刘商英走的很远。高原的浮云、玛旁雍错圣湖的水色和那神奇而耀眼的天光使他激动，让他疯狂。这种近似癫狂的状态是艺术家们梦寐以求的，也是在这一瞬间，艺术的创作力变得完全的不确定。尽管刘商英们做好了各种准备——他们了解历史，他们掌握技巧，他们熟悉传统，他们关心社会，他们有足够的物质的和精神的准备和预习，但是大自然带给他们的震撼力总是来的比人们的想象猛烈的多。这震撼，这猛烈总是出其不意，每每可以击中你。只要你是无所畏惧地迎着大自然，毫无保留地接受这洗礼，你一定会象刘商英那样变为在艺术上的一个勇者。一个独立的人。一个会自己做出判断的人。

　　在大自然中写生，艺术家想从中获取那些不可自己想象的空间、色彩和结构。有的人从而开始描绘一个景观，叙述一段文学故事，表现些许个自的感受。但刘商英的几次西藏写生显然已开始跨越这些最原始的想法。他试图通过大自然对自己的启示，开始寻找自己绘画的语言，游玩于完全自信的色彩之中，组织他自己独立的结构。他的这种实验是建立在他对文化艺术发展的了解，他的探索是基于他对自身社会环境的把握，他的寻探是一个勇者和习惯势力的拼搏。

　　和刘商英在艺术上的寻探一样，他们是五十年代以来一批活跃在纽约的艺术家：迪库宁、劳森伯格、詹森斯、以及后来的汤布里、里切斯廷和斯提拉。他们思维敏锐，从不因循守旧，正是由于他们的探索、坚持和智慧，他们从新界定了什么是他们的绘画。他们打破了传统观念上的绘画习惯，引领当代艺术的先锋。尽管他们之间也没有相互承认各自的观点，但这也不妨碍今天我们对他们的尝试精神的学习和尊敬。这种改变历史，挑战习惯，继承传统的做法是一种生活方式。创造新理念，寻探边缘更是我们热爱生活、体现我们对人类文明发展的关注。

　　中间美术馆主张当代艺术关于绘画性的讨论。我们衷心感谢刘商英先生的参与。我们诚挚的感谢北京市文化发展基金会、中间艺术发展基金、北京嘉德兴业投资集团有限公司、国泰土地整理集团有限公司、北京西山产业投资有限公司、一蓝女士和所有参与展览准备工作的朋友们对中间美术馆的支持。中间美术馆将不断的为中国当代艺术的发展做出我们的努力。

中间美术馆

袁佐馆长

2013年9月

Epilogue--Searching for Frontiers

　　Liu Shangying travelled very far. The floating clouds over the plateau, the sacred Lake Manasarovar as well as the magical and splendid sky all excited him and put him in a trance. The ecstasy, as the climax of artistic production, is a dream for artists. At that moment what creativity could achieve became completely uncertain. Though artists like Liu Shangying had made all kinds of preparations in terms of knowledge about history, techniques, tradition, in other words, they were well prepared as far as material and psychology are concerned, the impact nature brought them was still more than they had imagined. The strong impact came unexpectedly and every time it came, it struck you. As long as you bravely embrace nature and welcome the discipline unreservedly, like Liu Shangying, you will become a hero in art, an independent man, and a man of his own judgment just.

　　By painting in life, an artist wishes to get closer to the space, color and structure that he or she is unable to imagine. Some people choose to express their own feeling by painting a landscape or telling a literary story. To Liu Shangying, however, things are different. Obviously his trips to Tibet have proved that he has gone further than these simple ideas. Following the inspiration from nature, he started to look for his own pictorial language, enjoy himself in the colors that he is fairly confident about and to arrange his own structures. Such experiment was based on his understanding of the trend in culture and art, his exploration derives from his awareness of the social context, and his exploration is a struggle between a hero and the forces of convention.

　　Liu Shangying shares a lot with those masters active in New York in the 1950s, like de Kooning, Rauschenberg, Jans Sens, etc., who, quick-minded and unconventional,   redefined what art meant to them with their exploration, persistence and wisdom. By breaking away with the conventions in painting, they become pioneers in contemporary art. Though sometimes they were at odds with one another, it does not prevent us to show respect to them and learn from their pioneering spirit today. To bring changes to history, challenge habits, and to carry on traditions are actually a way of life. To bringing forth new ideas and search for new frontiers is an essential quality for those who love life and are concerned about human progress.

　　Inside-Out Art Museum advocates discussions about painterliness in the context of contemporary art. We sincerely appreciate Mr. Liu Shangying's participation. In addition, our thanks also go to Beijing Cultural Development Foundation, Inside-Out Art Development Fun, Beijing Jade Investment Group Co., Ltd., Grandtopeak Group Co., Ltd., Beijing Xishan Industrial Investment Co., Ltd., Yilan and all those who have contributed to the exhibition. Thank you for your support. Inside-Out Art Museum will continue to commit itself to the progress of contemporary art in China.

Inside-Out Art Museum

Yuan Zuo（director）

September, 2013