A Long-cherished Wish Fulfilled: Zhu Wei’s Solo Ink Wash Exhibition at 798
By Xia Zhen
Translated by Hu Zhu
A solo exhibition that’s been in plan for 14 years was absolutely irresistible to eager viewers, galleries, and artists themselves. On October 18th, this solo ink wash exhibition was blooming and yielding fruits in Cheng Xindong International Contemporary Art Space at 798. In so large a concrete space are only four ink wash works, and Zhu Wei’s latest sculptural works are set in the center of the space.
As early as 14 years ago when Zhu Wei got acquainted with Cheng Xindong, they had agreed on a sure cooperation in the future. It turns out that only 14 years has elapsed and when Zhu’s modern ink wash has long seized a place in world modern and contemporary art scenes can both parties find an opportunity for actual cooperations.
Such an exhibited number of a “museum rank”, in Zhu’s words, and the fashion of the exhibition layout actually deserve our careful savouring and lingering upon. The four ink wash works cover the whole course of Zhu’s art creation from 2005 till today, and they’re something retrospective in nature. The two pieces of Utopia series created in 2005 depict a familiar but ambiguous political background. The Early Spring picture produced in 2007 comes as one of Zhu’s experiments on modern ink wash techniques, in which Zhu aims to apply white space technique in traditional ink wash composition to his own works, to superimpose primitive and simple character images on peculiar coloring effect of ink wash, and to employ wash-old texture to unite modern art with traditional techniques smoothly. Then, there’s also one piece from the new series - Red Flag, created in 2008. This series, depicting fluttering red flags, is rather unified in forms, and, according to Zhu, it’s depictions of the pc-amplified photographed red flags on People’s Great Hall. Zhu believes that even today when reform and open-door policy are in full swing, the political background we’re set in still hasn’t changed a bit, that over our head, behind our back and beneath our feet is still fluttering a red flag against the wind. Zhu has always been an artist highly sensitive to realities, and for him it’s much more down-to-earth and comfortable to sell first-hand experiences than second-hand ones.
The three huge bronze sculptural works set in the center of the exhibition hall are also most eye-catching. They have round heads still; their sensory ogans have been reduced to a pug nose; what differs is characters’ all four limbs are touching the ground like animals. These sculptures are still fashioned in a newly unearthed bronze texture, which seems to make them drift between ancient and modern times. The brevity of their sensory organs derives from images of the earthern Bodhisattva in Han Dynasty; such a rather primitive and rich image and texture might have been the reason why his works are not so difficult and distant for understanding and appreciation as many other contemporary and modern art works are. On the exhibition site there’re frequently enthusiastic viewers taken photos together with these sculptures. Actually, creation of these huge bronze sculptures has cost quite demanding skills and techniques. Proportionally-reduced models can still be cast, whereas such huge sizes have to be artificially hammered out of quite a few copper sheets, the soldering joints between copper sheets have to be abraded with fine sand, and finally they’re fashioned into an unearthed bronze effect.
When asked why all these sculptural works are fashioned into a posture of “kneeling down in submission”, Zhu said it’s the very state of modern man’s life! Modern man still lives and labors under heavy burdens like farming cattle; the state of this society is still obliging you to yield when needed; our life just goes like this. The honest and simple appearance cannot conceal a sharp critical spirit behind the works. Zhu emphasizes "it’s already a habit; when creating works nowadays I always manage to unite with the tradition". I believe such a union is right one of the power sources for his works. He also inscribes on his own works the song words by Cui Jian, the most famous rock music star in China, and signs his works with playful seals, but the shape and structure must correlate with the tradition. After all, modern and contemporary life remains only a fault, being too short compared with a literati life of several thousand years; however, we have no way to return to the past and only have to employ a soft painting brush to fight against the hard society.
When people are used to strolling in the 798 district like visiting a park, is there anyone who will linger long before an art work? When young artists are all plunging into oil painting, installation and other art forms, is there anyone setting about sorting out our thousands of years of art heritage? Actually, it’s not a problem only Zhu is faced with; to promote contemporary ink wash to a higher ground he’ll face even more challenges.
夙愿终圆──798朱伟水墨个展
夏祯
一场酝酿了十四年之久的个展无论对于观众、画廊还是艺术家本身来说，都急于品尝其中的醇厚滋味。10月18日，这场水墨个展在798程昕东国际当代艺术空间开花结果。偌大的水泥空间内，作品不多，一共四幅水墨作品，场地中央则是朱伟先生最新的雕塑作品。
早在十四年前，朱伟先生和程昕东先生结识时就约好将来一定要合作，结果一晃十四年，朱伟的现代水墨早已在国际现当代艺术圈打出一片天地，双方才有机会真正的合作。
这种用朱伟先生的话说是“博物馆级的”展品数量和布展方式倒非常值得人们细细品味，驻足观看。4幅水墨作品涵盖了朱伟从05年至今的创作历程，具有回顾性质。05年的乌托邦系列两幅，描绘了一种习以为常而又隐晦的政治背景。07年的开春图则是朱伟在现代水墨技法上的一次实验，要将传统水墨画章法中的留白运用到自己的作品中，古拙的人物造型与水墨设色的特殊效果叠加，水洗做旧的纹路使当代艺术与传统技法顺利接轨。而08年的新系列──“红旗”也展出一副。这一以飘动红旗入画的系列，形式极为统一，据朱伟先生讲，是将人民大会堂的红旗照片在电脑上放大借而描绘出。他认为，即使到了改革开放的今天，我们所生活的政治背景仍然没有一丝改变。我们的头顶，深厚，脚下，都仍有一面红旗在迎风飘扬。朱伟一直是个对现实生活很敏感的艺术家，因为贩卖现实经验总比二手来得扎实和安心。
展厅中央3尊巨大的铜雕也是最吸引人眼球的。依旧是圆圆的脑袋，五官被简化为只剩一只狮子鼻，不同的是这次人物的姿势是四肢着地如动物一般。雕塑仍旧做成刚出土的青铜质感，在远古与现代之间游离。五官的简洁是得自汉代的泥菩萨，那种非常古朴醇厚的造型质感，恐怕这也是他的作品在接受和欣赏上不像很多现当代艺术作品一样那么困难隔阂的原因。展览现场不时有观众兴高采烈的和雕塑合影。而其实这巨大的铜雕制作起来却颇费技巧。同比例缩小的模型还可以浇铸，这么大尺寸的，则是多张铜皮经人手工敲打而成，然后细砂磨去铜皮的焊接痕，最后做青铜出土效果。
当问到为何这次的雕塑都做这种“俯首称臣”状时，朱伟答道，这就是现代人的生活状态啊！当代人们依旧在繁重的压力下生活劳作，如耕牛一般。而且社会的状况仍旧使你该低头就低头，该弯腰就弯腰，我们的生活就是这样。造型的敦厚依然挡不住作品背后深沉的批判精神。朱伟强调“是一种习惯了，现在作作品总要想法设法与传统接起来”。我以为这种接轨也正是起作品力量的来源之一。他也在自己的作品上题写崔健的歌词，用现代顽皮的印章落款，但形制上一定要和传统接壤。毕竟，现当代生活是个断层，和千年的文化士人生活相比实在短暂，可我们无法回到过去，只有重执柔软的毛笔对抗坚硬的社会。
当人们已经习惯了像游园一般在798区里游玩，是否还有人在一件作品前久久驻足？当年轻艺术家纷纷投身油画装置等艺术形式的时候，还有多少人着手整理我们千年的艺术传承？其实，这远远不是朱伟先生一个人所面临的问题，将当代水墨推向更高，他将面临更多挑战。
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