长期以来，芳凯过着类似於修行者般的生活。所谓修行，并不是说他遁入空门而追求出世智慧，而是说他长时间的饱读诗书画论、醉心於本专业的学习与钻研，且不参与此外的种种是是非非。当代艺术是一个鱼龙混杂的复杂局面，其中多有追名逐利之徒，鲜有静心钻研艺术本体语言者。不可否认，艺术价值的实现需要市场的肯定，但发掘自身潜质并尽可能将最好的一面呈现给观众，这是艺术家获得成功并实现其价值的必要之举。诚然，要实现这一理想并非一朝一夕之功，而是一个长时间的艰苦历程，期间有的人少年得志，也有的人大器晚成。芳凯出道较早，但并未像其他的年轻画家般跟风附势，而是脚踏实地地坚持自己的创作理念。他考入清华大学美术学院研究生後，从创作观念到材料技法的运用均有了很大的提升，以此为基础，他向职业艺术家之路迈出了坚实的脚步。

　　在朋友眼里，芳凯是一个“靠谱”的人，也是一个很认真的画家。他的“靠谱”，表现在他事事有板有眼，特别是在细节上毫不含糊，答应朋友的事情也必倾力以赴，其间绝不慷慨陈词，不作两面倒。他的认真，不仅表现在待人处物上，更在於他对油画创作的勤奋与执着。自研究生时起，他就开始摸索自我的绘画语言方式，潜心作画，笔耕不缀。终有所成现今作品已蔚为大观，不仅个人面貌清晰，语言成熟，还取得了很好的市场回馈。从这个意义上说，芳凯是一个在同辈中较成功和令人尊重的艺术家。

　　芳凯的油画多以园林风景入画，画面中亭台楼阁、瘦石林木相掩映，繁枝花色、青瓦白墙共荣生。这些都是传统中国画中经常出现的图境。事实上，芳凯是一个很文人式的艺术家，性好静，乐於阅读，心绪细腻，感情丰富，他将这些个人体验和品性付诸於作品，形成了这一幅幅含蓄而唯美的画面。芳凯的画作内容及构图形式很能使人产生一种亲近感，这是源於传统绘画、特别是宋元以来的某些山水画因素，但这种借鉴不是简单的再现，而是通过一种含蓄、委婉的方式呈现，一枝一草、一柱一廊皆隐没於那浑厚迷离的油色中，对於传统表达方式而言，这是一种新的视觉体验。芳凯读了大量画论，也熟知中国绘画史，他良好的理论修养，使其绘画语言充满厚度，而传统文人画的某些精神，也迹化於他作品的那些山石林木中了。

　　从绘画形式上说，中国传统绘画不仅从材料和技法上与作为泊来品的油画根本不同，观察方法及理念表达上也区别甚大，在各自绘画的兴盛期，前者更多体现在托物言志，後者则重於客观世界的忠实再现。郎世宁曾将两者融合，创造出一种精致的宫廷绘画，但观其作品，多为山水画构图与西方写实及透视技巧的综合运用，画面正面布光，亦不缺乏立体感，物象高度写实。郎世宁的作品追求的应当是一种照相写实的画面效果，纤秀工致，但缺乏中国山水画中所蕴含的人文情怀。芳凯作品中的图景无疑是很东方的，体现了某种精神审美的理想世界，但绘画语言却是很纯粹的西方油画，两者的融合水乳交会，自然和谐。可以说，在油画语言的探索上，他向前迈进了一大步。

　　芳凯作品中的图景很具特点，其耐人寻味的细节并非以清晰或者简单虚化的方式呈现，而是用艺术家特有技法创作出来。从作画过程看，他的绘画技法主要有写、皴、划。

　　绘画中的“写”来源於书法，在中国传统艺术理论中，书画本同源，在更早的文字初创之时，两者根本就是一体的。中国画创作中用笔极为重要，谢赫“六法”中言“骨法用笔”，将其归为画面构成的首要因素，其後从画者多有发挥与专述，并形成一个庞大的理论体系。运用毛笔作画过程中，“写”是一种最为本质的手法，其原理在某种程度上与书法的行笔并无二致，但其间的变化与运笔时的心境却千差万别。芳凯作品画面中出现了多种“写”的痕迹，但这种“写”不是简单的一横一竖，也不是行云流水般的挥毫，而是在表现那些枝叶花草景致时，以一种轻松、灵活的色线或色点，轻描淡写间，将这些“写”的痕迹巧妙融入到一种迷离、华兹的画面中。

　　在传统笔墨技法中最常见的有点、染、皴、擦之说，而“皴”曾是运用最为广泛的。黄宾虹有云：“画岂无笔墨而能成耶？惟但有轮廓而无皴法，即谓之无笔；有皴法而无向背云影明晦，即谓之无墨。”皴法的出现与表现自然山石肌理结构的需要相应，但“皴”在不同的艺术家手中有相异的表现，其作品风貌也各具特色，荆浩雄浑的北方山水与“皴”法密切相关，董源的江南景致也是得益於此。当代水墨实践中，“皴”法并未得到相应的重视，这当然与水墨技法的语境发生变化有关。事实上，芳凯在更早些时候，曾进行过水墨画的创作与实验，并探讨各种技法的可能性，此举想必对当下的创作颇有影响，而“皴”法的合理运用，更使得他的作品面貌别具一格，油彩的皴擦之间，景观的轮廓若隐若现，物象的色彩丰富含蓄。

　　细观芳凯作品，发现在丰富、华丽的画面中多处出现细小的划痕，这些“真迹”其实就是由一种用秃的画笔拖拽出来，使画布底色与颜料相互作用而出现的“肌理”，这就是他作品中的“划”。芳凯的作品一般是一遍完成，这些“划”痕不是在作品完成後人为所致，而是在作画过程中自然形成的“画痕”。作画时，他首先用铅笔在画布上轻轻勾出要表现内容的大致轮廓，然後自上而下、自左至右用油彩逐步绘制，当色彩铺满整个画面时，画作就告完成，不作其他修改。这一过程中，他要控制好不同颜色的调配，以期达到预想的色调，并且精心调配油与颜料的比例关系，因为此举关系到他用笔时的状态，并以此制造出各种“笔痕”。用秃笔所拖拽出的这些细小划痕，与书法中的“飞白”不太一样。所谓“飞白”，是毛笔在纸面快速运行过程中所遗漏的着墨之处，此外干墨也易於形成这种效果。“飞白”能够表现出书写过程中的力度与厚度，而芳凯作品中的细小划痕，却是运笔过程中，笔毛划透粘稠的油彩後所留下来的痕迹，它使画面的色彩不再了无生气，而其特有的肌理，似乎如人的皮肤般能够呼吸。

　　作品中的技法运用并不是一种简单的两者或更多元素的相加，而是诸种作画手段在相互渗透和交织中发挥效用，以此形成作品的外在面貌。在芳凯的绘画世界中，东方的神韵与西方的器用巧妙交合在一起，作品因此获得了包括西方艺术家和收藏者的好评。芳凯作品中的“写”，来自於他多年绘画实践中对用笔的理解，对於他而言，不论是水墨还是油画，两者皆是为了传达出艺术家臆想中的唯美世界，为了再现这一世界，他进行了长时间的探索。“皴”是一种有效制造画面质感的方法，不仅能运用於水墨语言，也同样可以在油画中得到应用，材质与技法的置换，甚至比原初的方式更能打动人。“写”与“皴”往往是同时进行的，而随之拖拽的“划”痕又使得前两者变得含糊、暧昧，画面色彩也因此变得更为丰富与微妙，三者之间相互作用，构成一个酣畅淋漓的视觉场域，唯美而独特。

　　从构图与视觉效果上看，这种独特的画面效果并不只是上述技法的综合，而是有更深层次的审美追求，个人修养、绘画技能和创作意识综合在一起，这些因素缺一不可。良好的个人修养体现在知识涵养上，也包括言谈举止和待人处世的态度；绘画技能是作为画家安身立命的基本条件，芳凯师从於清华大学美术学院石冲老师，自然受到最好的技术指导，但最根本的是他自身的积极探索，於水墨语言和油画技巧皆有心得；创作意识是艺术家才智与艺术理想的外化，芳凯的绘画成就证明了他的艺术才智，而绘画题材的选择与画面效果的营造，则表明了他的艺术理想，这种理想往往与现实的际遇紧密相连。现实是一个很无奈的生存体验，对此感悟古今并无二致。陶渊明不满於现实的际遇而遁迹田园，向往一种世外桃源的生活，王维的田园诗在描写自然景物方面，有其独到的造诣，引起後人的无穷回味。宋元以来的山水画多寄托了画者的山野田园理想，或者为迎合这一理想的消费者而作，其中除去简单的物质需求外，追求这种恬静的生活，更多体现在失意文人追求一种精神层面上的慰藉。芳凯选择这类题材入画，并不是说他有遁世思想，而是在熙熙攘攘的闹市中，追求心中那份平和与安宁。

　　芳凯的油画雅致而清新，画面极尽丰富，但图像的细节并不张扬，或者说他有意将这些细节隐没於一片微妙而丰富的色域之中。由於使用了独有的技法组合，作品表面的色彩和肌理别具特色，让人看後有一种莫名的欣喜。芳凯善於控制画面的整体布局和色调。在作品的布局上，他注意景物之间的疏密、虚实对比关系，画面空间变化丰富；在色调的营造上他显然更富经验，虽然使用大量灰色调，但每一处都富於变化，绝不雷同，整体又浑然一体。芳凯深知细节的重要性，但并不因此专注於琐碎的描摹，而是在经营整体布局和营造色调过程中自然而然的将其“写”或“皴”出来，是一种画笔随着艺术家情之所至的自然呈现，因此这些画面的痕迹丰富而不细碎，极为耐看。

　　芳凯的作品不仅体现在他独有的技法和雅致的画面上，更在於从中所传达出来的那份美好，这就是在画面上显现出来的相。对於绘画而言，特别是在文人画中，相的实质是艺术家创作作品时心中所想的体现，芳凯所创作的这些田园诗般的画面，实质上就是他“心相”的外化。相，原本来源於佛家经典，指身外世界作用於内在体验之意。对於个体而言，由於其心各有所趣，因此所见之相千差万别。别致而憧憬之相使人沉溺其中，乐而忘返；惨痛而哀伤之相让人不能自拔，悲而欲绝。对於佛教徒而言，世间所见诸相皆空幻不实，实相者即是非相，以般若智慧破除一切名相，从而达到不执着於任何一物而体认诸法实相的境地。但事实上，世俗之人色、受、想、行、识俱全，此五蕴既是污染佛性清净的根源，也是世人性情贲张之所依所据，对於他们而言，那些鱼跃鸟飞、兽走虫爬的大千有情世界，才是他们真实的世界。芳凯生於浊世之中，处於闹市樊笼，眼中所见之相，尽是一片浮尘的繁华，但并未就此妥协与玩世，转而通过作品来反求内心的那种宁静与平和。

　　芳凯自然不是佛教徒，亦不具备其他宗教情结，而是一个实实在在、混迹於帝都的画者。他没有佛教徒那般的“非相”情结，但也不是芸芸众生那般的浊世俗见，对於他而言，重要的不是证得无上的智慧，也不是获取无尽的财富，而是通过他手中的油彩与画笔，精心绘制着他双目所睹、心中所见之相，花草树木交织处、亭台楼阁掩映间，均呈现出一片空明澄澈的美好图景。

2013年3月於清华园

黄文智／清华大学美术学院博士

The Externalization of the Inner World- On Xiao Fangkai's Oil Painting

　　Xiao has been living a life like a practitioner for quite a long time, which doesn't mean he's pursuing transcendent wisdom in Buddhism. He's dedicated to reading extensively, and studying and diving into his specialty, not involved in any disturbances of the outside world. It's quite a jumbled and complicated situation in the contemporary art circles, where many are chasing after fame and gain, but few are digging into the true essence of art. It's undeniable that the realization of the artistic value requires the recognition of the market, but it's essential for an artist to explore their potentials and present their best aspect to the audiences if they want to succeed and realize their value. Indeed, it's not a single day's work to realize the dream, but a prolonged trial course, during which some might enjoy an earlier success while others might mature more slowly. Xiao started his career early, and adhered to his creation concept in a down-to-earth manner, instead of following suit like many young artists did. After being admitted to the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, he improved his creation concept and the use of materials and techniques, on the basis of which he strode into the career of a professional artist.

　　In his friends' eyes, Xiao is a "reliable" man, and also a meticulous artist. His reliability lies in his orderly manner, especially in the unambiguity of details, and keeping his words with his friends. He never double-talks or sits on the fence. His meticulousness is not only reflected in his manner of dealing with people, but also in his diligence and persistence in oil painting creation. He has been exploring his own painting language ever since his postgraduate study, and finally got somewhere after years of dedication. Now his works have presented clear features, with a distinct personal style and mature language, and won good feedback in the market. In this sense, Xiao is a relatively successful and respectable artist among his peers.

　　Xiao's works are mainly about gardens and landscape, where pavilions, pagodas, lake stones and trees set off one another, and leafy branches, colorful flowers, grey tiles and white walls enhance each others' beauty. These are all common scenes in traditional Chinese painting. Actually, Xiao is a literati artist, quiet, exquisite, emotional and fond of reading. He has endued his works with personal experience and character, and therefore, created these implicit and aesthetic paintings. The content and composition of Xiao's paintings tend to bring some intimacy, which originates from some elements of traditional Chinese painting, especially those of landscape painting after the Song Dynasty. However, the borrowing is not a simple representation, but an implicit and tactful presentation, with every single branch, grass, pillar and porch barely invisible in the deep, blurred oil colors. To the traditional way of expression, it's a new visual experience. Xiao has read extensively about theories of painting, and has a good knowledge of the history of Chinese painting. The theoretical accomplishments have deepened his painting language, and some spirits of literati painting are embodied in the rocks and trees of his works.

　　In terms of the painting form, traditional Chinese painting is distinct from the exotic oil painting in materials and techniques, as well as in observation method and concept expression. In their heyday, the former tends to express aspirations through objects, while the latter lays emphasis on the faithful representation of the objective world. Giuseppe Castiglione used to integrate the two, creating an exquisite court painting. But his works are often the synthetic application of landscape composition and the western realism and perspective. With the light coming from the front, the painting seems three dimensional, and the objects are hyper-realistic. His works create a visual effect of photorealism, delicate and neat, but they lack the humanistic sentiments embodied in the Chinese landscape painting. The scenes in Xiao's works are definitely oriental, presenting an ideal world of aesthetic appreciation, but the language is purely oil. The two are integrated naturally and harmoniously. We could say, he has leapt forward in the exploration of oil painting language.

　　The scenes of Xiao's works are very characteristic – the intriguing details are not presented simply in a distinct or blurred way, but created with the artist's unique technique. From the painting process, his techniques mainly include writing, texturing and scratching.

　　The "writing" in painting techniques comes from calligraphy. In traditional Chinese art theory, writing and painting have the same origin. In the primitive stage of words, the two were actually the same. Brushwork matters a great deal in the creation of Chinese painting. In his "Six Techniques", Xie He emphasized that brushwork is the "bone" method, indicating it's the primary element in composition. Thereafter, many painters and theorists supplemented and expounded that, forming a huge theory system. In the process of painting with brushes, "writing" is the essential technique. Its principle is no different from brush using in calligraphy, but the variations and the states of mind when using the brushes can differ in a thousand ways. There are traces of "writing" in Xiao's works, but the "writing" is not simply a horizontal or vertical line, nor is it the wielding brush, but is tactfully, lightly integrated into the blurred, waltz-like images of flexible color lines or dots to present the scenery of braches, leaves, flowers and plants.

　　The most common techniques in traditional ink include doting, rendering, texturing and scratching, with texturing as the most widely used one. As Huang Binhong put it, "How can you paint without brushwork or ink? Painting an outline without texturing means no brushwork, while painting only with texturing but without contrast or different shades of colors means no ink." The texturing method emerged to meet the demand of presenting the texture and structure of rocks, but it also varies in different artists' hands, whose styles and features can be distinctive. The rough and powerful landscape in the north by Jing Hao is certainly textured, and so is Dong Yuan's scenery in the south. In the practice of modern ink, the texturing method has not received enough attention, and it's of course due to the changing context of ink. Actually, Xiao experimented and created in ink earlier on, investigating possibilities of different techniques, which presumably has a great impact on his current creation. And the proper application of the texturing method has endued his works with a unique style. The outline of the scenery is partially invisible and the colors of the objects are rich and implicit with the texturing and scrubbing of the paints.

　　Observing Xiao's works closely, we can find multiple tiny scratches in the ornate, gorgeous images, which are actually dragged with bald brushes. The "texture" comes from the interaction between the background and the paints, and that's his "scratching". His works are generally completed in one effort, but these "scratches" are not added artificially after completion. They are "painting traces" formed naturally during the process. He usually outlines what he wants to paint lightly with pencils first, and then paints gradually from top to bottom, from left to right. When the whole picture is covered with paints, it's completed and he won't modify it any more. During the process, he needs to mix the colors properly to have the expected tone. He also needs to be careful with the proportion of oil and paints, for it influences the status of his painting, so as to create different "marks". The tiny scratches created by bald brushes are different from the "hollow strokes" in calligraphy, which refer to the blankness created by the swiftly moving brushes. Drier ink also helps to create them. "Hollow strokes" can reveal the power and thickness of writing, while the tiny scratches in Xiao's works, marks left by the brushes driving through thick paints, add vitality to the colors of the painting, and the unique textures can breathe like human's skins.

　　The application of techniques is not simply adding two of them or more, but forming the external features of the works with the integration and intertexture of them. In Xiao's painting world, the oriental charm and the western techniques are tactfully integrated, which helps him receive the recognition from western artists and collectors. The "writing" in his works originates from his understanding of brush using in years of practice. To him, either ink or oil intends to convey the aesthetic world imagined by artists. To represent the world, he's been exploring for a long time. "Texturing", as an effective way of creating the texture of the painting, can be used in ink, as well as in oil. The substitute of material makes it even more appealing than its original form. "Writing" and "texturing" are usually simultaneous, "scratching" coming after that makes them more blurred and vague, and the colors are becoming more varied and delicate as a result. The interaction between the three has formed an aesthetic and unique visual domain.

　　From the perspectives of composition and visual effect, the unique picture doesn't come from the integration of the above techniques, but a more profound aesthetic pursuit. Personal cultivation, painting techniques and creation awareness are combined together, and every single aspect is essential. Fine personal cultivation is reflected in one's knowledge and virtue, including one's behavior and manners of dealing with people; painting techniques are essential to artists, and Xiao has definitely received best guidance from his tutor, Mr Shi Chong at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. What's more fundamental is his active exploration, which leads to the mastery of ink and oil painting techniques; creation awareness is the externalization of the artists' talents and artistic ideal, and Xiao's achievements have proved his artistic talents. The choice of painting themes and the creation of visual effect reveal his artistic ideal, which tends to be closely related to experiences in life. Life is truly a frustrated experience of survival, and the perception of that is the same in the ancient and modern times. Tao Yuanming lived in the pastoral out of his discontent with reality, pursuing life in Shangri-la; Wang Wei's pastoral poems stand out in depicting natural landscape, and his unique attainments are lastingly impressive; many landscape paintings after Song and Yuan Dynasties are often attached with the painters' ideal of living in the fields and countryside, or painted to cater to the ideal of the consumers. Apart from the simple material demand, the pursuit of the peaceful lifestyle is more like spiritual consolation for those frustrated literati. Xiao's choice of the theme doesn't mean he is reclusive. He's pursuing the peace and tranquility in the hustle and bustle of the world.

　　Xiao's oil painting is elegant and novel, the pictures are rich, but the details are not excessive, or we can say, he has intentionally concealed these details in the subtle and varied colors. The unique combination of techniques has added features to the colors and texture of the painting, which has intrigued an inexplicable pleasure to the audience. Xiao is adept at controlling the layout and tone of the painting. In the layout, he pays attention to the spacing and virtual and real contrast of the scenery, so the painting is varied in space; in the creation of the tone, he is obviously more experienced. The large amount of grey tone is full of variations that are never identical, and they're perfectly integrated. Xiao is aware of the significance of details, but he's not confined to the depiction of them. Instead, he "writes" or "textures" them out naturally when presenting the layout or creating the tone. It's a spontaneous presentation of the artist's emotions, and therefore, the details are rich but not trivial, lastingly charming.

　　Xiao's works are outstanding not only because of his unique techniques and delicate pictures, but also because of the beauty they convey, that is, the appearance of the paintings. In painting, especially literati painting, the essence of appearance is the reflection of the thoughts of the artists when they're creating. The pastoral pictures created by Xiao are actually the externalization of his internal "appearance". "Appearance" originates from Buddhist classics, referring to the internal experience of the external world. To an individual, the appearances can differ in a thousand ways due to their inner perceptions. Unconventional and promising appearances can invite people to indulge in for enjoyment; agonizing and sorrowful appearances can bring about desperate grief that people are unable to extricate themselves from. To a Buddhist, all the appearances in the material world are illusive. But actually, earthly men desire, experience, think, behave and know, which are the origins of delusion, as well as the basis of human emotions. To them, the boundless world of diving fish, flying birds, dashing beasts and crawling insects is the real world. Xiao was born into the earthly world, grew up in the hustle and bustle of the city, and went through the prosperity of the secular world, but he never compromised or became cynical. On the contrary, he pursued inner peace and tranquility with his works.

　　Xiao's no Buddhist, nor is he a believer of any other religion, but a genuine painter living in the capital city of Beijing. He doesn't have a complex of "excluding appearances" like a Buddhist, nor is he pursuing earthly pleasure like all living things in the world. To him, what matters is not to testify supreme wisdom, not to obtain endless fortune, but to meticulously depict what he sees with his eyes and mind through the paints and brushes in his hand. The beautiful vision of clarity and purity is presented among the interwoven trees, flowers and plants, in the shades of pavilions and pagodas.

March 2013

Huang Wenzhi / Doctor of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University