Maintain a Positive Attitude towards Life

-- Appreciation of Oil Painting Flowing Volcano by Xiong Ming

By Gao Liuxing

　　国庆长假到了，强迫自己暂且抛开烦忧俗虑，享受几天闲暇日子。不经意间我又来到了我的熊明绘画展厅，开始慢慢欣赏起熊明的画作来。当我走到熊明的《流动的火山》前，我惊讶地发现这幅画是如此的美妙。其实这幅画前年春天就已经送到我这里了，不知道我当时是心不在焉还是我的眼睛出了问题，我当时竟然没有发现它的美妙所在。也许一切都要讲个缘分，在特定的心境下遇到特定的事物会突然产生一种奇妙的碰撞，从而让人有了特别的发现，对事物突然产生一种深刻的理解，此即世人所谓的顿悟吧。With the National Day holiday coming up， I was planning to put aside the worldly worries and enjoy a few days of leisure. Inadvertently， I was in my gallery of Xiong Ming‘s Painting collection again and in spite of myself， I started appreciating his works. When I came up to Xiong Ming’s Flowing Volcano， I was surprised to find that this painting was breathtakingly beautiful. Actually， this painting was sent to me the spring before the last. I don‘t know if I was absent-minded or my eyes were out of order. I didn’t realize its beauty at that time. I guess everything is doomed with destiny. Encountering a particular thing in a specific state of mind will suddenly create a wonderful collision， so that people may discover something special and suddenly have a profound understanding of things， which is probably what the world calls Epiphany.

　　不能不说熊明的这幅《流动的火山》是一幅充满神奇与梦幻的风景油画。闪着白光的金黄色的草地，黄绿色的灌木丛中点缀着镀着金边的羽毛般的浅粉色针叶树木，瀑流般的流纹岩山坡，冒着白色蒸汽的火山口。画面充满着明快、柔静和温馨的怡人气息。

　　I have to say that Xiong Ming‘s Flowing Volcano is a landscape oil painting full of wonders and dreams. It is dominated by golden grassland with white light， yellow-green bushes dotted with feather-like and gold line-plated light pink conifers， waterfall-like rhyolite hillside， and a crater giving off white steam. The picture is filled wlingdonith bright， gentle and pleasant atmosphere.正如法国作家弗朗索瓦丝·芭布·高尔在《如何看一幅画》里所言：“那画布在等待我们探索。只要愿意在上面花时间，从哪里开始并不重要，因为作品只会慢慢展露自己的秘密。”我也一下子有了更深入探索这幅画的兴致，于是在好几天里，我一得空就踱进展厅仔细观察画面，期望每一次都有新的发现并在内心产生新的感受。As the French writer Francoise Barbe-Gall said in Comment Regarder un Tableau： “The canvas is waiting for us to explore. It doesn’t matter where to start as long as you are willing to spend time on it， because the work will not be ready to reveal its secrets.” I suddenly became interested in further exploring this painting， so for days， I strolled into the gallery to observe the painting whenever I was free， expecting to make new discoveries and get new feelings in my heart every time.这幅画把大部分空间都留给了形态美丽的树木和汹涌的波浪般的流纹岩山坡，只把极为狭窄的空间留给了火山口，从而营造出美丽、宁静、温柔和生动的画面氛围，大大地冲淡了这座活火山在某一个时刻可能爆发所造成的恐怖气氛。This painting has allocated most of the space to the beautiful trees and billowy rhyolite slopes， with only an extremely narrow space left for the crater， thus creating a gorgeous， quiet， gentle and vivid atmosphere， which greatly dilutes the horrible atmosphere caused by the possible eruption of this active volcano at a certain moment.

　　熊明油画《流动的火山》局部- Part of Oil Painting Flowing Volcano by Xiong Ming画家在画面上精心布局了几块灰绿色山石和一段枯树干。山石横向排列成一条水平线，这条线把山坡与草地隔开，它与火山口边沿的道路所形成的水平线遥相呼应，画面的宁静气氛因此得到更进一步的增强。画面底部被分割开来的空间也与火山口所在的狭长空间大小相当，形成了一定的对称。另外，石块的颜色把两棵树的枝干凸显了出来，这两棵树的形态呈现出鲜明的对照，一棵是树干粗壮的针叶树，另一棵则是树干相对瘦长的阔叶树。山石的分布加强了画面的空间感。枯树干的一头向上翘起，投下的阴影与枯树干连成一条曲线，这条线与山石顶端连线一起分隔开一个三角区域，这一区域与画面左上方火山口边缘的一个三角区又遥相呼应与对称。The painter strategically laid out several celadon rocks and a withered tree trunk on the picture. The rocks are transversely arranged in a horizontal line， which separates the hillside from the grassland， and echoes the horizontal line formed by the road on the crater edge， thus further enhancing the quiet atmosphere of the picture. The separated space at the bottom of the picture is of the same size as the narrow space where the crater is located， forming a certain symmetry. Additionally， the color of the rocks highlights the branches of the two trees， which are in sharp contrast. One is a conifer with thick trunk， while the other is a broad-leaved tree with relatively slender trunk. The distribution of rocks enhances the sense of space in the picture. The withered tree trunk is tilted upwards at one of its ends， with its cast shadow connected with the trunk into a curve. This curve， together with the connecting line at the top of the rocks， separates a triangular area， which echoes and is symmetrical with the triangular area on the crater edge at the upper left of the picture.图面上充满了各种曲线，树冠的半椭圆形边线，流纹岩的波浪形流水线，火山口边缘线，还有几点到条隐形的圆弧线，这些曲线产生了优美、柔和、舒展和灵动的视觉效果。The painting is full of various curves， such as the semi-elliptical edge line of the crown， the wavy flowing line of rhyolite， the edge line of crater， and some invisible circular arc lines， which create beautiful， gentle， stretching and smart visual effects.画家用非常细腻的笔法画那些针叶树冠，使它们如羽毛般蓬松柔美，非常惹人喜爱。The painter depicted those conifer crowns with delicate brushwork， making them fluffy， soft and attractive like feathers.

　　熊明油画《流动的火山》局部- Part of Oil Painting Flowing Volcano by Xiong Ming虽然那流纹岩乍一看犹如瀑流一般，但仔细观察之下就能发现岩石的肌理与质地却是非常显著的，岩石的纹路画得变化万千，所有这些都极大地考验着画家的耐心与技艺水平。Although the rhyolite is like a waterfall at first glance， its texture and quality can be found very distinctive under careful observation and the pattern is depicted with diversity and changing， all of which greatly require the painter‘s patience and skill level.从火山口冒出来的氤氲的蒸汽轻盈而缥缈，根本不像是画出来的，倒像是你站在火山口的亲眼所见，它呈现出来的是一种非常自然的状态。The dense steam coming out of the crater is light and misty， which doesn’t seem to be painted at all， but a real scene to be seen when you stand at the crater， presenting a very natural state.

　　熊明油画《流动的火山》局部- Part of Oil Painting Flowing Volcano by Xiong Ming熊明的风景画都是写生画，可我这次真有点怀疑是不是真的有这样一个实景存在。难道这是画家创造出来的景象？实景中真有那么美丽的色彩吗？还是画家用他特有的眼光才能看到的色彩呢？抑或是画家为了美化画面而染上的主观色彩呢？直到我看到一个叫荆锦的作者在他的《那不勒斯的黄昏》中一段描绘性的文字时才确信这幅画的画面色彩是对景物的真实写照。我且把那段文字摘录在此：“从民意表决广场向西望去，维苏威火山在夕阳的映照下呈现出温婉的淡粉色。千余年前被火山灰埋葬的庞贝城如琥珀般躺在山脚下，与火山共享平静的夕照。那不勒斯港与维苏威隔海相望，繁忙的人间气息与静默的自然风景倒也相得益彰。”虽然这座火山并不是维苏威火山，但我曾经听熊明说起过这座火山位于西西里岛，它的神奇之处是，平时只能看到山口有一点点烟冒出来，根本看不到岩浆的流动。导游告诉他二十多年前火山锥坡面上都是绿色的树木，在无声无息中就形成了今天的这一大片流纹岩。也就是说，岩浆在流动，很慢，但肉眼无法看见，它因此被称做流动的火山。这座火山与维苏威火山同是地中海边上的火山，画面上呈现出如此美丽的色彩就非常自然了。Xiong Ming‘s landscape paintings are all sketches， but this time I wonder whether there is really such a real scene. Is this a scene created by the painter？ Are there really such beautiful colors in the real scene？ Are those the colors that the painter can see with his unique eyes？ Or is it the subjective color that the painter has acquired in order to beautify the picture？ It was not until I saw a descriptive text by an author named Jing Jin in his Evening in Naples that I was sure that the color of the painting was a true portrayal of the scenery. Let me quote that passage here. “Looking to the west from the Piazza del Plebiscito， Vesuvius presents a gentle light pink under the setting sun. Pompeii， buried by volcanic ash more than a thousand years ago， lies like amber at the foot of the volcano， sharing the peaceful glow of the setting sun. The Port of Naples faces Vesuvius across the sea， and the bustling worldly life and silent natural scenery complement each other in a harmonious way. “ Although this volcano is not Vesuvius， I once heard Xiong Ming said that this volcano is located in Sicily. Its magic lies in that only a little smoke can be seen coming out of the crater at ordinary times， and no magma flow can be seen. The tour guide told him that more than 20 years ago， the volcanic cone slope was covered with green trees， which formed a large piece of rhyolite in obscurity. That is to say， magma flows too slowly to be invisible to naked eyes. That’s why it is called a flowing volcano. Both this volcano and Vesuvius are located on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea， so it‘s only natural that such beautiful colors are presented on the picture.

　　神秘而美丽的西西里岛Mysterious and beautiful Sicily熊明画这幅画没有采用厚涂法，他让几种色彩逐渐融合在一起，在不着痕迹中色彩的多个层次被显示了出来，从而达到了一种浑然天成的效果。我们从画面上可以看到照耀着草木、山坡和火山口的阳光是那么明亮那么洁净。Xiong Ming didn’t use Impasto technique in this painting. He made several colors merge together gradually， and many color layers were displayed without leaving a trace， thus achieving a natural effect. We can see from the picture that the sunlight shining on the vegetation， hillside and crater is so bright and clean.这幅画就如同是一首诗，字句优美，意境深远，意象纷飞。画面上充满着阳光，这阳光是最受世人推崇的地中海的阳光。地中海的阳光有着极强的治愈能力，能够驱散一切阴郁与伤痛，让人的心灵充满热情充满希望。This painting is like a poem with beautiful words， profound artistic conception and numerous images. The picture is full of the most respected Mediterranean sunshine. The Mediterranean sunshine has a strong healing power because it can dispel all gloom and pain， and make people‘s hearts full of passion and hope.看着这幅画，我头脑里突然浮现出加缪的一篇文章的题目：“置于阳光和苦难之间”。这幅画似乎是这个题目的真实写照。一边是铺满绝大部分画面的阳光，一边是火山，众所周知，火山大爆发能带给人们的巨大的灾难与苦痛。这座火山既然是有如此大的火山口，证明它曾经有过一次大爆发，它还在冒着蒸汽，缓慢地溢出岩浆，根据火山的活动规律，它在将来某一个时刻还会有威力巨大的爆发的可能。看到这冒着蒸汽的火山口就会让人禁不住浮想联翩。它会让我们联想到维苏威火山以及被瞬间摧毁并被长久掩埋的庞培古城。联想到火山大爆发所造成的惨烈而恐怖的情景。小普林尼所描绘的那无比巨大的蘑菇云，那铺天盖地的炽热的火山灰和火山碎屑流，那些姿态各异的被石化了的罹难者，赫库兰尼姆那被摄氏500度的高温蒸烤后瞬间肉销骨裂的残骸。更别说摆在眼前的事实：西西里岛有着世界上最危险的埃特纳火山。埃特纳火山喷发状况十分活跃，到目前为止它已喷发过200多次，次数之多堪称世界之最，而有史以来的喷发活动累计造成近100万人伤亡，破坏力极强。埃特纳火山脚下的卡塔尼亚是西西里岛的第二大城市，在历史上它屡遭埃特纳火山浩劫，曾9次被火山灰掩埋。Looking at this picture， in my mind suddenly appeared the title of an article by Albert Camus： Between Suffering and Sunshine. This painting seems to be a true portrayal of the subject. One side is the sunshine occupying most space of the picture， while the other side is the volcano. As we all know， the volcanic eruption can bring great misfortune and suffering to people. This volcano has such a large crater， which proves that it once had a large-scale eruption. Now it is still steaming and slowly overflowing magma. According to the law of volcanic activity， it may have a powerful eruption at some point in the future. Seeing this steaming crater makes people indulge in a train of thoughts. It reminds us of Vesuvius and Pompeii that was instantly destroyed and buried for a long time. It also makes us associate with the tragic and horrible scene caused by the volcanic eruption， such as the enormous mushroom cloud described by Pliny the Younger， the overwhelming flow of hot volcanic ash and debris， the petrified victims with different postures， and the dilapidated walls of Herculaneum that was instantly devastated after being steamed at 500℃. Not to mention the existing fact that Sicily has the most dangerous Mount Etna in the world. The Mount Etna is a very active volcano. Up to now， it has erupted more than 200 times， the highest in the world. The extremely destructive eruption activities in history have caused nearly 1 million casualties. Catania at the foot of Mount Etna is the second largest city in Sicily. It has been devastated by Mount Etna and buried by volcanic ash 9 times in history.

　　公元79年维苏威火山大爆发中被石化的罹难者A victim petrified in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

　　公元79年维苏威火山大爆发中赫库兰尼姆城遗址中的尸骸Remains in the ruins of Herculaneum devastated in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

　　在阳光和苦难之间，西西里岛居民和住在火山边的其他意大利人一样选择了阳光。面对大自然的暴虐他们不屈不饶，变灾难为幸福的源泉。当地居民利用埃特纳火山熔岩形成的坚固黑色岩石造剧场、神庙和宫殿等各类建筑。他们利用频繁的火山喷发带来的极为肥沃的土壤种植葡、萄柑橘和柠檬等，大力发展酿酒业，利用其悠久的历史、优美的自然风光、丰富的文物以及丰富的火山资源大力发展旅游业。卡塔尼亚因此总是能顽强地从灰烬中重获新生，正如卡塔尼亚大时钟上的铭文“我从我自己的灰烬中再生”。

　　Sicilian residents， like other Italians living by volcanoes， choose sunshine in stead of suffering. Facing the tyrannical nature， they are unyielding and turn misfortune into a source of happiness. The locals use the solid black rocks formed by lava from Mount Etna to build theaters， temples and palaces. They use the extremely fertile soil brought by frequent volcanic eruptions to plant grape， citrus and lemon， and vigorously develop the wine industry. They also make use of its long history， beautiful natural scenery， rich cultural relics and abundant volcanic resources to develop tourism at full blast. Therefore， Catania can always be tenaciously reborn from ashes， just like the inscription on Catania’s Porta Garibaldi， “Rinasco dalle ceneri ancora più bella”.

　　被称作西西里岛的“大烟枪”的埃特纳火山Mount Etna， the so-called Sicily‘s “smoke stack”

​　　2019年7月19日埃特纳火山喷发，看起来像天空中的一只火凤凰On July 19， 2019， Mount Etna erupted and looked like a fire phoenix in the sky也许火山爆发所呈现出来的巨大威力和破坏力能让人感觉到生命是如此的脆弱，但是人是一种非常奇妙的生物，越是感觉到一身的脆弱越能让人获得一种反脆弱能力，人的生命力的韧性也因此得到了极大的加强。越是灾难频仍，人们就会越是珍爱生命，懂得活在当下的重要性，人也因此变得积极阳光。通过游览那座流动的火山，通过了解到当地居民的生活观念，熊明一定是深有感触，他让这幅画充满阳光，他大概既想给世人留下一幅优美的画作，让观赏者获得一种美好的享受，同时也想通过此画来体现意大利火山地区居民的不屈精神和阳光心态，让观赏者也受到感染，从而激励人们持有一种积极乐观的生活态度。Perhaps the great destructive power of volcanic eruption can make people feel that life is so fragile， but people are a wonderful unique creature. The more they feel vulnerable， the more they can gain the anti-fragile ability. In this way， the resilience of human vitality has been greatly strengthened. The disasters make people cherish life and understand the importance of living in the present， so that they become more positive and optimistic. By visiting the flowing volcano and learning about the attitude towards life of the local residents， Xiong Ming must be deeply touched. He made this painting full of sunshine， and probably wanted to leave a beautiful work to the world so that the viewers could enjoy it. Meanwhile， he also wished to show the unyielding spirit and sunny mood of the residents in the Italian volcanic area through this painting， so that the viewers could be inspired to take a positive and optimistic attitude towards life.

　　注：部分图片源自网络，侵权必删。

　　Note： This article contains some pictures sourced from the Internet， please contact me to delete them in case of infringement.

　　作者：高六兴

　　来源： 高邸文化