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ASIAN
ART NEWS
Volume
15 Number 3, MAY/JUNE 2005
Illustrations
for the large picture in the first page:
Left:
Zhu Wei, New Pictures of the
Strikingly Bizarre #4, 2004, artist proof 1/4, 4 panels. An original
20-color, staining, woodcut, lithograph, and screenprint on four sheets
of STPI handmade white cotton paper, printed from 56 woodblocks, 3
aluminum litho plates, and 7 screens. 281.9 x 287 cm (111 x 113 inches).
All photographs: Courtesy of Singapore Tyler Print Institute.
Illustrations
in the second page (left):
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #5,
2004, artist proof 1/4, 6 panels. An original 20-color, staining and
woodcut on six sheets of STPI handmade white cotton paper, printed from
116 woodblocks. 288.3 x 425.5 cm (113.5 x 167.5 inches).
(Right):
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #6,
2004, edition of 20. An original soft ground etching, woodcut, and
stencil on TGL handmade light yellow cotton paper, printed from one
copper plate, one woodblock, and two stencils. 80 x 108 cm (31.5 x 42.5
inches).
Illustrations
on the last page (left: from up to down):
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #10,
2004, edition of 20. An original soft ground etching with relief inking
and chine colle on STPI handmade cotton and Kozo paper, printed from one
shaped copper plate. Vintage kozo fiber, purchased by Ken Tyler from
Asao Shimura in 1979; hand-cooked and hand-processed by STPI (Richard
Hungerford, assisted by Gordon Koh, Tamae Iwasaki, and Eitaro Ogawa) in
2003. 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 inches).
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #11,
2004, edition of 20. An original soft ground etching, stencil with
relief inking and Fujimori paper chine colle on STPI handmade paper,
printed from one shaped copper plate and one stencil. 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20
x 16 inches).
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #3,
2004, edition of 20. An original 10-color, staining and woodcut on STPI
handmade white cotton paper, printed from 21 woodblocks. 101.6 cm (40
inches) diameter.
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #12,
2004, edition of 20. An original soft ground etching, stencil with
relief inking and chine colle on STPI handmade cotton and Kozo paper,
printed from 2 shaped copperplates and 3 stencils. Vintage kozo fiber,
purchased by Ken Tyler form Asao Shimura in 1979; hand-cooked and
hand-processed by STPI(Richard Hungerford, assisted by Gordon Koh, Tamae
Iwasaki, and Eitaro Ogawa) in 2003. 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 inches).
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #13,
2004, edition of 20. An original soft ground etching with Chiri bark
paper chine colle on STPI handmade cotton paper, printed from one shaped
copperplate. 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 inches).
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #8, 2004, edition of 20. An
original soft ground etching, split bite etching, aquatint, stencil with
relief inking and Philippine Gampi paper chine colle on STPI handmade
cotton paper, printed from 2 shaped copperplates and one stencil. 40.6 x
50.8 cm (16 x 20 inches).
(Right:
from left to right):
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #1,
2004, edition of 20. An original 12-color, staining, stencil, woodcut,
lithograph, and screenprint on STPI handmade white cotton paper, printed
from 4 stencils, 25 woodblocks, 1 aluminum litho plate, and 3 screens.
127 x 101.6 cm (50 x 40 inches).
Zhu
Wei, New Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #2,
2004, edition of 20. An original 14-color, staining, stencil, woodcut,
lithograph, and screenprint on STPI handmade white cotton paper, printed
from 4 stencils, 31 woodblocks, 1 aluminum litho plate, and 3 screens.
127 x 101.6 cm (50 x 40 inches).
Extravagant
Ways
By
Jonathan Thomson
As
a leading Chinese artist, Zhu Wei has challenged orthodoxy for many
years. His vision often seems anguished and alienated, personal and
political at the same time. His last two collections of prints have
confirmed him as one of the outstanding artistic voices of his
generation.
The
American master-printmaker Kenneth E. Tyler’s working philosophy was
shaped by a rather self-evident remark made by William Lieberman,
director of prints and drawings at the Museum of Modern Art, during a
lecture at the University of Southern California in 1965 - "great
art is made by great artists." Tyler decided "great prints are
only by great artists" and then set out to encourage the greatest
artists of the day to work with him. Tyler established his own print
workshop, Gemini Limited, in Los Angeles, in 1965 and later, in 1974,
moved to New York State and established Tyler Graphics at Mount Kisco.
He succeeded brilliantly and developed complex long-term relationships
with artists such as Frank Stella, Josef Albers, Helen Frankenthaler,
David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, and Roy Lichtenstein, and
many others. Tyler, through his technical genius, was able to push the
artist/master-printmaker collaboration to extraordinary heights.
In
the 1990s Tyler mooted the idea of establishing an organization in
Singapore dedicated to fostering printmaking, papermaking, and
paper-based art practice, collection, and education. This idea received
enthusiastic support and the dynamic Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI)
was born and is now housed in a renovated 19th-century
warehouse at Robertson Quay. In 2000, six young local Singaporean
printmakers spent four months training with Tyler in New York. STPI
includes an array of printing and papermaking equipment from Tyler
Graphics. It has fully equipped printmaking workshops, a professional
art gallery, and a papermaking facilities to cover the full spectrum of
development of prints and paper art. It offers artists the full range of
print processes including intaglio, lithography, woodcut, screen
printing, relief printing, and monotype printing. Inspired by Tyler’s
example, it encourages artists to make prints that are innovative and
technically challenging.
In
March and April 2004, Chinese artist Zhu Wei, who was born in Beijing in
1966, was invited by the STPI to collaborate with its international
printmaking and papermaking team. The result is a series of work that
draws on some of the artist’s familiar motifs, but which presents them
in entirely new ways. Not least, Zhu was able to work on a much larger
scale than ever before and his work is technically much more complex. In
2003, he had exhibited a series of woodblock prints in New York and Hong
Kong which were graphically very powerful, but which did not push the
boundaries of the medium. All of the works in this earlier series,
titled Another Perspective,
were carved out of a single block and printed in black. The images were
made up of their power from the evident violence with which the artist
had attacked the block.
His
new series of works, with the wonderful title New
Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre, commands attention with
monumental scale and vivid, hard-edge, bright color. New
Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #4, some 2.8 meters square, took
up an entire section of wall at his Hong Kong exhibition at Plum
Blossoms Gallery. [There was a concurrent exhibition at STPI]. The image
is of a man, grimacing, with eyes screwed shut, elevating his face into
a downpour of rain. The rain splashes and scatters off his clenched
teeth. In the background is another figure in a similar pose but without
definition of features or expression. The image is an articulation of
frustration, angst, pain, or helplessness but with what or why, we can
only guess.
The
image is actually made up of four sheets of softly textured paper, each
printed right to the edge and hung close together with their edges
butting up against one another. The figures are outlined in a series of
sweeping, curved lines which delineate the edges of brightly colored
blocks of pure pigment. Closer examination of the image reveals a
variety of surface finishes and textures. The label spells out the
reason for this. It explains that the print comprises 20 colors,
staining, woodcut, lithograph, and screenprint from 56 woodblocks, three
aluminum litho-plates, and seven screens, all on handmade STPI white
cotton paper. Drawing attention to the detail of how the print was
actually made is presumably a consequence of the collaborative process.
The
process begins with the selection of the paper. The STPI has its own
facilities including pulp beaters and hydraulic presses which enables it
to make it own paper with particular qualities and in unusual sizes and
shapes. The papers used by Zhu are brilliant white and have a
soft-textured appearance that appears to respond differently to
different printing media. The next stage involves staining the entire
paper surface with a weak, watery-brown pigment in a lattice shape. This
effect is accomplished by dipping a wooden lattice in the pigment and
then transferring it by hand to the paper. No mechanical process is
necessary as the wet pigment simply bleeds into the soft paper. This
lattice effect is sought by the artist as it replicates the rubbing
effect achieved in his paintings when he paints them on the tiled floor
or walls of his studio.
The
wood used by Zhu in making his woodblocks is actually medium-density
fiberboard or MDF which has a variety of trade names, one of the most
common being craftwood. It is a type of hardboard, made form wood fibers
glued together under heat and pressure. It is dense, flat, and stiff,
has no knots or grain, is evenly textured and is easily machined.
Because it has no grain, it can be cut, drilled, machined, or gouged
without damaging, chipping or splitting the surface. It is made up of
fine particles that result in a very even surface with good adhesion
when inked for woodblock printing. The artist transfers his design onto
large sheets of MDF and then cuts it into individual blocks using a
jigsaw. Each of these blocks is then inked separately with the desired
color and fitted back into position, much like assembling a jigsaw
puzzle. The blocks are not butted up against one another, but are kept
1-2 millimeters apart (1/16th inch) being the width of the
cut. When printed, this gap is left as a line of white paper between
each different color. This gap is accentuated by the way the ink forms a
slight pressure ridge at the edge of each block. Similarly, the gouges
cut into the blocks, representing the rain, do not take the ink and are
left as white.
The
image is given a distinctively Chinese appearance by the use of highly
stylistic Chinese cloud scroll motif in yellow outlined in black. This
device is traditionally used to represent the celestial realm, a
reminder that the Emperor was the Son of Heaven. Yellow was also seen as
the imperial color in China as the Emperor stood at the center of the
universe. In Chinese symbolism yellow is also associated with black as
its opposite and complement. It represents the earth emerging from the
primeval waters with rain as the evidence of celestial influence. These
symbols may explain why Zhu’s work is often regarded as having a
political edge and as making a satirical social commentary. The
frustration, angst, pain, or helplessness expressed by the figure may be
his response to contemporary authority.
However,
this analysis may be reading too much into the image. Rather than having
overt political connotations, the work may simply be a more personal
expression. In contemporary China, clouds are also symbolic of good
fortune and happiness. The dichotomy between the symbolism of the cloud
and the rain, and the expression of the figures, may be more closely
allied to personal circumstances than political ones. An earlier version
of this same work, Woodblock No.4,
from his Another Perspective
series does not include any clouds or rain. It simply depicts two people
venting their emotions. Support for the notion that these works may be
autobiographical comes from the fact that the figure, with its large
dome-shaped, close-cropped head, bears a striking resemblance to Zhu Wei
himself.
A
series of bright red screen-printed chops also serve to support this
latter reading. One simply reads Zhu
Wei Ink Painting which is the artist’s assertion of authorship.
Others read Grow with Time
and Eight or Nine out of Ten
which surely indicates the artist’s personal involvement and critique
of his image-making. It is a measure of the humility of Zhu Wei the man
that he acknowledges the possibility of improvement in his work.
Other
smaller works in the present series share motifs and technique. New
Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #1 reiterates the artist’s
homage to those that suffered during the outbreak of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 when 8,098 people became sick with
the illness and 774 died, mostly in Hong Kong and China. His image
depicts a man wearing a surgical mask, eyes screwed up shut in grief or
pain. The variety of techniques used in the making of this image are
perhaps more evident than in the larger works. The different qualities
of different colors of ink are clearly evident. Some are translucent,
allowing the stained tile-effect grid to show through, others are more
opaque. The mask itself is not over-printed at all, allowing the
stained-grid pattern to represent the weave of the mask.
New
Pictures of the Strikingly Bizarre #2 depicts a number of hands held up in a salute. The salute appears to be
directed at the yellow-and-black cloud scroll motif in the background.
The salute is actually the sign language handshape for "I Love
You" used by hearing-impaired people. It combines the letters I, L
and Y into one handshape by extending the thumb, forefinger, and little
finger, and bending the middle and ring finger to the palm (and is not
to be confused with the two horns of the devil handshape so beloved by
George W. Bush). To whom is the sign directed? It is not outward to the
viewer, a fact emphasized in another work which depicts the back of the
head and shoulders of two fingers making the sign. The only conclusion
is that the sign is directed to the clouds, either as symbols of good
fortune and happiness (a positive, personal reading), or the State (a
rather more perplexing, political one).
The
largest work is printed on six sheets of paper and is overall 4.25
meters (14 feet) wide. It is an image of two nearly identical women’s
faces in right profile, staring fixedly at something outside the image.
The image is so large that in the confines of the gallery it is
difficult to get an overall impression of it. Its scale underlines the
flatness of the work which also becomes the dominant emotion. The
flatness is almost numbing and is further emphasized by the almost
demonic intensity of the women’s stares. They are transfixed by what
they see and are not capable of registering anything else.
While
in residence at STPI, Zhu Wei also made a series of eight etchings. True
to Tyler’s philosophy, these were not simply etchings but were much
more technically complex and combined etching with woodcut, stencil,
aquatint, relief inking, and chine colle in a variety of different
combinations. Unlike the woodblock prints which get their power from
forms and color, these prints depend much more on line. Despite the
variety of surface effects, the overall result is rather simplistic as
Zhu’s figures are reduced to an almost cartoon-like shorthand.
Notwithstanding, the time spent by Zhu Wei at the STPI was hugely
rewarding. The tremendous power of his monumental woodblock prints will
be long felt.
Jonathan
Thomson is the Hong Kong contributing editor of Asian
Art News and World Sculpture
News.
香港《亚洲艺术新闻》
2005年5月/ 6月 号
标题左图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之四，2004
年，艺术家收藏 1/4，四板。原作20色，染色、木版画、平版印刷画和丝网印刷在四张新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工白棉纸上，由56块木刻版、三张铝平版印刷板和七张丝网印制。281.9´287厘米（111´113英寸）。全部照片均由新加坡泰勒版画研究院免费提供。
页2图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之五，2004年，艺术家收藏1/4，六板。原作20色，染色和木版画在六张新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工白棉纸上，由116块木刻版印制。288.3´425.5厘米（113.5´167.5英寸）。
页3图说明文字：朱伟， 新二刻拍案惊奇之六，2004年，印数20。原作软底蚀刻，木版画和模版在泰勒基米尼（意译为双子宫）有限公司手工淡黄棉纸上，由一张铜板、一块木版和两张模版印制。80´108厘米（31.5´42.5英寸）。
页四上左图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之十，2004年，印数20。原作软底蚀刻加凸墨浮雕和中国胶，在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工棉桑纸上，由一张成型铜板印制。典型的优质桑纤维，肯尼斯-泰勒于1979年从志村麻生处购买；2003年由新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工烘烤，手工加工（理查德-汉格福特，助手高登-科尔、岩崎玉江、小川荣太）。50.8´40.6厘米（20´16英寸）。
页四上右图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之十一，2004年，印数20。原作软底蚀刻，模版加凸墨浮雕和藤森纸中国胶在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工棉纸上，由一张成型铜板和一块模版印制。50.8´40.6厘米（20´16英寸）。
页四中左图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之三，2004年，印数20。原作10色，染色和木版画在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工白棉纸上，由21块木刻版印制。101.6厘米（40英寸）直径。
页四中右图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之十二，2004年，印数20。原作软底蚀刻，模版加凸墨浮雕和中国胶在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工棉桑纸上，由两块成型铜板和三块模版印制。典型的优质桑纤维，本-泰勒于1979年从志村麻生处购买；2003年由新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工烘烤，手工加工（理查德-汉格福特，助手高登-科尔、岩崎玉江、小川荣太郎）。50.8´40.6厘米（20´16英寸）。
页四下左图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之十三，2004年，印数20。原作软底蚀刻加千里树皮纸中国胶在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工棉纸上，由一块成型铜板印制。50.8´40.6厘米（20´16英寸）。
页四下右图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之八，2004年，印数20。原作软底蚀刻，腐蚀蚀刻、凹版蚀刻和凸墨浮雕加菲律宾瑞香纸中国胶模版在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工棉纸上，由两块成型铜板和一块模版印制。40.6´50.8厘米（16´20英寸）。
页五左图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之一，2004年，印数20。原作12色，染色、模版、木版画、平版印刷画和丝网印刷在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工白棉纸上，由四张模版、25块木刻版、一张铝平版印刷板和三张丝网印制。127´101.6厘米（50´40英寸）。
页五右图说明文字：朱伟，新二刻拍案惊奇之二，2004年，印数20。原作14色，染色、模版、木版画、平面印刷画和丝网印刷在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工白棉纸上，由四张模版、31块木刻版、一张铝平版印刷板和三张丝网印制。127´101.6厘米（50´40英寸）。
奢侈的方式
作者：约翰逊-汤姆森
作为顶尖的中国艺术家，多年来朱伟一直挑战正统。他的观察通常显得痛苦而疏离，既个性化又政治化。他的最新两集版画再次证明他是同时代杰出艺术声音之一。
美国版画大师肯尼斯-泰勒的创作哲学来源于现代艺术博物馆版画及绘画主任威廉-李伯曼于1965年在南加州大学的一次演讲中一句不言而喻的话
-
“伟大的艺术是伟大的艺术家创造的”。泰勒于是乎断定“伟大的版画是伟大的艺术家造就的”，并开始鼓励当代最伟大的艺术家们与他合作。泰勒于1965年在洛杉矶建立了他自己的版画工作室
- 基米尼（意译为双子宫）有限公司，并于1974年搬至纽约州并在基斯克山创立泰勒平面艺术（公司）。他获得了辉煌的成功，并与诸如弗兰克-斯代拉、约瑟夫-埃尔博斯、海伦-弗兰肯塞勒、大卫-赫克尼、杰斯珀-约翰斯、埃尔斯沃斯-凯利、罗毅-利西丹斯坦以及其他众多艺术家们，建立起长期密切的，多种多样的合作关系。泰勒依靠他在技巧上的禀赋，得以把这种艺术家和版画大师的协作推向一个又一个崭新的高峰。
在九十年代泰勒提出了一个想法，即在新加坡建立一个组织，专门促进版画制作、纸张制作和纸上艺术的实践、收藏和教育。这个想法得到各方热情支持，于是生机勃勃的新加坡泰勒版画研究院诞生了，现坐落于罗伯特森码头一间经改装的19世纪仓库里。2000年六位新加坡本土的年轻版画家随泰勒在纽约学习了四个月。新加坡泰勒版画研究院从泰勒平面艺术公司引进了一系列版画制作和纸张制作的设备，拥有多个全套设备的版画制作车间，一个专业画廊，以及一套完整的纸张制作设施，用以满足版画制作和纸上艺术领域内所有的需要。它为艺术家们提供版画制作的各种流程和工艺，包括凹雕、平面印刷、木刻版画、丝网印刷、凸墨浮雕和单版画。在泰勒的榜样激发下，它鼓励艺术家们创作具有创新性的，在技术上有挑战性的版画作品。
在2004年三月到四月间，中国画家朱伟，出生于1966年的北京，被邀请到新加坡泰勒版画研究院与其版画及纸张制作的国际团队合作。其成果是一系列体现画家所熟悉的主题，却运用全新表达方式的作品。重要的是，朱伟得以在一个前所未有的广大平台上创作，而他的作品在技术上也比以前复杂丰富得多。在2003年他的一系列木刻版画也曾在纽约和香港展出，那些作品虽然在画面上很有力量，但却无法突破介质的限制。所有此一系列命名为新视角的先期作品都是在一块单独的木版上刻制，并印成黑色。图像由一堆汹涌的斜线组成，其力量主要得自于画家对木版明显的暴力攻击。
而他现在的系列新作，有着一个奇妙的名字叫新二刻拍案惊奇，则以宏伟的气势，生动而立体的线条，和明快的色彩震撼观众。新二刻拍案惊奇之四，几有2.8平方米大小，在香港万玉堂的展览几乎占满了整个一扇墙（同时在新加坡泰勒版画研究院展出）。画面是一个男人，面部扭曲，双眼紧闭，在倾盆大雨中扬起头。雨水在他紧咬的牙关飞溅散落。背景是另一个同样姿势的人，但没有明确的容貌和表情。画面是清晰的沮丧、焦虑、痛苦抑或无助，但为什么，我们只能猜测。
图像实际上由四张柔软的纹纸组成，每张纸上的画都一直印到边缘，再将四张纸边对边齐齐地挂在一起。人物外形由一系列大幅度弧线勾勒，这些弧线同时勾勒出色彩明艳的纯粹颜料块的边缘。仔细观察图像你就会发现各种各样不同的表面完成和质地。图下的标签揭示了原因。此版画由20种颜色，56块木刻版、三张铝平版印刷板和七张丝网印制成的染色、木版画、平板印刷画和丝网印刷构成，全部印在新加坡泰勒版画研究院手工白棉纸上。值得注意的是这块版画的制作细节，不难推测是合作加工的成果。
这一加工过程从选择纸张开始。新加坡泰勒版画研究院拥有其自己的造纸设备，包括纸浆打浆机和水压机，使它能够制造有特殊质地、尺寸和形状的纸。朱伟所用的纸是一种高亮度和强饱和度的白纸，表面柔软有皱纹，对不同的版画介质有不同的反应。下一步涉及到用一种稀薄的淡褐色颜料将整张纸表面染成格子形。这种效果的完成需要将一个木头格子浸入颜料，再用手将它移到纸上。不需要任何机械加工因为湿的颜料会自动渗透入软纸内。这种格子效果被画家认为具有和摹拓效果相同的效果，就如他在画室的砖铺的地板或墙面上作画一样。
朱伟用于木刻版的木头实际上是中密度纤维板，或称MDF，在市场上名称不一，是一种最常用的工艺木材之一。它是一种硬质纤维板，是由木屑纤维与粘合剂在高温下压缩制成。它高密、平整、坚硬，没有木节或木纹，质地均匀，易于机切成形。由于它没有纹理，在切削、钻孔、机加工或凿刻时表面不会出现损毁、破碎或爆裂。它由极精细的微粒制造，因而表面均匀，在印制版画着墨时富黏着力。画家将他的图样移到大块的MDF上，然后用竖锯将其切割成一块块独立的印版。每一块这样的印版被分别染上设计好的颜色，再将它们一一归位，就像玩儿拼图游戏。这些印版不是一个紧挨着一个，而是中间都留出一到两毫米（十六分之一英寸）的空间，就是切割时的宽度。在白纸上印制时，这个空间就变成了一道不同色块之间的白纸缝。而这道白缝又由于油墨在每块印版边缘因受压形成的轻微隆起而愈加显著。同样地，在印版上凿出的槽沟，用以表现雨水，也因不着油墨而成白色。
运用典型中国画云的手法
- 黄色的卷形图案和黑色的轮廓，图像被赋予了明显的中国风格。这一纹章传统上被用于描绘天国，暗示皇帝是天子。黄色也是传统中国帝王御用的颜色，而皇帝则处于宇宙之中心。在中国的符号体系中黑色亦经常和黄色同时出现，以互为对应或补充。它代表地球从太古的水域中浮现，而雨则代表上天的影响。这些象征可能解释为什么朱伟的作品经常被认为具有尖锐的政治性，是讽刺性的社会批评。画中人物所表现出的沮丧、焦虑、痛苦或无助可能正是他对当局的一种回应。
然而，这种分析也可能是把这幅画看得太深了。这幅作品也可能只是简单的个人表达，而非公然的政治影射。在当代中国，云也代表好运和快乐。云和雨的符号意义的二分法，以及人物的表情，可能更贴近于作者个人处境，而非政治处境。同一作品的早期版本，新视角系列的木刻版画之四，并没有云和雨。那幅作品仅只简单地描绘两个人发泄他们的感情。之所以有观点认为这些作品带有自传性，皆因这些作品中人物那硕大的圆脑袋和剪得极短的发型，都和朱伟本人惊人的相似。
一套朱红色的丝网印刷的图章也支持这后一种诠释。其中之一就简单的四个字
- 朱伟书画，是画家对原作的确认。其他还有与时俱进和十有八九，都明确显示了画家个人对其创作的密切关联和批评。这是朱伟的谦恭，他承认他的作品还有可提高的余地。
这一系列其他小幅的作品主题和技巧都差不多。新二刻拍案惊奇之一重申了画家对那些非典受害者的敬意，急性重症呼吸道综合症（SARS）在2003年爆发，全球有8,098人感染，774人死亡，其中大多数来自香港和中国大陆。他的画面描绘了一个带着口罩的人，眼睛因伤悲或痛苦而紧闭。这幅画中所用的不同技巧也许比那些大幅作品中的更明显。不同颜色的油墨的质感非常清晰地显现。有些是半透明的，使染色的摹拓效果的格子能显现出来，其他的则不透明。而口罩本身则一点也不加印，使染色格子图案能表现口罩的编织经纬。
新二刻拍案惊奇之二描绘的是几只手举起来致敬。而致敬的方向则是背景中由黄黑色组成的卷形云图案。致敬的手势实际上代表的是英语手语中的“我爱你”。它用伸出的拇指、食指和小指，同时蜷起中指和无名指包含了字母I（我）、L（love爱）、和Y（you你）（可别跟布什最喜欢用的两指做牛角状代表魔鬼的手势弄混了）。那这手势到底是对谁打的呢？它没有向观众表明，这一事实在另一幅作品中更突出，那幅作品描绘的是两个打着这种手势的人的后脑勺和肩膀。唯一的结论是手势是朝云打的，
而云要么代表好运和幸福（一种正面的个人的诠释），要么代表政权（一种有点令人困惑的政治的诠释）。
最大的一幅作品由六张纸印制，总共有4.25米（14英尺）宽。图像是两个几乎一模一样的妇女右侧面的头像，目不转睛地盯着画外的什么东西。图像是如此之巨大，在画廊的有限空间里很难得到一个总体的感觉。它的庞大加深了作品的平面感，这也成为作品占主导地位的情绪。它的平面感几使人麻木，而画中女人们那几乎具有魔鬼一般张力的盯视更加重了这种平面的单调。她们为她们所见目瞪口呆，已不能再有其他表情。
在客居新加坡泰勒版画研究院期间，朱伟还创作了八幅蚀刻画。诚如泰勒的哲学，这些作品都不是简单的蚀刻，而是复杂得多的技巧的结合，蚀刻与木版画、模版、凹版蚀刻、凸墨浮雕和中国胶各种各样不同的组合。不同于木刻版画，其震撼力主要来自于形式和色彩，这些版画主要依靠线条。尽管表面效果的变化各不相同，整体效果却可以简单化到就象朱伟所塑造的人物，几乎已被简化为速写的卡通。尽管如此，朱伟在新加坡泰勒版画研究院所度过的时间对于他来说是收获巨大的。他那些不朽的木刻版画作品之惊人的感染力将久久铭刻于人心。
约翰逊-汤姆森是居于香港的《亚洲艺术新闻》和《世界雕塑新闻》特约编辑
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