相通的艺术心灵：范曾与陈可之会见速记

文 中国周刊 2007年第51期

又是一个繁花似锦的春天。

北京近郊，碧水山庄。艺术大师范曾居住的抱冲斋旁，桃花灼灼，绿草芬芳。正在北京举办三峡远古风系列油画画展的当代著名画家陈可之登门切磋技艺。窗外春光明媚，室内笑声朗朗，艺术的心灵在这里沟通，艺术思辩的空间在这里延伸。

 

 

艺术家相见，话题自然从作品评讲开始。

说到陈可之的作品，范曾说，很多年来，他一直关注陈可之的创作，对他的作品印象深刻。说到这里，他谈起了陈可之早年的成名作《历史》。范曾认为，作者对生活的认识并非人云亦云，而是有他自己的独特见解，那个正在给刘少奇画像擦去灰尘的少女背影，似乎也凝聚着丰富的人民感情。如果说少女手中那块抹布是一种象征，那就是象征了广大人民群众对历史的正确解读。这幅作品的艺术语言虽然单纯，人物形象却洗练有力。说到这里，范曾挥动起手臂模仿那个少女的姿势，久久没有放下。

陈可之的巨型油画作品《重庆大轰炸》，以闻名中外的“五·三”、“五·四”大轰炸，“六·五”大隧道窒息惨案为基点，全景式展示了抗日战争时期，作为中国抗战陪都的重庆，遭受日本侵略者轰炸的历史瞬间，画中的人物高达万人，每一个局部都有很强的故事性。

陈可之告诉范曾，这是一次他终生难忘的创作历险。创作人员把重庆认真地走了一遍。陈可之回忆说，他在皇嘉大酒店顶层的水箱上，腰拴安全绳，看到了城市轮廓，眼前一下子豁然开朗，“在这里，我看到了山城的巍峨与秀美，历史与现代。”谈到对《重庆大轰炸》的印象，范曾说：“画面恢弘，气势磅礴。从画中可以看出你对历史的思索和对艺术的不懈追求。”

 

 

在中国画坛，陈可之是一位颇有特色的重量级画家。早在1979年，年仅18岁的陈可之就以油画《历史》崛起于画坛；1987年创作的《冬日晨曦》、1993年推出的《东方之子》更使他名声大噪；1999年，陈可之的《三峡晨曲》作为北京人民大会堂重庆厅特大屏风被长期陈列。而被称为“三峡怪才”的他，从1996年开始便不断深入三峡库区，用画笔记录下三峡已经消失和正在消失的壮美景观。

范曾很认真地倾听了陈可之艺术之路的叙述。范曾对陈可之说：“你的成长之路十分坎坷，但正是这种磨难成就了你，成就了你今天的艺术地位。”《重庆大轰炸》引发的著作权纠纷案，拖累了陈可之将近两年的宝贵时间，但是，在繁杂的诉讼程序中，陈可之没有消沉，更没有放下自己的画笔，反倒创作了一系列更有价值的作品。谈到这里，范曾插话说：“磨难对于一位伟大的艺术家来说，经常是创作的源泉。只有经历磨难并以平和的心态对待，人才能有所成就。”

 

 

多年来，陈可之到夔门、过三峡，大江截流及每一次水位上涨，他都赶赴峡江，抢拍珍贵素材资料；他从不厌倦地观察地壳运动的神奇构造；研读藏于山水之间的古诗绝句，陈可之以他对自然遗产的虔诚感悟和天资，将对时空长河的理解与传统文化的气质融入油画之中。

谈到成功举办的三峡系列画展，陈可之说，随着举世瞩目的长江三峡水利工程的进展，三峡新文物的出土又将三峡文化的起源上溯了近千年。近十年来，他用心血创作了三峡系列，不仅想彰显出美奂绝伦的三峡美景，同时也想呈现三峡文化的瑰丽与神秘。

在评价陈可之三峡系列油画时范曾认为，社会呼唤属于时代的艺术精品，在陈可之的作品里他读到和感到对人民、对民族、对国家、对时代的忠诚。从艺术史的角度看，深刻地反映社会历史的重大题材，而又具有艺术价值的作品总会受到历史的垂青，也是人类社会文化遗产的重要组成部分。当前，中国艺术呼唤崇高与理想，呼唤阳刚与大气的时代精神。“陈可之你做到了，你不但是一位优秀的画家，你也将会是一位伟大的画家！”

得知今年秋天陈可之将在国家美术馆举办个人画展，范曾说：“我要为你的画展题字。”一句真诚的言语，相通的艺术心灵。

我们期待金秋，陈可之艺术之果更加丰硕！

 

Chen Kezhi is a very prestigious oil painter in the fine arts circle of China. Having been drawing the large-scale portraits of the state leaders for many social institutions since seven or eight years old, Chen was praised as a “child prodigy”. His works were chosen to be exhibited in the “National Mobile Exhibition of the Works by the Students from Schools of Fine Arts”. When he was a sophomore in Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 1979, and was fascinated by the painting of historic events. His “History” became a representative work of the “Scar School” of Sichuan, which was highly appraised by the veteran art critic of our country such as Wang Zhaowen. In 1981, he finished “Water of Yanhe River”, an oil painting with great influence. In 2000, his "Soul of Yangtze River – Boat Trackers in Three Gorges” won the golden medal of “Stars Award” of Ministry of Culture. Chen led his collective to make vigorous effort for 2 years and finished “Big Bombing in Chongqing 1938 – 1943” in 2004. It is a mighty and grand work of art involving the images of thousands of people in a tragic and miserable scene. It won the “Peace Contribution Award” in Japan in 2004 and made him a celebrity. In 1987, his “Sunshine of a Winter Morning” won the golden medal (ranking the first) of the first Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition held by China Artist Association. At the distinguished academic gathering to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Chinese oil painting, Chen’s solid art achievements and the original aptitude for great historic events were well demonstrated once again.

Since 1996, Chen Kezhi has devoted himself to the 100 oil paintings of the Three Gorges series for 10 years. These paintings reproduce the original impression of the Three Gorges that has forever disappeared, deliver the mystic atmosphere of the orient and the majestic scenery of China, and provide the profound humanist ideal with the immemorial weight.

“Oriental Son”, an oil painting by Chen Kezhi is now collected by the Olympic Museum of Switzerland, for which Samaranch wrote a letter to express his gratefulness. Other works of Chen are collected by Lincoln Art Center of the United States, China National Museum of Fine Arts, the Great Hall of the People, Memorial Museum of Chinese People's Anti-Japanese War, China Three Gorges Museum of Chongqing and many institutions and individuals throughout the world. When Chen Kezhi was young and thriving, he attended the JSD auction of the modern oil paintings in Hong Kong in 1993 and thus became one of the artists who first attended auctions after the reforming and opening. The outstanding performance of his oil painting works at the auctions of modern oil paintings and the soaring auction price manifested the great appreciation potential of Chen's works.

Chen Kezhi was born in 1961. His name was listed in IBC Cambridge, Britain, “Who’s Who in the World” of U.S. Encyclopedia, “Predominant Figures in Modern China” and the CD book entitled “Top 100 Artists in Modern China”. In 1993, he was interviewed by the China Central Television for a special column in “Oriental Son”. He acquires the allowance granted by the State Council for experts with special contribution. He is a member of All-China Youth Federation, council member of Chongqing Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and vice chairman of World Artists Association (US). He also published the works like “Selections of Chen Kezhi’s Oil Paintings” and “Peace Declaration of Poem and Painting”.