毛焰：蓄谋已久——谈杨键绘画 | 先锋26周年

蓄谋已久

The Product of a Long Plan

——谈杨键绘画

— On YANG Jian's Paintings

毛焰

MAO Yan

杨键的水墨，有别于我所知的水墨画或国画圈里的任何人，也不是所谓的“诗人绘画”。它们蓄谋已久，非常具有针对性。当代水墨标榜一种文人趣味，说到底不过是习气熏染，在杨键那里一概没有，他的作品可说是一尘不染。这是我对杨键水墨的一个基本认识。我对杨键的绘画抱有期待，期待杨键在艺术语言上，也包括在市场范围内有可以匹配的斩获。

YANG Jian's ink paintings are different from any other ink paintings or traditional Chinese painting that I know of, and they are not the so-called "poet paintings". They are long-planned and very specific. Contemporary ink and wash paintings advertise a kind of literati interest, but in the end it is just habitual influence, which you don't see in Yang's work. His work can be described as immaculate. This is my fundamental understanding of Yang's ink and wash paintings. I have great expectations for his paintings, and I hope that he will be able to match his success in terms of artistic language, as well as in the market.

钵42（H）×29cm 纸本水墨 2022

杨键具备一个杰出艺术家最根本的东西，就是真诚的自我。这种真在他那里甚至都不需要强调，他就是这个样子。虽然杨键把他画画自贬为一种手艺行为，其实不然，他干这事不仅蓄谋，也极为慎重。他画得如此“吝啬”，只选取两三个表现意象，两三个器物，一个钵，一个芒鞋，再就是带有山水意味的抽象雪景。除了这两三个，再无其它东西。他的吝啬在我看其实就是精确、精准，体现了他整体的认知和思考。无论写诗还是画画，他都把自己放在一个诚实且谦卑的位置上，以叩问存在。不自欺欺人，不忽悠，不欺世盗名，只面对真实问题。

Yang possesses the essential quality of an outstanding artist, which is sincerity. This kind of "sincerity" does not need to be emphasized in his case. This is just the way he is. Although Yang identified his painting as a kind of craftsmanship, it was not. He did it not only with great deliberateness, but also with the utmost care. He was so "stingy" with his painting that he chose only two or three expressive images, two or three objects, an alms bowl, a straw sandal, and then an abstract scene of snow with landscapes. Apart from these few objects, there is nothing else. In my opinion, his "stinginess" is actually precise and accurate, reflecting his overall perception and reflection. Whether he writes poems or paints, he puts himself in an honest and humble position. His existence is defined by self-questioning. No self-deceit, no bluffing, no fraudulent boasting. He faces only real problems.

钵

82（H）×60cm 

纸本水墨 

2016

我仔细研究过杨键的原作，绝非是一蹴而就的。杨键会画很多遍，墨色层层叠加，在墨色变化和细微差异的辨识上，就水墨这种材料而言，已达到非常饱和的程度。很多地方几无空隙。他的水墨是我见过的水墨画中极具分量感和厚度的，远非凭借技巧就可以达到。画到这程度你能窥见到艺术家的心境。

I have carefully studied Yang's original works and his paintings were never made in one go. He must paint many times, with layers of ink. For a material like ink, it is very saturated in terms of ink variation and the recognition of subtle differences. In many places, there are almost no gaps. His ink is so substantial and thick that it is far from being achieved by mere technique. Paintings of this level allows you to get a glimpse of the artist's state of mind.

杨键的心境是什么？不仅是表面体现的诚实，我认为比诚实更为重要的是深重。杨键的心很深重，和他的诗歌一样。他的绘画和他诗歌的品质非常一致，这很说明问题。目前我们看见了杨键的钵系列和芒鞋系列，同时我也相当好奇，他还有一些什么“法器”没有拿出来？是不是还藏在杨键的袖子里或者裤兜里？

What is Yang's state of mind? It's not just the sincerity that comes through on the surface. What I think is more important than honesty is the depth - Yang's heart lies very deep, as is his poetry. The nature of his paintings is very consistent with his poems, which speaks volumes. So far we have seen Yang's series "Alms Bowls" and "Straw Sandals", and I'm also quite curious about the other "treasures" that he has not revealed to us. Are they still hidden up his sleeve or in his pocket?

钵   (局部）

400（H）×87cm

纸本水墨

2021年

从杨键的绘画里，我能明显地感受到一种“涩感”。他不是简单地描绘器物，包括对造形、光的处理以及用墨用笔，所有这些绘画语言甚至不是从别处学来的。中国传统绘画里也有一类是画器物的，比如画鼎、画青铜器，杨键和这些并无太多关系。他笔下的器物和语言没有参照，是出于某种需要的“自我发明”。杨键的绘画语言包括他所描绘的器物，有一种滞涩感，这其实很难得。与之相反的是轻巧，行云流水，有意无意的“空”以及那种很低级的禅意；杨键不然，很强烈的涩感。他的画更加本质和本真。

I can clearly feel a sense of "hoarseness" in Yang's paintings. He is not simply depicting the objects, including the shapes, the handling of light, and the use of ink and brush, all of which are not even learned from other sources. There is a category of traditional Chinese painting that focuses on objects, such as cauldrons and bronze wares. His objects and artistic language have no reference, but rather are "self-invented" out of a certain necessity. Yang's language of painting, including the objects he depicts, carries a sense of stagnation, which is quite rare. The opposite is lightness, watery smoothness, intentional vacancy, and a very low-level sense of Zen. Yang's paintings are not like that. They have a strong sense of hoarseness and are more essential and genuine.

杨键的画法确实比较决绝，如此厚重的墨，把纸都塞满堵死了，只留下那么一丁点空隙，一点光亮。画起来也极为繁琐。有一句话叫“惜墨如金”，倪云林就惜墨如金，没有很重的墨，用得再重的墨也是淡墨。但倪云林厉害的地方在于，比如画一根树枝、一片叶子，一般人一笔下去就完了，无论是重、轻、涩、枯，就完了；倪云林有意思的是他画两层。很润的淡墨先画一下，上面再用很干很枯但仍然很淡的墨再叠一层，因此形成两层墨的力道。两层墨的感觉完全不一样，除了枯涩感还有凝滞感，画面就像停滞了。

Admittedly, Yang's painting style is relentless. The ink is so heavy that it fills and blocks the paper, leaving only a tiny gap, a little light. It is also extremely tedious to paint. As the saying goes, "To treasure ink as if it's gold". NI Yunlin treasures ink like gold, and no heavy ink is used in his paintings, and even the heaviest ink is still light in his work. But Ni has his own specialty. For example, when painting a branch or a leaf, others will finish it with one stroke, whether heavy, light, hoarse or dry. While Ni paints in two layers. And that's what's interesting in his paintings. He paints with a layer of moist, light ink, and then a layer of dry, arid, but still light ink on top of it, thus creating two layers of ink. The feeling of these two layers of ink is entirely different. In addition to the dryness and stagnation, there is also a sense of stagnation, as if the picture has come to a halt.

钵82（H）×60cm纸本水墨2016

杨键不仅不惜力，也不惜墨，不惜用重墨，这使他的画面看上去很重。杨键很少有灵巧的东西，浓郁、深重、苦涩，这不是某种语言方式或者技巧所能导致的，而是——就像前文说的，一种蓄谋已久的产物。这里的“谋”就是杨键的能量，一直“蓄”在那里，画画时迸发到纸上。因此他的作品，较真起来也就是一张宣纸，尺寸也不是很大，但感觉上就是抬不动！因为深重沉实。我有类似的观看体验。我特别喜欢伦勃朗的小画，一年我在卢浮宫就看见了这么一张，属于伦勃朗小画里的精品，非常完美。当时我的感觉就是两个人根本抬不动。这种时候，作品已经超越了它的质材。

Not only does Yang spare no effort, he also spares no ink. He does not hesitate to use heavy ink, which makes his images look heavy. Yang rarely creates anything dexterous. His paintings are dense, heavy and hoarse, which is not to be achieved by a mere way of artistic language or technique, but as mentioned before, the product of a long plan. What is being planned here is Yang's energy, which has been stored within and only bursts onto the paper when he paints. Therefore, even though his work is only a piece of paper and not large in size, it gives the impression that it just can't be lifted! This is because it is substantial and solid. I once had a similar viewing experience. I particularly like Rembrandt's small paintings, and a few years ago, I saw one in the Louvre, which is one of the best of Rembrandt's small paintings. At that moment, I felt as if it could not be lifted by two people. At this point, the painting goes beyond its materiality.

所有的东西都是轻的，无论笔、墨、纸，但是已经被杨键超越了。他把材料转化成了某种深重的有份量的凝力。

All painting materials used by Yang are light, be it brush, ink or paper, but he has extended their values. He has transformed the materiality into a kind of deep and heavy condensation.

芒鞋

30×21（H）cm

纸本水墨

2021

至于说到当代性，杨键的作品里恰恰没有所谓的“当代性”。他的作品放在任何一个时空里，比如一百年以后，也是成立的。杨键没有去迎合时髦的“当代性”。很多艺术家则不然，知道怎么让自己“当代”，他们有招，全是套路，杨键没有。当代性不是他考虑的问题。杨键既不当代，也不是传统意义上的路径，二者之间有一个无名之地，他在此找到了自己最精准的位置。

As for contemporaneity, there happens to be no such thing in Yang's works. His works would stand in any era, say a hundred years later. Yang does not aim to appeal to the fashionable "contemporaneity". Many artists know how to be "contemporary". They know how to give this impression. They have a way. It's all tricks, but Yang doesn't do that. Contemporaneity is not his concern. Yang is neither contemporary nor traditional; there is an unnamed place between the two, where he finds his position with the greatest precision.

芒鞋

30（H）×21cm

纸本水墨

2021

杨键的绘画，或许和一个东西有关联。在中国传统里有一类艺术家和诗人贯穿始终，那就是僧人。比如，明末清初的四画僧，髡残，弘仁，石涛、朱耷，杨键某些方面可能有类似的诉求。也就是说，若干年以后，杨键的绘画包括他的诗给人的整体感受，可能和那些高僧一样。这些人已经跳出了世俗层面的衡量，几乎属于另类或者是绘画史上的特例。他们将自己的艺术置于某种“空无”的背景下，不再隶属于特定的世俗文化，形成了一个单独“门类”。杨键本人不仅是居士，也是被儒释道精神，尤其是佛学浸润极深的人。

Yang's paintings are perhaps related to the following matter. In traditional China, there is a type of artist and poet who are always present, and that is the monks. For example, the four painting monks of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, namely, Kun Can, Hong Ren, Shi Tao, and Zhu Da. In some ways, Yang has similar aspirations to them. In other words, some years later, Yang's paintings, as well as his poems, may give the same overall feeling as those of the noble monks. These artists have gone beyond the mundane evaluation and belonged to a different category, or rather a special case in art history. They have placed their art in a certain context of "emptiness" and no longer belong to a specific branch of secular culture, thus forming a separate "category". Yang himself was not only a scholar, but also a person deeply imbued with the spirit of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, especially Buddhism.

芒鞋

82（H）×60cm

纸本水墨

2010

唐伯虎说过一句话，“我意不在此”。他是隐的，其原则是“不显则隐”，我觉得也就那样吧，不怎么厉害，你如果是“生而隐之”那就不一样了。幸好唐寅有这句话“我意不在此”，意思是他才高八斗，弄这些东西不过是玩玩，万一玩大了也有可能；玩不大就跑，就隐了。这才令人起敬。

Tang Yin once said, "my ambition does not lie here". His intention was to be invisible, and his principle was that "if it is not visible, it is hidden". I don't think that's very impressive. If you were "born to be invisible", it would be a different story. Fortunately, Tang Yin had these words: "my ambition does not lie here" to prove that he was a talented man, and that he was only messing around. It was possible that things turned out to be great; if not, he could always leave and become invisible. This is what makes people admire him.

碑

30（H）×21cm

纸本水墨

2022

杨键的画不仅和他的诗很一致，甚至和他这个人的体态也相当一致，有一种厚重和无畏感。平时观察他，我觉得杨键身上有那种“见佛杀佛”的气概。其作品也一样，除了深重、苦涩、悲悯之外，隐约有一股杀气，不是很明显，若隐若现的那种。

Yang's paintings are consistent not only with his poems, but also with his physique, which gives him a sense of heaviness and fearlessness. When observing him, I feel he has the aura of "killing the Buddha if you see him". His works are the same. Besides the profoundness, bitterness and compassion, there is a vague aura of slaying. It is not obvious, but appears indistinctly.

碑30（H）×21cm纸本水墨2022

去年我们在先锋书店，参加一个活动，香港国际诗歌节南京分会场，因此来了不少国际国内诗人。杨键中途去了一次厕所，在此庄重严肃的氛围下，一般人无论如何都会弯着腰出去，生怕妨碍别人观看。杨键不然，大摇大摆地走过去，上面国际诗人还在朗诵。不一会儿他又回来了，裤脚还卷着一截，他就和平常走路一样不紧不慢。我们听得正投入，忽然一条大黑影从眼前晃了过去。看着杨键的背影，坐我边上的人说，“这哥们太神了！”

Last year we attended an event at Librairie Avant-Garde, the Nanjing branch of  International Poetry Nights in Hong Kong, where a number of international and domestic poets were present. In the middle of the event, Yang went to the toilet. In such a dignified and severe atmosphere, people would normally bend over and hurry out, for fear of disturbing others. But not Yang, who walked out calmly while the poets were still reciting. He came back a short while later, his trouser leg still rolled up, and he walked as unhurriedly as usual. We were listening to the recital, when suddenly a large black shadow swung past our eyes. Looking at Yang's back, the fellow sitting next to me said, "This dude is so awesome!"

他旁若无人，没有任何一个人会这样。来去正常，这绝对是佛家境界。

He behaved as if nobody was around, no one would be like that. Coming and going as usual, this is definitely done in the Buddhist state of mind.

低垂的人 30（H）x20cm纸本水墨2022

悬空：杨键作品展

Hanging In Void 

艺术家：杨键

Artist：Yang Jian

特邀艺术家：毛焰

Guest Artist：Mao Yan

策展：韩东

Curator：Han Dong

出品：钱小华

Roducer：Qian Xiaohua

出品单位：南京先锋书店

Organizer：Librairie Avant-Garde，Nanjing

合作伙伴：乙观

Cooperation Partner：Yi Guan

地址：先锋汤山矿坑书店（南京市江宁区汤山街道美泉路11号 汤山矿坑公园灰窑遗址）

Location : Tangshan Quarry Bookstore of Librairie Avant-Garde

展期：2022.11.25 - 2023.1.31

Duration: 2022.11.25 - 2023.1.31

开幕时间：11月25日（周五） 14:30

Opening: Friday 25 November，14:30

特邀主持：叶帆

Guest Host：Ye Fan

特邀表演：赵慧儿

Guest Performer：Zhao Huier

*进入汤山矿坑公园需要提供72小时核酸阴性证明。