近百年，关于中国画的论争最多，观点之奇异，实验之花样，也最难见头绪，近读中国画家洪波“用中国画画美国山水” 之新颖观点，感想颇深。如果一定要在陆离纷乱中寻出大趋势，无疑这一观点和命题将成为艺评家们着重分析的对象。

　　一、 情境

　　当代中国画正处在没有权威，摸索徘徊，对抗互补的阶段。而在洪波的论述中提出“中国画赋予美国山水新内涵”，正是将原先中国画传统的情境无限放大，并衍生出新的路径。当代中国画，因其传统模式自身局限和不间断地遭受否定而逐渐弱化了影响力，却未能在艺术上超越传统型中国画。青年艺术家就因此失去了权威概念，转而在形式上复杂多变，偏离了中国画的本质。如此便形成了当代艺术家的徘徊，左右为难的心态，这种心态却又不适时宜的表现在作品中，如向往现代又留恋传统，羡慕前辈功力又嫌他们不够新颖，钦佩后生大胆又愤然于他们的“妄为”，从西方借来的诸种图式与手段很难与传统和谐，与古典名作相比太不精辟，对老式的感到亲切，但又不喜欢老态，渴望新鲜感，又恐惧甚至厌恶现代的粗野怪异。

　　两难心态使当代中国画艺术在古典与现代，和谐与不和谐，变革与守成，突变与渐变之间摇摆不定。徘徊包含思考与探索，不安与彷徨。如同文化态势一样，画界也充满着对抗与排斥，地区与风格之间、画家群体之间、新老两代之间、不同观点之间，不免互不服气，一些批评家甚至断言，中国百年内将无中国画大师产生，正是因为这种文化与思想的纠葛而营造了如此的态势。

　　世界上没有绝对统一的东西，包括绝对统一的艺术与艺术标准。洪波始终坚持中西融合的艺术选择，从他的作品中就能很明显的感受到。例如2009年作品《好莱坞山脉写生》、2012年作品《优胜美地观瀑图》是典型的中国传统绘画和美国元素融合，通过这两幅时间跨度几年的作品，可见其研究和探索的过程及阅历。他是以远距离的视角去考量和探索中国画：“我移居美国，同时在两地文化的浪潮中探索，竭力想在纸上水墨中找出宽广的大道，因为不少西方人认为中国画的发展没有世界发展观前途，只能是中国的‘土特产’”。我们都知道中国画的古典艺术已经是极致，无法超越，我们只能继承其笔墨技法、精神，而“五四”后，徐悲鸿，刘海粟，吴冠中等先贤画家留洋回国，也已经将中西融合的演练到一定的高度，之后的也只是邯郸学步。在这种趋势下，洪波提出逆向思维观点“用中国画画美国山水”，不仅将中国画赋予到外在的艺术，也是对现当代中国画艺术“缤纷浪潮”的一种启示。“师夷长技以自强”的年代早已过去，大多数的现当代画家为何一定要将西方的艺术元素硬拉硬套的融入到中国画里面?为何中国画不能走出去，纳入其他艺术的革新中?

　　洪波说过“画也要吸引西方人欣赏和收藏，听取他们的意见或融进西方的元素，十分正常，但如果以西方人的艺术标准来衡量中国画，那就不正常了，中国画有自己独特的文化背景和形神风格，我想做的是将中国传统的中国画带出去，与西方艺术形成平等的交流，只有赋予一些他们认可的内涵，才能重新改观世界对于现当代中国画的评判标准”。

　　其实洪波用中国画画美国山水，难道是仅仅用传统的绘画技巧去描绘美国山水，让一些美国人民看到熟悉的事物产生些许共鸣?显然不是，从个人观点看，这将是现当代中国画打破纷乱大趋势的新开端。如中国画家起初没有皴法概念，而是面对陌生的山川景色，探索求得，才有了之后的各种皴法，以此类推，对于美国加州甚至世界山川美景，抑或文化的探索和研究，终究会开辟出新道路。洪波只是用其对于大自然感动的心触碰到这个方向而已，而后的研究可能将会形成中国画美洲画派、中国画欧洲画派也未为可知，需要将这一发现持续探索。

　　二、 笔墨

　　笔墨可分为两个部分，一部分是基本的笔法、墨法，如平、留、圆、重，如浓、淡、焦、宿、积、泼、破等，在画史上形成一套被普遍认可的经典作法和优劣标准。这些作法、标准与千余年来中国艺术家对水墨媒材的深刻熟悉、传统文人的思想智慧是分不开的，并在一代代的鉴赏过程中形成了深层的心理意识沉淀。这是中国画最基本的部分。另一部分是画家、画派、地域、时代的笔墨风格，具体的笔墨程式与技法，包括那些条目繁多的描法、皴法等，是易于变化也是不断变化的。一味的重复这些风格画法就是复古，固化这些风格画法就会僵化，窒息创造力，将某种画法视为神圣就会使绘画失去活力。至此，笔墨纷争也是不断的，一方面革新，一方面却又保持传统。如何革新?如何保留传统?从洪波论述中我们可知一二。

　　首先观其画作，如2012年作品《美国加州优胜美地诸峰》、《优胜美地半月丘写生》、《加州黄金海岸写生》，个性鲜明，变化丰富，毫无疑问笔法、墨法都是继承传统的，保留了传统文人画精神，造诣颇深。其次又有新的变化，例如论述中阐述的排梳皴、如意云等画法的创造，运用在作品中，是对美国加州山川美景的最好表达方式。洪波指出：“革新并非是革中国画的命，而是注重新的发现和创造”由此而知，一味的改革，推翻先贤的足迹是可笑，而“新”的观点又千奇百怪，各人都有不同见解。

　　洪波认为：“新是激励一个画家去探索、发现、创造的动力。古人云：文章本天成，妙手偶得之。同样的道理，大自然孕育了很多未知，需要一个画家用心去观察、体会和发现”。

　　站在这个观点的基础上，不难理解当中国画处于萌芽阶段时，无种类繁多的描法，更无皴法可言。古代先贤们，如董源，李成，范宽等画家，用心观察，探索和演变，针对山川、树木之不同，而后出现了水墨画的大成，如今却慢慢淡化了。

　　谈到洪波的排梳皴，正是研究了美国加州的复杂地形，如科迪勒拉山系，新生代褶皱带，构造复杂，由一系列褶皱断层组成，地壳活动至今仍在继续，是环太平洋火山地震带重要组成部分，由一系列平行山脉、高原和盆地组成。他运用了前辈多种皴法实验，都不得要领，遂起笔变皴，暂叫做排梳皴，如2010年作品《阿苏莎农场》中的典型画法，像梳子一样，梳理出那些复杂的地形和平行山脉，岩石肌理的清晰表现，特殊的纹理和沙砾感，是其他皴法不能比拟的，这种研究和探索的过程与先贤之经历竟有异曲同工之妙。

　　试问，地球上的其他国家有成千上万种地形山势，中国画老祖宗传下的皴法，笔法都能恰如其分的表达吗?答案是否定的，那现当代中国画艺术的前进之路为何停滞?这是引起反思的地方。笔墨技法传下来了，却不思创新探索，整天要革笔墨的命，革去几千年的精华，那只能是对传统笔墨的嘲弄。

　　三、 思想

　　“既须得屈原的缠绵悱恻，又须得庄子的超旷空灵。缠绵悱恻，才能一往情深，深入万物的核心，所谓‘得其环中’。超旷空灵，才能如镜中花，水中月，羚羊挂角，无迹可寻，所谓‘超以象外’。色即是空，空即是色，色不异空，空不异色，这不但是盛唐人的诗境，也是宋元人的画境。”——《中国艺术之境之诞生》

　　以上这段话充分描写的思想境界是中国画的灵魂。就事而论，洪波的论述“用中国画画美国山水”，其思想带给了美国山水一种新的表现张力。中国历史上，居支配地位的“儒家思想”、“老庄思想”，是符合自然的中庸之道，表达了几千年以来中国画“文人雅士”的意境，这是中国特有的文化，而现当代艺术思想复杂多变，正是缺乏古代的“简、雅、古拙”，是幼稚的。洪波的艺术思想传达很简明，即“无论中西，为我所用”，用西方的素材去拓展中国传统绘画，同时要保留中国画最基本，最灵魂的笔墨精神。谁说美国山水甚至西方的美景一定要用油画、水彩去表达?从洪波的作品中，我们还是看到了现当代中国画的发展希望，以及他的思想高度和扩容性。

　　American Natural Scenery and Hong Bo's Expansion

　　of Chinese Paintings

　　The past century has seen the greatest amount of debate regarding Chinese painting. There have been many peculiar viewpoints expressed, and a great variety of different trials commenced, but there is no telling where all of this will lead. Lately, I have become deeply intrigued after reading of the new and interesting viewpoint of the Chinese painter Hong Bo, which is to “paint American natural scenery in the style of Chinese paintings.” If we had to identify a general trend in the chaotic storm of ideas currently being expressed on the topic of Chinese painting, we could definitely identify this viewpoint and proposition as a future topic of analysis that will be central among these artists’ discussion.

　　1. Context

　　Contemporary Chinese painting is currently in a stage where it is unauthoritative, has lost its direction, and is struggling between the resistance and acceptance of outside influence. However, Hong Bo’s viewpoint that “Chinese style paintings can give American natural scenery new meaning,” is capable of an unrestrained enlargement of the traditional context in which Chinese paintings have originally been approached, and has provided new paths for this approach. Contemporary Chinese painting has seen a gradual weakening of its influence, a weakening that may be attributed to the limitations of its own traditional methods and the constant denial to which it is subjected. But even so, it has still been unable to transcend the traditional artistic style of Chinese painting. Because of this, young artists have lost their respect for authority, and instead have produced a complicated mess of works that have lost the original essence of Chinese paintings. This is the reason for the loss of direction and lack of confidence seen throughout contemporary artists. This type of mindset manifests itself at the most inappropriate of times in their works, displaying itself as a yearning for what is modern while being unwilling to part with tradition, as a respect for the accomplishments of previous artists while remaining displeased with their lack of creativity, and as an admiration for the boldness of young artists that is mixed with an extreme displeasure with their “lack of discipline.” They have borrowed a host of styles and techniques from the West that are unable to harmonize with tradition, and are far less penetrating than those classical masterpieces. They feel a sense of familiarity when looking at the old styles, but then feel as though they do not like these old styles. They crave for a feeling of novelty, yet are terrified and even disgusted by the wild and bizarre works of modern times.

　　This feeling of uncertainty has caused modern Chinese painting art to vacillate back and forth between antiquity and the modern age, between harmony and disharmony, between reformation and conservation, and between major change and moderate adjustments. This wavering occurs both in the thought and exploration processes, and results in anxiety and agitation. Just as is seen throughout the development of cultural trends, the world of painting is filled with resistance and exclusion that takes place between the different regions and styles, between the different groups of painters, between the new and old generations, and between different perspectives, and it is inevitable that these schools will be reluctant to submit to one another. Some critics have even declared that no great Chinese painter will appear within the next century. It is this kind of cultural and intellectual dispute that has created a trend of this nature.

　　Nothing in the world is of perfect unity, and this includes art and artistic standards that are perfectly unified. Hong Bo has always stuck by his artistic decision to blend that of China with that of the West, and this can be felt very clearly when admiring his works. For example, his 2009 work entitled “Sketch of the Hollywood Mountains,” and his 2012 work entitled “View of a Yosemite Waterfall” are both classic examples of the blending of Chinese traditional painting with American elements. From these two works, whose completion was separated by a few years, we can witness the process and experience of his research and exploration. He considers and explores Chinese painting from a long range perspective: “I have moved to the United States, but at the same time I am making my exploration amongst the swirling tides of the two different cultures, and am investing all of my energy in locating a great open road on my paper and in my ink, because quite a few Westerners believe that the development of Chinese painting has no prospect of development throughout the world as a whole, and is only capable of remaining a ‘local product’ of China.” We all know that the classical art of Chinese painting has already reached its zenith, is incapable of being superseded, and that all we can do now is inherit these techniques and spirit of the brush and ink. After the “May Fourth” movement, outstanding painters at the time such as Xu Beihong, Liu Haisu, and Wu Guanzhong returned to China after their studies abroad, and had already achieved a blending of Chinese and Western concepts that was of particular excellence, and those who proceeded these artists could only busy themselves with clumsy imitations. With this general trend as a backdrop, Hong Bo presented his idea, a reversal of the general thinking of the time, which was to “paint American natural scenery in the style of Chinese paintings.” This not only served to introduce Chinese painting styles to foreign art, but has also acted as a beacon of inspiration to those lost in the “tempestuous currents” that are currently effecting modern and contemporary Chinese painting art. The age in which we must “study the skills of Westerners to strengthen ourselves” has long past, so why is it that such a great proportion of modern and contemporary painters are so dead set on forcing Western artistic elements to blend in with Chinese painting styles? Why is it that Chinese painting styles cannot walk out onto the world stage, and become part of the reformation of other types of art?

　　Hong Bo has said that “paintings also need to be appreciated and collected by Westerners, and it is completely normal to consider their opinions and include Western elements (when completing these paintings). But if we were to measure Chinese paintings by the artistic standards of Westerners, then that would be abnormal. Chinese paintings also have their own unique cultural background and their own style and spirit. What I want to do is bring traditional Chinese paintings from China out (for the world to see), and provide for their equal exchange with Western art. We must add a few elements that they are able to accept, if we are to once-again change the standard by which the world judges modern and contemporary Chinese paintings.”

　　Hong Bo has used Chinese painting styles to paint the natural scenery in America, but could it be that he has relied solely on traditional painting techniques to depict this American scenery, intending for the American people to gaze upon these familiar sights and be instantly moved? Apparently not. From the perspective of the individual painter, this will be a new beginning in the effort by modern and contemporary Chinese paintings to break the trend of unorganized development that has been taking place. It is just like when Chinese painters, in the very beginning, had no concept for texturizing techniques, and could only face the scenery of unfamiliar mountains and rivers and go about their own individual exploration and discovery, which resulted in all the different types of texturizing techniques that developed later on. Just in this way, in time there will be new roads opened in how we approach the beautiful natural scenery in California, USA, or even that of the entire world, and how we complete our cultural exploration and research. Hong Bo has only stumbled down this direction with the help of his heart that has been moved by Mother Nature. For all we know, future research could very well see the creation of an American school of Chinese paintings or even a European school of Chinese paintings. This discovery needs to see continued exploration.

　　2. Brush and Ink

　　The concept of the brush and ink can be divided into two parts. This first part is the basic brush techniques and ink techniques, such as flattened, tailed, rounded, weighted, and others such as thickened, lightened, burnt, darkened, heaped, splashed, and broken, etc. These techniques have formed a set of classic methods and quality standards that have been universally accepted throughout the history of painting. These techniques and standards are inseparable from the deep familiarity that Chinese artists have for such materials as ink as well as the intellect and wisdom of traditional literati that has been accumulated for millennia, and are also a collection of the deep mental awareness that has been gained throughout the critiquing process carried out generation after generation. These constitute the most fundamental parts of Chinese painting. The other part includes the brush and ink styles of the different painters, painting theories, regions, and time periods, as well as their specific styles and techniques of the brush and ink, which includes scores of varying methods of depiction and texturizing techniques, etc. This second part highly capable of change, and is indeed subject to constant change. Solely repeating these styles and painting techniques would be an attempt to restore ancient ways, and solidifying these styles and painting techniques would only result in more rigidity and the suffocation of creativity. Viewing certain painting techniques as sacred will cause painting to lose its vitality. As of now, the disputes in regards to brush and ink styles are constant: on the one hand there is reformation, on the other hand there is the preservation of tradition. How may we reform? How may we preserve our traditions? We can learn one or two things from Hong Bo's arguments.

　　Let us first look to his paintings, such as his 2012 works entitled “The Mountain Peaks of Yosemite, California USA,” “A Sketch of the Hills of Yosemite under a Half-moon,” and “A Sketch of the Golden Coast of California,” which exhibit his distinct personality and a wealth of variation. It is without a doubt that the brush techniques and ink techniques in these works are an inheritance of tradition, a continuation of the painting spirit of those traditional literati, and are products of remarkable talent. Next, let us look to his new changes, such as his creation of new painting techniques which include his combing texture and his mystical cloud technique, techniques that he has described in his writings and applied in his works. These changes have allowed for the most ideal depiction of the beautiful natural scenery in California, USA. Hong Bo points out that: “Innovation does not imply a complete revolution of Chinese painting, but rather is a focus on new discovery and creation.” This tells us that a full commitment to the revolution and erasure of the tracks of those great artists that came before us is laughable, and “new” perspectives come in all shapes and sizes, with each individual presenting their own different understanding.

　　Hong Bo believes that: “Novelty is a motivator that encourages painters to go explore, discover and create. The ancients have said that, ‘Great works are created in the heavens, and are only bestowed upon those with extraordinary abilities by chance.’ By the same token, Mother Nature is ripe with many unknowns, and is need of a painter who observes, experiences and discovers with diligence.

　　Adopting this perspective as a foundation on which to stand, it is not hard to understand how, when Chinese painting was still in its nascent stage, there was no plethora of depiction techniques, and of course there were no texturizing methods to speak of. Those experts of an ancient time, painters such as Yuan Dong, Li Cheng and Fan Kuan, were meticulous in their observation, exploration and advancement of the differentiation between mountains, rivers and trees, and the great achievements in ink painting that came later on have, as of today, slowly faded away.

　　Hong Bo's comb-like texturizing method is a product of his research of the complicated terrain found in California, USA, terrain found in areas such as the American Cordillera and the Cenozoic fold belt. This terrain is of a complex composition and it is made up of a system of overlapping fault lines where the movement of tectonic plates continues to this day. This terrain is located in an important part of the circum-Pacific seismic volcano belt, and is made up of a system of parallel mountain ranges, highlands and basins. Hong Bo tested out many texturing techniques of the previous generations in depicting this terrain, but none of them worked quite right, and thence he picked up his brush and tried a new texturing technique that he has decided to call his “combing texture” for the time being. The classic painting techniques seen in his 2010 work entitled “Azusa Farm” are just like that of a comb, combing out the complicated terrain and mountain ranges that run parallel to one another, with the grain of the rock clearly exhibiting itself, and the feeling of texture and grittiness clear to the observer. This technique is incomparable to any other texturizing technique, and its research and exploration process, while unique in its own right, has achieved results similar to the experiences of those great artists of generations past.

　　Consider for a moment, that other countries throughout the world have mountainous terrain that comes in thousands of different varieties. Now, could it be that those texturizing techniques and brush techniques passed on by previous generations of Chinese painters are able to accurately depict this variety of terrain? The answer is in the negative. In this case, why is it that the road of advancement for modern and contemporary Chinese painting art has come to a halt? This is a question worth pondering. The techniques of the brush and ink have been passed along, but there has been little thought put into creation and exploration. Aiming solely to initiate a revolution of the brush and ink, to overthrow thousands of years of creation, will serve as nothing but a mockery of the brush and ink of tradition.

　　3. Conceptualization

　　“One needs to obtain that lingering feeling of sorrow seen in Qu Yuan, and also needs to achieve the liberated, loose and elusive style of Zhuangzi. With a lingering feeling of sorrow, one will be able to achieve a passionate devotion for one’s calling, and be able to cut to the core of all that exists in the universe. This is what is referred to as the ‘arrival at the center of the ring.’ With a liberated, lose and elusive style, one’s style will be such as a flower in the mirror, the moon on the water, or an antelope resting upon a tree and gone without a trace. This is what is referred to as a ‘transcendence of the material world.’ Form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form. This is not only how poetry was approached by those of the Great Tang Dynasty, but is also how painting was approached by those of the Song and Yuan Dynasties.” – The Emergence of the different Realms of Chinese Art.

　　The conceptual state of awareness fully described by the above quotation is the very soul of Chinese painting. Concretely speaking, Hong Bo's advocating of “painting American natural scenery in the style of Chinese paintings” is a conception that has brought a new energy to the expression of American natural scenery. Throughout Chinese history, “Confucius Thought” and “Taoist Thought” have been dominating schools of thought that adhere to the natural principle of moderation, and have been an expression of the state of awareness reached by those “literati and cultured individuals” devoted to Chinese painting throughout the millennia. This is the unique culture of China. Modern and contemporary art, however, with its complicated and inconsistent nature, is lacking in those ancient qualities of “simplicity, elegance, and primitive simplicity,” and is lacking in maturity. Hong Bo's artistic thinking is communicated with clear simplicity, which is: “Regardless of if it is of China or of the West, I will utilize it.” This entails the use of Western materials to expand Chinese traditional painting, while at the same time preserving the most fundamental and most spiritual energies of the brush and ink of Chinese painting. Who says that the natural scenery of America or even the natural beauty of the Western world may only be depicted in oil paintings and watercolors? Looking at Hong Bo's works, we can see hope in the development of modern and contemporary Chinese painting, and can see the exalted and expansive nature of his conceptualization.

　　Write in Duanzhou, February 2013

　　Author: Fu Zuguo China duan inkstone exhibition center Director

作者：付祖国