我与谭平初次相见是在1994年，当时他在王府井大街中国美术馆附近的当代美术馆举办个人展览，展出的有他早期地图形式的蚀刻画，大胆的墨黑底色画，以及册页版画。他的版画是惊人的，立即吸引住我。当时红门画廊正和谭平在中央美院的年轻同事苏新平、刘庆和以及周吉荣有合作，谭平很快也加入了红门画廊。1995年我们为他举办了第一次个展，一直到今天。

　　读者从本图录中可以看到，谭平在过去二十年对版画创作的艺术探索，主要集中在蚀刻与木刻版画，他娴熟自如地运用这两种技法，创作的抽象作品节奏明快，构图纯粹。谭平在北京中央美院和柏林艺术大学硕士学习期间，接受了深厚扎实的艺术训练，他充分发挥其艺术修养，持续创作出力度深刻的作品，引起了世界各地不同民族文化观众的共鸣。他的作品经常在画廊展出，并频频受策展人邀请参展，近来更在国内数家大型美术馆包括中国美术馆举办展览，逐渐成为当今中国最重要杰出的艺术家之一，我们有幸一直见证谭平在艺术领域的发展与成就。

　　除了投身艺术创作，谭平多年来在中央美术学院任教，曾任设计系主任，目前任职美院副院长，这样资深的艺术教育经历，使他影响了美院内外整代年轻学生的艺术理念和实践。

　　谭平如今到了知天命之年，变得更加清醒冷静，淡定从容。得以在本展览中欣赏谭平过去二十年的版画成果，我再次被他鲜活灵动的艺术精神所激励和打动。我和红门画廊在过往多年中为曾亲手触摸感受他的很多作品，深感自豪。

　　我诚挚邀请大家一起庆贺谭平的艺术成就，并热切期盼他在未来二十年的更多杰作！

　　I first met Tan Ping in 1994 when he held his solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, just off Wangfujing St in the shadow of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC). He was showing his early etchings of map-like prints and bold, black fields, as well as album leaves. The printmaking was striking, and immediately captivated me.

　　Very quickly, Tan Ping joined his young colleagues Su Xinping, Liu Qinghe and Zhou Jirong from the Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA) at Red Gate and in 1995 we held the first of many solo shows for him. As the reader will see in this catalogue, Tan Ping's exploration of printmaking techniques over the last two decades has focused on etching and woodblock printing - the two methods he is most comfortable with in creating his pulsating abstract compositions. He has utilized his formidable training from CAFA and his Master's program in Berlin to consistently create powerful and profound works which resonate with people from all over the world. We have witnessed his progress through gallery shows, invitations to participate in curated events, and more recently, his major exhibitions at such prestigious Chinese museums as NAMOC, marking his ascendancy as one of the most significant artists in China today.

　　As well as being a practicing artist, Tan Ping's career at CAFA as a lecturer, Director of the Design Department, and currently as Vice President of the Academy, has allowed him to influence a whole generation of artists at the school and beyond.

　　As sobering as turning 50 can be to any of us, I am energized by being able to review and present almost 20 years of diligent practice in this exhibition. Red Gate and I have been proud to handle much of the work over the years.

　　Please join me in congratulating the artist on his achievements. We look forward to the next twenty years of work!

作者：布朗•华莱士