张岚军是中国当代颇具影响的青年艺术家。
　　他早年毕业于苏州工艺美术学院，后有机会赴中央美术学院版画系助教班深造，受业于宋源文、广军、吴长江等当代中国版画大家。上世纪90年代始崭露于画坛，并以具有当代审美品格和中国文化意蕴的铜版画受到画坛瞩目。他的作品多次入选两年一度的全国版画展、五年一度的全国美展等全国性最具权威的美术展览以及神奈川国际版画展、匈牙利国际版画双年展、中日现代版画展、中法文化年巴黎版画展等国际性版画大展，并先后获得中国鲁迅版画奖、中国美术金彩奖铜奖和第十七届全国版画展优秀奖等奖项。这使他成为中国当代最活跃的版画家之一。
　　上世纪90年代是中国版画的转型期。这种转型，一方面使从新兴版画运动开始的单一的木版创作转向石版、铜版、网版和综合版等多版种的版画创作，就版种的丰富和表现语言的强度而言，都比以往发生了巨大的变化；另一方面则是从创作理念上，从对社会现实的鲜明的批判与讴歌转向对日常生活与普通人的人文关注，将新兴版画那种战斗的武器、张扬的理想主义转向对普通人的内在精神的揭示和心理真实的描绘。版画创作在上世纪90年代的这种审美转换，淘汰了一大批原有创作模式的版画家，版画队伍的收缩成为学院版画发展的重要因素。学院版画对于中国当代多版种艺术语言的探索与版画艺术观念的更新，都起到了至关重要的作用。在某种意义上，学院版画是中国当代版画的重要特征，是中国当代版画精英化的重要表现。当然，学院版画不仅指在中国各美术学院从事版画研究与创作的教师，还应包括在各专业画院或受过学院严格训练、具有学院教学与研究素养的专业画家。而且，学院版画的创作面貌也主要体现在青年艺术家的创作探索上。张岚军的创作起步，正处于当代中国版画的这种转型期，接受过学院严格训练的他具备了学院版画的某些共同素质。他对于铜版画的选择，乃至于他对中国文化主题的当代性呈现，都体现了他对于这种转型的自觉思考与积极构建。
　　上世纪90年代至本世纪初，张岚军不断刷新人们印象的是他的铜版画《素水系列》、《天堂寨系列》和《沁园春系列》。这三种最具有他个人符号特征的系列作品，都疏离了自五六十年代以来形成的中国风景版画那种深入细微的描绘，这些系列作品不再专注于以往版画那种对生活甜美诗意的营造，而是试图从中国文人山水画的意境中寻找中国文化人在自然山水之中表达的人文理想与精神寄寓，并从当代文化的审美视角再度阐释中国传统文化的这种精神张力、寻觅中国文化人特有的精神之旅。因而，他作品的绘画形象，不再像以往的风景版画那样局限于视觉具象，而更多的是来源于他对于自己内心风景的感悟与捕捉，更多的是来源于他对于传统文人山水的寻踪与敬畏，更多的是通过艺术语言本身去渗透与传递艺术主体的精神境界与人格品性。毫无疑问，《素水系列》、《天堂寨系列》和《沁园春系列》都是他在今天的文化现实语境中审视与回溯中国传统文化的一种方式，都是他力图在中国文化现代性构建中将传统链接在一起的一种审美符号。
　　《素水系列》、《天堂寨系列》和《沁园春系列》画面上的“空”与“虚”，不是传统山水画的“留白”，而是“飞尘”与“腐蚀”铜版语言在“擦除”之后的“净地”。传统绘画中的“知白守黑”亦被他有效地转换为“干刻”与“凹痕”。笔墨是软的，却被他以干刻的坚挺与坚硬的划痕所替代。事实上，当张岚军用刻刀划破空灵的白底地时，他转换的不仅是从水墨至铜版的艺术语言，而且是这种语言背后掩藏着的两种审美的文化。张岚军一直用这种坚挺的硬线追索传统中国画那种柔韧而婉约的笔墨，他欲表达的是中国文化那种高蹈冷逸的格调。这种从自然山水的外部表象走向内部精神的创作过程，是当代艺术的重要特质。所谓水墨山水在这个意义上，也只是他从外面世界走内部精神的一座桥梁，是他从生活意象走向心理现实的一种实现方式。的确，在《素水系列》、《天堂寨系列》和《沁园春系列》作品中，他试图将抽象性与表现性的“干刻”语言从表意的功能中相对独立出来，以期获得更为丰满的当代性的文化意蕴与精神空间。
　　对于多版种的探索，丰富了当代中国的版画语言与表现力度。但观念多于思想、语言大于精神也无疑成为当代中国版画的一种病症。学院版画当过度注重技艺与语言时，也常常陷入语言的泥淖。张岚军的铜版画对于中国传统文化的寻踪，使他自始至终注重把握语言和精神之间的维度，这是中国传统水墨语言给他最大的智慧与启迪。因而，他的铜版画语言在糅入“骨法用笔”的水墨基因的同时，更给了他对“气韵生动”这一绘画性法则更为深刻的理解。这是他始终不可能陷入语言泥淖的关键。相对而言，这也正是《素水系列》、《天堂寨系列》和《沁园春系列》在当代中国版画转型中获得的当代性价值。
　　同样是对中国传统文化的当代性审视，张岚军更把自己的版画创作定位在当代艺术的界阈。和他的铜版画具有中国文化的审美意蕴一样，他把自己的艺术媒介扩大到更为宽泛的概念上，比如他将《素水系列》、《天堂寨系列》和《沁园春系列》获得的文化意象扩展到水彩画和油画领域，都表明他对艺术的当代审美性的领悟与探索。在他的水彩画、油画作品中，他把《素水系列》、《天堂寨系列》和《沁园春系列》中的山水意象转换为《空山新雨图卷系列》、《空谷幽兰系列》，和他用铜版画“硬”的语言去表现“柔”的境界一样，“空山新雨”与“空谷幽兰”作为传统诗词最为典型的中国文化意境，被他赋以最为壮阔苍凉的西北沙漠景观，胡杨林、戈壁滩、火焰山成为这些文化意境的形象主体。实际上，这些文化意境与形象主体的强烈对比，是历史与现实的巨大反差在他内心造成的某种精神震撼的折射。他试图通过不同语言的对比呈现他的这种不可遏制的精神反应，在貌似华美、抽象、表现的图像背后，渗透与传递的是深沉、隽永、纯朴的情怀。也可以说，那些抽象与表现的图像都是他通过心灵滤除与升华的洪荒漠野的精神构架，那是一幅幅可以触摸的心灵影像与精神净地。
　　作为上世纪60年代出生的画家，张岚军对艺术始终抱有着他们这一代人所共有的强烈的使命感。他因对艺术的独特感悟而不断寻求自己的人生目标、不断拷问人生的归宿和人生之于艺术本体的终极价值。追逐理想，使他漂泊沉浮，从苏北海滨移居上海。实际上，漂泊不定的是他的思想，是他自己对人生与艺术的不懈求索与追问。因而，大漠孤烟，洪荒旷野，故城落照，都会让他慷慨悲歌。这才是他在喧嚣繁华的时尚之都流放心灵的归所，这才是他以现代性的语言回溯与凸显的传统文化情怀与当代人文精神。他走在苍凉与奢华、落寞与喧嚣、纯朴与精致之间，并在这种对比之中呈现当代中国文化的精神维度。
　　2008年2月10日于上海

　　The Spiritual Composition from the Primitive Wilderness
　　Shang Hui
　　PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Art
　　Zhang Lanjun is a young artist considerably influential in contemporary art circles of China.
　　Graduating from Suzhou College of Arts and Crafts, he furthered his study under such great painters as Song Yuanwen, Guang Jun and Wu Changjiang at Department of Printmaking in China Central Academy of Fine Arts. He made a name for himself in the art circles in 1990s and arrested attention for his copperplate paintings with both contemporary aesthetic taste and traditional Chinese cultural flavor. His works were shown many times on such national art exhibitions as National Exhibition of Prints (held biennially) and National Exhibition of Art (held once every five years) as well as on such international exhibitions of pirnts as Kanagawa International Exhibition of Prints, Hungarian International Biennale of Prints, Sino-Japanese Exhibition of Modern Prints, Paris Exhibition of Prints in Lanee Chine-France. He was successively awarded China Luxun Print Prize, the bronze medal of China Golden Color Prize of Fine Arts, and the Excellence Prize of the 17th National Exhibition of Prints. All these indicate that he is now one of the most active printmaking artists in contemporary China.
　　The 1990s witnessed the transition of printmaking in China firstly from the unitary woodcut, prompted by new printing movement, to a multiplicity of types, including lithograph, copperplate, screen and comprehensive printing (a great leap in diversity of printmaking and intensity of expression), and secondly from sharp criticism and fervent glorification of society to humanistic concern over daily life and average people, from lofty idealism to revelation of the inner sentiment of common people and depiction of their psychological being. Such an aesthetic transition of printmaking eliminated a number of printmaking artists with outmoded conception, which in turn contributed to the development of academicism in printmaking. Academicism has played a vital part in exploration of multiplicity of printmaking and renewal of its artistic conception. To some extent, academicism characterizes the contemporary printmaking in China and is an important indication that contemporary printmaking in China is dominated by the elites in the circles. Academicism certainly includes not only teachers who are engaged in research and creation of prints in colleges of fine arts, but professional painters in professional institutes or academically well-trained and qualified for teaching and research. Moreover, the creative activities of academicism are mostly demonstrated by works of young artists. A good representative is Zhang Lanjun who, taking up his career in the period of transition, was academically well-trained and shared something common to academic printmaking. His choice of copperplate and his new treatment of themes of traditional Chinese culture are a sign of his deep thinking and vigorous efforts in the period of transition. 
　　From 1990s to early 21st century, Zhang Lanjun left ever-renewing impressions on his audience with his copperplate etchings: the lain Waters?series, the aradise Village?series and the in Yuan Chun?series. The three series, typical of his artistic style, disregard the tradition, passed down from 1950s and 1960s, of minute depiction commonly found in Chinese landscape prints and the portrait of sweet and lyrical life; on the contrary, these series try to find the humanistic ideal and spiritual sustenance of traditional Chinese men-of-letters reflected in landscape paintings and reinterpret the spirit of traditional Chinese culture and trace the spiritual journey of ancient men-of-letters from contemporary aesthetic perspective. Therefore, the images in his works are not figurative, as is the case of former landscape prints, but the reflection of scenes captured and felt in his inner self, the indication of his inheritance of and reverence for the traditional Chinese landscapes, and the revelation of his mental heights and personality by means of artistic language. Undoubtedly, the lain Waters?series, the aradise Village?series and the in Yuan Chun?series are an aethetic sign of his retrospection of traditional Chinese culture in the contemporary cultural context and his effort to preserve tradition in cultural reconstruction.  
　　The void and emptiness on the surface of the paintings of the three series of lain Waters? aradise Village? and in Yuan Chun?are not the blank-leaving in traditional landscape painting, but the urified land?after the lying dust?and rosion?of the copperplate language are erased. The nowing the white but keeping the black?in traditional Chinese painting is cleverly translated into ry carving?and enting?in his painting. The painting brush is soft, but he uses it to create strength of ry carving?and solidness of enting? In fact, when Zhang Lanjun lacerates the intangible blank area with his graver, what he transfers is not only the art language from watercolour to copperplate, but also the two aesthetic cultures which are hidden behind the language. Zhang Lanjun sticks to the strong and hard lines to realise the tender and graceful and restrained style in traditional Chinese painting, with the intention to express the reclusive and retiring style in traditional Chinese culture. This creative process from the exterior landscape painting to the expression of interior world is one of the most important characteristics in modern art. From this respect, the watercolour landscape is no more than a bridge which he builds between the exterior world to the interior spirit, which is also a realisation from everyday life to psychological reality. Indeed, in the three series of lain Waters? aradise Village? and in Yuan Chun? he tries hard to segregate the ry carving?language of abstraction and expressiveness from the notional function, so as to obtain fuller modernistic spiritual space and cultural significance.
　　The pursuit of various plate painting adds richness to the language and expressiveness of the woodblock in modern China. But concerning modern Chinese woodblock, there is something with it, as it seems that there are more ideologies than thought, more linguistic considerations than spiritual considerations. When academician woodblock pays too much attention to techniques and language, it is also falling into the bog of language. Zhang Lanjun pursuit of the traces of traditional Chinese culture in his copperplates enables him to pay attention to the proportion of language and spirit, the wisdom of which is inspired by the traditional Chinese watercolour language. Therefore, when his copperplate language is combined with the watercolour element of the one stroke (property of a brush stroke)? he better understands the painting principle of ivid artistic conception? That is the key point that he never falls into the mere linguistic bog. Relatively speaking, that is just the modernistic value of the three series of lain Waters? aradise Village? and in Yuan Chun?at the turning point of contemporary Chinese woodblock.
　　In spite of his retrospection of traditional Chinese culture, Zhang Lanjun puts his printmaking within the domain of contemporary art. He extends his artistic mediums to a broader scope to maintain the traditional aesthetic conception pregnant in his copperplates; for example, he extends the cultural images in the lain Waters?series, the aradise Village?series and the in Yuan Chun?series to watercolour and oil paintings, an indication of his aesthetic understanding and experimentation of contemporary art. In his watercolour and oil works, such as the series of New Rain in the Hollow Mountains and the Solitary Orchids in the Hollow Valley, the typical Chinese cultural images are integrated into the vast and bleak desert in northwest China with the poplars, the gobi desert and the flaming mountains as dominant scenes. In fact, the sharp contrast between the cultural mood and dominant images is the reflection of his mental shock aroused by the great disparity between history and reality. He tries to present this irresistible reaction by means of contrast between artistic languages; there submerged under the seeming gorgeous and abstract images are found deep, subtle and simple emotions.  One might as well say that the abstract images are the spiritual composition from the primitive wilderness; they are tangible pictures and purified land of his inner self.
　　As a painter born in the 1960s, Zhang Lanjun holds a strong sense of mission towards art common to all the people of his generation. His unique understanding of art helps him to pursue his own objective in life, and question the ultimate value of human destiny and life itself to art itself. In pursuit of his ideal, he began his floating life, moving from northern Jiangsu to Shanghai. In fact, what is floating is his thought, his constant pursuit and interrogation of life and art. Therefore, no matter where he is, and no matter whether it is the desert, the wilderness, and the ancient cities, they will either make him go into raptures or bring tears to his eyes. These are the places where he can find the destination of his floating soul in the midst of the hubbubs of modern cosmopolitan life, which is just the retrospect and manifestation, in the modern language of art, of his feelings towards traditional culture and of his spirit of modern humanities. He walks between desolation and luxury, solitude and hubbubs, simplicity and sophistication. And in contrast of these, he tries hard to present the spiritual dimensions of modern Chinese culture.
　　Shanghai, February 10, 2008