刘京 Liu Jing丨“大师系列”木刻版画 "Master Series" Wood Printmaking
《大师系列 - 黄宾虹》油印木刻 90x60cm。2017。
Master Series - Huang Binhong mimeographed printmaking 90x60cm. 2017.
Wood printmaking has a long history and is more often regarded as a traditional art form. There are not many contemporary artists who are still creating wood prints, but Liu Jing, a young Chinese artist born in 1983, still insists on making wood prints. He regards printmaking making as a quiet way of life.
木刻版画拥有非常久的历史，更多的时候被视为一种传统艺术，现在仍在进行木版画创作的当代艺术家已经不算很多。但出生于1983年的中国青年艺术家刘京仍然在坚持木版画创作，他将版画的创作视为一种安静的生活方式。
Liu Jing is an associate professor at Changsha Normal University. He has been engaged in printmaking for 20 years and has a deep love for it. In 2001, Liu studied printmaking at the Xi 'an Academy of Fine Arts. In 2006, he got a master's degree at Shenzhen University of Fine Arts.
刘京是长沙师范大学的副教授，从事版画已经有20年的时间，对版画有发自肺腑的热爱。2001年，刘京就读于西安美术学院的版画专业，2006年他又在深圳美术大学读取了研究生学位。
After that, he went to the Trilobite Print Studio in Washington State to study lithography, studied at the Art Institute of Prisov University in Slovakia, and then went to the summer workshop of the world-famous Tamalind Institute, which enabled him to have a very broad artistic vision and master superb printmaking techniques.
之后，他赴美国华盛顿州的“三叶虫版画工作室”学习石版画，在斯洛伐克的普瑞索夫大学艺术学院学习，再到世界闻名的“塔玛琳德学院”的暑期工作坊学习。丰富的学习经历令其有了极为宽广的艺术视野，也掌握高超的版画技法。
《大师系列 - 石鲁》油印木刻 90x60cm。2017。
Master Series - Shi Lu mimeographed printmaking 90x60cm. 2017.
Since 2017, Liu Jing has conceived his most famous project——Master Series. In this long-term project, he has skillfully combined modern digital image technology, photo-lithography, and traditional woodblock lithography to complete a series of woodblock prints featuring portraits of historical figures.
2017年开始，34岁的刘京构思了他最为出名的“大师系列”。在这个长期项目中，他巧妙地结合了现代数字图像技术、照相平板画技术以及传统的木板油印版画技术，完成了一系列以历史人物肖像为对象的木版画作品。
The creation objects of the Master Series of portraits were carefully selected by Liu Jing. They are mainly cultural leaders who have played a significant role in the process of Chinese history from the Republic of China to the Cultural Revolution. Currently, the masterpieces completed include Lu Xun, Huang Binhong, Yan Wenliang, Qi Baishi, Pan Tianshou, Xu Beihong, and Shi Lu.
“大师系列”肖像的创作对象经过了刘京的精心挑选，以从民国时期到文革时期对中国历史进程有推动作用的文化名人为主。目前完成的包括鲁迅、黄宾虹、颜文樑、齐白石、潘天寿、徐悲鸿、石鲁等大师像。
Technically, Liu starts with a hand-drawn draft. He scans the draft into a computer and processes the image on the computer, including enhancing the graininess. Then he would make a photosensitive plate, engraving the wood by hand, and finally overprinting the wood onto a flat surface to complete the image. The complex process also makes these printmaking works come to life. Since the light is also similar to photographic lighting, from a distance it is easy to mistake it for a photograph, but closer inspection reveals the knife-engraved characteristic of woodcuts.
从技术上讲，刘京会先从手绘草稿开始。他首先将草稿扫描进电脑，并利在电脑上对图像进行包括强化颗粒感的处理。然后他会进行感光制版，手工刻制木板，最后将刻制好的木板叠印在平面上完成图像制作。复杂的流程也使得这些木版画作品栩栩如生。由于光线也与摄影打光相似，远看时很容易令人误以为是照片，但细看之下能发现木刻特有的刀触。
《大师系列 - 鲁迅》油印木刻 90x60cm 2017.
Master Series - Lu Xun mimeographed printmaking 90x60cm 2017
《大师系列》，齐白石(1864–1954)肖像，2017年作品，刘京（中国，1983）。油墨木版版画，90 x 60厘米。
Master Series, Portrait of Qi Baishi (1864–1954), 2017. Liu Jing (Chinese, b. 1983). mimeographed printmaking prints, 90 x 60 cm.
《大师系列》，颜文梁(1893–1988)肖像，2017年作品，刘京（中国，1983）。油墨木版版画，90 x 60厘米。
Master Series, Portrait of Yan Wenliang (1893–1988) 2017. Liu Jing (Chinese, b. 1983). mimeographed printmaking prints, 90 x 60 cm.
Liu Jing's printmaking works are restrained and ethereal. In Master Series, the eyes of all the characters are hazy or even completely black. This reminds us that the stars that once shone brightly in the modern history of China will eventually disappear in the distant history. The life-like brushwork of characters and the disappearing eyes make the viewer's mind wander between the past and the present.
刘京的版画作品内敛、空灵。在“大师系列中”，所有人物的眼睛都是朦胧的，甚至是完全漆黑。这令人联想到，这些曾经在中国近代历史上璀璨闪耀过的群星，终究也消弭在漫漫的历史长河之中。逼真的人物笔触和消失不见的眼眸使观众的思绪在历史与现在的感叹中穿梭。
Because of the use of digital technology and the special treatment of the characters, Liu Jing's style is very contemporary. But Liu Jing himself does not care for that.
正是因为使用了一定的数码技术，以及对人物造型的特殊处理，刘京的风格显得非常当代。但刘京本人对此并不在乎。
“We know that traditional art today used to be contemporary art yesterday. All the cutting-edge and contemporary things today will become obsolete traditions sooner or later. Does this have anything to do with me? Instead of worrying over these boring questions and trying to be a pioneer in the art world, I am more willing to get a block, take a knife, and easily sift a pile of sawdust.”
“我们知道，今天的传统艺术在昨天曾经是当代艺术。今天所有的尖端和当代的东西迟早会成为过时的传统艺术。这和我有什么关系吗?我宁愿找块木块，拿把刀，轻松地筛一堆木屑，而不是担心这些无聊的问题并试图成为艺术世界的先锋。”
- Liu Jing 刘京
《大师系列 - 潘天寿》油印木刻 90x60cm 2017
Master Series - Pan Tianshou mimeographed printmaking 90x60cm 2017
《大师系列 - 徐悲鸿》油印木刻 90x60cm 2017.
Master Series - Xu Beihong mimeographed printmaking 90x60cm 2017
Four of his masterpieces, Master Series, were collected by the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2018. In the United States, Liu Jing's work was very popular that curators decided to extend the exhibition to a year. In addition, his works are also collected by the British Museum, the British Wood Foundation, and many other institutions.
他的代表作“大师系列”，其中4幅在2018年被美国克利夫兰艺术博物馆收藏。在美国，刘京的作品非常受欢迎，众多的参观者使得馆长决定将其版画的展览时间延长至一年。除此之外，其作品也被大英博物馆、英国木版基金会等多机构收藏。
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