几个月前，我在为《当代著名中国画画家专列》写的总序中，陈述了艺术文化在本世纪民族复兴的大业中所起的重要作用。我在那里主要是针对一大批名扬海内外的专业艺术家而言的，其实，这个命题更深刻的含义却存在于广阔的非专业领域，存在于社会上各种职业的人士对于艺术的追求和向往之中。

    上海电视台台长盛重庆先生在病中给我写信，告诉我在他们台的行政管理干部中间隐藏着一位出色的画家，让我关注一下。这就是何百明先生，很快我就见到了他本人和他的作品。

    直到今天何百明先生还不是专业画师，但是他从艺二十余年来，却始终以一个高品位画家的标准修炼着自己，因此他所达到的水平也远不是一般的业余美术爱好者所能比肩的了。在早年，他认认真真地拜著名画家邓怀农先生为师，并受到著名书画家程十发、赵冷月先生的指教，打下了坚实的笔墨功底，然后揣摩学习八大、石涛、扬州八怪的画风，在此基础上集中研习近代海派绘画，尤其着迷于任颐和虚谷。这一条路数，既符合习艺的基本程序，又体现了他个人对自身的发现。一个艺术爱好者当他从入室师傅那里找到了站立的基石，接下来的事情就是寻找自己了，而寻找自己的起点就是在已有的绘画史上寻找与自己生命的撞击点，因此何百明先生找到任颐和虚谷并不是偶然的，用他自己的话说是“在忠实于自我情感的基础上，立足于情感意象的独特创造。”由于经历了这么一场延续二十余年的选择和投入，何百明先生在业余的环境中进入到了一种极为“专业”的创作状态。

    但是，业余的创作环境也给了何百明先生一副比许多专业画家更现实、更通脱的眼光。他与日常的社会生活贴得很近，因此在认真地学习传统之后很快就认识到不能使传统成为包袱，更不能把中国画那些疲顿的笔墨惰性当作财宝。他常常为如何使自己的画笔体现时代精神和自我个性而苦恼，而就在一次次苦恼中，他的笔下渐渐出现了具有装饰性的现代构成，出现了合理的变形，但这一切又统一在一种清新明丽、纯真宁静的气氛中，力求赏心悦目，雅俗共赏。我认为，这种艺术风范是颇得海派绘画要领的。

    绘画是寿者的嘉业，何百明先生还年轻，发展的余地不可限量。现在，开了展览会，出了画册，他就正正经经地进入了上海人的视线，今后的每一步，都要受到大家的关注了。我想，这位几乎每天深夜都沉浸在笔墨兴奋中的画家是不会使大家失望的。 

    是为序。

                                                                          一九九六年七月二日

Foreword

Yu Qiu-yu

Several months ago, I wrote a foreword for "A Special Collection of Works by Distinguished Contemporary Chinese Artists", there I made a point about the important role played by art in the renaissance of the Chineses culture. At the time, I was refering to those professional artists who enjoy a growing reputation both at home and abroad. In fact, a renaissance in the real sense of the world will only take place when art becomes the pursuit and enthusiasm of people in all walks of life.

The Director of Shanghai TV Station, Mr Sheng Chong-qing, wrote me a letter asking me to view the works of a talented artist on his staff. I soon had the pleasure of meeting Mr. He Bai-ming.

Although Mr. He is not a professional artist, he has devoted himself to this pastime for over twenty years and has consistently set high standard for his art. As a result, his achievement has far exceeded our expectations of the ordinary amateur. In his youth, Mr. He was a student to a number of great artists including Deng Huai-nong, Cheng Shi-fa and Zhao Leng-yue. With this strong foundation in technique, Mr. He contemporary Hai style, those of Ren Yi and Xu Gu in particular. 

Mr. He started with learning the fundamentals of painting. The second step was to discover and express himself. It was no accident that he fell in love with the works of Ren Yi and Xu Gu. He explained to me, "these works were inspired by the artists' own feelings, and created in unique ways." After twenty years of painting, Mr He has the dedication and working habits of the professional.

However, Mr. He has a more realistic perspective than many professional artists who live in ivory tower. He has learned from tradition yet dose not allow himself to be burdened by it. He constantly challenges himself to reveal his own personality as well as depicting the world we are living in. His pains taking effort has produced a fresh, innocent style of his own yet appealing to all. I think he has mastered the significance of the Hai style. Painting is an undertaking that improves as people age. Mr He Baiming is still very young and I see a great future for him. With the book and an exhibition on, all of Shanghai will be able to enjoy thses paintings. From now onwards, every step he is taking will be noticed by others. For some one like Mr. He, who spent night after night immersed in a world of brush and ink, you will not be disappointed.

                                                                                July 2,1996

 

作者：余秋雨