贺立言的水彩向来有闹劲，很随机、大胆的使用颜色和线条，不属于规矩的一路，看过总是有娱情、提气的感觉。今年去他的工作室闲聊，很讶异的看到的一批大幅面的黑白水彩画，其方法、情调一反常态，出奇的安静和单纯。

　　本来，水彩与水墨就其材料性能而言，两者有天然的相通。故近世以来西画传入中国就容易与中国水墨画通融，如海上画派、岭南画派都接触与吸收过水彩的表现方法、特点而另开新局。时至今天，水彩画有意靠向水墨表现者已大有人在，其格调、手法都在一定程度上(如声腔韵味)凸显了水彩画的中国身份，拓展了水彩的表现天地(如书写与意境)。

　　贺立言过去用颜色作写意表现性的风景水彩，从形态来讲，似中国的水墨精神，这回的无声黑白，已俨然从外在、内心处更直白的诉求了中国的水墨意境。看得出这是贺立言精神深处的美学向往。

　　事实上这几年贺立言一直在水彩的写意性上不停的做过实验，其追求方向是很明确的中国路向，只是囿于现代主义的色彩表现理念。这回纯然的走进黑白世界，实在是其阶段性的绘事过程里的一大跨度，兴许也是他的一个阶段课题。但不管颜色或黑白，写实与写意，均是艺术表现的不同选项，视画家性情、追求、及阶段性的不同而定，无差强人意所得。贺立言给我的感觉，是他对水彩有一种超乎寻常的喜欢与执着，但又不是那种时下常见的以此作稻粱谋的绘事心态，故进入绘事状态时，身上的负担少矣，即能由此萌生天真和趣味，并逐渐进入内在的视觉经营。能做到这一点，我觉得不容易。在当下为内心、趣味画画的人真的少了，也因此变得珍贵。胡适讲人生三味药之一的“趣味散”在学问路上都如此重要，何况艺术焉。

　　看贺立言的水彩画，隐约间总会想起吴冠中先生早先有“势象”一说，概括了他及其他绘画的一种风格形态。这种审美形态需有内外在的冲动和与此相关的结构形式。贺立言这几年走的路，是颇有“势象”之态的，其基础支撑，大抵离不了趣味、形式与精神诸元素，尤其是水彩画以及与文人画有千丝万缕联系的中国水墨画，更是天然地注重内在兴味与外在大势。所以当下有不少水彩没有生命的呼吸与流动势象，倒是多了些麻木的凝固、表象的写实，这多少讲来是一种由内而外的生命感的缺失。画忌无情无意，生命寓于其中，既系自然流露，也可被人为遮蔽。故画好看有光彩，首先源自生命中的兴味与大势。看贺立言近期的这批画，大处上确有老成的意境，而且是中国的传统意境，然其中却又不失有浪漫飞动的青春心态，所画之物皆处在恣意朦胧的墨泽氛围和势象的形态里，其画面有于无声处听惊雷的内在感受。

　　然而鲁迅也讲，人过四十，其态灰色可掬。如果讲前几年贺立言在艺术形态上是色彩滨纷、疾风劲草的话，当下的贺立言早过了知天命的年龄，故在水彩语言、风格上转道素雅、沉雄之黑白视象，当是自然的精神宿命，其精神、性情可在这片自已营造的视象里得到内在的共鸣。恐怕是年纪的可掬的相近，每回赏读贺立言的黑白水彩，都撩起我内心与之相通的情绪。这个阶段的画，无论是方法、还是认识论上都有了年龄的优势，故而此时的贺立言也该是从内心深处认清自已画之所要，并出鲜明自我的时候了。

　　贺立言以黑白阶段的水彩实验出画册，嘱我作序，然以我浅见，实不敢当，端出片纸私话，终当是为朋友高兴和分享视觉表达的快乐。是为序。

　　2009年7月1日写于望园楼

　　(刘新：著名美术史论家美术批评家)

       Silence In a black and white world

　　Liu Xin

　　With casual and bold colors and lines, He Liyan抯 watercolors had been bright and free, not so reserved. Reading his works, you would feel cheerful and refreshed. Recently, when I visited him in his studio, I was surprised to find he had finished large numbers of works in black and white, much different from his former works, so quiet, so pure.

　　Watercolor is similar to Chinese painting, so they would easily blend with each other. For example, both Shanghai School and Lingnan School had learned from watercolor and shown the world a fresh style in Chinese painting. Today, there are many people paint a watercolor like painting a Chinese painting, and that rich the techniques of watercolor. He Liyan'swatercolor in black and white show us his aesthetics for a feeling of Chinese painting.

　　In fact, He Liyan has tried a lot to improve his watercolor for quite a few years, in a way like painting Chinese paintings, in a way of more free. Now, his colors have reduced to only black and white, and that means a great leap to him in his artistic career. He Liyan has a great interest in watercolor and paints for happiness but not like many other painters painting only for a better life, so he can paint in a pure and honest state, show us innocent delight.

　　With amusing delight, form and spirit, just like Chinese paintings, He Liyan's works remind me of Mr. Wu Guanzhong's views of "Sense Impressions" which summarized the painting style of Mr. Wu Guanzhong himself. A vivid artistic work should tells us interest of life, moves us with feeling and sentiment. He Liyan's recent works, with delightful and fresh brush-technique, young but steady, remind us of the artistic conception, like the traditional Chinese paintings. Facing his works, you would have the feeling of hearing thunder in the silence.

　　Lu Xun had said: "fter 40 years old, a man is grey.?Formerly, He Liyan" works were bright, like flowers in spring and hardy grass in storm. Now, as He Liyan is much older than 40, it is not strange to find his style becoming simple and concise, as the style gets echo from his feelings. Being a man as old as He Liyan, his new style aroused sympathy easily from me.

　　He Liyan is going to have his experimental works in black and white published and ask me to write a preface for him. I'm nervous but glad to write the words above, with delight after reading his works.

　　2009-7-1 in Wangyuan House

　　(Liu Xin is a professor in Guangxi Art College, a famous art historian and an artistic critic)

作者：刘新