在二维平面上制造三维图像的幻觉，是古希腊开创的绘画传统的目标。柏拉图（Plato）据此认定绘画就是欺骗，他说：“凸的有时看成凹的，由于颜色对于视官所产生的错觉。很显然地，这种错觉在我们的心里常造成很大的混乱。使用远近光影的图画就利用人心的这个弱点，来产生它的魔力，幻术之类玩艺也是如此。”画家因为有碍于追求真理而须被逐出理想国。在贡布里希（E.H. Gombrich）看来，整个西方艺术史，都是朝着制造幻觉的方向发展的，其最终目标在19世纪末兴起的印象派那里实现了。然而，随着照相技术的成熟，加上艺术的创新精神，印象派的幻觉空间遭到了20世纪以来的现代绘画的反对。为了抵制幻觉空间的深度，现代绘画纷纷走向平面性。在极简主义那里，绘画的平面性追求达到了极致。就像印象派终结了古典绘画一样，极简主义终结了现代绘画。从此之后，绘画进入了后现代或者后历史阶段，历史上曾经出现过的各种样式，都获得了被重写的可能。后现代或者后历史阶段的绘画，关键不在形式翻新，而在态度暧昧或者两可。但是，在风靡一时之后，无可无不可的后现代在各个领域现在都已经令人生厌。绘画真的就无所作为了吗？或者真的什么都可以成为好画吗？闫博的回答是否定的，因为他发现了另一条让绘画继续下去的理由，他在探索属于这个时代的新绘画。

　　绘画是在平面上进行的。无论是布、纸还是其他什么材料，对于绘画来说，都只有二维的表面具有意义。然而，在平面上进行的绘画，却总是在追求深度。欧洲传统绘画追求的是幻觉空间的深度，中国传统绘画追求的是笔墨渗透的深度。因此，从传统的角度来看，绘画尽管是在平面上进行，却是有深度追求的。现代绘画力图取消深度。尽管取消深度可以给绘画带来新面貌，但也有可能会损害绘画的丰富性而导致绘画的终结。在极简主义之后，是否还可以追求深度？换句话说，是否可以通过深度追求而避免绘画的单面性？我们可以从这个问题开始，来解读闫博的绘画。

　　闫博的绘画是平面的，不以追求幻觉空间的营造为目的，因此闫博的绘画可以被归到现代绘画的阵营。但是，闫博并没有像极简主义那样追求形式的纯粹性。他的绘画中也有形象，甚至有一本正经的现代主义不愿正视的幽默和调侃。但是，闫博的绘画又不是简单挪用图像的后现代主义。闫博的绘画有深度追求，这种深度追求不是通过幻觉来实现的，而是通过物质来实现的。这是如何可能呢？如果不借助幻觉，二维平面上如何能够呈现三维的深度？

　　闫博采取的方式，就是不断覆盖和打磨。经过几十遍的覆盖和打磨之后，最终的画面就出现了叠加的深度，更准确地说是层叠的厚度。我不敢说闫博的画是我见过的最厚的画，因为有些擅长材料的艺术家可以做出更厚的作品。但是，我敢说闫博的画是层次最丰富的画，因为闫博作品的厚度不是一次性完成的，而是几十遍覆盖和打磨的结果。从这种意义上说，闫博的绘画在程序上有点类似于传统油画的透明画法，或者中国画的积墨画法。透明画法和积墨画法，都是通过一次次反复覆盖，力图形成有密度的视觉语言和微妙的视觉效果。在这方面，闫博的绘画与它们有异曲同工之妙。它们的深度，都是通过厚度来实现的，因此我们可以适当地称之为物的深度。

　　但是，无论在用透明画法画出来的传统油画还是在用积墨画法画出来的传统水墨中，我们都不容易发现这种物的深度。尽管反复覆盖的传统油画也有物的深度，但是由于幻觉空间的深度过于抢眼，绘画本身的物的深度就完全被遮蔽了。在传统水墨画中，尽管幻觉空间的深度并不强烈，但是水墨无论在纸上还是绢上，都无法形成真正的物理厚度。正因为如此，我们在传统油画和水墨画中，都不容易发现物的深度。

　　在近来的一些观念绘画中，我们也能看到这种物的深度或者厚度。它们通常用两种方式展开。第一种就是不断重复某种动作，从而形成一种横向的深度。这种方式在当前的抽象绘画中非常盛行。比如，张羽不断重复摁指印，就是旨在形成一种横向深度。当然，横向深度只是一种隐喻的说法。事实上，它只是一种宽度或者长度。由于不断重复同一个动作，宽度或长度就有可能被理解为叠加起来的深度。还有一种方式就是制造真正的纵向深度，即通过反复覆盖所形成的有厚度的深度。比如，谭平的抽象画就有真正的纵向深度。谭平的绘画表面上看起来有些极简，然而看似单纯的极简画面却是反复覆盖的结果。从空间上来说，谭平的每次覆盖都会保留前一次覆盖的痕迹，都会留下某些东西不被覆盖，在貌似平整的画面上形成一种凹凸，形成一种空间上叠加的深度，一种不仅可以看见而且可以触摸的深度。不过，谭平用这种纵向深度，想要表达的还是时间的绵延。谭平希望他的作品有自己的历史，希望读者能够通过画面纵向的深度看到时间的累积。在这种意义上，在当代抽象绘画中，纵向深度与横向深度要表达的观念基本一致，即都希望用绘画来承载画家不同的时间感受，来记录画家在时间中变幻的生命状态。

　　在将绵延的时间凝固成为画面这一点上，闫博与当代抽象绘画对无论是纵向深度还是横向深度的追求基本一致。但是，与当代抽象不同，闫博的主要目的不在于表达自己的感受，不在于表达自己的生命状态，而在于让他的作品生长成为一个物。尽管都是在画面上消磨时光，但是闫博与观念抽象画家不同。观念抽象画家是在传达自己的一种状态，一种无论怎样的精神状态，但是，闫博却在等待物的长成，等待他的作品成长为一个有生命的器物。

　　闫博毕业于天津美术学院设计系，对器物情有独钟，而且从中国艺术传统对玉石、陶瓷、青铜等材质的欣赏中，看到了物本身的重要性。在当代艺术中，为什么要突出物？对物的突出和把玩，在当代艺术中究竟具有怎样的意义？

　　克拉克（Sir Kenneth Clark）在观看委拉斯贵支（Velasquez）的《侍女》（Las Meninas）的时候注意到，由于绘画的粗略结构，《侍女》必须要从较远的距离来看。克拉克想观察当一个人接近它的时候，他是怎样看见绘画消解为碎片的。他希望看到逐渐的转变并没有发生，而是在走近画面时，那些曾经是手、缎带和天鹅绒的东西突然间消解为漂亮的笔画碎块。由此可见，我们在欣赏写实油画时，实际上能够看见两种完全不同的景象：一个是远看时所看见的视觉幻象，一个是近看时所看见的颜色和画布等物质。这种情况在印象派绘画那里变得更加明显。人们对印象派不满，原因之一就是近看时所看见的物不能令人满意。闫博的绘画就解决了这个问题。当我们走进闫博的作品时，会看到如玉石般温润的画面，我们对绘画的欣赏就开始从对图像的感知进入对物体的把玩，我们的视觉经验就有可能转换为触觉经验。

　　里格尔（Alois Riegl）曾经用“触觉图式”与“视觉图示”的代兴来描述美术史的演变。但是，在里格尔那里，触觉仍然是通过想象来实现的，而不能有真正的触觉经验。闫博的绘画则可以有真正的触觉经验。我们可以闭上眼睛，用手来抚摸闫博的作品，就像我们用手来触摸玉与瓷一样。这种触摸将给我们真实的触觉快感。当我们走进闫博的作品时，就能感受到作品在向我们发出强烈的触摸邀请。

　　当代艺术为了避免终结的命运，已经从视觉向听觉突围，进而向嗅觉和触觉突围。闫博对架上绘画的贡献，就在于他将触觉引进了绘画感知之中。由于触觉感的加入，我们从闫博的作品中能够感受到一种物的深度，这种深度不是通过大主题和视幻觉实现的，而是通过物本身给予的。闫博的作品既可以让我们从远处观赏，又可以让我们就近处把玩，而这种远观和近玩之间产生的变化和张力，将给欣赏者带来前所未有的审美享受。

　　2011年5月8日于北京大学蔚秀园

（彭锋：北京大学副教授，评论家)

　　The Depth of Planes

　　Creating an illusion of three-dimensional images on a two-dimensional surface was an invention of traditional Greek painting. Because of this, Plato believed painting was deception. “Sometimes the concave can be seen as the convex, because of the color generating an illusion in our eyes. Clearly, this delusion generated great confusion in our heart. Using the distance of light and shadow on the painting or drawing to cheat people's minds to achieve its magic. The magic the same as this.” The artists were an obstacle to the pursuit of truth and were to be expelled from Plato’s ideal Republic. In E.H. Gombrich’s view, the whole history of Western art moved to the direction of manufacturing illusion. Its ultimate goal was reached at the rising of Impressionism in the late 19th century. However, with the development of photography and innovation of art, the illusion that was produced by Impressionism started to be challenged by modern painting since the beginning of the 20th century. Modernist painting became opposed to illusion effects. Minimalism was an extreme shift in the treatment of the picture plane, just as Impressionism was at the end of classical painting. Minimalism ended the Modernist painting. Since then, painting has entered a Post-modern or Post-Historical stage. There have been a multitude of movements throughout history; all have the possibility of being rewritten. In the Post-Modern or Post-Historical era of painting, the point is not renovation of the form itself, but in an ambiguous attitude. However, the ambiguous state of the Post-Modern in all fields is boring now. What is painting now? Or what can be good art? Yan’s answer is a negative one. Because exploring another way to continue painting outside of the Post-Modern, he has created paintings that belong to this new era.

　　Painting is done on a flat surface. Whether it be on cloth, paper, or other materials, painting only exists in two-dimensions. However, while painting is done on a flat surface, artists have always tried to pursue the creation of depth. Depth is created by using color and space to produce an illusion within a painting, a method that comes from European traditional painting. Describing depth through ink was a method from traditional Chinese ink painting. From the traditional point of view, although the painting was on a two-dimensional surface, creating depth could still be achieved. Modernist painting disregarded pictorial depth. Without considering perspective it may be possible to bring new styles to painting, but it can also limit the possibilities. After Minimalism, is depth possible? In other words, can pursuing depth in painting restrict possibilities contained within the medium of painting? It is from this point of view we should begin to interpret Yan Bo’s painting.

　　Yan Bo’s painting is flat and doesn’t pursue the illusion of perspective by use of color and space created by the painting, so Yan Bo’s painting could be placed within the catalog of Modern painting, however, Yan’s work differs from Minimalism, which focuses on pure form. There is a sense of humor and ridicule in his painting. However, the depth of his painting is from a pre existing object. How can he express three dimensionality through a two-dimensional plane?

　　Yan Bo adds layers to his paintings. Dozens of layers accumulate; they are thick and rich with meaning. All the layers aren’t finished at the same time. His paintings are much more similar to traditional Chinese ink paintings, which are transparent and are also accumulative in application. By adding layers again and again, he tries to form a density of visual language and subtle visual effects. We regard this kind of depth as the illusion of objects.

　　Whether an oil painting that was painted in a transparent way or accumulated like ink, in traditional Chinese ink painting, it’s hard to define the pictorial depth of objects. In traditional oil painting, perhaps the illusion created by the depth of field is too much of a distraction from the actual objects depicted. It’s difficult to have thick layers in ink painting, so there is no physical relief to be seen.

　　In some conceptual paintings we can see pictorial depth. There are two kinds. First, Zhang Yu made fingerprint depressions, this action was repeated again and again. Second, Tan Ping's abstract paintings have a true depth. Tan’s paintings seem simple, but the layers were repeated many times. The last layers beneath the other layers can be seen, because of keeping of the last layers when he began new layers. You can even touch the different layers. This method became a kind of historical document in itself, since the process occurred over a period of time where the artist would have had many different experiences or states of mind.

　　The trace of time and feeling is on his painting. His paintings are a kind of contemporary abstract painting. The difference is his goal to express his feeling not the state of his life. His painting is an object which can grow. The difference between him and conceptual abstract artists is they are expressing their state of mind, but Yan waits for his work to grow into something that has life.

　　Yan Bo graduated from the Design Department of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, and he likes to appreciate artifacts, and see the importance of the object itself through appreciation of traditional Chinese art that represents itself through jade, ceramic, bronze. In contemporary art, what is the meaning of the emphasis of these objects?

　　When Sir Kenneth Clark was viewing Velasquez’s Las Meninas, he noticed that he must view the painting from a long distance. When he walked closer to the painting, the delicate hands, silk, velvet just became brushstrokes in oil paint. Concerning realistic oil painting, there are two different views: one is the illusion from a distance, the other is up close, where we just see the color and canvas. Impressionism was worst. Viewed up close, its’ hard to be satisfied. When we walk very close to Yan’s work, we can see his work is just as slippery as the jade. In this situation, our visual experience is likely to convert to the tactile experience.

　　Art historian Alois Riegl conceived the terms “Haptic” and “Optic” to explain the relationship between artworks and the world around them. But, his Haptic was by imagination not through physical touching. However, Yan’s artwork can be touched giving us the same experience as jade and porcelain. We can’t help touch his artwork when we walk closely to it.

　　Haptic, Optic and Olfactory become involved in Contemporary art, in order to create more possibilities. Yan’s contribution is that he has introduced the Haptic into painting. We can feel the depth of the objects. He achieves this kind of depth, not through the effect of color and layers of paints, but through the object itself. We can appreciate his paintings from both far away or up close, either way giving the viewer aesthetic enjoyment.

　　May 8th, 2011 written in Wei Xiu Yuan Community of Beijing University

　　Deng Feng from Associate professor of the University of Beijing, art critic

作者：彭锋