有人说，艺术是把平庸的人生向上托举的力量，也有人说，艺术是指向未来的星光，还有人说，艺术是竞技场上的兴奋剂，它让我们忘却现实的烦恼，沉溺于无尽而不真的愉悦。不管怎么说，艺术是非常神奇甚至神圣的东西，是高于现实的东西，是应该敬而亲之的东西。就此而言，我曾问过左晋，作为一个庞大企业的董事长，有那么多的事情，怎么还能画这么多的油画作品?他的回答很简单，一是他的钟爱，二是为了减压。每当他的企业顺利或不顺利之时，每当他的压力过重、工作过于劳顿之时，他都会躲进他的画室，走进他的架上绘画。只要拿起画笔，他就会满腹轻松，只要进入色彩世界，他就会如醉如痴，达到了忘我的境地。此时，他特别地投入，特别地惬意，日常工作生活带来的烦恼与功利都会变得遥远。正如马蒂斯所说：“我所梦想的是一种协调、纯粹而又宁静的艺术，它避开了令人烦恼和沮丧的题材，它对心灵起着一种抚慰的作用，就像一个舒适的安乐椅那样，使疲惫的身体得到休息。” 左晋的企业，作为国内原创动画产业已有相当实力，但他更有高瞻远瞩的胸襟，仍然在不断扩大它的规模和投资，立足于产业化而走向国际化的发展思路和格局。这种气度和眼光折射进他的油画，必然使他的艺术不是对现实生活的再现，更不是对自然的描摹，而是以创造性的想象空间体现他的理想之美，表达的完全是他自身强烈的审美感受和文化自豪感。或许在他的作品中，人们不难看出他的人生与艺术都在追求这样的一种境界：充满理想主义意味，有着一种永远的新鲜和美丽。他以艺术家的眼光设计他企业的蓝图，他也总是以艺术家真诚的眼睛在他身边的世界努力搜寻令他感动的情境，即把人物、风景、静物巧妙地融为一体，似真似幻、如诗如梦地给予抽象朦胧的表现，每一个笔触、每一块色彩、每一处光线，既是自由的，又是表述的，既是抽象的，又是意象的，营造一个“非真实”的、属于自己的色彩世界。他的作品具有心灵的自传性，十分清晰地呈现了他的个性和气质，标志着不论他经历何种生活环境与情结，总能在艺术中保持一种纯粹的心境，他的艺术个性总能以执著的面貌出现。

　　现实生活是艺术创作的源泉，而艺术却不是真实生活的翻版，艺术创造若离开激情、想象、幻想和诗意，等于飞鸟失去了翅膀。从这种理念出发，左晋这么多年的油画创作远远抛开了客观物象的再现，而是带有抽象和象征意味的绘画。这并不意味着左晋的作品是脱离现实的主观臆造，而是在体验现实基础上的意象创造。当他在画布上挥动调和着颜色的画笔时，他的直接和间接的生活经验，都融化为他创作的资源;画布上偶然出现的色彩飘动或飘动的色彩，都可能成为刺激他产生灵感的因素。他重视自己头脑中偶发的、稍纵即逝的思绪，重视画面上出现的偶然的、意想不到的效果。在这种情况下，他会因势利导、机智而不失时机地加以延伸，以丰富画面效果，完善自己的艺术构思。在这方面，他似乎从中国传统写意画中得到启发，那就是“随兴所至，任意点染”的方法。这不禁使我想起明代唐志契在《绘事微言》中说过的一句话：“境与性会。”其意为好的作品往往是画家的内心与描绘境界合二而一的结果，是画家天赋与精神气质的自然体现。

　　印象派画家声称自己发现了绘画的“原子”——彩点。于是他们就用彩点去构造画面，“彩点”构成了他们作品的基本语言;表现派画家更喜欢用“色线”表现他们狂放的激情，于是色线就成为他们的常用语汇。左晋却喜欢用断断续续不连贯的笔触、线条和色彩，以隐喻、象征、暗示的图式，让人们从四面八方感受到他的情绪。他时而借鉴莫奈的日光处理，使色彩不断变得明亮、欢快;他时而吸取科柯施卡那富有强烈动感的笔触，以歪曲客体的变形，追求颤动的光色世界。他在许多作品中都采用了一种模糊不清、隐隐约约的色光，以中间调子为主，很少用原色，但层次强烈。尤其是丰富色点和飘动色线的巧妙运用使他的作品越到近期越显得如梦如幻，朦胧闪烁中透着实体。他的作品富于幻想，一旦想象与现实冲突，他就用幻想来代替，流露出强烈的浪漫主义气概。

　　我们不妨看看他近期的几幅作品：

　　2007年创作的《丽风》是一幅表现女人体的作品。画家不太留意对物象的具体描绘，而重在营造一种诗意氛围，如《伴娘》的热烈与喧闹、《午后》的神秘与明媚，均给人留下深刻的印象。而这幅新作又有所不同，它侧重于表现一种清丽和煦的意境。画中人物置身于山坡旷野之中，抽象的彩点动势及自由的笔触，勾画出具有绚丽美感的幻境。画家模糊了人物的细部，所造成的柔美朦胧的丰腴的人体交织于习习山风的光色飘动之中，与背景相融形成统一的色调，让看画的人也在不知不觉中感受到丽风吹拂的爽快与凉意。

　　《时尚•恋》(2007年作)表现的是一对都市男女相会的情景，它不像《相悦》那样以抽象的符号寓意“两情相悦”的欢乐，而是以一种平面化的、否定与模糊的气息去言说人生的境遇。显然，纳比派艺术神秘而情绪化的色彩，曾深深地打动过他，因此，左晋非常注重色彩空间、情感微妙关系的处理与表达。在他看来，色彩是有距离的，也是有感情的，更是有性别的，由此不断地思考与努力，使得他在色彩上的表现越来越成熟，表达也越来越纯净。在这里，艺术是精神的叩问，而不是单纯的技术与形式。

　　再从左晋的近作《对话》、《金钱游戏》、《艺术家与树叶》、《泡沫时代》、《快感》中可以看到，作品的实质性问题在于对“人”的关注。画家带着个人的感受、体验，甚至抽象的想象进入“人”的此时此地的生存状态，那种掩饰不住的激情充溢于画面，有一种难于言说的深境。在那些看似无序而有序、纷繁而统一、模糊而可视的抽象结构中，空间在叠加、错位与倒置中被编织成秩序，体现为一种荒诞、失衡、动态的节奏与韵律，以此重归绘画的本源，恢复对生存、生活与心灵的审视、反思与评价。这样的作品，其价值不在于是否令人感动，而让人在感受中产生无法忘怀的思考。

　　从这个意义上说，左晋的作品不是站在现实之外的冷漠之作，也不是苍白想象中的技法表现，而是最个人化的感受和最内在需要的一种表达方式，是一种源于存在的、现实的人的本能感受，以及由此而带来的种种无限可能性。这一切无法预先设定某种风格、取向，只能在面对生活现实时，不仅凭感觉与经验去创作，而且更表现为对“人”的重视与关怀，从而在其中充满对空间、形式、语言的重新发现。也许，这正是左晋作品区别于他人的不同之处。

　　如果说左晋的上述作品是靠想象力作画的话，那么，他的另一类风景题材的作品靠的是写生，靠的是用眼睛直接观察来获得信息并通过绘画来加以表现。左晋一直热爱写生，他从写生中感受到一种乐趣。他的企业基地一个在北方，一个在南方，当他常年奔波于南北方之际，于空暇之时，或者说于身心疲惫之时，他的最大快乐就是走向大自然，走向田野去写生。当他面对北方的旷野、家乡的小路、皑皑的白雪、秋天的芦荡，抑或是烟雨江南的水乡、荷塘，他都会心旷神怡，按捺不住内心的冲动，一切烦恼、忧愁都抛之九霄云外。优雅抒情的写意手法和朴素恬淡的乡土情思，构成了左晋风景画的鲜明风格。色彩和笔触的韵律感，使他的画面有着一种举重若轻的艺术气质和浑然浪漫的抒情意味;画面总体呈现出的层次感与秩序感，又使其具有思想家的深沉和诗人的优雅。左晋极为重视写生画中的“直接性”与“敏感性”的保持，所谓“直接性”就是自然中直接的生动感受;所谓“敏感性”就是自然中最触动画家神经和感觉引起画兴那些部分与因素。丢掉写生中的直接性与敏感性，写生画不可能生动，但是，仅仅满足于这种直接性与敏感性，写生往往只能停留在写生稿的基础上。因此，左晋在写生时善于作艺术处理，善于把那些他认为能增强画面效果的部分突出与强化，而对那些次要的、无助于画面表现的繁琐细节加以删除、省略，从而使画面结构和表现语言整体、概括而显得有精神，有活力。这样的写生已经不是单纯客观自然物象与景色的呈现，而是相当主观的创造。左晋组织画面的能力是很强的，在基本上是写实的画面上，他大胆地运用抽象因素，用点、线、面的整体组合，通过笔意和色彩把情绪直接带进画面中去，拓宽和强化了绘画语言的可变性及画面形式因素的表现力。这是因为他在追求强健、硬朗的画风时，始终保留着他对描绘的大自然的生动感受，并把这种感受体现在自己的绘画语言之中，精心构思寄寓在即兴的描绘之中。人们在品味他的作品时，也能感觉和体会到他既理性有富于激情的创作状态。

　　在左晋的作品面前，我们有时也有这样的想法，他是否太注重美好的东西了。确实，左晋艺术创造的出发点是发现美、歌颂美，他似乎对自然中丑陋的东西视而不见。就这一点来说，他坚守的是古典的艺术原则;但他的绘画语言和技巧更强调现实的多面性和感觉的真实性，因此他的作品又具有现代艺术的特征。这种现代感不仅表现为色彩的响亮、鲜丽、含蓄、内敛，而且跃动着我们这个时代的旋律与节奏，使我们从中感到一种生气。看来，艺术现代性的创造，途径是多方面的，古典的美学原则有时也可以被人们用来为现代的创造服务。关键是画家的感觉是否和时代合拍，作品所体现和表达的精神是否和时代相呼应。 左晋的艺术实践表明，他是一位十分重视体悟生活和艺术奥秘的艺术家。现在，他正值创作旺期，他将以充沛的精力、澎湃激越的感情，投入到他的新风格的油画创作中，他肯定会和他的企业一样，还会取得可以预料的新成果。

　　2007年12月28日完稿于北京王府公寓

　　People say that art helps to broaden our horizons, brighten our future and raise our morale. Art also takes us away from our everyday trouble and affords us a lot of fun. Art is magic or even holy, to say at the least. It’s something that is larger than life, and should be appreciated and even revered. I once asked Zuo Jin how he had managed to create so many oil paintings as he has so much to do as the president of a large company. He answered briefly that he paints partly because he loves painting and partly for stress relief. When his business is doing fine or even getting into trouble, or he feels tired or is working under pressure, he retires to his studio and picks up his brush. The moment he takes up the brush, he has a myriad of inspirations, always lost in the world of colors. When engrossed in painting, he feels fantastic, forgetting about all the trouble the ups and downs of everyday life. This feeling is echoed by Henri Matisse, a renowned French artist, who said “all that I’m dreaming of is harmonious, pure, tranquil art free from upsetting or frustrating topics. It (art) brings solace to my mind, just like an easy chair, in which I can relax myself completely.”

　　In China’s creative animation industry, Zuo Zin’s company is quite a heavyweight. But Zuo Jin is still looking to expand his business and establish a worldwide presence rooted in this industry. This global perspective is well couched in his oil paintings, making his art far more than a simple depiction of nature, but something that has materialized his passion, his strong sense of aesthetics and cultural pride. It’s quite easy to perceive in his paintings his aspiration for idealism, everlasting freshness and beauty in both life and art. He plans his company strategy with artistic vision. With a sharp artistic eye, he looks around for anything that moves him. He tries to blend people, scenery and still life perfectly, presenting fantastic, poetic images with every touch, color and shade in his paintings. These images are unstrained but expressive, abstract but informative, creating an unreal world of colors for the painter himself. His works are a clear reflection of his own particular traits and personality, highlighting his pure state of mind and pursuit of artistic individualism in whatever situation and sentiment.

　　Life is the source of artistic creation but art is far more than a simple presentation of real life. Artistic creation cannot exist without passion, imagination, dreams and poetry just as a bird cannot live without wings. Based on this notion, Zuo Jin has stepped far beyond a presentation of real objects to add rich imaginations and symbols into his oil paintings over the years. This does not necessarily mean Zuo Jin’s paintings are fabrications beyond real life but creations based on real life. When moving his brush on the canvas, he is just translating his life experiences, direct or indirect, into a production. Even an occasional slight change in color on the canvas can inspire him enormously. He values every thought that crosses his mind as well as any sporadic or even unexpected effect in his drawing. In this situation, he makes the best of his inspiration to extend his perspectives, add more to his painting and improve his artistic design. He might have drawn inspiration from traditional Chinese impressionistic paintings characterized by “autonomous painting”. This reminds me of a well-known remark an artist back in the Tang Dynasty made in his book About Painting, “blend a scene with your personality". That is to say, a good painting is usually a blend of the painter’s mind and what the painter wants to represent, and a natural combination of the painter's talent and mentality.

　　Impressionistic painters once declared they had discovered the basic element of painting or color point. Then they set about creating images using color points. Hence, color points have become the basic ingredient of their works. But expressionists prefer to express their passion using color lines, so these lines have become an important part of their paintings. However, Zuo Jin chooses to represent his emotions and feelings by using discontinuous touches, lines and colors in connotative, symbolic, implicit graphics. Sometimes he draws upon Monet’s sunlight style to brighten up his colors. At other times he will turn to Kokoschka’s dynamic brushwork, trying to create a world of light and color by distorting real objects. In many of his paintings, Zuo Jin has employed a faint shade and mostly a moderate tune. Though he rarely applies primary colors, his paintings are not without clear layers of color. In particular, thanks to his skillful use of rich color points and dynamic color lines, his paintings are becoming increasingly dreamlike, with shadowy images against a bright background. His works feature rich imaginations. Zuo Jin always prizes the imaginary above the real, showing his strong preference for romance.

　　Moving on now to his recent paintings, Trace of Beauty is a good place to start. It’s an oil painting he produced in 2007 to represent the female body. Instead of focusing on details, the painter is trying to create a poetic environment, which is effectively explained by the liveliness and clamor in Bridesmaid and by the mystery and brightness in Afternoon. But this new painting distinguishes itself by an artistic conception featuring freshness and warmth. With characters set in the wild, the painting presents a colorful dreamland based on dynamic color points and unrestrained touches. By blurring the details of the characters, the painter intends to create an image in which curvy human bodies are fluttering in the mountain breeze, giving viewers a feeling that they are enjoying the cool breeze themselves.

　　Fashion & Love, another work Zuo Jin painted in 2007, attempts to portray a date between a city boy and girl. Unlike Mutual Joy, which symbolizes the pleasure of love for each other using abstract signs, this painting seems to be telling a life story in a plain but negative tone. Obviously, the mysterious and emotional style of the Nabis School has profoundly influenced Zuo Jin. That’s why he lays much stress on color distribution and delicate sentiment. To his mind, color is distant but emotional or even sexual. So he is thinking increasingly deeply about color elements, bringing accelerated maturity and purity of color in his representation. Here, more than pure technique and form, art is a soul-searching process.

　　Zuo Jin’s other recent works, including Dialog, Game of Money, Artist v.s. Leaf, Times of Bubble and Delight, are filled with humanity. The painter is sharing his feelings, experiences and imaginations through his works to explore the state of presence here and now. His paintings are brimming with enthusiasm beyond description. These paintings appear to be a mixture of order and disorder, simplicity and complexity, organized in an abstract but close-knitted structures, and in a dynamic balance between real and unreal. Through all these elements, the painter is tracing back to the source of painting and reflecting on life and soul. Such works of art are moving and, more importantly, thought-provoking.

　　In this sense, Zuo Jin’s oil paintings are neither cool productions independent of reality nor pale presentations, but the painter’s instinctive and personalized expressions to explore the unlimited possibilities derived from the real world. Therefore, the painter cannot afford to predetermine a style or orientation, but create works based on his experience and feelings, to show the diverse concerns of humanity and rediscover the space, form and language of painting. Maybe this is exactly how Zuo Jin sets himself apart from other painters in style.

　　The paintings discussed earlier are founded on imagination, while his landscape paintings are largely set in real life, in which Zuo Jin expresses himself through his perception of the world in his eyes. Zuo Jin enjoys sketching from nature very much. His company has two bases, one in North China and the other in South China. In his spare time besides traveling between north and south all the year round, he likes to be close to nature and make sketches of life. Whether in the wild or on a country road, whether watching falling snowflakes or autumn reed marshes, or standing by a river or a lotus pond in the south, Zuo Jin will have an impulse to paint, forgetting about all his worries and troubles. Zuo Jin's landscape paintings feature a combination of graceful brushwork and rural simplicity. Thanks to rhythms of color and touch, his paintings deliver artistic quality and romantic flavors as well. Neatly structured, the works are profound and graceful. Zuo Jin places emphasis on keeping his nature paintings direct and sensitive. By being direct, he wants to express his unaffected feelings about nature; by being sensitive, he wants to depict the elements he's most interested in. Nature paintings cannot be impressive if they are not direct or sensitive. From this directness and sensitivity, sketches of nature are generated. Very skillful in artistic processing, Zuo Jin usually highlights the parts he thinks important while at the same time watering down or even eliminating unwanted details, making the entire painting simple and lively in structure and presentation. Sure enough, such paintings are more than a simple presentation of natural views. Instead, they are subjective creations. Zuo Jin has a strong ability to frame his paintings. By innovatively applying abstract elements and combining points, lines and planes, he hopes to incorporate his emotions into his paintings through conception and color. In this way, he has enriched and enhanced his style of presentation. In addition to pursuing rugged brushwork, Zuo Jin incorporates his strong feelings about nature and well-conceived ideas into his improvisational presentations. Viewers can readily perceive his presence of mind and passion from his paintings.

　　I feel the same way while in the presence of his paintings, because he has focused so much on good things. Zuo Jin dedicates his works to unearthing and praising good things, and simply turns a blind eye to bad things. Presumably he adheres to the classics, but his drawing language and style are versatile and true to feeling. That's why his paintings also have modern characteristics. Being modern consists of more than just bright and meaningful colors. His paintings even keep step with the times, throbbing with life. It seems that modern artistic creations can be produced in a variety of ways. Even classic aesthetics can be build into modern paintings. Most importantly the painter’s works must coincide with the times, interpret and represent those times.

　　Zuo Jin’s experimentation with oil paintings proves that Zuo Jin is an artist who devotes himself to exploring the secrets of life and art. Now in the prime of his creativity, he is committed to devoting much energy and passion to creating oil painting in a new style. He is set to achieve even greater success in painting than he already does with his business.

　　Written at Beijing Wangfu Apartment on December 28,2007

作者：贾德江