【中译英】 独木桥上的行者

(书画大家西丁先生又一画册即将付梓。现不揣固陋，将孟德润先生一篇艺评译为英文，以为贺。

-- 舒啸识于2018年1月)

 

独木桥上的行者

 

A Traveler on Single-Log Bridges

 

孟德润 文 / 舒啸 英译

 

宁过独木桥，不走阳关道。独木桥难行，但不会碰到别人；阳关道虽宽，但容易和别人"撞车"（作品和别人类同化）。故独木桥乃艺术个性形成之康庄大道也。

Take the single-log bridges, rather than the open avenues. A single-log bridge is difficult, but no one else is there.  An open avenue is wide, but one can easily bump into someone else in the crowd (assimilation with other people’s works). Therefore, the single-log bridge is actually the grand road for formation of individuality.

"集百家之长"此法固然高超，但却是人家的货色。别人的精华，却没有自己的东西，再好也是人家的，而艺术之稀缺者，乃百家之无也。

The old saying goes: "Gather together all that is good".  Although this method is superb, but the outcome is the goods of others. The best of others is not your own, no matter how good it is. The scarcity of art is what all others do not have.

我的画室取名“寻无斋”，“寻”就是寻找，“无”就是没有，既然没有你还寻什么？！我说因为没有我才去寻，寻到了，就有了嘛！

My studio is named "Xunwu Studio", "Xun" is to seek, and "Wu" means non-being.  If there is non-being, then what to seek?!  I would say that I seek exactly because that there is non-being.  Once found, then there is being!

一一"寻无斋"主人谈艺录

-- Master of “Xunwu Studio” (“Seeking Non-being Studio”) on art

 

独木桥上行，自有独木桥上的艰辛。无人相扶，无栏可依，桥窄苔滑，步步惊心。一涧跨过，未几，又逢一溪；一根独木走完，峰迴路转，又遇数根。

Traveling on single-log bridges experiences the inevitable hardship built in the single-log bridges. There is no one offering helps. There is no railing to lean on. There are only narrow bridges and slippery moss, startling on every step.  Soon after crossing one stream, there is another. Few turns after traversing one single log, there are several more.

 独木桥上行，亦有独木桥上的情致。脚下泉水淙淙，头上山岚袅袅，耳畔空谷鸟鸣，胸间松风穿梭。山重水复，疑似无路，柳暗花明，又现一村。

Traveling on single-log bridges also presents appeals unique to the single-log bridges. There are gurgling springs beneath the feet, curling mountain mists above the head, the singing of the birds over the empty valley in the ears, and the wind through pine forest on the chest.  Mountains multiply and streams double back, I doubt there is even a road; Willows cluster darkly, blossoms shine, another village ahead.

这是西丁先生心中的一片独特风景。

This is a unique landscape in Mr. Xiding's mind.

这是西丁先生艺术创造的一条独特路径。

This is a unique path of Mr. Xiding's artistic creation.

 

■为艺之道

■  The Way of Art

西丁是位智者，对艺术规律有着深刻的认识，他将自己的艺术主张与实践用两个字来概括：寻无，並将画室命名为"寻无斋"。大道至简，最本质的东西，最单纯、最精粹。老子曰：“有无相生”。有与无，相互对立，相互依存，相对相成，相反相生。就艺术创造而言，寻有，陈陈相因，有衰而无；寻无，独辟蹊径，无中生有。十五年前，笔者曾评述过画家的艺术观点：“无而又寻，岂不矛盾？然寻无斋主人认为：寻无，寻求已有作品之无也。寻百家之有，取百家之长，固然重要，但只能是研习绘画的一种手段，而非终极目的。否则，前人作品，他人作品，特别是那些非常优秀的作品，对一个以绘事为业的人往往是一种巨大的诱惑，在品味赞赏之时，不自觉地会向其靠拢，对其仿效，若失去艺术上的清醒，好的东西也会成为陷阱，致使追慕者成为俘虏，而失却艺术探索与创造的主动性。创作是创造而非制造，寻求前人作品、他人作品中所无的东西，就是觅求艺术的原创性，这是艺术的生命。”如何觅求他人之无，如何于无中生有，画家为自己规划出了一条路径：宁过独木桥，不走阳关道。车水马龙的通衢难免撞车；熙来攘往的闹市难避践履；过独木桥者，虽然孤独而艰辛，但才智却可得到激发；走阳关道者，虽然热闹而轻松，但才智却被慵懒幽闭。寻无斋主人拒绝一切诱惑，破除一切积习，心无旁鹜，潜心研究，不从众，不媚俗，情、意、象、趣、笔、墨务求有新意。

Xiding is a man of wisdom and has a profound understanding of the way of art. He summarized his artistic ideas and practice as: seeking non-being, and named the studio "Xunwu Studio" – Seeking Non-Being Studio. The most fundamental truths, principles, and methodologies tend to be expressed in the simplest words.  The most essential is the simplest and most succinct. Lao Tzu said: "Being and non-being create each other". Being and non-being are mutually antagonistic, mutually dependent, mutually complementing, and mutually defining. In terms of artistic creation, to seek being is to stay in the same old groove, and for being to decline into non-being;  to seek non-being is to find a unique path, and for being to rise out of non-being.  Fifteen years ago, I commented on Xiding's artistic point of view: "non-being and seeking, don’t they contradict each other?" However, the master of “Xunwu Studio” considers that seeking non-being is to seek what existing works don't have.  Looking for what other artists have and learning from their strength are certainly important.  However, they can only be a method to learn painting, and not the ultimate goal.  Otherwise, the works of predecessors and others, especially the very best works, would often become great temptations.   While appreciating them, one would unconsciously move towards and imitate them. Without artistic awareness, good works can become traps, causing the followers to become captives and lose the initiatives for art exploration and creation.  Painting is creating, and not manufacturing.  To seek what the predecessors’ works and others’ works do not have is to seek the originality of art. This is the life of art.  How to seek what others don't have? How to generate being from non-being? Xiding has charted a path for himself: Take the difficult single-log bridges, rather than the open avenues. People inevitably crash into each other at busy thoroughfares, or step on other people in the bustling downtowns.  Traversing single-log bridges, although lonely and difficult, can stimulate wisdom. Walking on open avenues, though lively and relaxed, could shut close talents. The master of “Xunwu Studio” refuses all temptations, cleanses all deep rooted habits, and devotes himself to study and explore. He does not blindly follow the crowd, nor play to the gallery.  He seeks new meanings in passions, thoughts, images, interests, brushes, and inks.

画家西丁是独木桥上踽踽而前的行者。独木桥上行，孜孜矻矻，寻寻觅觅，求索到了什么？寻获到了几许？概而述之：传神之象，诗意之境，明彻之理，盎然之趣，天巧之构，共生之作，美学之思。荦荦大端，有其七焉。

Artist Xiding is a solitary traveler on single-log bridges. Traversing the single-log bridges, diligently and assiduously searching.  What has he sought?  What has he found?  I’d summarized as: vivid imagery, poetic realm, limpid reason, exuberant delight, ingenious structure, symbiotic works, and aesthetic thoughts.  These are the seven major points.

 

■传神之象

■ Vivid Imagery

在中国传统绘画艺术中，泼墨写意人物的创作无疑是一项极限挑战，是对画者素养、功力的严峻考验。因之，参与此项极限挑战的画家屈指可数，绘画史上留传下来的经典之作可谓寥寥。画史载，泼墨人物肇始于五代画家石恪，相传现藏于日本东京博物馆之《二祖调心图》二幅为其所作。其中一幅描绘高僧丰干伏倚虎背而臥，身下之虎温顺如大猫。表现了高僧调心师禅，修行深厚，法力无边。画面逸笔纵横，水墨淋漓，达到了高妙的艺术境界。石恪的画法，简化了笔法，发挥了水墨的效果，成减笔画法之开山祖。至南宋，梁楷深受石恪减笔画法之影响，其传世之作《泼墨仙人图》，笔墨精练到不能再减，而将烂醉如泥，憨态可掬的仙人神态表现得维妙维肖，淋漓尽致。看似信手塗抹，实则其来不易，胸之无逸气，手之无逸笔，岂可为乎？石恪、梁楷以降，泼墨之法用于山水、花鸟的大家多多，但长于泼墨人物的画者依然寥寥。时至当代，志于此艺者渐多，就笔者目力所及，影响较大者当数杨之光、李世南、彭先诚诸家。其取材，杨重于今时；李、彭偏于古代。李、彭二人中，李多写文人士子，彭多画丽人骏马。其画风，杨趋写实；李、彭而好意笔。其笔墨，杨融水彩画法，清丽明快，凝练而丰富；李、彭率性而为，淋漓酣畅，放达不羁，尤以李之为最。就西丁而言，取材、画风近于李。着意于高士哲人、诗聖文豪、樵翁渔父，村童野老的刻画；措意于“情于景汇，意于象通”之写意表达。异于李者，似更刻意于情景的构设与意境的营造，而笔墨的把握上似更重节奏与节制，而不似李的恣肆霸悍，率意无羁。泼墨写意，看似“得来全不费功夫”，岂知“踏破铁鞋无觅处”，胸之无逸气，手之无逸笔，是难以驾驭的。西丁知难而为，在“寻无”之途上，巧思独运，妙笔传神，塑造出了惟肖惟妙，意趣天成的诸多人物形象。

In the art of traditional Chinese painting, the creation of splash-ink freehand figures is undoubtedly an extreme challenge, and a severe test of the artist's accomplishment and skills. Therefore, there have been very few artists who participated in this extreme challenge, and a limited number of classic pieces that survived in the history of painting. Historical records indicate that splash-ink figure painting started with Shi Ke of the Five Dynasties period. According to legend, the two paintings of "Two Ancestors", currently in the collection of Museum of Tokyo, Japan, are his works. One of paintings portrays the eminent monk Feng Gan leaning over on the back of a tiger. Under his body, the tiger is gentle and obedient like a big cat. This shows the eminent monk’s spiritual study of Zen, profound cultivation, and boundless power. The appearance of the painting was painted impassioned and with great ease, reaching a wonderful artistic realm. Shi Ke's painting method simplified the brushwork, gave free rein to the effect of the ink, and became the founder of reduced-brushwork painting method. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Liang Kai was greatly influenced by Shi Ke’s reduced-brushwork. His “Splash-ink Painting of the Immortals” is a treasure handed down in the history.  In the painting, his brushwork was refined and reduced to the extreme. However, the drunken and cuddly demeanors of the immortals were demonstrated lifelike and vividly.  Seemingly careless smears, but actually very hard-earned.  This can only be achieved with excelling spirit and excelling brushwork.  Since Shi Ke and Liang Kai, there have been many masters applying splash-ink method in landscapes, birds and flowers, but very few adept in splash-ink figures. Today, gradually, more and more are interested in this method. As far as I could see, the more influential among them are Yang Zhiguang, Li Shinan, and Peng Xiancheng.  Yang chooses mainly modern people as his subjects, while Li and Peng painted more figures from ancient times. Between Li and Peng, Li manly painted literati, and Peng more beauties and horses. As for styles, Yang tends to be realistic while Li and Peng prefer freehand. For technics, Yang fuses watercolor method, elegant and lively, concise and rich, while Li and Peng are unreserved, heartily and lively, free and unbounded, and especially Li. As for Xiding, his subjects and style are close to Li’s.  He focuses on portraying eminent and wise literati, famous poets and writers, woodcutters and fishermen, village children and elderlies, emphasizing the expression of “the combination of passions and views, and the fusion of meanings and imagery”. Different from Li, Xiding seems more deliberate in the construction of the scene and the creation of artistic realm, with more rhythm and restraint in his control of the brush and ink, rather than Li's unbridled blunt force and unbounded straightforwardness.  Splash-ink freehand could seem to be effortlessly achievable, but actually has to be "sought far and wide". Without excelling spirit and excelling brushwork, it is difficult to manage.  Xiding proceeds, fully aware of the difficulties. On the way of "seeking non-being", Xiding, with ingenious design and magical brushwork, has created vivid and delightful images of many figures.

试举一例，看看西丁在塑造人物形象上是如何巧思独运，不蹈别人窠臼。清诗人厉鹗有一赠友之作：“相见亦无事，别后常忆君。春风纵有情，桃花难再寻。”还有两个版本，诗中第二句，一为“不来常忆君”，一为“不来惚忆君”。这一作品道出了友人之间的眷念之情。前两句为叙事，直述思念友人的怅惘，但这种惆怅的意绪不是具体之物，是只可意会难以言传的，朦朦胧胧，缥缥缈缈，难以把握。这时，诗人就会调动他心灵的眼睛，即“灵視”，在想象的世界中寻找能与这朦胧缥缈的意绪相对应的物象，经过一番折腾，诗人终于找到与之相匹配的对应物，就是“春风纵有情，桃花难再寻。"零落的春花是表达惆怅之意的象。以上是诗人写诗，那么画家要将诗歌转换为绘画该怎么办?绘画是视觉艺术，只能在有限的二维空间里捕捉典型形象的瞬间，将之固定在画面上。它不可能像语言艺术去叙述那朦胧缥缈的思绪，只能捕捉那些能代表这些思绪的具体形象。也就是说画“相见亦无事，别后常忆君”这两句不好画，那另一途，就是画“春风纵有情，桃花难再寻”这个表意的象了。最后出现在画家笔下的画面是个什么样子呢？我想大概如此：远景，一条似有似无的天际线，天际线上一抹远山；中景，茫茫水面，飘着一两点远帆；近景，一诗人佇立岸边，遥望天际若有所思，身旁一树桃花，花瓣正随风飘散。面对此景，丝丝怅惘，缕缕离愁，悄然而生。但是，西丁並未落入诗人定下的这一窠臼。瑞士思想家阿米尔说：“一个心灵的境界可以是多片不同的风景。”西丁就是要寻另一片不同的风景。他不在有形有象的地方下功夫，却独辟蹊径，另开新篇，瞄上了“相见亦无事”这么一句。这句话中，有具体形象吗？怎么画？给谁，谁怵！西丁是位拗相公，阳关大道偏不走，非要上这独木桥，奈何！然而，西丁画成了，而且画得率性潇洒，这就是他的《相见亦无事》。画中两位为思念所苦的老友，相见了，心安了，意定了，一份掛牵了却了，暖阳中，睡意自然而然不期而至。优雅、闲散中却透出浓浓的真挚情谊。他用画作改写了厉鹗的后两句，那么厉作就成了：“相见亦无事，不来常忆君。座中相对眠，又梦对面人。”这幅作品看起来画得轻松自如，率性潇洒，但细究其构思过程，我想也是颇费周章的。

An example demonstrates how Xiding portrays the figure imagery ingeniously and breaks free from conventions. Qing Dynasty poet Li E once wrote a poem for a friend: "For nothing we meet each other; after parting you are often on my mind. Although spring breeze empathizes; it is difficult to find peach flowers again". This poem has two other versions. One version of the second line is "often missing you when you did not come", and the third version is "suddenly missing you when you did not come". This work shows the longing feeling between friends. The first two sentences are narratives, and they are straightforward description of melancholy mood for missing a friend. However, this melancholy mood is not a concrete matter, and can only be sensed but not explained. Obscure, misty, and difficult to grasp. At this time, the poet would mobilize his mind's eyes, i.e. “vision", looking for something in the imaginary world that corresponds to this obscurity. After much deliberation, the poet finally found a matching correspondence: "although spring breeze empathizes; It is difficult to find peach flowers again".  Scattered spring flowers are the expressive imagery of melancholy meaning. This is how the poet composed poetry.  How, then, should a painter convert poetry to a painting? Painting is a visual art, with only a limited two-dimensional space to capture the typical image of the moment, and fix it on the paper. It cannot describe the hazy thoughts like language arts, but it can only capture the specific images that represent these thoughts. That is to say, it is not practical to paint a picture of "For nothing we meet each other; after parting you are often on my mind". Another way then is to paint an image of "Although spring breeze empathizes; It is difficult to find peach flowers again". What would the final picture that appears under an artist's hand look like? I would speculate as such: In the distance view, there is only a touch of remote mountains on the seemingly non existing skyline; in the middle view, one or two sails floating far away on the vast water; the close view is a poet standing on the shore, looking at the sky and deep in thoughts. Next to him, there is a peach tree, with petals drifting in the wind. In front of this scene, the melancholy mood and the strands of sorrow quietly arrive. However, Xiding did not fall into this stereotype set by the poet. Swiss thinker Henri-Frédéric Amiel said: "A spiritual realm can be multiple different landscapes." Xiding is looking for a different landscape. He did not labor at the tangible and the concrete, but explored a new path and opened a new chapter. He zoomed in on the first line “For nothing we meet each other”.  Is there a specific imagery in this sentence? How to paint?  It must be difficult for anyone!  Xiding is a willful gentleman. Rather than taking the broad open avenues, he embarked on single-log bridges. Oh well! However, Xiding did it, and painted with dashing elegance. The painting is his "For Nothing We Meet Each Other”. In the painting, the two old friends, very much missing each other, met and felt calm and peace of mind. Now the worries are gone, and drowsiness naturally and unexpectedly arrives under the warm sun. Elegant, idle but revealing a deep and sincere friendship. He thus rewrote the latter two lines of Li E’s poem with this painting: "For nothing we meet each other; after parting you are often on my mind. Dozing off while face to face we sit; In dreams still seeing the one sitting opposite”.  The painting appears to be relaxed, free, and elegant.  However, upon in-depth study of its conceptual process, I think it spared no effort.

其一，“相见亦无事”，这么一句无形象可言的叙事之语，如何化为可视可感的形象，这得下番功夫。试想想，两个老友，分别之后只是想念掛牵，並无什么事情需要处理，见面之后，问候问候，寒喧寒喧。那么两个老头聚在一起还会干些甚么？为此，西丁定会闭目冥思，给他们一个合适的发落。下棋？弹琴？吟诗？看书？写字？作画？好像这么多都不是个合适的表意之象，若如此，那还不成了“相见亦有事”乎？想来想去，毫无头绪，心烦意躁，坐卧不宁。忽然，心头灵光一闪，既然必需无事，那么就让他们晒晒太阳，瞌睡打盹，岂不妙哉？这是一个多么传神的细节！另外，这一细节亦可表达他俩细微的心理变化，由思友的心绪不宁到见面后的心宁气静。寻觅一个有表现力的细节颇费心思，可谓“踏破铁鞋无觅处”，苦不堪言；“得来全不费功夫”，其乐无比。西丁再创造的这个意象也似乎优于原作的意象，借落花之象表怅惘之意的意象在古诗词中俯拾皆是，已少新鲜之感。再者，今之画家以古典诗词作为创作素材的人也不少，但鲜有人像西丁这样给“心灵的境界”另寻“一片风景”，给原作的主题另觅一个更有表现力的意象。

First, "For nothing we meet each other”, so how can such a non-visual narrative language be transformed into a visually perceivable image?  Just think about it: two old friends, simply missing each other, but with nothing to deal with, now meet and exchange pleasantries. Then what will two old people do together?  At this, Xiding was probably in pensive mood and tried to find something for them. Playing chess? Playing lute? Reciting poetry? Reading? Calligraphing? Painting? It seems that none of these is a suitable imagery, for each scenario becomes "For something we meet each other". After much deliberation, suddenly, a flash of inspiration: since they have nothing to do, then let them bask in the sun and take a nap. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? What a vivid detail! In addition, this detail can also express their subtle psychological changes, from the worrying thoughts of longing for friends to peace of mind upon meeting. Looking for an expressive detail is quite laboring, and can be described as "wearing out iron shoes in fruitless searching", simply miserable; "yet by a lucky chance you may find what you are looking for without even trying", the most joyful. The imagery Xiding created seems to be superior to the original poem. It is very common and lack of sense of freshness applying the image of drifting flowers as the expression for melancholy mood in ancient Chinese poetry. In addition, there are many painters today who utilize the ancient poetry as their material for creation. However, few people look for "a landscape" for "the realm of the soul" and find a more expressive imagery for the original theme, like how Xiding did.

其二，两个老头，不能是两个老年人的符号，而应是各具个性的鲜活生命。西丁的人物画特别注意对人物神态情状的入微刻画，特别用力于人物的气质风度的表达。再看在这幅作品中相对而眠的两人：一靠于椅背，双手袖于胸前，仰面朝天；一斜倚于椅，左臂置于扶手，面朝一侧；一髭稍长而翘；一髭稍短而整；一瘦骨崚嶒；一面丰体肥；一肤黑；一肤白；仰面朝天者，似感狂放；面朝一侧者，似感内敛；狂放者，似为主人；内敛者，似为来客。何为有主客之分辨，试想，再親密无间之友，碍于友人内眷外仆，能放达自任乎？而在主人，已习以为常，自不会有所拘束。对人物构设如此之精致，形象刻画又如此富于变化，能不传神？

Second, the two old men should not be the mere symbols of two aged people, but should represent fresh life with individuality. Xiding's figure paintings pay special attention to the details of characters' demeanor, especially the expression of the person's temperament.  In this work, of the two napping friends, one is leaning on the back of the chair, with his hands on his chest, and his face towards the sky; the other is reclining on the chair, with his left arm on the armrest, facing the side; one has a mustache slightly longer and sticking up; the other with a mustache shorter and neat; one is thin and skeletal; the other with round face and body; one has dark skin; the other light; the one facing upwards seems wild; the one facing sideways looks introverted; the wild one is probably the host; the introverted the visitor. What is the distinction between the host and the visitor?  Well, even between the most intimate friends, the visitor cannot be unbridled in front of the host’s family members and servants. However, the master, accustomed to his environment, will certainly not be restrained. With such refined figure composition, and such rich characterization, how could the painting nor be vivid?

上述作品所使用的素材，是西丁在原作意旨上进行二次再创作时另觅的素材，是原作中可能有但作者却未写的。那么大多数人常用的素材呢？西丁是否也能寻出一片“不同的风景”？且看西丁的《伯乐》。在以马作为传送信息、作战冲锋、交通运输、农业生产的主要动力时代，具有相马经验与知识的人在社会上受到人们普遍的敬重，传说中的伯乐、九方皋即是，伯乐甚至被认为是天上的星宿。因之，从古至今，以伯乐为素材的诗文绘画作品多至难以计数。这样反复画了又画的题材，西丁却跳出了旧窠，寻出了不同的味道，觅出了新鲜的意象，把观者带入了新的意境。对此，李鸿秋先生有极为精妙的评述，摘引如下：

In the above work, the material is what Xiding sought and recreated based the original work, and is what might be in the original poem but the poet didn’t write. So how about the materials people commonly utilize? Can Xiding also find a "different landscape"? Let’s take a look at Xiding's "Bole". In the era when the horses were the main force for transmitting information, combat assault, transportation, and agricultural production, experienced and knowledgeable connoisseurs of horses were universally respected in the society, such as the legendary Bole and Jiufang Gao. Bole was even considered to be a celestial being in the heaven. Therefore, from ancient times to the present, there are numerous poems, proses, and paintings with Bole as the material. For such a repeatedly painted theme, Xiding departed from the beaten track, found a different feeling and a fresh image, and took the viewers into a new mood. Regarding this work, Mr. Li Hongqiu has an extremely exquisite remark, quoted as follows:

“先吃一惊的是这画上无马。没马，伯乐还相什么劲？这活没法干了。西丁的高明之处正在这里。他先卖了个“无马”的破绽，却又无中生有地让画中有马；先画了一个拴马桩，桩头有半截绳子扯向画外；再画伯乐凝眸顺绳寻视而去。这样就让人们‘看’到了画外臥着一匹马，也许是秦二爷的瘦黄膘！感觉到它会随时站起，喷鼻奋蹄，仰天长嘶，好一腔经历了太久太久等待，而终于相见的怨，慕，泣，诉……为什么西丁的无马分明让人看到了马，甚至胜过有马？这是一个深奥的美学修养问题，又是一个高超的眼界与手法问题。西丁先生深知艺术的魅力在于悠长的弦外之音，生命力在于群众七嘴八舌的议论，于是留下大量空白且大胆地将空白留于画外，只让大家顺着伯乐的目光一起跑到画外的广阔天地，依据各自的生活经验与审美情趣，郭哒郭哒地牵出自己的神骏。" 

"The first surprise is that on this painting there is no horse. What does Bole do without a horse? This cannot work. Xiding's brilliance is right here. He purposely teased viewers with a "horseless" scene and created the being of a horse out of non-being, by first painting a hitching post with a part of the rein pulling towards outside of the painting, and then painting Bole gazing along the rein.  Thus people can 'see' a horse outside the painting, perhaps a legendary winged steed, ready to stand up at any time, neighing and pounding, grumbling the long wait before finally meeting someone who knows its capacity, ... Why does Xiding’s painting of no horse clearly show the horse, or even better than having a horse? This is a profound mastery of aesthetics, and also superb vision and techniques. Mr. Xiding has deep understanding that the artistic charm lies in the overtones, and the vitality lies in the viewer’s discussions, thus he left a large amount of void and even boldly saved the void outside the painting. He just let viewers follow the Bole's eyes and go to the vast space outside the painting, and from their own life experience and aesthetic taste, soundly bring out their own magnificent steed".

再看李先生对西丁《伯乐》一画有关人物传神方面的评述：“令人讶异的是西丁没有让伟大的伯乐正面亮相，而是让他背对观众；甚至不让他相貌堂堂，而是让他矮身短衫，满臉风霜。尽管如此，通过西丁的妙笔摹状，人们还是相信了正是这样的伯乐才具有朴实的大智慧、大能耐。看，画中的伯乐正风尘仆仆踽踽集市，却蓦地收脚，回头，瞠目，警觉地向拴马桩后面扫去。顿时，眉骨突兀，帮眼睛聚焦，眸子滴溜溜转，耳朵支楞老高，脚步绕桩移动，倒背的双手先泄露了惊喜！那臉开始拉长，竞‘同类’相怜地有了马相；脚下也不由得腕细蹄圆，露出了‘马脚’。呜呼伯乐，终生为马，能不马化？”

More of Mr. Li's comments on Xiding's "Bole" regarding the expressiveness of the character: "It is surprising that Xiding did not let the great Bole face the viewers; he was not painted to be grand, but rather short and in a short-sleeved shirt, weather-beaten. However, through the portrayal of Xiding’s wonderful brushwork, people still believe that this is exactly the Bole with great wisdom and ability.  On the painting, Bole, travel-worn, is walking alone at the bazaar, but takes a sudden pause, looks back, staring alarmingly to the horse behind the hitching post. At once, he frowns so the eyes can focus, pricks his ears up, and turns his feet towards the hitching post, with his hands behind him that show a surprise!  His face begins to lengthen, even obtains some characteristics of a horse face; even his turning feet cannot help but resemble horse’s fine wrists and circular hoofs.  With a life with horses, how can he not obtain some resemblance? "

最后李鸿秋先生赞道："听于无声，观于无形，极为简练，却深不可测；柔似无骨，却棱角楚楚；一派寂寥，却生气勃勃。"李先生评语深中肯綮！

Finally, Mr. Li Hongqiu praised: "Listen to the silent, and view the invisible. Extremely concise, but unfathomable deep. Soft like boneless, but angular and edgy. All still, but so lively." Mr. Li’s comments are perfectly on the points!

人物画向以传神为极致，传神，是人物画家应具的真本领。西丁塑造的众多人物形象，穷形尽致，无不肖妙，处处在在都显露出他高超的造型传神能力。画古人而能得其神韵，表现出人物情思、意绪、气质、品格这些精神层面上的东西並非易事，胸中无丰厚的传统文化积淀是办不到的。"子非鱼，焉知鱼之乐？"今人非古人，怎能知道古人的情思、意绪呢？这只能通过阅读大量古代文史资料，尤其是古人表达自己思想感情的文学作品，去感知，去体会。西丁在这方面下了很大功夫，其妙笔传神的人物形象与其胸中丰厚的传统文化积淀是分不开的。学养的高低决定了作品品位的高低。

A vivid touch has always been the ultimate attainment of figure painting, and is the true ability a figure painter ought to possess. The numerous figures Xiding has created are all in full details and remarkably lively, revealing his superb ability to construct and express vividly. It is not easy to paint the ancients and capture their charm, showing the emotions, mood, temperament, characters and other spiritual aspects.  It is an impossible feat without substantial accumulation of traditional culture. "You are not a fish, how can you understand the happiness of it?" As modern persons, how can we know feelings and emotions of the ancients? This can only be perceived and understood through the reading of a large amount of ancient materials of literature and history, especially the literary works by which the ancients expressed their thoughts and feelings. Xiding has made great efforts in this respect. The vivid characters under his brushes are inseparable from the rich traditional culture in his mind. The level of scholastic accomplishment determines the level of artistic work grade.

传统画论将画之品格分为"能、妙、神"三品。唐朱景玄又于其后将"不拘常法"之作称为"逸"品，而成四品。宋黄休复又将"逸"品列于"神"品之上。所谓"逸"，是"拙规矩于方圆，鄙精研于彩绘，笔简神俱，得之自然。"西丁画作当属何品，观者心中自会有自已的判断。人物画家王子武的女儿曾说："我爸看了西丁的画册，感到吃惊！"精于绘事者深谙画中三昧啊！

Traditional painting theory classifies the qualities and styles of paintings into three categories: "able, wonderful, and vivid". Later, Zhu Jingxuan of Tang Dynasty called "innovative approach" as "carefree", a fourth category. Huang Xiufu of Song Dynasty further ranked "carefree" works superior to the "vivid”. The so-called "carefree" is "not rigidly adhering to the rules, advocating insipid styles, painting vividly with simple stokes, achieving natural work". The viewers will have their own judgments in their minds on how to classify Xiding’s works.  The daughter of figure painter Wang Ziwu once said: "My dad was in awe when he saw an album of Xiding’s paintings!"  It takes one to know one.

 

■诗意之境

■Poetic Realm

欣赏绘画作品，常常有这样的体验：有的画，扫一眼而已，你不会动情；有的画，却能让你一个激灵，继之端详良久，欲罢不能，情思隨之飘移画中，隨其蕴含的意绪波动。何为若此？意境使然。拜读西丁的画作有如吟哦绝妙好诗，画中有诗的情愫，画中有诗的意蕴，画中有诗的意境。月与酒，是古代墨客骚人笔下的一个永恒主题，写了数千年也未写完其中的诗意。写到了当代，依然有生花妙笔翻出了新意。林清玄有篇文章的题目是《温一壶月光下酒》，就这一句，就有醇醇的酒香浓浓的诗意。月夜，纯净，静谧，澄明，神秘，有种难以言表的诗美。西丁的画笔也时不时地涉及到这一诗美的境域。

One often has the following experience when appreciating paintings: for some paintings, one glance is enough, and you will not feel emotionally connected; some other paintings can give you a start, and you cannot help but view them for a long time, unable to stop, feeling emotions drifting along with the mood contained in the painting. How so? Driven by artistic realm. Studying Xiding’s paintings is just like reciting a wonderful poem, for his paintings are rich in poetic emotions, poetic implications, and poetic artistic realm. The moon and the wine are eternal themes of the ancient poets and writers, non-exhaustible poetic meanings for thousands of years. Today, there are still new meanings out of wonderful pens and brushes. Lin Qingxuan has an article entitled "Warm Up A Pot of Moonlight to Accompany the Wine". This title by itself is laced with strong alcohol-rich poetic flavor. Moonlight night is pure, quiet, clear, mysterious, and has a kind of unspeakable beauty of poetry. Xiding's brush also touched upon this poetic beauty from time to time.

如画作《山近月远觉月小》：苍山如屏矗立画中，山边皎皎明月当空，银辉铺地，万籁俱寂，山脚小径上，一醉者身子歪歪斜斜，一脚高一脚低地晃进了画中，左手提着一个喝空了的酒葫芦，右手对着山指指戳戳，睁大的眼睛好似清醒，嘴却在自问自答地说着醉话："怪哉！怪哉！此山何以大于前日？此月何以小于昨夜？是山大了？还是月小了 ？嘻嘻，还是山大于月……山大于月……”醉目迷离中还在观察判断，迷迷糊糊中还在逻辑推理，但“大缘于近，小缘于远”的理性分析能力已失落在了归家的山径中。画中人物醉得有趣，迷糊得可爱。此画取材于王阳明的《蔽月山房》，全诗为：“山近月远觉月小/便道此山大于月/若有人眼大于天/当见山高月更阔”。据说此诗为王阳明十二岁时所作。诗中前两句与后两句列举了两类人观察认识事物的不同角度与态度。前类人只凭一己的直觉下结论，认为山大于月；后类人进行理性分析，认为山大缘于山近，月小缘于月远，若能眼光开阔高远，等距离观察山与月，就会得出山虽高，但月更广大更辽阔。此诗重于说理，理大于象。西丁画作撷取的“山近月远觉月小，便道此山大于月”二句，只是说了“ 山近月远”才感觉月亮小，如果仅凭这个感觉下结论是荒唐的。其中全是说理，几乎无象可觅。句中既然无具体的人物形象描写，那么如何画呢？如何表现这个“荒唐”呢？理是无法直接画出来的！显然，一般性的艺术形式的转换是不行的，而需要画家进行再次创作。西丁的艺术才华常常显露在路几乎走不通的地方，他构设情节、创造人物形象的本领是高强的。失去理性判断而仅有下意识感觉的人都是些什么人呢？智障者，疯子，醉酒者。智障者与精神病人显然不适宜画，这有违人道，那么醉酒者就是最妙的不二之选。古时文人好月好酒，邀友赏月饮酒是常有的雅事，那么酒后呢？必然会有人醉意而归。想到此，西丁的灵感降临了，何不画一醉酒文人月下踏着山径独归，踉踉跄跄，恍兮惚兮，还在赏月，还在看山，他口出“山大于月”不是特别恰当了吗？这画中的意境，独特，有趣，唯美，诗意盎然。西丁对原作的意旨作出了自己更为形象、更为生动、更为巧妙的解读。画古典诗词，不是由诗到画的“翻译”，要有自己独到的领悟，独特的艺术表现，是一次新的提升，新的创造。西丁艰苦而优雅地完成了。

For example, let us study Xiding’s painting "The Mountain is Close and the Moon is Far, and the Moon Is Perceived as Small". On the painting, the vast mountain is standing like a huge screen, and on the side of the mountain there is a bright moon.  Silver moonlight covers the ground, and all is quiet. On a footpath, a drunkard, with inclining body, is stumping into the scene. His left hand is carrying an empty wine gourd, and pointing his right hand toward the mountain. Eyes wide open as if sober, but his mouth is of self-questioning drunkenness: “Strange!  Strange! Why is the mountain greater than the day before? Why is the moon smaller than last night? Did the mountain grow bigger? Or the moon smaller? Aha! The mountain is still greater than the moon ... ... The mountain is still greater than the moon ... ..." He is still observing and judging and trying to reason logically in his blurred drunken state. But the ability of rational analysis of "everything looks small in the distance and big on the contrary" has been lost on the mountain path to home. The figure is so drunk that he is interesting, so confused that lovable. This painting is based on Wang Yangming's "Moon-screening Mountain House". The poem is: "The mountain is close and the moon is far, and the moon is perceived as small / Thus I claim that this mountain is greater than the moon / If someone has eyes greater than the sky / Then he would see the mountain is great but the moon is broader". This poem is said to have been written by Wang Yangming at the age of twelve. The first two lines and the second two lines in the poem list different angles and attitudes of two kinds of people in their observation and understanding of things. People of the former group conclude that the mountain is greater than the moon based on their intuitions. People of the latter make a rational analysis, believing that the mountain looks great since it is near, and the moon looks small since it is in the distant. With more lofty and further vision from the same distance, one can come to the conclusion that although the mountain is high, the moon is even vaster. This poem focuses more on reasoning than the scenery. Xiding’s painting captures the first two lines: "The mountain is close and the moon is far, and the moon is perceived as small / Thus I claim that this mountain is greater than the moon”.  It is of course absurd just stating "The mountain is close and the moon is far" and then concluding that “the moon is small”. And all of these are reasoning, and there is almost no imagery.  How to paint this when there is no specific character description in the lines? How to express this "absurdity"? Reasoning cannot be painted directly! Obviously, general transformation between the art forms cannot work and it requires the painter to recreate. Xiding's artistic talent is often revealed on the seemingly impossible path. He is superbly skilled in constructing the plot and creating the image of the character. What kind of people would lose their rational judgment but have only unconscious feelings? The mentally ill, the crazy, and the drunk. The first two are not suitable for painting, then the drunk is the best choice. Ancient literati loved the moon and the wine, and often invited friends to enjoy the moon and drink together.  Afterwards? Someone was bound to head home drunk. With this in mind, Xiding’s inspiration arrived: why not paint a drunken man going home alone on a mountain trail under the moon? Staggering, absent minded, while still admiring the moon, still watching the mountain. Isn’t it particularly appropriate for him to state that "the mountain is greater than the moon”? The artistic conception in this painting is unique, interesting, beautiful and poetic.  Xiding’s own interpretation of the original work is more visually specific, livelier, and cleverer. Painting inspired by classical poetry should not be a mere "translation" of poetry to painting. It requires unique insight and unique artistic expression. It is a new distillation and a new creation. Xiding accomplished assiduously and elegantly.

在西丁诸多画月的作品中，还有一幅《把酒话古今》让人过目难忘。画面中两位高士坐于石上，倾斜着身子相互敬酒。一位衣青，颊长、须疏、清癯；一位袍黄，额凸、须多、壮硕。身后左右两侧是嵯峨嶙峋的山岩，中天是一轮硕大无朋的月亮。看着这幅画，我常有一种月光清凉如水的感觉，这是不是所称的通感呢？由视觉的感受而引起了触觉的感受。满目清辉，使人心腑为之清澈，灵魂为之澄明。在此月明星稀之夜，似乎聆听到两位高士思接千载，神驰八荒的高谈阔论，一时，自己也似乎超然于沧海桑田、历史兴衰之上，以哲人的眼光静观历史长空中的风起云落，以智者的睿思審视历史长河中的匆匆过客。写于此不由想起一付对联，传说明人周正高度近视，主考鄙之，卷上批曰："单翅鸟不能凌云"，周正见批忿然对曰："半边月仍照乾坤"。好一个"半边月仍照乾坤"！中国古之士人常有一种"天下"情怀，宠辱不惊，得失不计，在朝在野，心怀天下。"半边月仍照乾坤"是对中国士子"天下"情怀的妙喻。在中国古代历史上，兴衰存亡更替似乎成了逃不掉的历史宿命，因而兴衰更替也成了中国士人谈不完的话题。《把酒话古今》画成了一首意境空灵，意味悠长的古诗。

Among many Xiding’s moon themed paintings, there is another unforgettable work, titled "Raising the Wine Cups and Talking about the Ancient and the Current". The two esteemed gentlemen in the painting sit on the rocks, tilting their bodies to toast each other. One is clothed in blue, with long cheeks and sparse beard, and thin. The other wears a yellow gown, with a convex forehead and thick beard, and strong. Behind them, there are lofty and rugged rocks on the left and right.  Above, in the middle of the sky, there is a gigantic moon. Viewing this painting, I often have a feeling that the moonlight is as cool as water. Isn’t this the so-called connected sense? Visual perception caused a sense of touch. A scene full of clear moonlight makes the heart clear and the soul clear. One can almost hear, in such a night with bright moon and few stars, the two gentlemen’s voluble talks on the ancient and current, of the near and the far. For a time, one seems to be detached from the vistas of the world, and the rises and falls in the history, and view the history’s rising wind, rolling clouds, and fleeting figures with the analytical view of a philosopher and the foresights of a sage. At this point, I cannot help but think of a pair of couplets. The legend is that Zhou Zheng of Ming Dynasty had a high degree of myopia, and the examiner looked down on him and wrote: "A bird with one wing cannot fly far". Zhou Zheng angrily replied: "Half-moon can still illuminate heaven and earth".  So nicely said that "Half-moon can still illuminate heaven and earth"!   Ancient Chinese scholars often had a kind of "world" feelings, remained indifferent whether favored or humiliated, ignored gains and losses, and always cared about the world, in the court or in the wild. "Half-moon can still illuminate heaven and earth" is a wonderful metaphor for the feeling of "world" for Chinese scholars. In the history of ancient China, the rise and fall of the succession and failure seem to have become the inescapable historical fate. Therefore, the rise and fall of dynasties have been an eternal topic for Chinese scholars. "Raising the Wine Cups and Talking about the Ancient and the Current" thus painted an ancient poem of ethereal mood and profound meaning.

西丁在创作中，不拘泥于传统山水画、人物画的疆界与章法，常常根据内容表达的需要灵活地将两种元素进行组合安排。画中的秀峰幽壑，深川大泽，氤氲山岚，嶙峋奇石，皎皎明月，瑟瑟芦荻，灿灿山花，郁郁松柏，天际飞鸿，高空流云，与品茗的文人，论道的高士，枰上对弈的村童野老，笑谈古今的渔翁樵夫，两种元素相汇相融，酿成了一种古朴典雅的美，一种空灵超逸的美，它浸润着你，消解着你，使你超然于逼仄嚣扰的现实之外，逸出于庸常的得失忧乐之中，顿觉天地之久远，造化之无穷，心魄为之净化，胸阔臆舒，神清气静。这种强烈的艺术魅力，来自于画家创造的人与自然契合，情于景交融的诗意之境，来自于这意境中蕴含的对自然、对人生深刻感悟。

In his artistic creations, Xiding does not rigidly adhere to the boundaries and rules of traditional landscape painting and figure painting, and often flexibly combines the two elements according to the needs of content expression. In his paintings, landscapes such as beautiful mountains and peaceful valleys, deep rivers and wide ponds, enshrouding mists and mountain haze, jagged rocks, bright moon, rustling reeds, resplendent mountain flowers, lush cypresses, flying geese at the horizon, meandering clouds in the sky, and figures like tea-drinking literati, the eminent gentlemen having philosophical discussions, the chess-playing village elderly and youngster, the fisherman and the woodcutter making casual remarks on ancient and the current, are combined together, leading to a simple, elegant, and ethereal beauty. This beauty infiltrates you, merges with you, and makes you transcendental over the pressing and noisy reality, escaping from the trivial gains and losses, worries and cheers, at once feeling the vastness of the universe and the infinite power of creation, with soul being purified, mind broadened, senses clear and calm. Such strong artistic charm comes from the harmonious integration of humans and nature and the poetic realm,  from  artistic realm of blending emotions with the scenery, all created by the artist. And it comes from the profound understanding of nature and life.

 

当然，诗意之境的最后完成与表达，将之物化于纸上，还有赖于画家高妙精到的水墨技法。清代书画家笪重光在他的《画筌》中曾有这样的论述：“山川之气本静，笔躁动则静气不生；林泉之姿本幽，墨粗疏则幽姿顿减。”这段话反证了笔墨技法的重要性，诗意之美离不开华滋妙美的笔墨技法。西丁作品中的澄明之美、静谧之美与其高妙精到、浑然天成的泼墨写意技法是分不开的。

Of course, the final realization and expression of the poetic realm, and the materialization on the paper, also depend on the artist's wonderful and meticulous ink and wash techniques. Calligrapher and painter Da Chongguang of Qing Dynasty stated in his "The Trace of Paintings": "The atmosphere of mountains and rivers is calm, and a restless brush will not create calm atmosphere; the appearance of the forests and the streams is quiet, and inattentive ink diminishes the quiet appearance”. This passage provides counterevidence for the importance of brush and ink techniques. The beauty of poetic realm cannot be separated from the wonderful and beautiful painting techniques. The clarity and tranquility of beauty in the Xiding’s work, is inseparable from his subtle and refined splash-ink freehand techniques.

 

■明彻之理

■Limpid Reason

意象、意境是用来表达作者思想情感的。而思想，有较为具体的，低层阶上的；也有较抽象的，高层阶上的。如果思想抽象到一定的高度，便成了哲思，哲理。西丁特别着意于将哲思蕴含于作品的意象、意境之中，追求作品中深刻的哲理表达。

Imagery and artistic realm are used to express the author's thoughts and feelings. There are more specific, fundamental-level thoughts; and there are more abstract, high-level thoughts. If the idea is  ??abstract to a certain level, it has become philosophical thoughts and philosophical reasoning. Xiding diligently works on implicating philosophical thoughts in the images and artistic realm of his works, and pursues the profound philosophical expression in his works.

《三人行》中，三位士子结伴遊于溶洞，一边感应天地之灵气，一边求索学问之真谛，辨难析疑，切磋琢磨，互启互动，相学相补。"三人行，必有我师"，谦谦君子，虛怀若谷。画中，洞窟幽邃，奇石突兀，犹如士子们探索的问题，深邃而奥秘。层叠幽深的溶洞有着强烈的象征意味。"入之愈深，其进愈难，而其见愈奇”，“夫夷以近，则遊者众；险以远，则至者少。而世之奇伟瑰怪之观，常在于险远而人迹罕至焉。故非有志者不能至也。"不只探秘溶洞如此，做学问，搞艺术，乃至人生处世，那一端不是这个道理？理融于境，思化于象，而理与思借助境与象的显现，更其明彻。

In the painting "Three Men Walking Together", the three scholars visit a cave in each other’s company, sensing the aura of heaven and earth, and seeking the true meaning of knowledge, discussing the knotty and the complicated, pondering and exchanging views, interacting, inspiring, and learning from each other.  "Where there are three men walking together, one of them is bound to be able to teach me something". They are open-minded and modest gentlemen. In the paintings, the cave is mysterious and the rocks are abrupt, like the questions explored by the scholars, deep and mysterious. Cascading deep cave has a strong symbolic meaning. "The deeper into it, the more difficult, and the more remarkable to see".  "The near, the more visitors; the further one risks, the less crowded. The most marvelous and remarkable scenes in the world are often located at the far and dangerous places, rarely visited. Therefore, only the determined can reach".  Such is not only cave exploration, but also academia, art, and even life. Reason integrated in the mood, thoughts in the image, and with the demonstration of artistic realm and image, reason and thoughts become more limpid.

《不识庐山真面目》，此画取材于苏轼《题西林壁》一诗的后二句。画中苏轼斜身坐于石上，左臂支撑着身体，右臂搭于膝上，举目凝望，怡然自得。身周，峰峦四合，山岚氤氲。东坡身处谷中，视野为峰峦所限，只能看到近围的山峦丘壑，云蒸雾腾，而大山的整体形态风貌却难以统摄于目中，他慨而叹之：不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中！这是东坡以哲人的眼光得出的理性认识。西丁此画生动形象地呈现了苏诗思致渺远的意境，观者不只如身临其境地领略了谷秀峰奇的美感，心智也得到了深遂隽永的哲理启迪。至此，诗与画的主旨——要认清事物的真相与全貌，必须超越狭小的视界，摆脱主观与片面——这一朴素的辨证唯物认识论在此得到了巧妙的阐释。但是，人真正要做到知行合一並非易事，常常是知易行难。在人类历史上，人们常常表现得盲目而自信，总以为自己找到了终极真理，並将之神聖化，谁若怀疑，就会被视为异端。由此可见，摆脱主观性片面性有多难！只有走出“山中”，摆脱一隅之局限，才会见到“横看成岭侧成峰，远近高低各不同”的无限风光！

The painting "Cannot Tell the True Shape of Lushan" is based on the last two lines of Su Shi's "On the Wall of Xilin Temple". It paints Su Shi reclining on a rock, with left arm supporting the body, right arm resting on his knees, gazing up, content and happy. There are misty mountains all around him. Su Shi is in a valley, and his view is limited by the mountainous ridges. He can only see the surrounding hills and valleys. In the misty and hazy clouds and fog, the overall shape and appearance of the mountain is difficult to see. He thus sighs: I cannot tell the true shape of Lushan, because I myself am in the exact mountain!  This is the rational understanding of Su Shi's philosophical vision. This painting by Xiding vividly presents the deep thinking mood of Su Shi’s poetry. The viewer can not only enjoy the beauty of the pretty valleys and remarkable mountains, but also have a profound philosophical enlightenment. At this point, the essence of the poem and the painting - a plain dialectical materialist epistemology that to understand the truth and the whole picture, we must go beyond the narrow horizon and cast off the subjective and the one-sided point of view - has been cleverly interpreted. However, it is not always easy for people to accomplish the unity of knowledge and practice. Often, understanding is easier than practicing. In human history, people often behave blindly and confidently, always consider that they have found the ultimate truth and sanctified what they have found. They regard anyone heresy for doubting the perceived ultimate truth.  From history, we know how difficult it is to cast off the subjectivity and one-sidedness! We can only see the infinite beauty of all the ridges and peaks, high and low, near and far, by going beyond the “mountains” and casting off the limitations!

《不及林间自在啼》也是一幅深蕴哲理的佳作。画题借自欧阳修 《郡斋闻百舌》一诗的第四句。画中那些有闲的人们，以玩鸟为乐，岂知鸟是否乐？鸟笼纵然做工考究，终究为囚禁自由的牢笼，何如让鸟儿回归自然，于林间自由飞翔，在枝头自由歌唱？而这又何止鸟儿，人间有没有同样的牢笼？人身依附，思想专制，也是人格、精神上的牢笼，作品在用“不及林间自在啼”这一意象呼唤独立之人格，自由之思想。寓意深远，哲思深邃。正如美学家宗白华先生所说：“真理闪耀于艺术形象里。”

"It Is Better to Freely Crow in the Forest" is also a masterpiece deep in philosophical thoughts. The title of the painting is a quote from the fourth line of Ouyang Xiu's poem entitled "Hearing Many Birds at the Town Residence".  Do those idling bird owners in the painting know if the caged birds are happy?  Even though the birdcage is exquisitely crafted, after all it is a cage imprisoning freedom. Wouldn’t it be better to return the birds to nature so they fly freely in the woods and sing freely in the branches? And not only for birds, aren’t there the same cages imprisoning human beings? Personal attachment and ideological autocracy are cages for personality and spirituality.  This painting calls for independent personality and freedom of thoughts with the image of "It is better to freely crow in the forest ". With far-reaching meaning and profound philosophical thoughts, this work is what the famed esthetician Zong Baihua said: "The truth shines in the artistic image".

诗人流沙河在其诗论中将诗的构成要素归结为情、智、象。“情，心情也，构成诗之魂。智，心智也，构成诗之骨。象，心象也，构成诗之貌。诗之有情有智有象，亦犹人之有魂有骨有貌岂可或缺？”艺术之理相通，画岂能外？智亦理，西丁着意于作品中哲理的表达，亦即强骨也。

In his theory on poetry, the poet Liushahe attributes the elements of poetry to emotion, wisdom and imagery. "Emotion is the feeling of the heart, constituting the soul of a poem.  Wisdom is the intelligence of the heart, constituting the bones of a poem. Imagery is the image of the heart, constituting the appearance of poetry.   Just like a person has to have the soul, the bones and the appearance, a poem cannot lack any of them".  The same is true for painting, another form of art. Wisdom is reason, Xiding’s intention to express the philosophy thoughts in his work constitutes strong bones.

 

■盎然之趣

■Exuberant Delight

品读鉴赏西丁的作品不能不提一件往事。那还是华君武先生健在的时候，他有次观赏西丁的画册时，端详着封面上侧耳倾听状的高士形象，便也身子向后一斜，双手搭于腿上，模仿了起来，并且笑而颔首，赞许人物造型有趣。现任国家画院院长的杨晓阳是这样评论西丁作品的：“构图经常很奇巧，造型很洗练很概括，有适当的夸张，情节都很巧妙，所以画很有趣味。他有书法和漫画的基础，有长期观察生活的经验，能敏锐抓住很有意义的、很有趣味的情节。他的画，题材有一些很别致。就是同样的传统题材，他画的效果和别人不一样。”五句话，百十个字中，与趣有关的“奇巧”、“巧妙”、“别致”的用词各出现了一次，而“趣味”一词出现了两次。这是专家们对西丁作品的直觉感受。在普通读者中，西丁作品的“有看头”，“有嚼头”，“有味道”，“有趣儿”更是遐迩闻名。

Appreciating works by Xiding, I have to mention an antidote. When at one time, the late Mr. Hua Junwu was viewing an album of Xiding’s works, he looked up and down at the image of the gentleman straining his ears to listen, and then leaned backwards, hands resting on his legs, and imitated the figure.  Mr. Hua laughed and nodded, praising that the figure was delightfully composed. Yang Xiaoyang, current president of the National Academy of Painting, commented on the works of Xiding as such: "The compositions are often very ingenious; the shapes are very succinct and condensed; with appropriate level of exaggeration, and very clever plots, the paintings are highly delightful.  With the mastery of calligraphy and cartoons, and a long experience of observing life, he can seize very meaningful and interesting episodes. The themes of some of his paintings are rather unique. Even for the same traditional themes, the effects he painted are different from others”.  In his remark of about a hundred characters, the words related to “delight" appeared often. This is the intuitive feeling of experts on the works of Xiding. Among general public, the works of Xiding have been described as “worth viewing”, “full of aftertaste”, “fun”, “interesting”, and enjoyed widespread renown.

趣，就艺术创造而言，是追求艺术境界的高标准；就艺术欣赏而言，是艺术品能夠激起人美感的基本要求。有趣才能引人，有趣才能感人，有趣的艺术品才有撼人心魄的魅力。在中国古典美学中，写意艺术流派强调抒写性灵，将趣作为艺术创造的理想美，认为是艺术追求的极致。

Delight, in terms of artistic creation, is a high standard to pursuit in artistic realm. In terms of artistic appreciation, it is a basic requirement for artworks to be able to arouse people's aesthetic feelings.  Delight is necessary in order to attract and move people. Only delightful artworks have thrilling charms. In Chinese classical aesthetics, the schools of freehand art emphasize the expression of the spirit, and regard delight as the ideal beauty of artistic creation and the ultimate pursuit of art.

其一，笔趣。

First, the delight of brushwork.

如前所述，泼墨写意是一项极限挑战。要用减之不能再减，洗练而概括的笔墨，为天地立繁富之象，为万物传精微之神，这本身就是一个极大的矛盾。洗练与繁富，概括与精微，矛盾的两端要统一于画者的笔下，既艰困，又有吸引力；既有琢磨用笔之苦，又有获得成功后的欣愉。画者就常常在这种苦乐之间踌躇。西丁临案，提笔作画，泼洒渲染，勾勒皺点，在笔痕墨晕之间，山起峰立，雾升云飞，松柏郁郁，奇石磊磊；在寥寥数笔之中，伯乐凝眸，达摩入定，东坡冥想，雪芹沉思……面对自已笔下呈现出的勃郁自然，面对自己笔下涌现出的鲜活生命，此时此刻，画家能不欣喜不已，激动不已？此乐何极！而观者，看到的是笔飞墨舞，三笔两笔，一个李白呼之欲出；横塗竖抹，一座秀峰扑面而来。如此妙趣，不由手痒，我也试试！这是笔墨趣味的魅力。看似容易成却难，泼墨写意，稍有不慎，恣肆漫漶，形体不守，物象怪诞，画笔之下，也会出现墨猪蠢鸦，痴翁呆妇，屋漏处处，蚓痕触目，掷笔于案，疑而叹曰："江郎才尽？"废纸三千，付之一炬。个中滋味只有画家自己知道，观者常常难以体会。观者所见，只是画家光鲜的一面。西丁正是在这艰困又有吸引力的挑战中磨练出了自己个性独具的笔墨功夫。

As mentioned above, splash-ink freehand is an ultimate challenge. It is a great contradiction to establish the rich images and spirits for the complicated and subtle universe with extremely minimized, succinct and concise brush strokes. Succinct and complicated, concise and subtle, the artist has to unify under his brush the two sides of the contradiction. Both difficult and attractive; the pain of efforts and the pleasure of success. The painters often wonder between the bitterness and joy. When Xiding is at the his desk, picking up brush to paint, splashing, rendering, drawing, and sketching, within the tracks of the brush and the marks of the ink, mountains rise and peaks stand, fogs form and clouds fly, luxuriant are the pines and cypresses, and outstanding are the remarkable rocks. With a few strokes, Bole gazes, Bodhidharma meditates, Su Shi ponders, and Cao Xueqin contemplates ... In the face of the natural beauty and vivid figures emerging under his own brush, the artist cannot help but be happy and excited.  What a joy! The viewers see the flying brush and dancing ink. With a few strokes, Li Bai is ready to step out of the paper. Another few, a beautiful mountain is right in your face. So much delight, the viewers are probably tempted to try. This is the charm of the brush and ink. Seemingly easy but rather difficult. With splash-ink freehand brushwork, a tiny misstep would result in unbridled, unruly, grotesque imagery, and under the brush, there could appear stupid and clumsy animals, lifeless figures, and unsightly surroundings.  At that time, one might throw the brush down and sigh in self-doubt: "Have I depleted all my talent?" and commit a great amount of efforts to a flame. All the difficulties in art creation are only known by the artist himself. It is often hard for the viewers to imagine. What the viewers see is just the glorious side of the artistic activities. It is in all the difficult and fascinating challenges, Xiding has honed his own unique style of brushwork.

西丁的画中有两多：一是石头多，二是高士多。高士颇具石头的品格，石头颇通高士的灵性。为了充分表现石头与高士的风骨与神韻，他将酣畅淋漓的泼墨画法发挥到了极致。画石，既尽情发挥水墨流动、渗化、碰撞、融汇所产生的张力，同时又按作品的立意、构图、造型的需要巧妙控制着水墨流动、渗化的方位与形态，不是被汪洋恣肆的水墨牵着自己走，而是自己的才思、情绪引导着水墨走，是意在笔先，而不是意在笔后，是挥洒前的清醒预见，而不是挥洒后的偶然发现。他的泼墨山石，有的秀丽朗润，有的诡谲奇突，有的峭拔劲挺，有的层叠嶙峋，多姿多态，形质各异，于混沌中脈络清晰，在淋漓中结构分明，尤以少有人涉及的的溶洞与钟乳石画得最为精妙。画人，他的运笔用墨，既挥洒自如，又严谨缜密，放得开，收得住，开合有致，张弛有度，看似不经意的寥寥数笔，但人物形神毕现，情态各具，这与画家扎实深厚的造型功底和对水墨技法精熟的把握是分不开的。只有熟谙对象之精微，艺术表现才能提炼和升华，笔墨才会显现简约与老辣。以少胜多的功力需要坚实的功底与时日的积累。

Two things appear the most often in Xiding's paintings:  rocks and literati. Literati and rocks share many qualities and characteristics. In order to fully demonstrate the styles and charms of rocks and literati, Xiding utilizes splash-ink painting method to the full extent. To paint rocks, he gives full play to the tensions arising from the flow, infiltration, collision, and integration of the ink, and at the same time, according to the works of the idea, composition, modeling needs, cleverly controls of the orientation and form of the flow and osmosis of the ink.  Instead of being led by the unbridled ink, he lets his talent and emotions direct the ink. It is having the idea in the mind before starting to paint, not the other way around. It is brilliant foresight before swaying the brush, rather than the accidental discovery afterwards. Of his splash-ink painted rocks, some are beautiful and bright, and some strange and eccentric, some are steep and straight, and some are layered and rugged. They are all various in postures and different in characters, distinctly shaped in the chaos, clearly structured in the freedom.  Few people have painted the limestone caves and stalactites, but Xiding paints them with the most subtlety. To paint figures, his application of brush and ink is free and smooth, and at the same time rigorous and meticulous.  Having both a free hand and the full control, with textured opening and closing, and measured tension and relaxation. Vivid figures with various shapes and spirits fully appear with seemingly a few casual strokes. This is inseparable with the artist’s solid foundation of modeling and mastery of ink techniques. An artist needs to be familiar and intimate with all the subtleties of the objects in order to refine and excel in artistic performance, and to apply brush and ink with simplicity and intelligence. It takes a substantial foundation and years of accumulation to obtain the skills that can express more, with less strokes.

西丁的泼墨写意画法也吸收了西画的块面、调子之法，增强了物象的体积感与画面的空间感，但没有失去泼墨写意画法灵动超逸的特点而陷于僵与滞。画家将中西技法消化得了无痕迹，融合得自自然然，若不留意，並未感到吸收了西画的什么东西，而觉得是很纯粹、很本色的我们民族自己的东西。

Xiding's splash-ink freehand brushwork also absorbs the block and toning method of western painting, which enhances the sense of volume of the object and the sense of space of the painting, but without losing the graceful, free, and natural characteristics of the splash-ink freehand brushwork. The painter digested the Chinese and western techniques without any trace, and achieved the fusion naturally. Without close scrutiny, one will not feel that Xiding has absorbed anything from the western painting and will consider his works purely and natively Chinese.

总之，画家执笔运墨，或书或画，在笔痕墨晕之中追寻着美感与趣感的享受。长短，粗细，干湿，浓淡，这些既对立又依存的水墨造型原素，如同一个个音符，画家要使之变为旋律，化为节奏，既有腾跃变化，又要呼应相谐，权衡，调整，用这些原素谱写出恢弘华滋的水墨交响乐。

In brief, the painter applies brush and ink, calligraphing or painting, in search of beauty and delight in the traces of brush and marks of ink. Long and short, thick and thin, dry and wet, dense and light. The artist must compose all these opposite and interdependent ink and wash styling elements, like notes, into a melody, into a rhythm, with leaping variations and echoing harmony, balancing and adjusting all the elements, to achieve a grand symphony of ink and wash.

其二，情趣。

Second, the delight of temperament.

情趣，包含神态之趣、动态之趣、情节之趣、细节之趣。西丁善于捕捉人物神态、动态，擅于构设情节、细节，这也是他在作品中刻划人物极为着力的方面。

The delight of temperament includes the delight of demeanors, dynamics, plots, details. Xiding excels at capturing characters' demeanors and dynamics, and structuring the plots and details. This is also the characterization aspects he directs his efforts at in his works.

先看神态之趣。如《杜甫苦吟图》、《曹雪芹造像》。伫立仰首的杜甫，虽在看天，但眼神迷离，已入视而不见听而不闻的耽思之境，心目中只有枯藤般绕来绕去、纠结难定的字词；绕石踱步的曹雪芹，眉头微蹙，低首看地，亦入听不闻视不见的沉思之境，心目中只有众多逃不脱历史悲剧命运的男女老幼。西丁画作中，这样的点睛妙笔彼彼皆是。

Let's take a look at the delight of demeanors with examples "Du Fu Writing Poems with Painstaking Effort" and "A Portrait of Cao Xueqin". Du Fu stands and looks up at the sky, but with misted expression in the eyes. He looks but sees not, and listens but hears not. In his mind there are only those words and lines, winding and tangling like vines.  Cao Xueqin paces around a rock, slightly frowning, bowing his head and staring at the ground, also in the stage of taking no notice of surroundings. In his mind, there are only those numerous men, women, children that could not escape the fates of the historical tragedy. Such wonderful revealing touches are everywhere in the paintings of Xiding.

再看西丁画作中的动态之趣。如《城墙根》组画中的《吊嗓子》，一人张开双臂，扩胸运气，引吭高唱；一人伏身低首，手握琴弓，甩开膀子，专致操琴。其陶陶然的沉醉之态跃然纸上。《盲棋》一画中，对弈二人：一瘦，一胖；瘦者跷二郎腿，胖者双腿前伸；跷腿者捧一壶茶，伸腿者持一支烟；喝茶者壶近唇边不饮，抽烟者烟近嘴边不吸。可见战事正酣，已无暇顾及喝茶抽烟。头脑中在格斗，在拼杀。再看《草聖》一画，史载："旭饮酒辄草书，挥笔而大叫，以头揾水墨中而书之，天下呼为'张颠'。醒后自视，以为神异，不可复得。"这幅作品正是描绘书聖这种醉酒的颠狂之状：撞倒酒罈，踢翻酒碗，冲向书案，以发濡墨，迫不急待地龙飞凤舞一番。画中将张旭亢奋、爆发式的创作激情表现得淋漓尽致。有趣的肢体语言更能深刻揭示人物的内心世界！

Xiding paintings are also full of the delight of dynamics. For example, in “Training Voice” of the series paintings "At the Foot of City Wall", one person, with open arms, expanding chest and gathering breath, sings and louder sings; while the other, bending over and bowing head, holding the bow, swinging his arm, focuses on the accompanying instrument.  Their indulgence shows forth on the paper. In "Blind Chess", of the two players, the thin one rockers legs and carries a tea pot, and the plump extends legs forward and holds a cigarette. The tea pot holder has the tea near the lips but does not drink, and smoker has the cigarette near his mouth but doesn’t smoke. Apparently the game is in full swing, and there is no time for cigarette nor tea. Playing is the only thing in their minds. Now look at "The Master of Cursive Style Calligraphy". According to the history: "Zhang Xu calligraphed in cursive style once he drank wine, welding brush and shouting loudly, dipping his head in the ink and writing with his hairs. People called him 'Zhang the Crazy'.  Once sober, he looked at his own works, regarded them magical, and could not reproduce". This painting depicts the drunk madness of the master of calligraphy: knocking down wine jars, kicking down the wine bowls, rushing to the desk, soaking his hairs with ink, he cannot wait to write like dragon flying and phoenix dancing. The painting most vividly shows the exciting and explosive creating passion of Zhang Xu. Delightful body language reveals the inner world of characters more deeply!

下面再看情节之趣。如《忘年棋友》一画中，画家构设了两位棋友对阵的情节：一虎头虎脑，天真烂漫；一瘦骨崚嶒，须眉皤然；幼者身子后仰，眼睛瞪圆，手指棋盘，似得意地喊了声："将！"；老者身体前倾，双唇紧闭，俯视棋盘，似在苦思如何破解盘中困局。在这对老小棋友之间，只有棋局上暂时的胜负，而无尊卑长幼这些礼教上的精神负担，"忘年交"的主题诠释得风趣而自然。再如《城墙根》组画中的《围棋》，画家构设了一群人围观两个人下围棋的情节，此时，"围棋"一词产生了两个语意，一为所下之围棋，一为"围而观棋"，一语双关，谐趣油然而生。

Next it is the delight of plots. In "Chess Friends between Generations", the painter constructed the plot of two chess friends playing a game of Chinese Chess: one is strong, good natured, young, innocent and naive; the other thin and with long beard; the young, with body leaning back, eyes staring, points a finger at the chessboard, and seems proudly announcing: "Check!"; the old, leaning forward, with lips closed, looking down at the checkerboard, seems to be trying to extricate himself from the difficult situation. Between the young and old chess players, there is only the temporary outcome on the chessboard, but no spiritual burden of ranks and generations.  "Chess Friends between Generations" interprets the theme humorously and naturally. Another example is the painting "Go (Weiqi)" in the series paintings "At the Foot of City Wall". The artist constructed a plot of a group of people watching the two players at a Go (Weiqi) game. Here, the Chinese word "Weiqi" has double meanings, one for the Chinese name of the game, and the other "surrounding crowd watching the game". It is spontaneous delight from the pun.

另外，还有细节之趣。《钟馗图》中的钟馗，当眼角瞥到侧旁鬼影一闪，抑或听到身后窸窣一声，旋即一个转身，剑锋直指而去。绘画受其瞬时性静态性的限制，难以如舞台表演般表现出身体旋转的过程。为了表现钟馗急速转身的动作，西丁选择了一个细节，这就是剑的饰带绕着钟馗的弧形飘动。一个细节，使静态的画面动了起来；一个细节，强化了人物机警的性格特征。再如《山近月远觉月小》，月下醉归的士子，手中提的酒葫芦不是下垂着而是横在空中晃荡着，这个细节说明葫芦里已空无滴酒，不是沉甸甸的而是轻飘飘的，可见此翁确已喝得不少。细节是表现人物的重要手段，经过选择提炼的典型细节在揭示人物的性格上有着重要的作用。

In addition, there is the delight of details. In the painting "Zhong Kui", upon catching a glimpse of a demon out of the corner of his eyes or hearing a soft noise behind, Zhong Kui, the deity and chaser of the demons, suddenly turns around, and points his sword straightly out. Painting is limited by its statics state of one instant, and is difficult to represent the process of body turning as in a stage show. In order to show the sudden turning action of Zhong Kui, Xiding chose a detail: the tassels of the sword waving around Zhong Kui. A detail makes a static picture into an active scene, and reinforces the character's alertness. Another example is “The Mountain is Close and the Moon is Far, and the Moon Is Perceived as Small". The wine gourd in the hand of the homecoming drunk gentleman is not drooping but horizontal sloshing in the air. This detail shows that the gourd is without a drop, thus not heavy but rather floating in the air. We can see clearly that this gentleman has indeed drunk much. A detail is an important means of characterization. The typical details of the selection and refinement play an important role in revealing the character's personality.

其三，理趣。

Third, the delight of reason.

意象是用来表情说理的。在重于说理的作品中，通过意象，道理阐发得机智巧妙，表述得生动有趣，是为充满理趣的上品。在“明彻之理”一节中，已对西丁作品中的哲思追求与表达作了较多的评析，在此不再例举。用形象来说理是一种高度的智慧，有着浓郁的趣味，故而在谈趣的章节中将之作为趣的一个类型列入。

Imagery is used to express emotions and to reason things out. In the works heavy in reasoning, the top-grade ones are those cleverly expressing the truths via vivid and interesting images. In the section of "Limpid Reason" we have made many comments on the pursuit and expression of philosophical thinking in the works of Xiding, and we will not provide additional examples here. To reason via imagery is a high degree of wisdom with strong delight, thus we list it as one class of delight in this section.

其四，异趣。

Fourth, the delight of extraordinary.

诗人流沙河有一段关于艺术想象的论述：“所谓想象不过是一个人在生活中获得的种种印象之再组合而已。印象之再组会，方式恐怕很多，不好定于一尊。大致说来，既有现实主义的方式，也有非现实主义的方式。通过前一种方式再组合印象，便是合理的想象。通过后一种方式再组合印象，便是非合理的想象。”创作艺术品，既需要合理想象，也需要非合理想象。合理想象产生的艺术趣味，可称作常趣；非合理想象产生的艺术趣味，可称作异趣。西丁在自己的创作中既寻觅常趣，也更用力于异趣的求索。上面所分析的趣之种类应属常趣，下面再继续评析西丁作品中的异趣。

The poet Liushahe has an exposition on artistic imagination: "The so-called imagination is just a re-combination of all the impressions of a person has obtained in life. The ways to recombine the images are probably too many to define. In general, there are realistic and nonrealistic ways. It is a reasonable imagination to recombine the impressions in the former way, and it is an unreasonable imagination to recombine the impressions in the latter way". Creating works of art needs both reasonable imagination and non-reasonable imagination. The artistic delight produced by a reasonable imagination can be called ordinary delight. The artistic delight produced by a non-rational imagination can be called extraordinary delight. In his works, Xiding seeks ordinary delight, and puts in even more efforts in seeking extraordinary delight. The types of delight analyzed above should be classified as ordinary ones, and the following discussions are on the extraordinary delight in the works of Xiding.

一为变形之趣。如《酒逢知己千杯少》，画家以意造象，有意拔高人物的腰身，拉直人物的双臂，造成一种力度感，突出敬酒时的热忱、真挚、恭敬。这种超越人体正常结构比例的夸张变形，是将人物的心理状态作为依据的，变得自然合理，变得生动有趣，非一些为变形而变形，变得莫明其妙，变得丑陋不堪的浮浅之作可同日而语。变形，是表意的需要，可称为隨意变形，但非随便变形，否则就会失去美感，趣感也荡然无存。

One is the delight of exaggerated transforming, such as in "A Thousand Toasts are Too Few for a Congenial Friend" the artist constructed an image from a concept, and intentionally lengthened the waists of the figures, straightened their arms, resulting in a sense of urgency, highlighting the enthusiasm, sincerity, and respect in the toast. This exaggerated transformation, exceeding the proportion of the normal structure of the human body, is based on the psychological state of the characters and becomes naturally and reasonably vivid and interesting. This fundamentally differs from the shallow and superficial works that transform for the sake of transforming and thus become incomprehensible and unsightly.  Exaggerated transformation based on the needs of expression of concepts can be called transformation in line with concepts. Random transformation loses the sense of beauty and delight.

二为拟象之趣。《赤壁归舟图》就是一幅非合理想象的典型之作。常理，字为字，崖为崖。非常理，字为崖，崖为字，二者可以融合幻化为一。奇趣、异趣也隨之而生。此画中，画家将苏轼《前赤壁赋》全文入画，以赭墨浓淡变化次第书之，近看为赋，远观为崖，重峦叠嶂，深邃幽远。又于万仞绝壁之下，浩淼江流之间，勾点扁舟一叶，东坡伫立其端，举目望月，侧耳聆风，旷达超逸，悠然若仙。通观全卷，史、诗、书、画浑然一体，天衣无缝。如此奇思佳构，看似妙手偶得，实乃根深底厚，首要之法，就在于非合理想象。

Second, the delight of devising. "The Returning Boat at the Red Cliffs" is a quintessential example of unreasonable imagination. It is ordinary having written characters as written characters and cliffs as cliffs. It is not ordinary having written characters as the cliffs and the cliffs for the written characters and fusing the two into one illusion. Extraordinary and different delight arises. In this painting, the artist integrated the full text of Su Shi’s "the First Rhyme Prose of the Red Cliffs” into the painting. The text was calligraphed in reddish ink.  It is the thyme prose when being viewed up and close, but it is also the cliffs and layered deep mountain ranges when being view from far. Under the steep and tall cliffs, in the vast river, there is a small boat.  Standing at one end, Su Shi lifted his eyes to the moon and listens to the wind. Broad-minded, at ease, and free like an immortal. Throughout the whole work, history, poetry, calligraphy, and painting are seamless and perfectly combined. Such extraordinary concept and structure are seemingly achieved by accidental luck, but in fact deeply rooted in solid foundations with unreasonable imagination as the primary rule.

三为遮蔽之趣。德国戏剧家、文艺批评家、美学家莱辛说：“不该画出来的，就留给观众去想象。一句话，遮蔽是艺术家供奉给美的牺牲。”话中的“遮蔽”，就是指未画出来的“象外之象”。用流沙河先生的观点来看，常说的“弦外之音”、“言外之意”只是一种余味悠长的情与意，而“象外之象”不是缥缈的情，不是朦胧的意，而是具体的象，不过这个象，画家为了创造独特的美感与趣感，故意将其“遮蔽”了，让其在画面中为美而“牺牲”了。前述《伯乐》一画中的千里马，就是画家为美、为趣将其“遮蔽”了，没有让其在画中露臉，而是让其在观者的脑海中神采飞扬。画中实有之伯乐与画外虚空想象之千里马，组成了非常态的画面，变直达为曲达，以有限求无限，趣旨绵长深远。

The third is the delight of screening. German dramatist, literary critic, and esthetician Lessing once said: "What should not be painted should be left to the imagination of the audience. In one word, screening is the artist's sacrifice to the beauty". The word "screening" refers to the unpainted "imagery outside the image". From the point of view of Mr. Liushahe, what is often said as "the sound outside the strings" and "the meaning outside the sentence" is only a kind of long-lasting lingering emotion and meaning. However, "the imagery outside the image" is not a hazy emotion, nor a dim meaning, but a concrete imagery.  In order to create a unique sense of beauty and delight, the painter deliberately "screens" this imagery and "sacrifices" it for the beauty of the picture. The aforementioned winged steed in the painting "Bole" was thus “screened” by the artist for the beauty and the delight. Instead showing the horse in its body in the painting, the artist lets it glow with health and radiate vigor in the viewers’ minds. There is a real Bole in the painting and imaginary winged steed outside, forming an extraordinary picture, turning direct into indirect, seeking unlimited with what is limited, thus creating long lasting delight.

四为异合之趣。艺术家构思作品时，为了表意的需要，常常将不同性质、不同时空的事物组接在一起，如德国作家、哲学家康德所说的“撮合茫无联系之观念，使千里来相会，得成配偶。”用这种相异的元素交相混成的方式所创造的形象，由于其悖反常情常理，会形成一种奇异的趣感。如西丁的《唐宋八大家》。画面中，唐代的韩愈、柳宗元与宋代的欧阳修、苏洵、苏轼、苏辙、王安石、曾巩，八位巨擘集于一室，交流思想，切磋文章，共商文学革新，推动古文运动的发展。这可能吗？就说他们中间年令最长者，唐代的韩愈去世一百八十三年后，宋代的欧阳修才出生，而其他人，其中间隔几乎近两个半世纪。虽然将生活于不同时代、活动于不同空间的人集于一室有些怪诞，但他们反对文坛上的倚靡浮艳之风，提倡质朴流暢的散文，破骈为散，扩大文言文表达功能的文学主张却是一致的。在此一意义上，这样的艺术处理，又怪诞得有据，荒唐得合理。

The fourth is the delight of the impossible. When artists conceptualize their works, they often group together things of different natures and different times and spaces for their expression needs, as German writer and philosopher Kant said: "linking concepts with no connection and coupling them together". The images created by intersecting dissimilar elements and blending them into each other are paradoxically abnormal and thus extraordinarily delightful. Such as in Xiding's "Eight Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties", Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan of the Tang Dynasty and Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong of the Song Dynasty gathered in one room to exchange ideas and views on writing, discuss literary innovations and promote the development of classical prose movement. How could this be possible?  Ouyang Xiu of Song Dynasty was born one hundred and eighty three years after Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty died. Some others were living nearly two and a half centuries apart. Although it is a bit strange to gather people living in different times and different spaces in one room, but they did share the same literary ideas of opposing the superficial styles of the time, advocating prudent and smooth essays, breaking away from parallel prose and expanding the literature functions of literary works. In this sense, such an artistic treatment is strange but well-founded, odd but reasonable.

五为逆反之趣。事物的发展或事物的联系是有序的，而在艺术品的构思中，为了取得奇趣的效果，常会逆反固有序列，使其向性呈倒溯状。如前文提到的《忘年棋友》。常态：年愈长，经验愈丰富，技艺愈精熟；年愈幼，经验愈缺乏，技艺愈生疏。那么反常态呢？在对弈中西丁让稚童技高一筹，处于优势，让皤然老翁被动应付，处于下风。面对此情此景，观者不禁会心一笑。此为逆向构想产生的趣味。

The fifth is the delight of reversion. The development and the connection of things have their orders.  However, artists often reverse the inherent sequence in artwork conceptualization in order to obtain the effect of extraordinary delight.  The aforementioned "Chess Friends between Generations", the norm should be that the old is more experienced and more skillful than the young. The abnormal? In Xiding’s work, the kid is the one with superior skills and the old man is at disadvantage and lands himself in a passive position. The viewer cannot help but smile at this scene. This is the delight from the concept of reversion.

六为移变之趣。时间变化了，位置移动了，处于一个陌生的环境中，也会产生新奇感。今古习俗差异，地域习俗差异，民族习俗差异，都会产生这种新奇的趣感。但这和上述五种异趣不同，这种趣感只是环境变化产生的新奇感，而不是非合理想象创造的奇异感。在西丁的作品中，有许多题材就是选取有趣感的民间习俗，如《距离美》、《陕西风情》等。

The sixth is the delight of change. Time changes and the location moves. A strange environment can also generate a sense of novelty. The differences between the ancient and the modern, among various regions and ethnic customs all have this sense of novelty. This differs from the above five kinds of delight, for it is caused by environmental changes, rather than a sense of strangeness created by unreasonable imagination. In the works of Xiding, there are many themes that are based on interesting scenes of folk customs, such as "Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder" and "Shaanxi Style".

西丁觅趣，兴致盎然；西丁画作，趣意盎然。

Xiding delightfully seeks delight; and Xiding’s paintings are full of delight.

 

■天巧之构

■ Ingenious Structure

笪重光在论画面置陈布势时曾说过这样的话：“位置相戾，有画处多属赘疣；虚实相生，无画处皆成妙境。”强调了经营位置，计白当黑的重要性。又说：“得势则隨意经营，一隅皆是；失势则尽心收拾，滿幅都非。势之推挽在于几微，势之凝聚由于相度。”这实在是笪重光作画经验中甘苦自知的肺腑之言。西丁重视前人的经典画论，注意汲取前人的创作经验，在置陈布势上运筹帷幄，精心经营，巧思独运，意趣天成。

On the composition of a painting, Da Chongguang once said: "if the location is not cleverly chosen, then the painted places are mostly unsightly spots; if the location is wisely laid out, then the unpainted places are also wonderlands". He emphasized the management of locations and the importance of utilizing unpainted spaces. Da Chongguang also said: "One with the force can be free to operate, and paint correctly everywhere; without the force, then the whole picture is lost regardless how much efforts are dedicated. The effects of the force is determined by tiny factors, and the gathering of the force is from the cohesion". Those are the heartfelt words from Da Chongguang’s first-hand painting practice. Xiding pays attention to his predecessors' classical theory of painting, draws on the experience of his predecessors, and makes concerted efforts in contemplating and setting up his own compositions to achieve ingenious and extraordinary effects.

西丁作品的章法，首要在纯一。画面纯粹，尽去芜杂，主体突出，主旨鲜明。如同传统戏曲，演员之外，除了必要道具，一切从略。西丁的画，从笔墨到章法常用减法。弱水三千，只取一勺，会收到以少胜多的效果。《伯乐》、《曹雪芹造像》、《达摩》、《钟馗图》、《搔痒图》、《求索》、《杜甫苦吟图》、《鹿为寿》、《泉声》等等画作，处处在在都显露出他“以少胜多”的美学追求。一些全景图式的作品，如《海内存知己》、《仙聖相会》等，虽然场景宏阔，但也处理得凝炼而纯粹。

The primary principle of Xiding’s works is purity. He keeps the painting pure and weeds out the unnecessary, to highlight and distinguish the main theme. Just as in traditional Chinese stage arts, all but the actors and the necessary props are omitted. Xiding's paintings commonly reduce and minimize the application of the brush strokes and ink, only use the most necessary, and achieves the effect of “less is more”. "Bole", "A Portrait of Cao Xueqin", "Bodhidharmara", "Zhong Kui", "Scratching an Itch", "Seeking", "Du Fu Writing Poems with Painstaking Effort", "Deer for Longevity", "The Sound of a Spring" and many other paintings by Xiding all reveal his “less is more” aesthetic pursuit. Some panorama-style works, such as "An Understanding Friends Afar" and "The Meeting of the Immortal and the Saint", even though the scenes are ambitious, are also handled purely and concisely.

次之为考究。西丁画作中，会友，清谈，品茶，饮酒，对弈，这类场面不少，画中常为两人，而且对面而坐，这在章法中必然形成轴对称，画面平衡、稳定、祥和、安宁，但如此的构图，处理不好，会产生单调、板滞之憾。西丁思细慮微，在人物姿态、神态、衣饰、位置上下了不少的功夫，使画面统一中有变化，静态中有动势。如：一胖一瘦，一高一矮，一俯一仰，一动一静，一须多一髭少，一清癯一健壮，一豪放一内敛，一衣青一衣黄，一身稍正一身稍斜，一坐石位高一坐石位低，等等，常常在细微处见功夫。但也有用上述方法无法破解轴对称形成的板正之虞，如《酒逢知己千杯少》，两友身板直挺，双臂直伸，相互敬酒，每个人的上半身都形成一个直角，两个对称的直角又组成了方正稳定的长方形，而且充塞了画面下部三分之一的空间，尽管在酒壶和放置酒壶的石头上，对位置、体积作了相应的调整，但还是改变不了长方形的板正之感。为使画面产生动势，画家在画面右上方三分之二的面积上画了斜伸而下的松枝，与右下方几枝折曲的松枝相承接，形成了满眼苍翠，松风过耳的空间感与空气流动感，画面不只活了起来，而且产生了浓郁的诗意。另外，非对称的图式在如何取得均衡上他也颇费心思。《泉声》一画的置陈布势也极妙。那条左高右低的云带横亘全画，如汉隶一笔优美的波磔；左侧的山泉在石间觅隙而下，形成许多细碎下垂的折线。云横向，慢慢悠悠飘移，泉竖向，曲曲折折下泻，两种动势相交，但一前一后，並未形成冲突，而一宽一窄，一整一碎，一实一虚，反倒形成了多种优美的交插对比。自然，生动，清幽，秀丽。再加之山石大面积的青黛色对白色云带与山泉的反衬，其生动之态、秀丽之姿更为迷人。

The next principle is exquisiteness. In the paintings of Xiding, there are many scenes such as meeting friends, chatting, tasting tea, drinking wine and playing chess, often painted with two people sitting opposite each other.  This naturally leads to symmetry in composition, and a balanced, stable, peaceful, and harmonious picture. But such composition, if poorly handled, could have monotonous and flat effect. Xiding considers all details, and pays close attention to the figures’ gestures, demeanors, clothing, and positions, so that there are variations in the unity of the scene, and dynamic in the static. Such as: one plump and the other slim, one tall and the other short, one staring up and the other looking down, one moving and the other staying, one with thick beard and the other thin, one lean and the other strong, one bold and the other restrained, one clothed in blue and the other yellow, one straight up and the other reclining, one sitting on a stone high and the other low, and so on. The superb skills are often revealed in the meticulous details. However, there are cases where the above methods cannot solve the issue of dullness caused by the symmetrical axis, such as in the case of "A Thousand Toasts are Too Few for a Congenial Friend", there are two friends standing upright, arms straight, and mutually toasting. Each person's upper body forms a right angle, and the two symmetric right angles form a stable and upright rectangular, filling up the lower one third of the space. Although the wine pot and the rocks where it is placed made appropriate adjustments to the location and size, the stiffness of the rectangle is still present. In order to make the picture dynamic, the artist painted slanting pine branches on the two thirds top right of the picture, which is connected with several curved pine branches at the bottom right. This constructs a sense of space full of emerald green color and a sense of airflow of the wind in the pines. The screen becomes not only alive, but also richly poetic. In addition, Xiding also takes efforts to achieve equilibrium in asymmetric schema. "The Sound of a Spring" has a superb layout. The cloud band that is higher on the left and lower on the right runs through the whole picture, just like a beautiful wavy stroke of Li style Calligraphy. The spring on the left finds its way in the gaps of the stones, forming many broken pendant lines. The horizontal clouds drift slowly while the vertical spring twists and turns, and the two different movements intersect each other.  With one in front of the other, they don’t constitute a conflict. Rather one wide and the other narrow, one is full and the other in fragmentation, one touchable and the other void, resulting in a variety of beautiful intercalations and contrasts. Natural, vivid, quiet, and beautiful. With the contract of a large area of ??dark blue color of the mountain stones and the white color of the clouds and the spring, the picture’s vivid state and beautiful composure become even more attractive.

其三为别致。别趣、奇巧也是西丁章法布局中一个艺术特点。《达摩》一画，其构图颇似一"仄"字。“仄”字为汉字中的半包围结构，由左上包围的“厂”与右下的“人”两部分组成。而《达摩》一画中的左与上为石岩，恰是一个"厂(hàn)"字，此字为古象形字，意为上方突出的岩石，其下可居人。右下方的“人”为入静的达摩。“仄”，原为会意字，指在突出的岩石下高度不夠，不易直立，需脖子倾斜才能进入，因之“仄”为倾斜意。该画的结构借鉴了"仄"字的结构，一角封堵，一角开放，开合有致。传说中达摩面壁为一石洞，若在布局上真要画成全包围结构的石洞，那不成了一个“囚”字，画面形成封堵闭塞之势，造成难以呼吸之状，岂能有美感！西丁取其石窟的左上一角而略去右下一隅，使画面有开有合，气息流通，是为置阵布势的妙着。南宋山水画家马远、夏圭在章法上常舍弃全景图式而采用边角图式，以偏概全，以少胜多，空灵俊逸，尽得风流。因其“金边银角”式的取景而被戏称为“马一角”与“夏半边”。西丁画中景物的取裁似有其影迹。再者，文字之“文”，本为“纹”义，图也。象形字初始皆为图画，后为表达较为抽象事物之需，才在象形字的基础上，使用指事、会意、形声诸法创造了许多逐渐脱离象形的新字，这类字称为“字”，与象形字之“文(纹)”合称文字。汉字本身又为方块，一二维画面。在数千年的书写过程中，人们有意无意间按照形式美的规律对之修饰加工，才有了对称、均衡、有节奏、有韻律等美感的汉字。所以，汉字的结构与绘画的章法是相通的。西丁绘画的章法中能找到汉字结构的影子。再如《钟馗图》，人物造型及画面结构似有“卜”字的书写笔势。那一竖，如同擎天一柱，化作钟馗的伟岸之身，顶天立地；那一个长点，若用行草来写，牵絲连线，必然形成剑穗迴环之弧线。笔势，气势，巧妙地合二为一。《求索》一画图式颇奇，画幅中央遽然下伸一枯枝，这样的布局，易使画面呆滞，难以收拾，但枯枝向左一勾，止住了下倾之势，形成了迴转，又于迴转的枝后置以面左冥思的高士。幅左畸重，于幅右安一大石，如秤砣般维持了全幅的平衡。构图險峻，颖异。此作又一妙处是画外似有一双眼睛，正透过苍劲虬曲的树枝注视着画中的高士，视域又增多了一个层次。

The third principle is uniqueness.  Unique delight and ingeniousness are another artistic character in the layout of the Xiding’s works. The composition of the painting "Bodhidharma" resembles Chinese character "仄". "仄" is of the semi-enclosed structure of Chinese characters, consisting of two parts:  "厂" surrounding the upper left and “人” at the lower right. The left and the top of the painting "Bodhidharma" are rocks, forming the character "厂(pronounced hàn)", which is an ancient pictograph, meaning  protruding rock underneath which people can dwell.  The “人” shape at the bottom right of the painting is Bodhidharma in meditation. "仄", originally an associative compound, refers to that the protruding rock is not high enough for standing straight underneath, and one needs to tilt the neck in order to enter, and so the character "仄" means inclining. The structure of the painting draws on the structure of the character "仄", with one corner closed and one corner open, forming an intriguing structure. Legend has it that Bodhidharma meditated facing walls in a cave. However, if the layout is really a fully encircled structure of a stone cave, then it would become the character "囚” (prisoner), and the general appearance of the picture would be obstructed and closed, feeling difficult to breathe. How can there be any sense of beauty!? Xiding kept the top left corner of the cave and omitted the lower right corner, so that the sense of openness and the sense of closeness co-exist in the picture, and the picture thus has an atmosphere of airflow. It is a wonderful layout. In Southern Song Dynasty, landscape painters Ma Yuan and Xia Gui often preferred, in composition, the side and corner layouts to the panorama style, representing the whole with a part, expressing more with less, free and refined.  They are thus dubbed "Ma the Corner" and "Xia the Side" for their composition methods. It seems that Xiding’s compositions have their traces. Furthermore, the original meaning of character "文" in “文字” (word) is "veins", or, picture. Hieroglyphic characters are all pictographic at the beginning. Later, the needs to express more abstract things, on the basis of the pictographic characters, new words were created via various methods such as simple ideograms, compound ideograms, and phono-semantic compounds. And those new additions are called "字". Together with pictographic characters "文", they are collectively known as “文字”. The Chinese characters are square shaped, two-dimensional pictures. During the process of thousands of years of writing, people have intentionally or unknowingly modified their forms in accordance with aesthetic principles, and formed the Chinese characters of symmetry, balance, tempo, rhythm, and other aesthetic senses. Therefore, the structures of Chinese characters are interconnected with those of painting.  There are traces of structures of Chinese characters in the composition of Xiding’s paintings. Another example is "Zhong Kui", the figure modeling and picture structure resemble the writing manner of the character "卜". That vertical stroke, as a pillar of the sky, turned into the tall and steady body of Zhong Kui; that a long dot stroke, if written in cursive style, with the threading connection, inevitably resembles the looping arc of the sword tassels. The force of the brush and the momentum of the manner are cleverly combined. The painting “Seeking” has a very unique form, a dry branch suddenly stretches down at the center.  A picture such structured tends to be dull and difficult to fix. But here the dry branch crosses to the left, and stops the downward trend, and forms a turn. Behind the revolving branch is the left-facing meditating gentleman. To counter the weight in the left, a large rock in placed in the right, and now the whole picture is balanced. It is a risky and innovative composition. There is another wonderful aspect of this painting’s composition. It seems that there is a pair of eyes on the outside of the painting, gazing through the sturdy and curly branch at the gentleman, adding another level of visual layers.

 

■共生之作

■ Symbiotic Works

 不同生物之间有一种互依互利现象，生物学称之为“共生”关系 。数十年来，西丁的艺术活动在书法、国画、漫画、壁画间游弋，其创作呈现出一种相生相成的艺术共生现象。

The phenomenon of the interdependence and mutually benefiting association between certain different organisms is called a “symbiotic” relationship by the biologists.  For decades, Xiding's artistic activities have sailed between calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, cartoons and murals. His creations have shown a mutually compatible artistic symbiotic phenomenon.

国画表现手法中常用象征，想象一个象，用其对应画者的某些难以描绘的思想与情绪。画残山剩水，对应国破家亡的悲愤；画梅蘭竹菊，对应胸中的超逸高洁。而拟象之法，仅见于不多的国画作品中，如八大山人的《孔雀图》，齐白石的《不倒翁》。两画的表现手法均为拟物，孔雀代等待上朝的官员，玩具不倒翁代腐败官员。由于其构思方法不同于一般国画，毕克官甚至将之归类于漫画。但从古至今，在难以计数的国画作品中，未见如西丁《赤壁归舟图》这样将歌赋拟为画。文字拟为崖石，这种以物拟物的手法与西丁构思时的思维机制有很大的关系。“奇巧”是漫画构思的关键，“象”要“奇”，表“意”要“巧”。“象”不“奇”，其味寡淡，甚或不成其为漫画，因其没有具备区别于其他画种的基本特征；表“意”不“巧”，不能很好地与“象”契合，这个创作就很难成立。西丁数十年的漫画创作活动，强化了其漫画构思的思维方式，扩展了其觅求“奇巧”效果的形象思维的能力，《赤壁归舟图》中“奇巧”的艺术处理不能说与此没有关系。一个画家能在不同的绘画领域里进行艺术创作，这不只不会相碍，反而会相因相成，互生共荣。

Traditional Chinese painting techniques commonly use symbols. The artist imagines an image to correspond to the thoughts and emotions difficult to directly describe. Painting ravaged scenery to correspond to the grief of invaded homeland and broken home; painting plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum to correspond to freedom, nobility, and purity. However, the method of simulacrum has only been seen in a small number of Chinese paintings, such as Badashanren’s “Peacocks” and Qi Baishi's "Roly-poly". The expressive methods of the two paintings are both simulacrum, with peacocks in the place of officials waiting on the court and the roly-poly in the place of corrupted officials. The method applied in these paintings is so different from the traditional Chinese painting that Bi Keguan classified them as cartoons. However, from ancient times to the present, among the countless Chinese paintings, there has never been a work like Xiding's "The Returning Boat at the Red Cliffs", where the entirety of a rhyme prose is modeled to be the picture and the texts are modeled to be a cliff. This method of simulating objects with objects has a profound relationship with the thinking mechanism in Xiding’s conception. "Ingenuity" is the key to conception of cartoons. The "imagery" ought to be "singular", and the expression of "meaning" ought to be "clever".  If the "imagery" is not "singular", then it is tasteless, and even cannot be considered as cartoons, because it lacks the basic characteristics distinct from other types of paintings. If the expression of "meaning" is not "clever" and match well with the "imagery", then this creation is very difficult to set up. The decades of Xiding's cartoon creation activities have strengthened his way of thinking in cartoon ideas and expanded his ability to seek the imagery of "ingenious" effect. The “ingenious” artistic treatment in "The Returning Boat at the Red Cliffs" are related to this. An artist who can create art in different fields of painting does not impede each other, but rather benefit from different fields and have symbiotic effect.

西丁国画作品中的醇厚意趣与其漫画思维能力相关，那么其风格独特的漫画作品更得益于他的书法、国画功力。西丁少时专注于书法、国画的学习，后又广涉中国文学、史学、哲学各种典籍。承巴山蜀水的滋养，受汉赋唐诗的浸润，他的才智、情思、意趣深蕴着中国传统文化的基因，如同一个人的遗传基因无法更改一样，浸润进血液骨髓里的文化基因也难以消弥。西丁的漫画，个性独具，卓尔不群，掩其名亦知何人所为。究其根柢，还是源于他国画与书法的长期修练。没有个性独具的国画家、书法家西丁，也就没有卓尔不群的漫画家西丁。他是以其独具个性的水墨语汇、书法语汇进行他的漫画表达。猶如一枝红杏伸出墙外，国画家西丁的艺术活动伸入了漫画的地界。西丁的漫画艺术活动时间跨度很大，从一九五三年进报社画漫画至二千年年尾《美术辞林·漫画艺术卷》脱稿出版，时近半个世纪。在这将近五十年的时间里，他的漫画创作有两个活跃期：一为一九五三年至一九六五年报社工作期间；二为一九七九年至一九九五年美协工作期间。前一个活跃期，配合新闻报刊的任务，配合各种政治运动进行创作；后一个活跃期，已处于十年动乱后的思想解放期，独立思考，有感而发，为创作主因。半个世纪，时移世迁，是也非也，历史自会评说，艺术作品也难以例外。但作为讽刺幽默艺术的漫画，有些涉及人性弱点题材的作品，似乎有一定的永恒性。如西丁的漫画作品《心胸》。心胸狭隘，妒贤嫉能，不能容人共事，这一人品修养上的缺憾古已有之，非独今人。曹操杀杨修，即为一例。曹令建一园，园成，请曹视之。曹绕园一周不语，只于园门书一“活”字。杨悟到门中一“活”必为“阔”，命工匠将门改窄。曹口称甚好，心甚忌之。杨修过于聪明，竞能猜透曹操设的难题，埋下祸根。妒嫉若此，令人吃惊。遇此般事，杨若一脸傻相，故作不懂，独显曹丞相高明，或可捡回一条性命。嫉妒这一人性中的弱点千年后依然会有，依然需要对其批评讽刺，因之说《心胸》一画的题材有其永恒性。少些应景，多些沉思，艺术品才不会短命。这也是《心胸》一画留给艺术家们值得深思的一个问题。什么是传世之作？应该是那些穿越历史时空依然能引起人的精神共鸣，给人启迪，给人教益，给人美感享受的作品。回到《心胸》这一作品本身，此画，作者以意造象，心胸狭窄，不能容人共事，这一思想品质问题在画家笔下转化为生理上的畸形结构。魁梧大丈夫，奇窄小胸腔，人物的心态、气度被表现得淋漓尽致。辛辣的嘲讽，尖说的批评寓于怪诞滑稽的形象之中。在塑造人物形象时，进行了大幅度的变形，但变得自然合理，强化了主题的表达。尤其是画家善于传神的妙笔对人物神态的刻画，你看，那两颗向上斜瞅的眼珠子和那不屑一顾向下撇的嘴唇，微妙而深刻地揭示出此公的精神世界。再如《提吧!》。法国启蒙思想家孟德斯鸠在《论法的精神》一书中曾说：“不受制约的权力必然产生腐败。”以权谋私，贪污受贿，是经济上的腐败；操权弄权，压制批评，打击报复是组织上的腐败。人们在社会生活中，有时会遇到这样的上司：一脸谦虚之态可掬，但骨子里却刚愎自用，老子天下第一，若对他口中“多提宝贵意见”的谦词信以为真，你必然会大倒其霉。看看《提吧！》的画面，人与弹嫁接组合，瞥一眼那怪异的形象，心似乎都会紧紧揪起，躲之惟恐不及，谁人还敢触动那招致横祸的意见簿？欢迎批评、接受监督成了幌子，压制意见，打击报复成了本性，在此君治下，群众能不噤若寒蝉？专制霸道，可以阻断谔谔之言，可以驯化阿谀之辈，惟独不能开创暢所欲言，民主健康的局面。命题何其深刻，语言何其凝练，拟人的形象又何其诡奇而自然。这只能得之于画家的苦心孤诣，匠心独运。此作讥刺的现象，古往今来，域内域外，上上下下哪里没有发生过？可见这一题材也是有其永恒性的，不受限制的权力使人性异化这一现象不消失，讥刺这一现象的艺术作品不会失去艺术魅力！作品能否抽绎出人类情感上共通、共同的东西並予以艺术地表达，这是艺术品生命力可否持久的关键。《未卜先知》也是针对人性中的弱点进行善意调侃的佳作。算命者连自己被小偷掏包这么要紧的事都算不出来，岂能预测别人命运吉凶？由于人类未知领域太多，常常陷于苦闷与盲目，期望得到明晰的解释，但千万不能相信那些所谓的先知先觉，更不能让他们操纵自己的命运。在艺术表现上，西丁让“神算”遇上“神偷”，两“神”相遇，谁更“神”？这个“奇巧”劲让人不禁哑然失笑。

The rich delightfulness of Xiding paintings is related to his ability of cartoon thinking, and his unique cartoon works benefit from his calligraphy and Chinese painting skills. When he was young, Xiding focused on learning calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting. Later, he studied extensively Chinese literature, history, and philosophy books. Nurtured by mountains and waters of Sichuan and influenced by Han rhyme proses and Tang poems, his intellect, emotions, and moods are deeply rooted in the genes of Chinese traditional culture. Just as a person's genes cannot be changed, the cultural genes infiltrating into the marrow and blood are also hard to eliminate. Xiding’s cartoons are unique and preeminent. Even if the artist’s name were covered, the creator could still be identified.  The root is the long time practice of Chinese painting and calligraphy.  The outstanding cartoonist Xiding owns his existence to the unique Chinese painter and calligrapher Xiding. His expressions in cartoons are based on his unique language of the ink and wash, and calligraphy. Like a red apricot sticking over the wall, the artistic activity of the painter Xiding stretches into the field of cartoons. Xiding's cartoon art activities spanned a long period of time, ranging nearly half a century, from 1953 when he started drawing cartoon strips at a newspaper to the publication of the "Fine Arts Encyclopedia - Cartoon Art Volume" at the end of 2000. During nearly fifty-years, his cartoon creation has two active periods: one is from 1953 to 1965 when he worked for a publisher; the other is from 1979 to 1995 when he worked at China Artists Association. In the first active period, the works were created to accomplish the tasks for the newspaper and periodicals, in cooperation with various political movements. The second was in the period of ideological liberation after the Cultural Revolution. Independent thoughts and expressions were the main creative forces. There are many changes in that half a century. The history will be the judge, including judging art works. Cartoon is an art of caricature and humor, and some cartoon works that deal with the theme of human weakness seem to have certain eternal meanings. Such as Xiding's cartoon work "Capacity of Tolerance". (Translator’s note: The Chinese title of the cartoon is literally “Heart and Breast”.  The Chinese expression for “narrow minded” is literally “of narrow heart and breast”.) All through history, there have been people with the character shortcoming of being narrow minded, of being envious of people of worth and ability, of being intolerant. The killing of Yang Xiu by Cao cao is such an example. Cao Cao commissioned the building of a garden, and paid a visit upon the completion.  He walked around the garden without a word, and then only wrote a character “活” on the door. Yang Xiu realized that “活” in the middle of the door (“门”) would be “阔” (wide), and had the craftsmen narrow the door. Although Cao Cao praised it, in his mind Cao Cao was very jealous of Yang Xiu for being so clever that he could quickly solve Cao Cao’s puzzle.  This laid up trouble for Yang Xiu’s future with fatal consequence.  It is surprising that Cao Cao could be so jealous. Had Yang Xiu pretended to be slow and incapable of solving Cao Cao’s puzzle, then Cao Cao would have appeared to be brilliant and Yang Xiu might have avoided the tragic end. Jealousy, this weakness in humanity, will probably still be around in the next millennium, and thus still needs to be criticized. Therefore, the theme of "Capacity of Tolerance" has its permanent meaning. Artworks can have long lives if they are done with more thoughts and less for the occasion. This is also a question that "Capacity of Tolerance" posts for artists to ponder over. What artworks will be handed down to posterity? They should be those that can stand the test of time and space and still spiritually resonant with people, enlighten people, provide lessons and aesthetic enjoyment to people. Back to "Capacity of Tolerance". In this cartoon, the author created imagery from ideas, turning the character shortcoming of being narrow minded (“narrow heart and breast” in Chinese expression), and of being intolerant, into a physiological deformed structure: a burly big man with an oddly narrow chest. The character's mood and attitude are most vividly demonstrated. Pointed criticism lies in the grotesque image. In shaping the image of the character, a deformation is applied, substantial but natural and reasonable, and thus strengthening the theme of expression. In particular, under the artist’s vivid and wonderful brush, the figure’s portrayal, such as the sidelong glance and those disdaining lips, subtly and profoundly reveals the character’s spiritual world. Another example is "Carry On!". In his book “De l'esprit des lois”, Montesquieu, the French enlightenment thinker, once said: "Uncontrolled power will inevitably lead to corruption." The abuse of power for personal gains, embezzlement and bribery, are economic corruption; manipulation of power, suppression and retaliation of criticism are organizational corruption. Sometimes people in social life encounter such a boss: a humble face but self-willed and self-centered.  Anyone who trusts in his modest words inviting for "more valuable criticisms" will inevitably get into big trouble. In "Carry On! “ a quick glance at the strange imagery of the combination of human form and a grenade would make anyone nervous, worried, and frightened. One should run for cover, and who dares to touch the suggestion book that would lead to nothing but trouble? Welcoming criticism and overseeing is used as a guise, and repression and retaliation become the nature.  How could people under him not keep silence out of fear? Autocracy and hegemony can block the words of grudges and can domesticate sycophants, but you can never open up a healthy prospect of free expression and democracy. Such profound proposition, such concise language, and such strange yet natural anthropomorphic image. This can only be achieved from extraordinarily painstaking efforts and consummate craftsmanship. The phenomenon this cartoon ridicules exists all the time and everywhere, thus the theme has an eternal relevance. As long as the alienation of humanity by the unrestricted power does not disappear, artworks ridiculing this phenomenon will not lose the artistic charm! For the vitality of an artwork to last long, the key is whether the work can deduce commonality from human emotions and convey it artistically. "Having Foreknowledge" is another excellent work ridiculing with well-meaning for a weakness in human nature. The fortune-teller cannot even foresee that his own wallet is being stolen by a pickpocket. How can he predict the future of others? There are too many unknown areas for humankind, we are often in depression and blindness, hoping to have a clear explanation. But we must not believe in those so-called prophecies, nor allow them to manipulate our own destiny. In the artistic expression, Xiding arranged the meeting of a master fortune teller with a master thief. Now which is the greater master? Seeing this clever “coincidence”, viewers cannot help but laugh.

在西丁的国画作品中能看到如同漫画般追求“奇巧”构思的影子，在西丁的漫画作品中又能看到如同国画般对人物神态的精微刻划；在西丁的国画作品中能看到漫画表现手法的巧妙运用，在西丁的漫画作品中又能看到国画、书法笔墨语言的表达。这种不同艺术品类之间的互动有利于新的艺术品质的生成。

In Xiding's traditional Chinese painting works, there are signs of pursuing of ingenuity as in cartoons; and in Xiding's cartoons, there are subtle depictions of the demeanors and characters of the figures like in a Chinese painting. In Xiding's traditional Chinese painting works, there are the clever applications of cartoon expression techniques; and in Xiding’s cartoons, there are brush and ink language expressions of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. The interactions between different art genres are conducive to the birth of new artistic qualities.

这种艺术共生现象也反映在西丁的壁画创作中。一九八九年，西丁为西安市政府宾馆“西京饭店"创作了一幅壁画，其长二十五米，其高二米又二十公分，画材使用亚蔴布、丙烯颜料，画题为《长安瑰宝》。在内容上容纳了上起蓝田猿人，中经周秦汉唐，下至明代城墙，西安市内及周边遗存的二十四个景点。在技法上写意、写实并用，中法、西法融合。从内容到形式，巧妙地处理好了诸多关系，是历史遗址题材创作上的成功探索。

This artistic symbiotic phenomenon is also reflected in Xiding's mural creation. In 1989, Xiding created a mural for Xi'an municipal government hotel "Xijing Hotel". The mural, titled “Gems of Chang’an”, is 25 meters in length and 2.2 meters in height, made of linens and acrylic paints. The content presents 24 scenic spots and historical sites in and around the city of Xi’an, from Lantian ape-man, through Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang Dynasties, to the Ming Dynasty city walls. Both freehand and realistic techniques were applied, and Chinese and western painting styles were combined. From the content to the form, many relationships were ingeniously handled. It is a successful exploration of artistic creation with the theme of historical sites.

历史遗址蕴含着丰富的人文内容，创作时，是单一的再现遗址还是揭示出其蕴含的丰富人文内容？西丁的艺术处理是：突出人文内容，突出人文精神，以人物为主体，以遗址为背景，遗址终归是古人活动的场所，人的活动应是主体内容。既如此，在画面上具体怎样表现？遗址，有实在的遗存物，如碑、塔、墓葬及其出土物等，而古代人物，常有文字资料可查，但唯独图象资料很少且不精确。搞造型艺术而缺形象资料，这是个棘手问题。西丁的解决办法是写意，从历史资料记载中，从文学作品描述中意会想像要表现的人物，以意象代之。随之而来的是作为人物背景的遗址景观如何画？总不能画成“似与不似之间”的意象？遊人如何与实物对照辨识？对此，西丁巧妙地将写意与写实两种表现手法统一与一体：人物，写意；背景，写实。既有描绘人物宽阔的想象空间，也有写实的遗址景观可供对照识辨。壁画中所涉及的人物有人文初祖黄帝，一统天下胤政；道家始祖李耳，佛家法师玄奘；史学巨擘司马迁，药学翹楚孙思邈；骠骑将军霍去病，妙道天尊吕洞宾……这些人物，无一不是在中华文明史上有过重大贡献和影响的人物，在人们心目中无一不显得伟岸与沉雄，为了突出人们这种心理上的感受，西丁在人物造型上运用了变形的手法，使人物躯干阔大、壮硕，並饰之以宽袍大袖，这都增强人物的体积与分量，有利于伟岸、沉雄感觉的表达。在画法上采用中国绘画的工笔重彩辅之以西画的素描与色彩关系处理，使线描融入体块之中，增强了物象的厚重感。在人物神态的刻划上也颇费了番心思，如秦始皇的威仪，周幽王的颟顸，老子的冥思，药王的勤勉，玉环的丰腴，褒姒的纤丽，空海的虔诚，吕祖的超然，石匠的低首凝视，画工的举笔端详，拉弓者的劲膂，逐鹿者的强悍……形态分殊，情神各异。背景的景观力求真实，透视关系、素描关系、色彩关系均以写实的手法处理。分散于各处的二十四个景点又怎么统一于一幅画面上呢？西丁从两个方面加强了景观之间的联系：一是以光环形成环环相扣，既为瑰宝，必有光彩，使光彩交相辉映；二是统一色调，以橙黄色为主调，间以青灰色，既有渭河平原上黄土的原色，亦有秦砖汉瓦的灰色，色彩的处理有浓烈的象征意蕴。西丁的《长安瑰宝》真力弥满，行气如虹，沉雄，恢宏，与其水墨作品的空灵超逸形成了强烈对比。

Historical sites are rich in humanism contents. Should the artistic creation simplys replicate the relic sites or reveal its wealth of humanism contents? Xiding’s artistic processing is: highlighting the humanism content, highlighting the humanism spirit, using figures as the principal part and the sites as the background.  After all, the sites are the places of the ancients' activities, and thus the human activities should be the principal content. Then, how to express on the painting? There are real artifacts at the historical sites, such as the monument, the pagodas, the tombs and archaeological finds, etc.  While the written records of ancient characters can be found, the image records are very few and inaccurate. It is a thorny issue to engage in plastic arts without image information. Xiding’s solution to the problem is freehand method, to capture the essence of the characters, to represent the figures with conceptual imagery based on studies of historical records and literary descriptions. Then the issue is how to paint the historical sites, the background of the figures?  The sites cannot be conceptual imagery that is between “resembling” and “not resembling”.  Or the tourists cannot recognize the actual places. To resolve this issue, Xiding ingeniously integrated freehand and realistic expression methods: freehand for figures and realistic for background, providing wide space for imagination in character depictions and realistic landscape of the sites to be identified. The figures depicted in the mural include Emperor Huang, the founder of China, Ying Zheng (Qin Shi Huang), who united China, Li Er, the founder of Taoism,  Xuan Zang, the Buddhist master, Sima Qian, the grand historian, Sun Simiao, the medicine master, Huo Qubing,  the famed general,  Lu Dongbin, the eminent Taoist … They are all characters that made significant contributions and had great influence in the history of Chinese civilization, and in people’s mind, they are all magnificent and imposing. In order to highlight this psychological experience, Xiding applied transformation techniques in the character modeling, designing the figures broad and sturdy, and decorated with wide robes and sleeves, thus enhancing the sizes and weights of the characters, to achieve the sense of magnificence and significance. The painting method adopted a Chinese painting style of exact delineation and enriched colors, with complementation by the sketch and color relationship techniques of the western painting, so that the line drawing can be integrated into the blocks to enhance weighty feeling of the images. Xiding also invested a great amount of thinking In the demeanors of the characters, such as the dignity of Qin Shi Huang, the incompetence of King You of Zhou, Lao Tzu's meditation, Medicine King's diligence, Yang Yuhuan’s full figure, Bao Si’s delicate beauty, Konghai’s piousness, Lu Dongbin’s transcendence, the mason’s focus with his head bowed, the painter's attention with his brush raised, the archer's strength, the deer hunter’s toughness ... ... distinct forms and various expressions. On the other hand, the landscapes in background were sought to be realistic, with perspective, sketch, and color relations all being handled in a realistic way.  How to integrate twenty-four scattered sites in one picture? Xiding strengthened the connections between landscapes from two aspects. One is the formation of connected halo links for gems to radiate and reflect luster among each other. The other is the uniform tone, with orange and yellow as the key tone, and dotted with graphite grey color, representing both the primary color of the yellow earth on Weihe Plain and the grey color of Qin bricks and Han tiles. Thus the color processing has a strong symbolic meanings. Xiding's "Gems of Chang’an" is full of true force and energy, imposing and magnificent, and has a significant contract to the ethereal ease in his ink and wash works.

西丁游弋于各个画种之间，到了隨心所欲的境界。其由来，一是博，知识积累丰厚，基本功扎实全面；二是化，举一反三，触类旁通，融汇化合，创出了一派新气象。李鸿秋先生对西丁多方面的艺术才华给予了高度的评赞：“他那高超、独特的天赋，只要给一点点条件，甚至只要他愿意，他画什么是什么；画什么都能收获充满个性的惊人的成就。正所谓‘金鳞岂是池中物，稍得风雷便化龙’。”

Xiding cruises in various kinds of paintings, achieving the state of following his own inclinations. The first source is breadth, rich and deep knowledge accumulation and comprehensive and solid basic skills; the second source is integration, drawing inferences, comprehending by analogy,  combining and integrating together, to create a unique new style. Mr. Li Hongqiu highly praised many aspects of Xiding's artistic talent: "His superb and unique talent can paint anything, with a tiny bit of conditions or even just as he wishes. Anything he paints can result in amazing achievements. Just as the saying goes 'the one with golden scales is not destined for the pool, and with a little wind and thunder it transforms to a dragon' ".

综观西丁的各类绘画创作，时时处处总显露出一种反雷同化、反类同化的美学追求，不追浪，不赶潮，不凑堆，不结夥，或踽踽而行，或静静思考，所出作品常常闪射出一股殊光异彩。

A comprehensive survey of Xiding’s paintings always shows an aesthetic pursuit of anti-assimilation and counter-stereotype. He does not chase the trends, nor join the crowd, nor form a group.  Exploring on his own, or meditating quietly. His works often radiate shimmering splendor of uniqueness.

他的书法，也着意迴避一些程式化的东西，而在倾仄险峻里寻求新的和谐与均衡，犹如旧体诗词里的用险韻，专在艰避之处下功夫。但反常求趣需受合道的制约，若无深厚的功力及对美学规律的深入理解是难以驾驭的。反常易，合道难，反常合道则更难。西丁知难而进，标新而不逾矩，立异而有根柢。其运笔，顺逆藏露隨意转换；其用墨，枯润浓淡应心而生；其结体，字形忽扁忽长，重心忽左忽右，常避方正对称易生的呆与滞，力造倾仄偏斜中的新均衡；其分行布白，忽偃忽仰，忽疏忽密，不平中求平，不正中求正，不匀中求匀，不同中求同，平正奇变，相反相成。通观全篇，鳞羽参差，妙变无穷，波澜起伏，诡谲灵动，卷中异彩灿然，笔下传统延衍。西丁父子曾为中国电信设计企业形象标识，其中的“中国电信”四字即是他的手迹，由于标识接受者的公众性，这四字他又写得沉稳端庄，刚健遒劲，从中可以看出其书法功力的另一面。

His calligraphy works also deliberately avoid stylization, and search for new harmony and balance in the unconventional and the risky, like selecting a difficult rhyme in traditional poetic verses, to labor purposely in a difficult condition. However, seeking unconventional delight is subject to the constraints of the way of art. Without deep skills and in-depth understanding of the laws of aesthetics, it is unmanageable. It is easy to be unconventional, but difficult to confirm with the way of art, and even more difficult to seek unconventional delight and confirm with the way of art. Xiding presses forward despite difficulties, starting the new without violating the basics, creating the original on the solid foundations. His way with the brush freely converts among all calligraphy methods such as flowing, reverting, concealing and revealing; and with ink, dry, moist, thick and thin, at will.  For the structures, he freely mixes flat and long shapes and shifts the gravity center of the characters left and right, often avoids symmetry which can easily lead to dullness and stiffness, and seeks a new balance in the tilt and the deviation. For the distribution, he blends low and high, sparse and dense, seeks balance and center in the uneven, harmony in the various, and transforms and unifies among the opposites. Viewing the work in its entity, there are ingenious variations in all different layers and various levels, with wonderful momentums and dynamics, in a scroll of both unique brilliance and the extension of the tradition. Xiding and his sons designed the corporate image logo for China Telecom, and Xiding calligraphed the characters "China Telecom". Because of the requirement for mass acceptance of a logo, he calligraphed the characters in a steady, dignified and vigorous style, demonstrating yet another aspect of his calligraphy skills.

 

■美学之思

■ Aesthetic Thoughts

在審美活动中，作为審美主体的艺术家要欣赏美、创造美，需有自己的審美标准与主张；没有自己美学观点的艺术家，不可能是个好艺术家。西丁的艺术创造活动能夠成功的关键，在于有自己独到的艺术主张並实践之。

In the aesthetic activities, an artist, as the aesthetic subject, ought to have his/her own aesthetic standards and ideas to appreciate and create beauty. An artist without his/her aesthetic views cannot be a good artist. The key to the success of Xiding's artistic creation activities is having his own unique artistic ideas and practicing them.

●寻无，首先是艺术思维上的艰苦探索。

● The first step of seeking non-being is the arduous exploration in artistic thinking.

作为画家，创作之始遇到的首要问题是将什么作为自己的表现对象，这决定于画家的审美判断力。在中国古典美学中将之称为“识”，“识力”。清代诗人袁枚有个妙喻：“学如弓弩，才如箭镞，识以领之，方能中鹄。”形象地说明了“识”的重要性。唐代画家、书画理论家张彦远也曾说过：“非夫神迈识高，情超心慧者，岂可议乎知画？”将“识力”提到了一个很高的位置，认为审美判断力不高的人，是谈不上懂画的。那么一个画家“识力”不高，岂能判断出自己所选题材審美价值的高低？其次，确定了画什么，接着而来的是怎么画，怎么设置、营构画中的人物、场景、情节之类。画什么，怎么画，整个过程离不开“识高”与“心慧”，亦即一个艺术家的艺术"悟性"。西丁对此有清醒的认识，他在谈及幽默与智慧的关系时也曾有个妙喻：“幽默说：我生产开心。智慧说：我是老板。”智慧在创作中的统领作用他阐发得生动而深刻。艺术思维是形象思维、逻辑思维、灵感思维协动的一个思维综合体，哪一个环节能离开智慧？因之，思考的深度常常决定作品品位的高度。对一个美术家来说，用心画还是用手画，其结果往往天壤之别。绘者，应该是一个慧者，智慧地画，机智地画，巧妙地画；而不是机械地画，无动于衷地画，依从习惯或程式画。西丁勤于思考，善于动脑的创作实践充分说明这一道理。在创作理论与实践上，他还发挥了他的老师李有行先生的“经意于不经意中”的辨证观点，提出了“隨意之象乃刻意而成，所以要把功夫下在隨意上。”隨意之象需得刻意而为，刻意经营需得隨意而出，似为随意，实则艰辛，内里用功，外显轻松。他的夫子自道说出他创作的诀窍，看似率性而为的笔墨挥洒，看似寥寥数笔的传神之象，看似妙手偶得的艺术处理，那都是下笔之前动了番脑筋，下了番功夫得来的，决不是偶发的，一蹴而就的。“识高”，“心慧”，是他“寻无”尤为着力之处。他曾说：“欣赏一幅画，看它有没有灵气。反之，就是匠气。匠气，就是没有灵魂，就是僵化，没有生气。灵气，是睿智升华结晶的产物。灵气就是把画画活了。”又说：“每欲画一张画，或写幅字，我都有一种敬畏感，马上凝重起来，作上阵准备。当然也不是紧张，但也不是轻松，思维立即启动起来，准备迎战。”他曾有幅丈二之作，上为长短、粗细、浓淡、干湿不同的两根线条，题识为石涛的画语录：浓淡、肥瘦、长短、粗细即美也。这显然是他沿着中国古典美学家的思路在不断思索有关形式美的辩证规律。

As a painter, the first question encountered at the beginning of creation is the selection of the object. This is determined by the artist's aesthetic judgment. In Chinese classical aesthetics it is called "discerning" and "discernment". Yuan Mei, a Qing Dynasty poet, had a wonderful analogy: "Learning is like a crossbow, and talent an arrow. Only with the lead of discernment, one can hit the target". This vividly illustrates the importance of "discernment". Zhang Yanyuan, a Tang Dynasty painter and calligrapher, once said: "Only those with superb spirits, superior discernment, high emotions, and clever mind are able to know painting", elevating “discernment” to a very high position, asserting that those without superior discernment cannot understand painting. A painter cannot determine the level of aesthetic values of the selected materials without high discernment.  Secondly, after determining what to paint, what follows is how to paint, how to set up and construct the characters, scenes and plots in the painting. What to paint and how to paint, the whole process is inseparable from "discernment" and "clever mind", that is, a painter's artistic "comprehension power". Xiding has a clear understanding of this and had a wonderful metaphor upon discussing the relationship between humor and wisdom: "Humor said: I produce fun. Wisdom said: I am the boss".  He elaborated vividly and profoundly the leading role of wisdom in the artistic creation. Artistic thinking is a thinking complex in which imagery thinking, logical thinking and inspiration thinking are coordinated. Which link can be without wisdom? Because of this, the depth of thinking often determines the level of a work's taste. For an artist, painting with heart or painting with hand, the results are often extremely different. A painter should be a wise person, painting with wisdom, wittiness and cleverness; rather than painting mechanically and indifferently, simply following habits or process. Xiding’s creative practice with diligent thinking fully illustrates this truth. In the creative theory and practice, he also developed the dialectical view of his teacher Li Youxing, "advertent in the inadvertent", and put forward the idea that "free expression is achieved advertently, so we should take advertent effort in free expression". Free expression needs to be achieved deliberately, and deliberate activity needs to be free. It seems free, but in fact difficult. Great effort wrapped in easy appearance. His words based on first-hand practice reveals the key to his way of creation: seemingly straightforward swaying of the brush, seemingly just a few strokes to create vivid images, seemingly by luck to obtain the wonderful artifice, all these, are the results of deep thinking and great efforts, and by no means are accidental and effortless. In order to seek non-being, Xiding exerts in "superior discernment" and "clever mind". He once said: "To appreciate a picture is to see if it has aura.  Without aura, a painting is only of unimaginative craftsmanship.  Unimaginative craftsmanship is without a soul, is rigid, and is without vitality. Aura, is a product of crystallization and sublimation of wisdom.  Aura is to paint vividly”. And he also added: "Every time I paint or calligraph, I have a sense of awe and immediate dignification, preparing for the battle.  It is certainly not being nervous, but neither being relaxed.  My thoughts are activated, ready to meet the challenges”. He painted a work of several meters in length, with two lines different in length, thickness, shades, wet and dry, entitled with a quote by Shi Tao on painting: it is beauty having different shades, breadth, length, thickness. This is obviously his continued meditation on the beauty of forms along the path of Chinese classical aesthetics.

●有无相生，无中生有。

● Being and non-being create each other, and for being to rise out of non-being.

寻无斋主人自道：“既然没有，你还寻什么？我说，因为没有我才去寻，寻到了，就有了嘛！”又说：“集百家之长此法固然高超，但却是人家的货色，别人的精华，却没有自己的东西，再好也是人家的。而艺术之稀缺者乃百家之无。”寻前人之无，寻他人之无，寻已有之无，实为寻自己之有，自己未有，创造自己之所有。前人之无，他人之无，是自己创造的参照系，专在无处动脑筋，专在无处下功夫，变前人他人之无为自己之有。这个过程，不求同，而求异；不相向而行，而背道独驰；不重复建设，产能过剩，而独钟创意，主打稀有。艺术生产，只产孤品；批量生产，绝非艺术。

The master of “Xunwu Studio” (“Seeking Non-being Studio”) said himself: “If there is non-being, then what to seek?!  I would say that I seek exactly because that there is non-being.  Once found, then there is being!" And furthermore: “The method of ‘gathering together all that is good’ is superb, but the outcome is the goods of others. The best of others is not your own, no matter how good it is. The scarcity of art is what all others do not have". Seeking non-being of the predecessors, seeking non-being of the others, and seeking non-being of one’s own, are actually seeking being of one’s own. What one does not have creates what one has. The non-being of the predecessors and the others is the frame of reference for one’s creation. Focusing the thoughts and efforts at non-being, and turning non-being of the predecessors and the others into the being of one’s own. This process is not to assimilate, but rather seek differences; not move towards each other, but go off in a different direction; not duplicate and overproduce the same, but uniquely innovate and specialize in rarity. Art creation only results in unique item; the mass produced is never art.

●審美主体的归位

“每个人出生时都是原创，渐渐地有的成了复制品。”人也可能异化：我，异化为他者；人，异化为工具。异化的生成，与“去我”相关，而“去我”亦可能为被动亦可能为主动。被动者，社会因素所为，诸如思想垄断、拜金之风昌炽、独立精神退化；主动者，个人糊塗所致，诸如迷恋某股风潮，崇拜什么权威，沉溺某种幻境。而艺术上的“去我”常与对艺术的本质缺少深入理解相关。如前所述，若失去艺术上的清醒，好的东西也会成为陷阱，致使追慕者成为俘虏而失却艺术探索与创造的主动性。这时，“去我”现象就会产生，我就会外化为他者。我之手，我之脑，为他人所役；我之笔，我之墨，为他人所限。不过，艺术大师们早就有过警告：“似我者死。”只是看为艺者能否悟透。世界上尚且“没有两片完全相同的的树叶”，更何况最具智慧、最具丰富情感的人。著名作家俞平伯与朱自清同遊秦淮河，其后二人又以《桨声灯影里的秦淮河》为题，各写了篇散文，但风格不同，立意有别，各美其美，皆成名篇。何以然？人成长的环境不可能完全一样，人接受的教育不可能完全无异，人各种感官的反应不可能完全一致，人的思维向度不可能完全相同，更不要说悄然而来，倏忽而逝的奇思妙想，更不要说细微而难以察觉的情绪波动。何以要放弃独特的自我，而去充当别人的赝品？有句话说得好：“人生最大的災难，就是在众人的喧囂声中迷失自己。”艺术的本质既然是创造而非制造，作为審美主体的创造者如果缺位，艺术品怎能产生？艺术创作最需个性，最忌雷同，如果審美主体成了通用件、标准件的生产者，艺术必然凋零。从这个意义上讲，寻无，是寻“已无”之我，丢失之我，异化之我，要找回原我，找回个性。即我的回归。

"Everyone is original at birth, and some of them are gradually become pirated". People may also be alienated: “I”, may be alienated to others. People may be alienated as tools. The formation of alienation is related to "elimination of self", and "elimination of self" may be passive or proactive. The passive elimination is due to social factors, such as monopoly of thinking, money worship, and degeneration of independent spirits. The proactive elimination is caused by personal confusion, such as being infatuated with certain trend, worshiping certain authority, or being addicted to a fantasy. "Elimination of self" in art is often related to the lack of in-depth understanding of the nature of art. As mentioned earlier, without artistic awareness, good works can become traps, causing the followers to become captives and lose the initiatives for art exploration and creation. At that time, the phenomenon of "elimination of self" will arise, and “I” will be alienated to others. My hand and my brain will be controlled by others. My brush and my ink will be limited by others. However, the masters of art have long warned: "Those who imitate me will not survive". There are "no two identical leaves" in the world, not to mention the most intelligent and emotional people. The famous writers Yu Pingbo and Zhu Ziqing visited Qinhuai River together, and then each wrote a prose essay titled "Qinhuai River in the Sound of Oars and the Shadow of the Lights".  The two prose essays have different styles, different conceptions, different aesthetic flavors, and both become famous works.  Why? People have different development environments, different education, different sensory responses, different thinking dimensions, not to mention the ever-changing magical inspirations and mood swings. Why abandoning the unique self, and act as a counterfeit of others? There is a saying that goes well: "The greatest disaster in life is to lose ourselves in the noise of the people".  The essence of art is creation, not manufacturing. How can art be created if the creator, as aesthetic subject, is absent? Art is most in need of personality, and assimilation should be avoided at all costs. If the aesthetic subject has become a producer of common and standard parts, art will inevitably cease to exist. In this sense, seeking non-being is looking for the "eliminated" self, the lost self, the alienated self, and is to retrieve the original self and the personality. It is the return of self.

对審美主体的自我认知及应具鲜明个性的重要性，西丁是这样表述的：“很多人常常忘掉研究自己，对自己很不了解。不研究自己的长项要把路走错；不研究自己的能量要把位置摆错；不研究自己的病况要把药吃错；不研究自己的长相要把相画错。此所谓要有自知之明也。” ；“艺术不是技术，艺术最大的特征是个性，艺术的个性是不可能传人的。这些大画家的艺术个性都很鲜明，都是个人特有素质形成的精神现象。所谓‘个性’就是只有一个，没有第二个。有一无二，有其唯一性和不可复制性。”； “我觉得画画是个人的事情，不是群体性的事情，没有必要结派。要是强拉在一起，反而出现弊端，它能磨灭个性特质，对艺术创新、百花齐放没有好处。” ；“有人说：‘小个性是小艺术家，大个性是大艺术家，没有个性不是艺术家’，此话不无道理，通观古今中外，特别是那些大艺术家的作品，都有其鲜明的独特的个性，为世人所折服。如果艺术创作缺少创造性，就很难摆脱一般化、概念化和平庸的束缚。” 这些美学观点独到而深刻，而以其统领自己的艺术实践，无疑是成功的重要保证。

For the self-awareness of the aesthetic subject and the importance of having a distinctive personality, Xiding said: "Many people often forget themselves, forget to study themselves, and do not understand themselves. Not studying one’s strengths may lead to wrong paths. Not studying one’s own energy may lead to wrong positions.  Not studying one‘s own condition may lead to wrong medicines.  Not studying one’s own looks may lead to inaccurate pictures, thus so-called the wisdom of self-knowledge".  “Art is not technology, it is not transferable. The artistic personalities of those great master are very distinct, and are all the spiritual phenomena formed by the unique qualities of individuals. The so-called ‘personality’ implies uniqueness, and cannot be duplicated. Unique and non-duplicable".  “I always consider painting as a personal matter, not a group activity. There is no need to form factions.  On the contrary, there are usually drawbacks if pulling together forcefully. It can abolish the qualities of individuality and is not beneficial for artistic innovations and free development of different forms". “Some people say: 'the one with small personality is a small artist, the one with a big personality is a big artist, and the one with no personality is not an artist'. There is truth in it. All through history and in every nation, works of great artists all have outstanding and distinctive personality, filling viewers with admiration. Therefore, without creativity, it is difficult for the art creation to be free from the shackles of generalization, conceptualization and mediocrity". These aesthetics thoughts are unique and profound.  Xiding directs his own art practice based on them, and they are undoubtedly an important guarantee of success.

●趣妙味隽，审美追求的化境。

● Ingenious delight and wonderful taste are the realm of aesthetic pursuit.

西丁有一联语：“人生如淡茶有点味道即可；作品像浓汤追求醇厚不弃。”又言：“突出味道。画一幅画，或做一道菜，要突出味道。味道突出就真成功。” 味，中国古典美学中最高的審美范畴，是内蕴于作品中“可会于心而难达以口”的意旨、情趣。对审美主体来说，创造的艺术品其味充实而隽永是艺术追求的高标准；对艺术欣赏者来说，体会感悟艺术作品中的味是高品位的艺术享受。南朝宋画家宗炳提出的“澄怀味象”，就是审美主体要以虚静澄明、无我无欲的情怀，去品味、领悟审美对象之中所深蕴的大美、灵趣、真谛，以达畅神。西丁的创作追求味之醇厚，故观者感到“有看头”，“有嚼头”，“有味道”。艺术作品中的味又有韻味、神味、趣味等不同的区分，西丁作品中的趣味更为突出。

Xiding has a couplet: "Life is like light tea, sufficient with a little taste; artworks are like thick soup, never enough in pursuit of the flavor". And then: "Highlight the flavor. Painting a picture, or cooking a dish, both need to highlight the flavor.  Don’t be dull and flavorless. Outstanding flavor spells success". Taste, is the highest aesthetic category in Chinese classical aesthetics, is the essence and temperament contained in the work, which "can be understood by heart but hard to be expressed by words". For the aesthetic subject, creating artwork with rich and meaningful taste is a high standard of the pursuit of art. For art appreciators, the appreciation and understanding of taste in the artwork is the artistic enjoyment of high quality. What Zong Bing, a Southern Song Dynasty painter proposed, "Clearing the mind and tasting the imagery", means that the aesthetic subject should taste and comprehend the great beauty, spiritual interest and true meaning contained in the aesthetic object with unoccupied, calm, empty feeling of nothingness, in order to reach the unobstructed spiritual realm. The rich taste Xiding pursues in artistic creation has left the viewers feeling “worth viewing”, “full of taste”, and “full of aftertaste”. In the works of art, there are different distinctions between the tastes, such as charming taste, spiritual taste, and delightful taste. It is the delightful taste that is more prominent in the works of Xiding.

西丁一书法作品录写了郭沫若的两句话：“异想天开；实事求是。”这两句话实际是对创造性思维的高度概括，用于指导艺术创作，可激发创造的活力。造象，尽可思接千载、神驰八荒、跨科逾类、组合化合、以发挥最大的想象力；表意，力求准确，力求贴切，真实自然，合情合理，以求得意与象天衣无缝的吻合。对此，中国古典美学曾有过精妙的论述，如苏轼的“诗以奇趣为宗，反常合道为趣。”其中“反常合道”四字揭示了“奇趣”产生的思维机制。反常，就是对在此一意义上常情常理的悖反，而出现异常，由于异常，人们就会感到奇怪；合道，就是在彼一意义上又合乎常情常理，人们又会感到并不奇怪。这就形成了一个“奇而不奇，怪而不怪”的对立统一体。若只有反常、奇怪，人们就会感到荒诞不稽；若只有合道，不奇怪，那是正常，也就无奇可言。只有二者有机地构成一个整体，才会产生奇得有趣，怪得合理的艺术效应。反常而又合道，奇巧，奇趣、奇味均与之相关。相马而无马，文字幻化为崖壁，点人成石，神算被盗，等等，皆为“反常合道为趣”这一思维机制的产物。

One of Xiding’s calligraphy works quoted two phrases of Guo Moruo: "Have the most fantastic ideas, seek truth from facts". These two phrases are actually a high-level summary of creative thinking, which can be used to guide the creation of art and stimulate the vitality of creation. In modeling images, the mind should reach all the time and all the places, all the disciplines and all the categories, combining and integrating, to maximize the power of imagination. In expressing ideas, the efforts are made to be accurate and appropriate, real and natural, fair and reasonable, in order to achieve the perfect combination of ideal and imagery. In this regard, the Chinese classical aesthetics had exquisite expositions, such as Su Shi's "in poetry, ingenious delight is the principle, and the delight is in being unconventional, but confirming with the way". "Being unconventional and conforming to the way" reveals the thinking mechanism to create "ingenious delight". “Being unconventional” is being contrary to what is normal and common, and thus giving birth to anomalies, to which people will feel strange. “Conforming to the way” is to be normal and reasonable in another sense, and thus not surprising people. This forms a unity of opposites, "odd yet common, strange yet reasonable". If there is only the abnormal and strange, people will feel absurd; if only confirming unsurprisingly, then it is normal, sans ingenious delight. Only when the two opposites form an organic unity we can have an artistic effect of odd yet interesting, strange yet reasonable. Ingenuity, ingenious delight, ingenious taste are all related to "being unconventional and conforming to the way". Judging horses without a horse, transforming texts into cliffs, turning a figure into a stone, stealing from a master fortune teller, etc.,  are all outcomes of the thinking mechanism of "the delight is in being unconventional, but confirming with the way".

 

■“淡茶”与“浓汤”哲学

■ The Philosophy of “Light Tea” and “Thick Soup”

“人生如淡茶有点味道即可；作品像浓汤追求醇厚不弃。”这既是西丁的艺术哲学也是他的人生哲学。

"Life is like light tea, sufficient with a little taste; artworks are like thick soup, never enough in pursuit of the flavor" This is both Xiding’s philosophy of art and his philosophy of life.

西丁的作品常常呈现出一种宁静之美、澄明之美。人如其画，画如其人。西丁为人处世，淡定而从容，如他的夫子自道：“人生如淡茶有点味道即可”。人活到了这种境界，超脱了世俗的羁绊，也是一种大智慧。如同杨绛先生所说的“我和谁都不争，和谁争我都不屑。简朴的生活，高贵的灵魂是人生至高境界。”省美协主席、著名画家石鲁，看中了西丁，1979年曾在六尺宣纸上书写《母贤子好，夫爱高风》八个大字赠予西丁。还对人言：“西丁，陈家墉（美协一位驻会画家）是‘实干家’。”后将西丁调入美协。省委宣传部还以红头文件任命西丁为副主席兼秘书长。时移世迁，西丁因不屑于美协内部团团伙伙的牵绊，从秘书长位置上坚辞，愤然不干。只做驻会专职画家，专事创作。明于取舍，知于进退，保持内心的宁静，灵魂的澄明，不能不说是人生的一种高境界。

Xiding’s works often show a beauty of tranquility and clarity. Like person, like paintings. Xiding conducts himself in a calm and simple way, as in his own words: "Life is like light tea, sufficient with a little taste". It is a great wisdom for people to live in this realm and transcend secular fetters. As the eminent Yang Jiang said, "I fight with no one, and it is beneath my dignity to fight with anyone. The highest realm of life is simple living and noble soul". Shi Lu, the famous painter and the chairman of provincial artists association, valued Xiding, and calligraphed “virtuous mother and good son, love and noble characters” on a large scale Xuan paper and presented to Xiding in 1979. He also said to the people: "Xiding and Chen Jiaxuan (a resident painter of the artists association) are 'men in action'". Later, Shi Lu transferred Xiding to the artists association. Provincial propaganda department issued official document appointing Xiding as vice chairman and secretary general. Due to the change of time, Xiding disdained the infighting at the artists association, and firmly resigned from the post of secretary general. He only wanted to be a full-time resident painter at the association, specializing in artistic creation. Perceptive in accepting or rejecting, clear in advancing or retreating, maintaining peace of mind and the clarity of soul is certainly a high realm of life.

“健忘是一种病态；善忘是一种境界。”何以达致心之宁静、澄明之境，西丁道出了自己的人生经验。九方皋相马，不辨牝牡，不识骊黃，但能判别出是否有千里之能。知大局，识本质，不为表象、枝节所扰。该清楚处清楚，该糊塗处糊塗，不仅是相马，人生不也如是？更何况人生不如意之事十之七八，事事都弄个清清楚楚，事事都永记不忘，满脑琐微，怎能心境宁静、澄明？

"Amnesia is a sickness; knowing what to forget is a realm”, Xiding tells his own life experiences on how to achieve the realm of peaceful and clear mind. Jiufang Gao could not tell the sex nor the color of the horses, but could judge the running capacity of them.  Having the overall picture and knowing the nature, not to be distracted by appearances and minor matters. Being clear where it needs to be clear, and oblivious where it needs to be oblivious, is not only important for judging horses, but also for living.  It is needless to say that there are many unsatisfactory events in life.  How can one have a caim and clear mind if everything has to be clarified and all the trivial details have to be remembered?

西丁是位谦谦君子，虚心，诚恳，平易，随和。虽无某些艺术家恃才傲物的佯狂，但却有股“为伊消得人憔悴，衣带渐宽终不悔”的执着。“看准了的路，要一意孤行，不要东一榔头西一棒子。有独到见解的人是固执的。”这又是他在为艺态度上的夫子自道。艺术思潮，忽儿东风，忽尔西风，无定见者常在眼花缭乱的赶潮中荒废掉一生，但西丁却如他所书郑板桥的一首诗：“咬定青山不放鬆，立根原在破岩中。千磨万击还坚劲，任尔东西南北风。”

Xiding is a true gentleman, modest, sincere, amiable, and easy-going, and doesn’t have the arrogance of some artists who are inordinately proud of their abilities.  He does have the dedication of "my clothes grow more and more loose, yet regret I not. For you am I thus distressed in longing and pain". "Once you choose a path, proceed willfully.  Do not act in a hit-or-miss fashion. Those who have original ideas are stubborn". This attitude toward art is his words and his practice.  Art trends are like wind, blowing east now and blowing west the next moment. Those without conviction often wasted their lives in chasing the dazzling and changing tides. Xiding is like a Zheng Banqiao poem he once calligraphed: "Biting into the green mountain without loosening, between the broken rocks the root is running. Remaining determined despite of the thousand blows, regardless which way the wind is howling”.

对待人生，对待艺术，他有自己的哲学思考。如杨绛先生所说：“一个人不想攀高就不怕下跌，也不用倾轧排挤，可以保其天真，成其自然，潜心一志完成自己能做的事。”艺术家西丁正是这样的一个人。

He has his own philosophical thinking regarding life and art. As Yang Jiang said: "A person who does not want to go up is not afraid of falling down, nor has the needs to squeeze in and out, and can save the innocence and maintain the nature, and devote oneself to achieve what can be done". Such is Xiding the artist.

 

2016年10月9日搁笔于大兴郡·瀚苑；

Draft completed on October 9, 2016 in Hanyuan, Daxingjun

2017年6月19日改定于沪上寓居

 Revised on June 19, 2017 at home in Shanghai