20世纪以来，世界范围的艺术最大的变化，就是与“具象艺术”相对的“抽象艺术”的出现。从学理上说，抽象一词指的是就多种事物抽出其共通之点，加以综合而成一个新的概念，此一概念就叫做“抽象”。当这种新的绘画出现在人们的视觉中时，人们把它叫作“抽象绘画”(Abstract Painting)。它的含义非常广泛，凡是想脱离“模仿自然”的绘画的风格，多种流派都被包含在内了。但无论其派别如何，其共同的特质都在于尝试打破绘画必须模仿自然的传统观念。1930年代和二次大战以后，由抽象观念衍生的各种形式，成为20世纪最流行、最具特色的艺术风格。
　　虽然说抽象绘画是以直觉和想象力为创作的出发点，排斥任何具有象征性、文学性、说明性的表现手法，仅将造型和色彩加以综合、组织在画面上。但是，抽象绘画呈现出来的类似于音乐的节奏与旋律的纯粹形色，却极大地发挥了人们的想象力，也激发了人们的自由创造的热情。
　　从艺术史的角度来说，抽象绘画的发展趋势，大致可分为几何抽象(或称“冷抽象”)，其特色为带有几何学的倾向，蒙德里安(Mondrian)堪称代表；与前者相对，抒情抽象(或称“热抽象”)则强调绘画过程中的有机性，以康丁斯基(Kandinsky)为代表。不管后来有怎样的演变，这种基调却是存在的。
　　21世纪的艺术当然是多元的。从20世纪80年代以来在中国本土从事先锋艺术的人，也大多选择了抽象的方式。但那种方式大部分是模仿与移植，其形式其色彩在我的眼里，总是有些赝品的感觉。也许这种说法太过于苛薄，但我对他们的绘画的确总是感到有不尽如人意之处，比如用笔方式，比如色彩的爆发力，比如寓意，比如手感，比如颜料。
　　在此，我愿意就我的画友墨客的作品发表一些看法。当我一口气看完他许多作品的时候，我徜徉他的色彩的海洋里，在这个过程中我感觉到了一种莫名的审美快感。那红色如此热烈，蓝色如此忧郁，黄色如此娇嫩，黑色如此神秘……这些颜色在画面上交融、对撞，有的强烈，有的微妙，有的向后退缩着，有的却向前奔突。无论是他的大画还是他的小画，都是那么让人喜悦，让人沉醉。
　　墨客对色彩是敏感的，他的敏感就像国画家对待墨色。
　　我和他没有更多的交流，在翻他的简历时，我发现他原来还曾对禅宗有过研究，从一个异域人的角度来看，禅宗与人的精神以至内心世界都更为密切，因为它教导人的是向内之路，向内寻求开悟之路。悟眼大开之际，这个世界即是一个全新的世界。
　　我相信在墨客的内心深处，一定有另外的眼睛可以洞穿这个世界。因为这个世界反映在他的画面上，正合禅宗的非雾非花之妙，一切都化为饱蘸颜色的笔触，在自由的挥运中揉进自己的灵性与觉悟。
　　正如墨客自己所说，色彩是适合于每一个人的，但墨客的色彩，却只适合于和他心灵有共鸣的人。
　　Since the 20th Century, the most important movement in the field of art all over the world has been the emergence of "Abstract Art", opposite to "Figural Art". Doctrinally, "abstract" is a new concept combined with the common elements abstracted from different materials. When such new kind of painting presented itself in the vision of people, they called it "Abstract Painting". The meaning of it is broad, including all the art schools which want to get rid of the painting style of "imitating nature". No matter what the other schools are carrying on, the common feature is to try to break through the traditional idea of imitating nature. After 1930s and the World War Ⅱ, the various art forms, deriving from the concept of abstract, became the most popular and characteristic art style.
　　Instinct and imagination are the starting point of abstract painting. It excludes every symbolic, literary and illustrative technique, and just integrates forms and colors on the painting. However, like the rhythm and melody of music, the pure forms and colors which are presented by abstract painting, are extremely bringing people's imagination into play and inspiring people's enthusiasm for free creation.
　　From the aspect of art history, the developing trend of abstract painting can be mainly divided into two kinds: Geometric Abstract (or Cold Art) featured with geometric inclination and represented by Mondrian; and Lyrical Abstract (or "Warm Abstract"), opposite to the former, emphasizing the organicity in the course of painting and represented by Kandinsky. No matter what has evolved, such kind of keynote is always there.
　　The art of the 21st century is indeed multiple. Since 1980s, most Chinese artists, who go in for pioneer art, have chosen the methods of abstract. But most of the methods are imitation and transplantation so that forms and colors seem to be replica in my eyes. These words may be too severe, but I think their paintings are not as well as expected, in terms of the usage of paintbrush, the burst of colors, the implied meaning, the tactility and the paint.
　　Here, I want to share my own opinions about the paintings of my artist friend Myo Khin. When I had enjoyed many of his paintings in a breath, I started to wander about in his ocean of colors. I felt some unnamed aesthetically pleasant sensation during this process. Red was so fervent; blue was so melancholy; yellow was so tender; black was so mysterious… These colors are mingling and colliding on the paintings. Some of the colors are intensive, and some delicate; some move back, and some dash forward. Whether his paintings are big or not, they are all gratifying and charming.
　　Myo Khin is sensitive to colors, like the traditional Chinese painter to Chinese ink.
　　I didn't have much more chance to communicate with Myo Khin. But when I looked over his resume, I found that he had done some research on Chan sect. From the viewpoint of a foreigner, Chan sect has close relations with people's spirit, even inner world. Because it leads people to the way inward and seeks for the inward way of apperception. When the apperception works, the world will be a new one.
　　In the cockles of the Myo Khin's heart, I believe, there is another eye which could apperceive the world. Because this world is reflected on his paintings in the way conforming with Chan sect's notion of non-fog and non-flower. Everything melts into his brushwork, dipping lots of colors, and blends its own intelligence and consciousness into free painting course.
　　Myo Khin has said that colors belong to everyone. However, Myo Khin's colors are just fit for the people who have resonance with his heart.

作者：刘墨