病。美林书法的现代性，同样是打破以往的一些法规，但是，他的现代性更多的是与他的绘画相联繫的现代性，因为融入绘画语言以及个性风格的美林书法，不拘於成法和惯例。他把现代性的追求放在了一个目标点上，却将传统的承传作为必需的根基，因此，他的书写往往是与法度相关的出於法度之外。他不像流行书风那样狂野而失去法度;他是在法度之内表现艺术的兴趣和书法的味道以及自我的书写感觉。

　　看美林之书如读美林之画。美林以自己的努力和创造给传统的“书画同源”以新的阐释，并赋予了“书画同源”以现代性的新的内涵---美林发展传统以及利用传统的创造，是21世纪关於传统话题的一个值得研究的个案。

　　2011年5月24日完稿於休斯敦至华盛顿之空中

　　Understanding Han Meilin’s Calligraphy from the Perspective of “Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Are Homologous”

　　Chen Lvsheng Deputy curator of National museum of China

　　  The essence of calligraphy lies in rules. In the orderly history of Chinese calligraphy， there are various rules， which were fixed and comparatively stable but at the same time continuously developing; and some of these were eliminated through selection as new ones developed. When researching and studying calligraphy， it is necessary to “fight into it with the utmost effort”， but it is fairly unimportant whether you can “fight out of it with supreme courage”， for it is all the more difficult to achieve the latter. If you “fight into it”， you will be a master; if you “fight out of it”， you will be an innovator. Looking back into the thousands-of-years history of Chinese calligraphy， we find that there really were some people who “fought into it” and became masters， but few masters “fought out of it” and became innovators.

　　  Meilin’s relation with Chinese calligraphy can be traced back to 1941 when he was only 5. It is really difficult for most children to sit at the table quietly imitating a rubbing from a tablet and practicing characters. Meilin’s teacher often knocked his head to punish him. Each lump on his head left him with a deep memory. However， Meilin did not hate his teacher， because it was he who introduced him to the famous ancient calligrapher Yan Zhenqing. Chinese mentors are sometimes accused of lacking a humane attitude， especially when they use “corporal punishment”. Take writing for example; when a student is practicing calligraphy， he is required to hold the brush tightly with his fingers with palm relaxed so that an egg can be held in it at the same time. Usually， when the student is concentrating on practicing， his teacher， standing behind him， would try to snatch the brush out of his hand. If the brush were not held tightly， it would slide away quickly and his hand would be full of ink. Even though reluctant， the student must hold his brush tightly when his teacher approaches. This is a kind of intensive education through which children learn proper techniques and gain an aesthetic education. Their growth and development are influenced and benefited for life. Meilin is an artist trained in this traditional way. Many questions about him can be answered by understanding his early education and life.

　　  Meilin feels a deep emotion and gratitude for his early education with “Chinese characteristics”， through which he has built a life-long relation with calligraphy. For this reason， when he works in art， his creation is more or less influenced by his basic training in calligraphy; therefore， his calligraphy and that related to calligraphy， appear quite natural. Having worked in art for more than half a century， Meilin is world-renowned now. However， people are not as familiar with his calligraphy as with his achievements in other fields. Even though his regular script has received wide acclaim for a long time， the public still does not value his calligraphy as much as his painting or sculpture. I supposed that many calligraphy experts are unwilling to recognize his calligraphy.

　　  Meilin spent a long time in “combat” with supreme courage. His calligraphy surpasses traditional rules and retains the husky， robust， natural and powerful feeling and strokes of Yan Zhenqing. However， people prefer to appreciate his calligraphy from the perspective of decoration and painting. It would be difficult to separate his calligraphy from his painting. It was believed that “painting and calligraphy are from the same origin” in ancient China， which is also an important aspect of the unique Chinese art. Previously， the concept that “painting and calligraphy are homologous” indicates there are connections between calligraphy and painting at the source of history—both use brush and writing is their common feature. The early source of calligraphy and painting gives people a similar visual feeling and understanding in the actual development process.

　　  Three years ago， Meilin’s Book from Heaven shocked the arts community. With his distinctive diligence and imagination， he interpreted some other contents about Chinese calligraphy in a unique style. He established a link between strokes and structures， primitive art and ancient characters. The significance of his Book from Heaven’s beauty is that he interprets the structure in a variety of ways and expresses the writing meaningfully， through which we see the beauty of Chinese culture. Now， as Meilin intensively presents his regular， cursive， official and seal script Chinese calligraphy， I believe people will give a new exclamation of surprise as they did with the Book form Heaven. He has satisfied expectations. Having seen the Book form Heaven， it seems that Meilin had already reached the peak of his artistic development. What more tricks could he play? However， we can not help expecting more， since he is always full of unexpected surprises!

　　  Beginning with the regular script of Meilin’s style and extending to bamboo-slip writing and cursive script， Meilin succeeded in bringing calligraphy into his creative system and opening up a new world for his art. His bamboo-slip writing is only a game of form which contains the writing techniques of his former regular script and focuses on the artistic inspiration of calligraphy. In this way， the ancient style of bamboo-slip writing of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) is fully expressed and some traditional symbols are of his own style. Different from his bamboo-slip writing， Meilin’s seal script and painting are particular about the beauty of structure. To obtain various interesting structures， Meilin never refrains from imitating the inscriptions on drum-shaped stone blocks nor bronze scripts. He exposes the beauty of ancient characters with his creative writing rather than simply imitating. Meilin promotes the meaning of “Chinese painting and calligraphy are homologous” to an abstract pattern. The pattern based on characters corresponds with Chinese calligraphy’s substantive characteristics and completely displays the feeling of painting. There are many similarities between the writing techniques of Meilin’s seal script and his micro-pen painting. Maybe， we can even find the source of his micro-pen painting’s writing techniques from his seal script. Therefore， we can appreciate his seal script as abstract painting， whether it be the relation between each character or the structure of every word， it would be quite interesting.

　　If there is a direct connection between Meilin’s regular， official and seal script with his painting， his cursive script would be a realistic catharsis. Different from many other calligraphers’ concentration on writing， Meilin doesn’t write for calligraphy and his writing is only an expression of his disposition outside of art and life. His regular， official and seal scripts correspond to his artistic features; however， his cursive script mostly represents his personality. With his great-hearted personality， solid foundation in calligraphy and 70-year-unremitting effort， Meilin’s cursive script is inevitability a distinctive feature. When his cursive script is presented to us， experts can criticize it in a professional and artistic way， but few people can tell at first sight that it was created by Han Meilin. Meilin’s artistic features are so distinctive and unique that his works in different fields show his strong personality. Only his cursive script can manage to approach calligraphy’s substantive characteristics， within which Meilin is able to fully express his interest and feeling. In fact， Meilin’s regular script achievement has formed a style and feature well-known to the public. It would be indeed quiet difficult for him to abandon the habit and change “Meilin’s style” and express calligraphy’s purity in cursive script. It is unimaginable that an artist’s style can be entirely changed. To my surprise， Meilin conceals his own style in cursive script: he writes as a professional calligrapher as much as he likes， and in its free style there appears another Meilin just like a new look.

　　  Let’s understand Meilin’s calligraphy from the perspective of “Chinese painting and calligraphy are homologous”. His calligraphy has entered a new state because of his thorough understanding of art. Its connection with other artistic forms is an important aspect to help understand and appreciate Meilin’s calligraphy. This is really very important. In the range of calligraphy’s substantive characteristics， Meilin has tried his best to practice and write in various styles. His expansion is attempting to surpass the limitation of calligraphy and this is the “modern” calligraphy. There used to be a popular Chinese calligraphic style in the late 20th century. It broke calligraphy’s traditional aesthetic style and appeared as a feature of modernity. On the other hand， it was easy to lose tradition and became vulgar. Aiming at pursuing modernity and based on the inheritance of tradition， Meilin’s calligraphy is not limited by laws or rules. With painting language and personal style， his calligraphy embodies modernity in connection with his painting. Different from the wildest popular calligraphic style without rules， Meilin’s calligraphy works connect and surpass the rules. He expresses the interest of art， the taste of calligraphy and the writing of his personal feeling within the range of the rules.

　　  Appreciating Meilin’s calligraphy is just like studying his painting. With effort and creativity， Meilin succeeded in illuminating the traditional concept of “Chinese calligraphy and painting are homologous”—Meilin’s effort to develop tradition and to create within tradition is a typical case of traditional topics worthy of study in the 21st century.

　　Finished in the plane flying from Houston to Washington

　　May 24， 2011