中国暂时展现出来的，我认为还是西方文化的“表皮”，比如高楼大厦和各种名牌服饰。所以，中国的现代化进程是存在“浮于表面”的问题的。这些“表皮”的东西，我用芭比娃娃这一“符号”来替代。

　　——2008年江  衡

　　艺术作品诞生之后，就成为“公器”，任何人都可以随其评说，甚至我自己也只是其中一员。“个体与环境”对具有创造精神的艺术家而言是必须考虑的重要因素。所以我认可这一观点, 但保留自己的意见。

　　——2009年江  衡

　　艺术之间没有楚河汉界,它们各归其位，各有各的世界，同时又相互交融。或者可以说“装置艺术”是我“架上绘画”的一种补充。事实上我不单指从事这两者的创作，还有雕塑和动画。它们或者是独立的一件作品，但它们的存在应该是我个人极为关注的密不可分的思路和线索。我的作品用这些艺术形式来表达更多的是让作品本身增加活力和创作的延续性。

　　——2010年江  衡

　　法国思想家鲍德里亚对消费文化的解读对我的影响很大。他不但从社会学的角度去分析人在社会当中的“主客体”关系及人在社会中扮演的角色，更重要的是从政治学和经济学的角度宏观的看待人在社会中的生存景象。人在日常生活当中“主动消费”和“被消费”，以及人们在社会当中的行为方式和精神面貌一起进入到一种不确定的冥界状态中。人在完全丧失其主体性的同时也使日常生活的进程转化成为整体消费符号机器运作的一部分。

　　——2012年江  衡

　　展览是一种表演场，也是文化艺术的交流活动。对我而言，我更看重的是展览命题的意义还有它对文化的诉求。当然要有始有终，不要把它看成目标。所有的展览叠加起来，都比不过艺术家每一秒创作的过程。当然艺术家也离不开“表演”。

　　——2008年江  衡

　　《来自露丝·汉德勒的礼物》是我新创作的系列作品，它源自我创作经验及人生的体验，同时也是我个人思想相对深刻化的产物。从学术层面而言，是藉此对中西方文化进行一种深层的解剖。先说芭比娃娃这个“符号”吧。其实芭比娃娃的制造者露丝·汉德勒是一位美国人，她在创造美国商业文化的同时又赋予芭比娃娃的文化神话，芭比娃娃不是一个简单的玩具，她带着人们去扮演各种角色，成就人们对梦想的追求，是一种完美的象征。然而，当芭比娃娃进入中国之后，我认为有了一种“变异”。从我个人的观察而言，芭比娃娃已经成为中国人(不只是小孩子)物质欲望的象征。她是西方商业文明的缩影，然而当她进入中国后，我只看到“商业”而未见“文明”。全球现代性的趋势是不可逆转也是值得憧憬的，此源头在西方，中国虽然在现代化的口号下进行着各种建设，但是当西方文化“渗入”中国后，中国以及中国人当然也发生了巨大变化，但仍然没有深入西方文化的“精髓”，所以，中国的现代化进程是存在“浮于表面”的问题的。这便是我选择芭比娃娃的原因所在。她不是深层次的文化，而是表层的欲望，甚至仅仅是物质欲望。

　　另一方面而言，芭比娃娃也与我以前的“美女”创作有一定的延续性。背景的山水画，其实与马远无关，我个人就曾创作过传统中国山水画。我的意图是借用传统中国山水，来隐喻当下的中国现状。中国目前为止，现代文明的深层元素并不多，甚至可以说，中国传统文化在当下社会依然是根深蒂固的。所以，综合而言，我这一系列的创作，不是为了表明中西方文化的冲突，而是想表达：中国当下的社会，汲取的更多是西方文化的表皮，中国社会的传统面目仍然很严重，这导致中国人精神上是传统的，而物质欲望上是西方化的。这在我看来当然是一种割裂感，中国文化有很强的包容性，完全可以把西方文化融合进来，传统中国的、当代中国的、西方的文化完全可以融为一体，而不是“割裂”。

　　——2008年江  衡

　　Jiang Heng’s Essays:

　　What China showcases, for the moment, is still the “surface” of Western culture, such as skyscrapers and clothing of famous brands. So the process of Chinese modernization is “superficial” to some extent. I use the symbol of Barbie to represent such “surface”.

　　——2008 Jiang Heng

　　Work of art becomes “work of the public” right after it was born. Everybody, including myself, can make comment freely. “Individual and environment” are crucial factors that any creative artists should take into consideration. In this regard, I agree this point of view but reserve my own opinion.

　　——2009 Jiang Heng

　　There are no distinct boundaries between different types of arts. Each type has its own position. They focus on different aspects but also interact with each other. Maybe “installation art” can be seen as a supplement to my “paintings on easel”. In fact, besides the above two, I work on other arts like sculpture and animation. Any artworks seem independent. However, they are born to reflect the closely-linked thoughts and clues to which I pay high attention. Artworks can demonstrate and increase the vigor and creativity continuity of themselves through such artistic forms.

　　——2010 Jiang Heng

　　The interpretation of consuming culture by Jean Baudrillard, French Ideologist, has enormous impact on me. He not only analyzes people’s host-guest relation and roles in society from the perspective of sociology, but also treats people’s survival in society with the macro view of politics and economics. People’s “positive and negative consumption” in daily life, together with their behaviors and spiritual outlook in society, enter into an uncertain state of meditation. People totally lose their subjectivity. Meanwhile, they transfer the process of daily life into part of the entire machinery operation of consumption symbol.

　　——2012 Jiang Heng

　　Exhibition serves as a show of performance and an activity for exchanges of cultures and arts. For me, I value more the significance of the theme and the appeal for culture of exhibition. An exhibition should start well and end well but not be regarded as the ultimate goal. The value of all exhibitions cannot compare to even one second of the production process of artists. But, of course, no artists can leave “performance”.

　　——2008 Jiang Heng

　　Gifts from Ruth Handler is my new serial of paintings. It stems from my own creative and life experience. It is the outcome of my relatively profound thoughts. In academy, I use it to conduct an in-depth dissection of Chinese and Western cultures. To start with, I want to talk about the symbol of Barbie. Barbie is produced by an American woman called Ruth Handler who has created an American commercial culture via Barbie and also endowed Barbie with a cultural legend. Barbie is more than just a doll. She has different roles with different owners and satisfies people’s pursuit of dreams. She stands for perfection. Nevertheless, Barbie mutates in the Chinese market. From my own observation, Barbie has become a symbol of material desire of Chinese people (not only children). She serves as an epitome of Western commerce and culture. But I can only see “commerce” but no “culture” of it in Chinese market. The momentum of global modernization, deriving from the West, is inevitable and promising. China has developed in various aspects under the slogan of modernization. Both China and its people have changed dramatically after the penetration of Western culture, but it doesn’t touch upon the essence of Western culture and its process of modernization is “superficial” to some extent. This is why I have chosen the symbol of Barbie. She is not an essential culture but a superficial or even merely a material desire.

　　Moreover, Barbie, to some degree, inherits my previous creation of “pretty women”. The landscape in the background of the paintings has nothing to do with Mr. Ma Yuan. I drew some traditional Chinese landscape paintings before. I intend to make traditional Chinese landscape as a metaphor of Chinese status quo. Up until now, China has not possessed enough factors of modern civilization, or Chinese traditional culture is still deep-rooted. In conclusion, this serial of paintings is not to show the conflict between Chinese and Western cultures. It reflects the fact that China absorbs much of the surface of Western culture at present and Chinese tradition still holds sway. This makes Chinese people possess a traditional mind but a Western material desire. I regard such phenomenon as separation. In fact, Chinese culture is inclusive enough to integrate Western culture. Integration, not separation, can be obtained by traditional and contemporary Chinese culture and Western culture.

　　——2008 Jiang Heng