时间：2010年10月1日

　　地点：北京李奇安宋庄工作室

　　采访人：吴乐乐

　　(艺术经纬吴乐乐以下简称吴，李奇安以下简称李)

　　用一种方式穿越千年

　　对中国文化的研习,对西方艺术经典的景仰与追慕,李奇安的绘画在探索中坚守着他独有的东方意趣。油画中对光色和媒介的把握，肌理的创作性使用;国画玄妙、空灵、飘逸的气质，我们能从延伸系列中的万丈光芒，和纸板油画系列细腻清幽的风景中，看到另一种生趣盎然的东方表现。

　　痴迷古代文化意境的东方精神

　　吴：您现在的创作是到北京之后发生的转型，这和北京特殊的氛围有关系吗？

　　李：转型肯定是到北京以后才做的打算，北京当代艺术的氛围首先令我对它产生一种敬畏。我2008年来北京的时候正好是当代艺术热火朝天的时候。我也开始对自己的创作进行反思，有什么想法，要做哪方面的探索，每个人都会经历这个过程。

　　吴：可以看出贯穿您作品的线索还是很清晰的，作品越来越回归到传统绘画的意境、情调。

　　李：其实我一直是这样。首先，作为个人来讲，生你养你的这片水土带给你丰富的营养。过去我呆在一个比较闭塞的地方——世外桃源，经济也不发达、信息的交流上也不方便。很多东西只能是参照过去古代的那些杰出人物。现代人对我们那边的人影响并不是很大。

　　我来北京的时候，当代艺术市场也正是强弩之末了，2008年下半年出现了全球金融危机。在创作上，我不可能跟着别人的创作步伐去走。从我们刚刚开始做创作的时候，总想搞自己的东西，新鲜的东西，哪怕是这种东西有一点点个性，但自己还是觉得没有去模仿别人，或者说没有抄袭别人。我很看不起那种看到谁好就模仿谁的做法，在我读书的时候也是这种性格，我都要找一个很安静的，老师看不到的地方画画，画完了再请老师去指点。

　　吴：何桂彦在文章《对东方化审美意趣的演绎与追求——李奇安作品初探》中将您以往的作品大致分为两类:一类是“推广”组画，一类是“延伸”系列。在这两个系列作品的创作中您经历了怎样的思考和发现？

　　李：其实当时考虑“推广”与“延伸”都是一个思路，我总想用一种方式穿越千年时空，亲历一下我痴迷的古代文化意境，居然做了一场梦，从没见过如此炫目的景致，陶醉中抚慰着心灵的深处，然后我试着找这个合适的表达方式。当然有些离奇，却也反映了我当时关注的这个问题:东方古代优秀的光辉，何时一度灰暗了？

　　我觉得中国文化还是要以东方视角、东方精神为根基，最后你才能够立于世界艺术之林。我后来选择画这一批作品，正是从这个角度开始学习而已，学习那些古代的精髓，然后把这种东西用我们现代人的方式重新演绎。油画其实只是一个媒介、载体，您是用现代的艺术语言去表达你对传统的向往和热爱。

　　吴：虽然您是用油画的语言进行创作，但通过您的作品我能感受到谢赫在“六法论”中提到的气韵生动。这叫我想起波德莱尔曾经说过的现代性就是过渡、短暂、偶然，这是艺术的一半，另一半是永恒和不变。

　　李：画画这个事情其实很简单，如果说我画一张画，还去像你想这么多，这画就画不了了。我认为画画是一个很好玩、很有趣的事情。在画画的时候，我就是笔随心走，什么气韵生动我倒没有想过。但是有一点，意境是我们中国人很注意的一个内容，你画画最后的高度还是在造景上面，你造出的景会带给观众一种什么样的感受。我觉得做艺术就是要自由地去表达自己的内心感受，你在表达上到了这种自由的话才可能去创作出很好的东西。所谓艺术高度，你不可能跟别人学，你能学什么高度？我现在就像钻进了一个山洞，里面越走越深了，就这种感觉。

　　吴：当代艺术现在的确是进入了一个图式泛滥的时代，当一种图式获得了商业上成功，艺术家的创作也就陷入了图像的复制、生产。

　　李：这是人家的策略问题，我们无权干涉。不管你是做什么艺术，包括你选择一个什么艺术形式，这都是艺术家个人的选择。当艺术家创作出好东西，当然就能够形成范式，让它然后泛滥，然而泛滥后就不再是好东西了。

　　从纸板油画风景过渡来的创作方式

　　吴：您是从什么时候想到用油画来表现中国画的呢？

　　李：我最开始画那种厚的油画风景，原来我们在那边画室小，买什么材料都很不方便，画纸那么大，一幅幅的，还要发愁放在哪儿。所以就想一些很简单的办法。在卡纸上面画，不要做(绷纸)，拿着笔去画，卡纸画得很厚肯定是不行的，附着力承受不住。我当时想选择很光滑的那个，根本底子都不要打，我比较懒，不过我们人类的很多文明都是因为懒才发明的。有时候裱画用的那个板子放在旁边，我想这种效果假如能够保留下来挺好的，就在那个上面尝试，再一个写写画画的习惯，在上面画，有时候看到那种笔触和那种纸产生一种不一样的效果，挺有意思的，就尝试着画了几张，但这画下来呢，效果特好。就沿这个路走下去了，开始用的那种纸它有点吸油，那个不行，你没办法画，就那种光的，它一点油都不吸，笔在上面画起来特别自由，写字的人对这个线条就很有体会，一下子就被那种东西吸引，我开始是画水粉画在上面，后来就尝试用油画画，结果画起来更加润，更好画。

　　吴：在这个过程当中，就决定用这种西方的画种来表达中国的意境？

　　李：那个时候还没想到，那个时候我仅仅是拿来画风景画，这个过程确实积累了……至少在技法上面，我是在自己这个技法体系里面，因为这个东西前面没有老师来教你，也没看到外面的油画可不可以这么画，反正别人一看你这个不像油画，然后老邓说，不像油画才是好画。这么一讲，我就继续下去了，当时也有些人提出异议，你不在布上画，老在纸上画，这个没什么价值嘛。我这人挺固执的，我说纸上画咋的，中国画不都是用纸画吗？我说油画也可以用纸画嘛是不是。但是后来拿去装裱的时候，确实有一些问题，纸画要裱在木板上面，没裱上就会泡起来。我说这东西那不行，我就尝试在布上面，我就把布尽量地做出那种平整光滑的效果，还是沿着我们那个东西去画。

　　湖南师范有一个水彩老师，他的那个湿法，水汽灵灵的，画的挺好的。我当时学色彩的时候，受他影响，觉得很有意思，后来我想油画都画的这么干了，很少画湿的，往这个方向走。尝试用这种油来代替水。最早画的画我都把它留下了，这是我用这种材料画的第一张油画，那时的效果就把自己惊呆了。

　　吴：你刚才说想做一个传统文化和当代文化的一种链接，你认为在艺术创作中，怎样把握传统文化的精神？

　　李：这个东西我具体讲，我真的觉得讲出来就是错的。你也可以把它当成一种构成因素，一种画面形式感，表现就是这样的。当然我们中国人也喜欢弄玄嘛，把它当成一种神秘的光，一种时光，隧道也好，就是他把它变成一种想象力的东西来处理。你被阳光网住的感觉，可能现在说起来有点诗意的感觉，光这种神秘感，我当时想如果能够运用到画面上，增加画面的这种气息就可以了，所以想了很多办法做这件事情。这个探索其实是很难的，我经常毁掉不满意的作品。

　　穿越时空的光线和内化灵魂的东方意蕴

　　吴：《延伸》系列中的射线，是否受到西方巴洛克时期贝尼尼的雕塑那种金色光线的启发？

　　李：应该说贝尼尼雕塑那种金色光线的表达和我在作品的表达上是异曲同工吧。中国人其实是很重视线条的，中国古代有十八描啊，后来的人就一直没有超越这个十八描，所以线的意义还有很多，包括这个琴弦、光线、连接线，它有很多的东西，它都是给你带来一种不一样的感觉。当然，我们现在，你要立足在当下这种状态，你画画能力和人家怎么去拉开距离？

　　在我画中射线的运用，是一种现当代的元素，也是一种个人情感符号，有延伸，连接的寓意，也有光明深远的指向未来的方向，我固执地以为继续走“东方气质”路线，那些简约、洁净、质朴、清虚，并且有一种高贵的气质在画幅间流动，这种面貌将是我绘画探求的主旋律，也是我能呈现的个性视觉图式。一直在探索和实验，不同的时期所思考的东西是不一样的。近期，这个延伸系列是我现在所着力表现的，无论从形制上还是思想表达方面都与我现在的思维相一致。创作“延伸系列”时触动了我很多感觉，画面中小孩的描述，可以说是对儿时的一种回忆。感觉有一种悠远的东西，不由自主地往那个靠拢，也就是所说的意境吧。大雁几乎在画面中反复出现，有时候站在空旷的原野上看大雁远去的那种感觉，好像也把我的灵魂带走了，这是情愫的自然流露，比较神秘、莫名，阐释古人那种孤寂的情怀。也是自己内心向往的天堂。最初的时候，考虑用什么元素去表达呢，元代戏剧家马致远的越调散曲“天净沙•秋思”中写到：枯藤老树昏鸦，小桥流水人家。古道西风瘦马。夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯。这首曲就颇有意境，勾起人们那种深远的感觉，也就是精神层面的东西。再者，我的画面大多做模糊处理，越是模糊的东西，精神性的东西愈加宽阔，演绎的东西愈多，表达的元素亦更加多元，更加丰富了。

　　吴：用西化的技法表达东方文化，您最初是找到了怎样的一个点，发现这两种文化意蕴的东西可以结合为一体？在您眼里，东方意蕴是怎样的？

　　李：这个点是基于我是深受东方文化影响的东方人，东方人最适合也最擅长表达东方意味。至于选择那个点，有我个人理解。再就是有许多前辈大师都进行过这个方面探索，我们当然还须努力!在我眼里，东方意蕴精深博大，东方人的思维、视觉都与西方不同，更多倾向精神。这一点需要进行东西方文化比较才能说明。

　　我个人本身对精神性的东西有一种偏好。现在我所思考的是如何做成一个有个性的语言系统。比如我比较喜欢宋代意境的东西，那这个层面是不是诗情画意呢，我认为这显然不能完全概括精神层面的内蕴，那应该是一种情怀，一种内心的感觉，一种气质，更是一种冥想的结果。

　　吴：您觉得您天生就是一个艺术家吗？

　　李：哈哈，人肯定是天生的。天生是不是艺术家我不知道，记得在桃源教书时，我那时特热爱书法，几乎把所有业余时间放在研习书法上，九五年还上了全国第六届书法篆刻展。可是有一天偶遇一“易经大师”，名叫胡尚道，硬说我将来一定是个大画家，数年之后我果然到京城画画来了，是不是天意安排啊？

　　Time：October 1th，2010

　　Address：Li Qi’an’s Studio

　　Interviwer：Wu Lele

　　(Li Qi’an=L, Wu Lele=W)

　　PASSING THROUGH MILLENNIUM IN A WAY

　　With studying Chinese culture and respect and admiration for the western classic, Li Qi’an keeps his particular eastern interest in his painting. The control of photochromic and medium, create to use texture in oil painting; having mysterious and elegant qualities in Chinese Painting; we can see shine in all its splendor from the extending series painting; we also can see another the lively eastern show from exquisite and tranquil scene in oil painting on paperboard series.

　　The Eastern Sprit of Crazing About Ancient Culture Artistic Conception

　　W:You transform your creation after coming Beijing, is it relation with special atmosphere in Beijing?

　　L:Transformation is definitely my plan after coming Beijing. Firstly, I revere contemporary art atmosphere in Beijing. When I came to Beijing, contemporary art was in full swing. I started to reflect on my creation and what I think and which aspect I want to explore, every person will experience the process.

　　W:Your works clues have been seen clearly, and your works return artistic conception and sentiment of traditional painting.

　　L:Actually I have been so. First, in terms of me, the land where was you born and grown brought you rich nutrition. In the past I lived a comparative closed place——Xanadu, economic was underdeveloped, information communication was convenient. Many things only consulted ancient noted people. Modern people had little effect on people there.

　　When I came to Beijing, contemporary art also had spent force. In the latter half of 2008, global financial crisis arose. I didn’t can follow others creation to do. Since we started to create the things, I always did myself things and fresh things. Whatever the things had a little special, but I though I didn’t copy others. I look down on those people who like copy better others. When I was a student, this was my character. I liked painting in a quiet place where my teacher didn’t see, I consulted my teacher after I finished.

　　W:In the article of He Guiyan the deduction and pursuit of orientalized aesthetic interest——outlook of Li Qi’an works, He divides your last works two kind: one is “promoting” group painting, another is “extending” series. How did you think and find in the two series creation?

　　L:Actually, the thought “promoting” and” extending” were a thinking then. I always though to pass through millennium in a way and experience ancient culture artistic conception which I liked. I did a dream and I had never seen the glaring scene, I comforted the deep heart, than I tried to find a suitable express way. It was of course absurd and reflected my concern then: when become faint the ancient eastern excellent brilliance?

　　I think Chinese culture should be base on the eastern vision and sprit, the last you would stand the forest of art. Later I chose painting the batch works and learned from the sprit of ancient art, then deduced them in modern people’ way. Oil painting is just a medium. You express your hope and love to the tradition with modern art language.

　　W：Though you adopted oil painting language to create, I feel “lively spirit and charm style” of Xie He “six methods theory” in your works. It made me remember Baudelaire’s words that modernity is transition, short, incident; this is an half of art. Another is forever and fixedness.”

　　L:Actually, painting is easy. If I draw a painting like you think many, the painting would not finish. I think painting is fun and interesting. When I drew, my painting brush followed my heart. I didn’t think “lively spirit and charm style”, but the artistic conception is Chinese people concern. The painting level of your works lies in making-scene and what do visitor feel which scene bring. I think as an artist should express his feeling freely and only when you can express freely, you would created better works. So called the level is that you cannot learn from others. What level do you learn? My feeling now like enter a hole, I walk more and more deep.

　　W:Contemporary art indeed enter a deluge pattern times, when a pattern get success in business, the artist’s creation fell into the copy and produce.

　　L:This is others strategy problem. We don’t intervene. Whatever you do art, and including art form, these are artists’ individual choice. When an artist created a better thing, of course it can form a pattern, then it deluged, in the end it is not a good thing.

　　Creating Way of Transition from Oil Painting Paperboard Scenery

　　W：When did you think that using oil painting express Chinese Painting?

　　L：At the beginning I drew oil painting scenery that is thick. Our studio was small before and it was not convenient that buy whatever material. Papers were very big, pair by pair and we always worried where to lie. So we thought some simple method. I drew on the paperboard and don’t stretch paper. When drew on the paperboard, it was not good and had not adhesion. I chose smooth things and I didn’t render for I was lazy then. Much civilization was invented for the laziness of human being. Sometimes the board mounted paintings laid on my side; I thought that it was good that the effect was kept. So I tried on it. In addition, I was used to painting, when I drew on it, sometimes the brushwork and paper produced different effect I saw, and it was interesting. I tried several paintings, but their effect is good. So followed the way, I used the paper which was absorbed easily into oil at the beginning, it didn’t work. I used the smooth paper which was not absorbed into oil. Using brush to draw, I felt freely. The people writing have feeling to the line. I was attracted by the things, and I drew opaque watercolor first, later I used oil painting which it was best.

　　W：Did you decide to express Chinese conception with the western painting in the process?

　　L：Then I didn’t think it, I just draw landscape painting and it was an accumulative process……at least in terms of technique, I am in my technique system. Because my teachers didn’t teach me before and I didn’t see whether others drew oil painting. Others thought my painting did not like oil painting. Then Lao Duan said, it was good that it didn’t oil painting and it is excellent painting. When I heard it, I continued. Then some people objected me and said that you didn’t draw on canvas but on paper and it was worthless. I was an obstinate person. I said that did Chinese painting draw on paper and oil painting can be drawn on paper. But there were have some problems later when I mounted it. Paper painting should be mounted on board. If it didn’t mount, it would become puffy. The thing didn’t work, and I tried cloth to draw.

　　In the past a teacher of Hunan Normal University, which was water color painter, his painting was good for his wet technique. When I studied water color, I was affected by him. I thought it was interesting and the oil painting was too dry and drew wet rarely. I wanted to try toward little direction. I tried substituting oil for water to draw. I kept my first painting. This is my first painting that I used the material to draw. Then I was amazed at the effect.

　　W：You just said that you want to do a connection between traditional culture and contemporary art, how do you think of control the sprit of traditional culture?

　　L：Specific speaking, I really think what I said is wrong. You can regard it as a constitution element and a kind picture pattern feeling, that is, expression. Of course we Chinese also like mystery, you regard a mysterious light, a time and tube, that is, and it was become an imaginary thing to deal with. The feeling likes you were netted by the sun. Maybe it is poetic feeling. I though if I could apply the mysterious feeling on my painting and add the flavor. I though many methods. It is difficult to explore it, and I often destroy my unsatisfied works.

　　The light Through Time and Space and the Eastern Internalized Soul Implication

　　Whether or not the ray in the series of“Extention” is inspired by the golden light of the Bernini sculpture West Baroque times?

　　L：It should be said that the expression of the ray of Bernini sculpture is different approaches but equally satisfactory results with that of my work. In fact, Chinese people pay great attention to the lines. In ancient time, there were eighteen kinds describing methods, which have not been exceeded by people later. So there are many sorts of the meaning of lines, including the strings, light, cable, and so on, you will fell different feeling from them. Of course, now you should base on the present state to consider how your drawing ability to draw away with that of others.

　　The ray used in my painting, which is a modern and contemporary elements and also a personal emotional symbol, has the meaning of extension, connection and future direction brightly and far-reaching. I think stubbornly to continue the line of “Oriental temperament”, which are simple, clean, plain, and transparent, are flowing among the paintings together with a noble temperament. This outlook would be the theme my painting is exploring, and my personal visual schema which I could present. I have always explored and tested and what I thought is different in different periods. Recently, this series of “Extension” are focused on to show, which accord with my present thought in not only the form but also the aspect of thought expression. My feeling was touched greatly when I created the series of “Extension” and the description of the child in screen could be said to recall the childhood. I felt something a long time ago and to close there involuntarily, and maybe it is the so-called mood. Wild geese almost appear in screen repeatedly. Sometimes standing in open fields, the feeling of seeing the geese away seems to take away my soul, which is a natural expression of feelings and it is much mysterious, inexplicable and to explain the ancients’ loneliness feelings. And also it is the heaven I am looking forward to. In the beginning, considering what elements should be used to express, Ma Zhiyuan, a dramatist Yuan Dynasty, wrote in “Tune Of Tian Jing Sha. Autumn Thought”, Withered vine, old tree, crows at dusk, Tiny bridge, flowing brook, and cottages, ancient road, bleak wink, bony steed. The sun sinking west, A heart-torn traveler at the end of the world. The melody has plenty of moods and initiates a profound feeling, that is, something spiritual. Furthermore, most of my paintings are treated by fuzzy methods and anything the more fuzzy, the more extensive something spiritual and the more something deduced and the more elements and plentiful to express.

　　W：To express oriental culture with the westernized techniques, what’s of the point you found at the beginning in which the two kinds of culture implication could be combined into one? In your opinion, what is the eastern implication?

　　L:This point is based on that I am an easter influenced by the Eastern culture deeply and the Easter is most suitable and most good at to express eastern implication. As for the select of that point, although it is my personal understanding, many older masters have been explored in this aspect; of course we have to work hard. In my opinion, eastern implication is broad and profound, the though and vision of the Easters are different from that of Westerners and the former trend much toward the spirit. This could be explained after comparing with the east culture and west culture.

　　I prefer something spiritual myself. What I am thinking is how to complete a personal language system. For example, I more like something with the implication of Song Dynasty. Does that level is that a scene full of poetic and artistic conception and I think this can not summary the implication of spirit level obviously. And it should be a kind of feelings, a sort of feeling inside heart and a kind of mood and more the result after contemplating.

　　W：Do you think you are born an artist?

　　L：Ha-ha! Human of course have born ability. I don’t know whether I am artist. I taught in Taoyuan county , Hunan province. I was crazy about Chinese calligraphy and I nearly spent all off hours studying it. I took part in the sixth Chinese calligraphy and seal cutting exhibition in 1995. Some day I met with “Yijing master” Hu Shangdao, and he said that I would be an artist in future. After several years I came to Beijing to paint. Is it god’s will?