重构“真实”——白蒂创作中的确定性与不确定性

　　在白蒂作品面前，我感受到一种久违的震撼。之所以如此，在我个人看来，她的创作，在某种意义上打破了我对“80后”油画创作现状的认知。换言之，这不仅仅是形式语言层面的，白蒂的作品中有一种不可言说的神秘感，一种理性的孤独，一种对记忆经验的重构抑或对“真相”所处语境的表达。在某种程度上，突显了所谓的“人性”的力量，并夹杂着一种精神上的强烈的穿透力……正是基于此，在我个人看来，对白蒂作品进行解读有两个关键词是不可回避的，其一是“80后艺术家”；其二则是“新表现”。

无题，2014年

　　在当代艺术语境中，尽管我们仍然不时提及上个世纪80年代的激荡与冲动，但不可否认的是，90年代以来，消费文化的兴起极大地削弱了80年代人文关怀的热情，进入新世纪后，这种情况进一步加剧。与此同时，所谓的工业复制、现成品、装置、新媒体等艺术样式则对传统架上绘画产生了极大的冲击。尤为重要的是，伴随全球化而来的物质主义与都市主义在席卷非西方国家后，理想与激情、物质与精神以及对终极问题的追问都面临被解构的命运，尽管情况可能并不那么悲观，但不可否认的是，在市场的冲击下，复制、时尚甚至伪唯美主义正在被视为艺术品价值的判断标准。而80后艺术家一方面因为艺术市场的兴起而成为时代的幸运儿，但同时也因为其作品主动或被动的迅速进入市场被大众所接受，进而丧失了其前卫性，与艺术及艺术史渐行渐远。正是在这种意义上，在我个人看来，白蒂的创作实践给我们带来的可能并不仅仅是一次视觉上的冲动，更应该作为一个个案而加以研究。

　　无疑，有两段艺术经历对白蒂的创作产生了重要的影响，其一是她在中央美术学院三画室的求学过程，其二则是她去德国的游学之旅。白蒂毕业于油画系第三工作室，第三工作室注重培养学生理性逻辑思维与个性化情感的主观表达能力，注重传统的油画表现技术与当代观念表达之间的关系。从白蒂学生时代的作品看，无疑她接受了严格、系统的学院训练，她的作品中尽管已经显现出表现的痕迹（仅仅是在局部处理的时候），但基本上仍是一种细腻的、古典的、恬淡式的抒情。近几年白蒂的作品风格产生了明显的转换，从关注单一人物形象的表现，过渡到了对人物与空间关系的探索上。白蒂解释到，“我的作品基本围绕着个人的精神世界和物质世界之间的关系展开。将人物置于一个看似常规却陌生的环境中，试图通过人物与环境关系的不确定性，使画面中的人物处于混乱的现实和幻想中。”在我个人看来，这与她对德国新表现主义的兴趣与研究有直接的关联。或者可以说，或许正是2013年白蒂首次随中国油画院考察德国并随之展开对德表的研究进而激发起她从精神深处去思考生命个体的存在状态及本质意义，并进一步寻找与其相匹配的呈现自己思考的艺术表达方式。

奈何，2015年

　　在白蒂的博客中，她引用了德国新表现主义代表画家基弗的一句话，“我的兴趣不在真相本身，而是在于真相所处的语境”。无疑，白蒂对基弗有着自己独特的解读，而德国新表现主义的兴起，基弗的创作乃至他的老师波依斯的艺术创作之所以深刻与成功，与他们对自身所处的历史时空，文化反思有直接的关联，如果说波依斯的创作及其“人人都是艺术家”观点的提出，在某种意义上是对日耳曼民族在二战后所承受的心灵痛苦的疗伤之旅的话，那么，基弗作品中所呈现出的废墟式的纪念碑建筑，被炸毁的剧场，沉重的天际等等，恰恰是想正视二战所带来的“破坏力”，并重新面对德国的历史与文化传统，这不仅仅是希望为战后德国疗伤，更是希望用绘画重新界定整个德国的历史、文化的发展。在其作品中注入了强烈的个性精神和情感表达，注重色彩的活力以及内心的精神世界的独白。在白蒂看来，基弗“用粗糙、奔放、恢弘的艺术语言所构建的正是德国浪漫主义情怀的新的希望，他用凌乱的、破碎的、破败的各种废物创作出深沉美丽的绘画，像一位深沉的守护者，默默的守卫在德国浪漫主义的废墟当中。”白蒂对基弗从语言到思想的准确把握，让我们发现她对艺术语言的敏感与对社会、历史、现实的深刻体悟力，无疑，这在“80后”一代艺术家中是鲜有的。

　　1982年留学德国的马路先生在谈及德国新表现主义时说到：“德国新表现主义之前，西方的当代艺术主要就是抽象表现主义和装置、行为这几个方面。从新表现主义开始，恢复了绘画性、绘画中的动作性和身体性，回归到具象绘画。但这里所说的具象，不是指完全的写实，而是指画中有形象。”德国新表现主义的特点之一，是对个人主观思想和情感的抒发，对形象进行变形处理。同时，德国表现主义绘画对观众的知识背景有一定的要求，只有那些对当代政治、经济、文化问题有深刻认识与思考的读者，才能更好地把握绘画所表达的内涵。从上个世纪80年代开始，德国新表现主义绘画使中国艺术家看到用绘画表达当代社会问题的可能性与契合性，马路、谢东明、刘小东、王玉平等诸位艺术家开启了新时期以来国内艺术界关于新表现主义的探索，刘商英、孙逊等为这一板块青年艺术家代表。这种创作教学是中央美术学院油画教学的重要组成成分，白蒂正是在这一学术环境中成长起来的。

　　如果说“80后”艺术家群体的生存状态是衡量白蒂艺术创作的一个横向坐标的话，那么“新表现”则可以看作是一个纵向坐标。具体而言，白蒂以一种表现性的视觉语言，试图完成叙事性与精神性的传达。从画面语言看，对人物造型及周边环境尽量抽象与简化、不做过多地写实描绘，运用大胆、率性的表现方式及自由的笔触。换言之，白蒂近期的创作更多依赖对形象的主观创造和理解，来绘制不同的形象，“表现”之于白蒂并非局部的、形象内部的表达，而是一种基于整体面貌的把握。每张作品在强调形式的夸张与抽象的同时，又保留了具体的艺术形象。她的这种艺术语言日臻纯熟，真实与虚幻交融在画面中，给观众带来了强烈的“心理”穿透力和“视觉”冲击力。从她选择的主题来看，她试图切入自己所处的时代，关注当下社会中，人们的心理及生存状态，不局限于以客观者的身份理性描绘，更着力于探究我们（他们）内心的精神世界。

夜，2014年

　　创作于2014年的《夜》可以说是白蒂近些年艺术创作的一个转折点，之前以《乐者》为代表的一批创作传达的仍然是一种写实的、唯美的、恬静的甚至一种淡淡的少女的惆怅，一种抒情性的表达。2013年，白蒂随中国油画院项目组去德国考察，接触到德国新表现主义，尤其是基弗等人的原作，并与一些德国新表现主义代表画家有过直接交流，促使她开始重新反思、审视自己的创作道路，这张《夜》无论人物造型、宠物狗还是室内场景都是具象的，展示出她学院训练扎实的功底，但局部细节处理有着明显的表现成分，而画面的精神性传达又与她之前的创作形成了极大的反差，这张作品虽然红色在画面占据了很大的部分，表达的却不是热情和炽烈，而是潜在的一种对生活困境的表达与无奈，以及悲观的生存状态。这在某种意义上正是当下部分青年人情感和精神的一种写照，而这种由精神困境带来的则是一种无法倾诉的孤独感，或许只有桌前的酒精和旁边小狗得以安慰和陪伴。

　　《夜》之后，白蒂开始将关注的焦点转向对意识、情感及潜意识的表达，正如她自己所言，“我们的意识，情感以及潜意识在不断地绘制我们真实的空间，而我的作品就是表达由现当代社会人的心理处境表现出的孤独，盲从和无可奈何。”创作于2015年的《途》，同样是利用人和空间的关系，表现当下人的一种游离的精神状态。一个年轻人在一列空荡荡的汽车里，看似是旅途的终点，但“心”却居无定所，表达出当下人的一种现实困境与焦灼。最为值得一提的是创作于2016年的《巅》，画面中的物体是运用看似像巨大石块的不规则几何形组成，给人以压抑和沉重感，作品以深灰色调为主，似乎又表达一种无明确的情感倾向。画面中隐含着几个向上爬行的人物形象，似乎寄希望于给压迫的画面带来一丝喘息和希望……看似虚幻的画面，对白蒂或对我们而言，恰恰是“真实”的存在。白蒂的作品，正是在“确定性”与“不确定性”的张力中展开的，在某种意义上也可以说，对“不确定性”的“确定性”表达构成了白蒂近期创作的特点之一。她正是通过这样一种独特的语言形式在重构他们这一代艺术家所理解的“真实”。

　　最后我想强调两点，其一，白蒂的创作实践作为一个个案对当下架上绘画尤其80后表现性绘画的研究极具学术意义；其二，更为重要的是，白蒂是“80后”艺术家中鲜有的强调对所处时代、社会的关注，探讨当代青年人的迷茫与痛苦，情绪与理性之间如何平衡的艺术家，从她的作品中我们不仅能感受到她“独立”的、强大的内心世界，同时也能真切的体会到她的“敏感”与“脆弱”。无疑，白蒂揭示了80后艺术家所隐蔽的心灵世界，冲击着我们的视觉体验并引发我们对当下绘画的进一步反思。

葛玉君

2016年6月

于中央美术学院

Ge Yujun: Reconstructing “Reality”——Certainty and Uncertainty in the Art of Bai Di

　　As I stood before Bai Di’s art, I felt a sense of shock that I had not felt for quite some time. The reason for this is that, in my view, her works have in a sense shattered my understanding of the current nature of oil paintings created by the generation born between 1980 and 1989, also known as the “post-80” generation. In other words, this extends far beyond the language of form. Her art contains an inexpressible sense of mystery, a rational loneliness, a reconstruction of memory and experience, and an expression of the context of the “truth.” To a certain degree, her works prominently feature the power of what some may call “human nature,” and they also contain a strong ability to penetrate through matters of the spirit. For these reasons, I believe that two phrases are unavoidable when interpreting Bai Di’s art. One is “post-80 artist,” and the other is “Neo-Expressionism.”

　　While we still often mention the surging changes and impulsiveness of the 1980s in the context of contemporary art, it is nevertheless undeniable that since the 1990s, the rise of consumer culture has severely weakened the passion of human caring of the former decade. The beginning of this new century has only intensified this situation even further. At the same time, art styles such as industrial replication, readymades, installations, and new media struck a great blow to traditional easel paintings. One point is of particular importance: the materialism and urbanism that accompanied globalization swallowed up countries outside the Western world, ideals and passion, the material and the spiritual, and even the pursuit of the ultimate questions were all brought face to face with their impending disintegration. Even though the situation may not be that pessimistic, it cannot be denied that with the added factor of market pressure, replication, fashion, and even “false aestheticism” are being viewed as the criteria by which the value of artistic works is judged.On one hand, post-80 artists have become the fortunate sons and daughters of the burgeoning artistic market, but on the other hand, because of their art’s swift entry into the market (whether it be active or passive) and acceptance by the public, they have lost their avant-garde nature and have slowly drifted away from art and its history. It is in this very sense that, in my opinion, that Bai Di’s artistic endeavors grant us possibilities far beyond that of visual impulses. In fact, her art should each be researched as a case study.

　　Without a doubt, two artistic experiences have exerted major influences on Bai Di’s creative work. The first of these is her academic experience in Studio Three of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts; her studies in Germany constitute the second. Bai Di graduated from Studio Three of the academy’s oil painting department. Studio Three’s focus is on the cultivation of its students’ abilities to express logical, rational thoughts and individual emotions in their art. By looking at the works Bai Di produced during her time as a student, it is evident that she received strict and systematic academic training. While her works from that time already display signs of flaunting her ability (although this is only evident at certain points), these pieces are essentially still exquisite, classical, and tranquil works of emotional expression. Over the last several years, Bai Di’s art has undergone a clear transformation, shifting its focus from the expression of the image of single figures to the exploration of the relationship between figures and space. As the artist explains, “My pieces generally revolve around the relationships between the individual’s spiritual world and the material world.They place people inside a seemingly conventional environment that is actually alien. These works then attempt to use the uncertainty of the relationship between people and their environments to place the figures on the canvas inside a chaotic reality and fantasy.” In my opinion, this is directly related to her interest and research in German Neo-Expressionism.Or one could say that her 2013 visit to Germany with the Chinese Oil Painting Academy, coupled with her concurrent beginning of her research of German Expressionism, inspired her to contemplate the individual’s state of being as well as the inherent meaning of the individual, all from a deep spiritual place, as well as to further seek out compatible artistic methods of expression for manifesting her own thoughts.

　　If one says that the state of being of post-80 artists are a horizontal marker of Bai Di’s art,then “Neo-Expressionism” can then be seen as a vertical one. Specifically, Bai Di uses an Expressionist visuallanguage to attempt to successfully convey her art’s narrative and spiritual nature. In terms of the language of her paintings,the modeling of the forms and the environments surrounding them are simplified and abstract wherever possible and are not painted with excessive realism. Bai applies a bold and deliberate method of expression to her works, one which also includes free-form brushstrokes. In other words, Bai Di’s recent works rely more heavily on the subjective creation and understanding of images; in them, the artist creates different images. To Bai Di, “expression” does not merely constitute the partial presentation of something within an image, but is rather an understanding of the thing’s entire appearance. As each piece emphasizes the exaggeration and abstraction of form, it simultaneously preserves concrete artistic images. This artistic language of hers grows more mature with each day. Reality and imagination blendupon the canvas, giving the viewer an intense sense of psychological penetration and visual impact. In selecting her themes, the artist attempts to insert herself into the era she inhabits. She pays attention to the psychological and existential statesof the people of contemporary society. Rather than limit herself to the rational portrayal of objective identity, she focuses her efforts on exploring our (their) inner spiritual worlds.

　　Created in 2014, Ye (“Night”)can be considered a turning point in Bai Di’s recent artistic output. Her previous batch of works, best represented by Yue Zhe (“Musician”), still conveyed a sense of melancholy that was realistic, aesthetic, peaceful—even gentle and girlish, achieving an emotional kind of expression. In 2013, Bai Di traveled to Germany as part of a group from the Chinese Academy of Oil Painting, where she was exposed to German Neo-Expressionism, particularly the original works of artists such as Anselm Kiefer, and was also in direct contact with several painters who were representative of German Neo-Expressionism. These experiences spurred her to newly reflect upon and scrutinize her own creative path. Night features distinct images ranging from the portrayal of the male subject, the dog, and its interior setting. The piece showcases her solid foundation of academic training, yet her treatment of some details contains ingredients that are clearly Expressionist in nature. Likewise, the painting’s spiritual expression also diverges greatly from her previous works. Although the color red occupies a large portion of this piece, it does not convey passion or heat. Instead, it is a hidden expression of life’s predicaments and of helplessness, as well as of a pessimistic state of being. In a sense, this is a realistic portrayal of the emotions and spirit of some contemporary youth. These spiritual predicaments carry with them a type of loneliness that cannot be relieved through words. Perhaps only the alcohol on the table in front of the painting’s subject, or the dog at his side, can offer him comfort and companionship.

　　After Night, Bai Di began switching her focus to the expression of consciousness, emotion, and the subconscious. As the artist herself remarked, “Our consciousness, emotions, and subconscious are constantly mapping out the space of our reality. My art expresses the loneliness, blind following, and powerlessness that is expressed in the mental predicaments of the individuals of modern society.” Tu (“Path”), from 2015, likewise uses the relationship between people and space to express a drifting spiritual stateamong modern individuals. A young person is inside an empty bus; while they seem to have arrived at the vehicle’s final stop, their heart is without a home or dwelling of its own.The painting expresses a real predicament and anxiety among contemporary individuals. Most worthy of mention is her 2016 work Dian (“Peak”). The objects in the painting are composed of irregular geometrical shapes that resemble large chunks of stone; they give the viewer a heavy, stifling feeling. This work uses a deep shade of gray as its key tone, seemingly expressing an unclear emotional inclination.Hidden within the painting are several human figures that are climbing upwards, granting the oppressive image upon the canvas an apparent ray of hope… This painting may seem imaginary, but to Bai Di or to myself, it is actually real life. Bai Di’s art presents the tensionbetween the certain and uncertain. In a sense, one can say that the expression of the certain and the uncertain form a characteristic of Bai Di’s recent output. She uses this unique syntax to reconstruct the truth as understood by her generation of artists.

　　Finally, I would like to stress two points. First,Bai Di’s artistic work possesses significant academic value as a case study of contemporary easel painting, and particularly post-80 Expressionist painting. Second, and more importantly, Bai Di is a rare example of a post-80 artist who emphasizes her attention on the time and society that she inhabits, the exploration of the confusion and pain of contemporary youth, and how one should balance emotion and reason. We can sense more than her independent and powerful inner world through her art; in addition, we can also clearly experience her sensitivity and fragility. Without a doubt, Bai Di has revealed the spiritual world concealed by other post-80 artists; she shocks our visual experiences, causing us to further contemplate the nature of contemporary painting.

作者：葛玉君