在东西方艺术整合中寻求新的文化支点

 

在东西方艺术整合中寻求新的文化支点

 

癸未金秋，又到了丰收季节。《方世聪油画选》的问世，为申城艺坛秋色赋喜添浓浓一笔。

旅法探艺毕竟已有十六七个年头，收进油画选的作品让人强烈地感受到法兰西的艺术活力、卢浮宫的人文熏陶、塞纳河的文化辐射和阿尔卑斯山的视觉冲击。然而，细细体味，又让人惊喜地发现作品中有东西方艺术整合后的新的文化支点，有东西方艺术方法论融会后的新的绘画语言，有东西方艺术思维冲撞后的新的思维落点，有东西方美学思考对话后的新的审美理念。在《执着的维齐妮》、《导演桑德琳娜》等作品中依然可以寻觅到上20世纪70年代和80年代初方世聪先生坚实的造型能力、敏锐的色彩感觉和洒脱奔放的绘画风格，但在新的艺术坐标中展示的毕竟是新的艺术生命，似乎增添了文化热情、艺术浪漫、光色感受和结构理解。在《华夏魂》、《惠安仙姑》、《法国面纱》等作品中虽然不乏当年《金发夹》的典雅秀美、神采照人，但在新的艺术探索中终究融入了新的艺术追求和人文情愫，似乎多了一些对美的呵护，对审美情趣的概括，对生命本质的揭示；在《诗人希洛莫》、《灯光下》 等作品中虽然不乏较高的立意、含蓄的笔触、开阔的胸怀和忘我的境界，但在新的艺术实践中显然编织了新的艺术经纬，生命的深沉与力量、心灵的震撼与升华。

在这些作品所跨越的年华里，方世聪先生把踏上旅法之途视为加入赴法进行艺术探求的新生代，希冀接受艺术圣都的文化洗礼。他把在法兰西艺术热土上的绘画实践作为一种艺术实验，把绘画工作室设在巴黎郊外的由破旧工厂改造的“艺术家自治实验中心”，和几位艺术家一起把这些工作室冠名为“蜂房”，企盼像莫奈一样在巴黎发现新的光色，像毕加索一样在法兰西寻求立体创造，像康定斯基一样在那里萌发抽象概念，以“实验”为基调，以“蜂房”为基地，直逼新的艺术创造。他把“宇宙、人生”等重大命题融入艺术创作之中，寻觅时空一体、第一自然与人的生命体的第二自然的整体思索、人与自然的和谐、艺术实践艺术技法创新与艺术方法论的统一，求华夏神韵的世界回声，显油画艺术的时代追求中的个性特征。

 世聪先生有持之以恒的艺术追求和文化精神的养育，因此他的作品总是生机勃勃，春意盎然，崇尚艺术精神，直入生命哲学。

 

 

上海市博物馆馆长 陈燮君

          二零零三年

 

 

 

PURSUING A NEW CULTURAL JOINT IN THE INTEGRATION OF THE ARTS IN THE EAST AND WEST

Chen Xiejun

 

In the golden autumn of 2003, again a harvest time, the birth of 'A Collection of Julien Fang's Oil Paintings' adds a weighty stroke to the happy scene of fruitful arts stage in Shanghai.

 

Mr. Julien Fang has been residing in France and exploring in the field of arts for about sixteen or seventeen years, thus the works in the collection deeply impressing people with the vitality of the French arts, the human cultural nature of Louvre, the cultural flavor of Seine River and the striking view of the Alps. Nevertheless, when chewed over, the new style formed through the integration of the arts in the east and west can be found among them, so can the new painting language on the basis of the integration of the painting theories in the east and west, the new standing point rooted in the integration thoughts of the arts in the east and west and new concepts for appreciation of the beauty after a dialogue between aesthetics in the west and east. In his oil paintings, such as 'Oversensitive Janine', 'Virginie with strong personality', 'Red-haired Isabelle', 'Marie', 'Director Sandrine', you are still able to find the trace of his capability of shaping characters, a keen sense of colors and unchained style of painting. Besides these, born with a new basis is a new life of his arts, which can be found in his works the inclusion of culture enthusiasm, artistic romance, perception of light and shade and comprehension of the structure. In such woks as 'Soul Of the Chinese', 'Fairy Huian', 'French Veil', 'A Little Happy kid', 'Lady Wenxuan', 'Dream', 'Golden Childhood', 'Spirits', 'Golden Days', 'Xiaoxue', 'Devoted Annie', 'Silk Pajamas', 'At the Table', 'Mother-to-be-the Happiest', 'Vanished memory', 'Little Ida', not only the elegance, youth, grace and nature seen in his early work 'Gold Hairpins' are still there, but a new pattern which is a combination of a new pursuit of human culture and art form resulting from the composer's deep exploration of the world of art, more are focused on the appreciation of beauty and its summary, the exposure of the nature of life and the understanding of philosophy in arts. In paintings such as 'Poet Chlmou', 'In the Lamplight', 'The old Well', 'Dr. Lenferna and His Friends', 'Midnight Snack', the painter, with the new style in his new practice, expresses the passion and excitement, happiness and sorrow, up and down, strength and weakness in life and the thrilling and distillation of one's soul, as well as a novel theme, indirect depiction, a broad mind and a selfless realm of art.

 

During the years those works were composed, Mr. Fang regarded his art life in France a new era for his arts exploration, hoping to experience the test of the saint capital of arts. He considered his painting a kind of art experiment performed on the rich art soil of France. His workshop that used to be an old and shabby factory building, was named 'Artist's Self-governing Experimenting Center'. Several other artists and Mr. Fang all called their painting rooms 'beehives', on whose basis and with whose style artistic innovation was to be yielded, expecting to discover new ideas in painting as Monet, seek the creation of three-dimensional works as Picasso, and develop abstract concepts as Kandinsky. He introduced such weighty subjects as 'Universe, Destiny and soul' into his painting to achieve his goals of seeking the integration of space and time, a comprehensive thinking of nature and creatures, a harmony of nature and man, the integration of artistic practice and reading and thinking and the unity of the innovation of artistic skills and methodology. Seeking a combination of composition factors such as, dots, lines, surfaces, colors and rhythms to yield artistic innovation, creating a unique style of painting by following the artistic traces of the west, looking for echoes for Chinese arts all through the world and displaying outstanding characters for the oil painting itself in the modern ages, the painter created the crystal white in 'Spring Snow in the Alps', the peace and leisure in 'Noon of a Holiday', determination and firmness in 'Mr. Zhang Chongrong Returning from Belgium', and brightness and marvel in 'Ghosts'...

 

Mr. Fang was born in troubled Shanghai in 1941, leading a hard life as a child. Thanks to his mother, he took up arts and therefore he has been striving perseveringly for arts and been especially interested in the themes on motherly love. Based on his finest techniques of painting and composition of a picture, his new style has a solid foundation of classical painting techniques, methods and methodology. With his persistent pursuit of arts and experience of cultural spirit, his works are always energetic and vigorous, thinking highly of artistic innovation and access to the philosophy of life.