当代艺术家李向阳因病去世 享年61岁

艺术家李向阳

据了解，当代艺术家李向阳于2018年9月17日因病去世，享年61岁。

1981年，李向阳作为北京电影学院美术系三年级学生的李向阳获得中国政府奖学金被派到意大利留学，他先后就读于罗马电影实验中心和罗马美术学院，分别师从著名美工师乌戈·费兰迪（Ugo Ferranti）和罗马美术学院院长托蒂·夏洛亚（Toti Scialoja）, 至2005年回到北京，他在意大利学习和生活了24年时间。漫长的亚平宁学习和生活经历不仅塑造了他的艺术品格，更影响了他的生活状态。事实上，李向阳的艺术就是其生命的记录和结晶。

In 1981, as a senior student at the fine art department of the Beijing Film Academy, Li Xiangyang received the scholarship of Chinese government to study in Italy. He was enrolled at the Center for Experimental Film in Rome and the Fine Accademia di belle arti di Roma, and studied under the acclaimed art director Ugo Ferranti, and the director of the Fine Accademia di belle arti di Roma, Toti Scialoja, and has not returned to Beijing until 2005, his studies and life in Italy spanned 24 years. This long period of studying and living in Apennine shaped his artistic style, and influenced his way of life. In Fact, Li Xiangyang’s art is the record and essence of his life.

1982作品图片及1987年个展邀请函

从苏式写实主义起步，经过印象主义和表现主义过渡，最终步入抽象主义天地，李向阳的艺术之路是合乎逻辑的，也是颇具共性的。对照众多西方抽象画家的经历，这样的艺术演变轨迹通常会通向抒情抽象之门。事实上，当李向阳1985年在威尼斯古根海姆收藏馆看到德·库宁（De Kooning）的一幅抽象表现主义绘画作品时，他顿时就被画中的激情和活力所俘虏。也正是从那一年开始，李向阳抛弃了以自然为师的具象绘画，而毅然走上了抽象绘画之路。在中国大陆艺术家中，李向阳是最早一批涉足抽象绘画的艺术家之一。尽管他后来也偶尔重回具象世界，但一直在抽象绘画领域不断开拓、不断深化。

Started with Soviet realism, then transitioned with impressionism and expressionism, and eventually found abstraction, Li Xiangyang’s artistic path followed a logical process, and in certain ways has certain universality. In comparison to the experiences of many Western abstract artists, where one’s artistic passage would head towards the gate of channeling emotions. In fact, when Li Xiangyang first saw a painting by Willem De Kooning’s abstract expressionist painting in the Guggenheim collection in 1985 in Venice, he was immediately surrendered by its passion and energy. It was in the same year, Li abandoned figurative painting that modeled on nature, and resolutely chose the path of abstract painting. Among artists in Mainland China, Li Xiangyang is considered one of the earliest to adopt abstraction as his artistic genre. Even though he’s returned to the world of figuration at certain points in his artistic career, while he continued to explore and penetrate in the domain of abstraction.

1988—1989作品文献

由于置身于西方文化环境并受到夏洛亚的指导，李向阳几乎是一步到位地抓住了抽象绘画之精髓。作为抽象绘画的基本构成要素，色彩、笔触、材料和平面性从一开始就被他准确掌握并运用于自己的抽象绘画的创作中。也就是说，他不仅知道自己要表达什么，而且知道如何表达。他的第一批抽象绘画作品吸收了德·库宁、波洛克（Pollock）、罗斯科（Rothko）、加斯顿（Guston）和夏洛亚五位艺术家的风格，通过鲜活的色彩、流动的笔触和奔放的情感，他将这些风格融为一体。1986年，当夏洛亚看到李向阳的一件大幅抽象绘画作品时，当场热烈鼓掌并激动地说：“从此我再也没有什么可教给你的了！”1987年，在罗马马蹄铁画廊（Galleria Ferro di Cavallo）举办一个个人画展之后，李向阳竟然抛弃了这种带有抽象表现主义意味的绘画风格，而转向了波普艺术家劳生柏（Rauschenberg）和新表现主义者施纳贝尔（Schnabel）的现成品拼贴手法。这就是在用油彩绘制的抽象画面上加上塑料布、报纸和颜料桶金属盖等实物材料，这些非绘画材料的入侵使得抽象绘画的性质发生了根本性的改变，令观众的视觉和心理产生反抽象的间离反应，从而大大弱化了抽象作品的抒情功效。实际上，这是一种观念化的抽象艺术，是极简主义之后“后抽象艺术”逆向求变的策略之一。尽管李向阳的这一叛逆行为遭到了夏洛亚的反对，但却受到罗马艺术界的高度肯定。1989年2月，意大利著名艺术批评家法布里齐奥·达米科（Fabrizio D’Amico）在《共和报》（Republica）发表评论文章《过分的李向阳》（Eccessivo Li Xiangyang）热情赞赏他的绘画作品。与此同时，意大利女批评家埃斯特·科恩(Ester Coen)还专门为李向阳的创作发明了一个概念，将其称为“材料抽象主义”（Astrattismo materico／Material abstractionism）。同年，罗马杜兰特画廊（Galleria Durante）为他隆重举办了个人展览，展览海报甚至登上了意大利国际著名杂志《艺术快讯》（Flash Art）。从1987年开始，该画廊与李向阳签约并陆续收藏了他的一百多件抽象绘画作品。

Being part of the Western cultural environment and the guidance of Scialoja, Li Xiangyang had proficient command on the essential components of abstraction since his first exposure to the genre. He had a natural ease with the color, brushwork, material and surface in the practice of abstract painting, and had integrated them into his own of works. In other words, not only was he certain about what to express, but also how to do it. His first series of abstract paintings appropriated the styles of De Kooning, Pollock, Rothko, Guston and Scialoja, and through vibrant colors, fluid brush works and passionate enthusiasm, he amalgamated these styles together. In 1986, Scialoja spotted one of Li Xiangyang’s large-scale abstract painting, and applauded him with excitement, “Hereon, I don’t have anything else to teach you!” In 1987, once Li held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria Ferro di Cavallo in Rome, he decidedly to abandon this painting style that primarily embodied abstract expressionism, instead he turned towards adopting ready-made and collage in the practices of Pop artist Robert Rauschenberg and Neo-Expressionist Julien Schnabel. It’s the approach of adding plastic, newspaper, the lid of the paint can and other materials onto the painted canvas with abstract forms, the introduction of these non-painting materials stimulated fundamental changes to the nature of abstraction, so the viewers would have dissociative reactions from a visual and psychological perspective, whereby considerably weakens the abstraction as a mean of emotional release. In fact, this fosters a conceptualized abstraction, a strategy in the “post-abstraction” transition since minimalism. Although Li Xiangyang’s contentious undertaking was not endorsed by Scialoja, but were highly received by the art world in Rome. In February 1989, the acclaimed Italian art critic, FabrizioD’amic wrote the commentary “Excessivo li Xiangyang” on the Republica where he gave enthusiastic accolades to Li Xiangyang’s works. At the same time, the female Italian critic Ester Coen has created a new notion for Li Xiangyang’s practice, and called it Material abstractionism. In the same year, Galleria Durante held his solo exhibition, and the exhibition poster was published on the Italian international art journal, Flash Art. Since 1987, this gallery began to represent Li Xiangyang’s work, and have collected more than 100 of his abstract paintings.

力度1—3/ Dynamics1— 3

布面丙烯、水墨、综合材料/ Acrylic on canvas, Ink, Comprehensive Material

230×70cm、250×70cm、230×70cm

2014

2005年回到北京后，经过对二十多年意大利学习和创作经验的反思，以及对本土社会和文化环境的重新磨合，李向阳的抽象绘画进入一个崭新的阶段。变化不仅仅在于作品的外在面貌，而主要在于作品的内在精神。放弃了拼贴材料的使用，李向阳回到了平面抽象绘画风格；降低色谱的宽度并减少强烈色彩的使用，主要采用黑白灰等冷性色彩；不再有此前那种狂放而交错的笔触和漩涡般的形状，他改用横纵线条和矩形块面来构造他的画面。不同于蒙德里安（Mondrian）式的几何抽象那样精确的横平竖直，也有异于斯太拉(Stella)式的硬边抽象那种刀切般的边缘线，李向阳这个时期的绘画风格可以称作“软边抽象”（Soft-edge abstraction）。

He returned to Beijing in 2005, with more than two decades of learning and practical experiences from Italy and the re-acquaintance with the local social and cultural environment, Li Xiangyang opened a new chapter for his abstract painting. The transformations are not only apparent in the works of art, but also in the spirituality they embody. Having given up on using mixed materials and collage, Li Xiangyang returned to abstract painting styles; only that he’s reduced using vibrant colors and scape of his color spectrum, instead to focus on the monochromatic color range; the previous unhinged brushworks and whirlpool forms were no longer found onhis canvas, but replaced with horizontal and conical compositions. Unlike Mondrian’s regimented geometric abstraction, or Stella’s hard-edge abstraction form which the artist has left the knife cuts, Li Xiangyang’s painting style from this period can be referred to as “Soft-edge” abstraction.

能量23/ Energy 23

布面丙烯、综合材料/ Acrylic on canvas, Comprehensive Material

90×115cm

2017

叙事系列/ Narrative

布面油彩、综合材料/ Oil on canvas, Comprehensive Material

2017

在创作出了一系列平面抽象作品之后，2013年，李向阳再次进入“材料抽象主义”风格。准确地说，这时的画风应该叫“软边材料抽象”（Soft-edge and material abstraction），因为它融合了他早期的材料抽象和最近的软边抽象两种形式。在现成品拼贴材料方面，他主要选择的是各种各样的塑料布，包括食品包装袋和超市购物袋。虽然这些实物材料是作为画面的基底，大部分被色彩所覆盖，但那些显露出来的塑料袋上的文字和图案仍然十分醒目。更为独特的是，李向阳不再采用块面分割的构图，而用纵横交错的宽线条对画面进行层层覆盖，形成一个浅度的纵深空间。在画面的最外层，也就是色彩空间的前景，李向阳往往使用单色线条铺满整个画面，并且，在大多数情况下，这些线条由黑色和红色画成，由此形成了黑色和红色两个数量可观的系列。除此之外，他也偶尔使用绿色。较之于此前作品，这些抽象作品显得更加粗粝、生猛而鲜活，具有强烈的内在张力和视觉冲击力，令人过目难忘。事实上，从开始到今天，李向阳的所有抽象绘画，他的这种使用宽阔的线条并保留了奔放的书写性和鲜活的色彩肌理的绘画风格，还有一个名称叫“手势抽象”（Gesture abstraction），与这一风格相对应的是平涂式的“色场绘画”（Colour-feild painting）。动势与静态是这两种风格各自的特征，也使得彼此之间形成了鲜明的对比。李向阳的抽象绘画总是给人以一挥而就、一气呵成的感觉，面对他的作品，观众能够获得酣畅淋漓的快感。

Once having completed a series of abstract paintings, in 2013, Li Xiangyang again turned to “Material Abstractionism”. Accurately speaking, his style of this period should be call, “Soft-edge and material abstraction, because it has integrated his early period material abstraction and the recent soft-edge. In addition, he’s chosen to engage ready-made materials, primarily various types of plastic, food packaging and plastic shopping bags. Although these materials are pasted on canvas as the base of the painting, and were covered with paint, while the details left exposed are visually striking. In addition, Li Xiangyang no longer adopted the compositional device of color blocks, but overlapping lines in both vertical and horizon directions, and layered them onto his canvas, which provided a sense of spatial depth to his images. On the outer layer, or the frontal color space, Li Xiangyang often used single color lines to cover his image, and in most cases, these lines are mostly red and black. In certain cases, he would also use green. Compare to the works in an earlier phase of art practice, these abstract paintings seemed unsophisticated, raw and energetic, embodying greater internal tension and visual impact, which often left its viewers strong impressions. In fact, since the inception of his artistic practice to the present, Li Xiangyang has consistently kept the use of wide lines, unhinged calligraphic and vibrant color textures stylisticallythroughout the entirety of hisabstract painting practice. In addition, the notion of “gestural abstraction” also corresponds to the flat “color-field paintings”. Motion and stillness are two disparate styles, and together they create distinct contrast within the same imagery. Li Xiangyang’s abstract paintings have always left his viewers with the quick and decisive and satisfying impression.

叙事10/ Narrative 10

布面油彩、综合材料/ Oil on canvas, Comprehensive Material

120×120cm

2017

无论如何，李向阳回国之后完成的抽象绘画作品不仅具有鲜明的个性，而且呈现出一种超然喜怒哀乐的宁静或骚动之境。在我看来，这种画风是对作为形式主义的抽象表现主义的超越，作品表现了艺术家内在的或宁静平和或焦虑紧张的生命状态。事实上，在中国抽象艺术界，不单单是李向阳，许多杰出抽象画家的作品都具有这种特征。我把这种通过为视觉所感知的物质媒介呈现艺术家内在生命状态的抽象艺术称为“状态主义”（Posturalism）。与“形式主义”不同的是，“状态主义”抽象绘画既重视色彩的造型和表达功能，同时强调色彩本身的物理特性及其独立价值。更重要的是，“状态主义”抽象艺术家注重内在精神状态与外在绘画面貌之间的同构性，因此这类抽象作品饱含着艺术家生命的温度。

Nevertheless, once Li Xiangyang returned to China, his abstract paintings did not only showed distinct personal features, but also presented transcendental sensibilities and restlessness. In my view, it’s a painting style that formally transcends abstract expressionism, and his works convey the artist’s calm or anxious states of being. In fact, in the domain of Chinese abstraction, not only Li Xiangyang, but many outstanding artists’s works share this characteristic. I define this type of abstraction that conveys the artist’s states of beings by means of material medium through visual perception as “Posturalism”. Unlike “Formalism”, “Posturalist” abstract paintings reconsider the colorful composition and expressivity, at the same time, emphasize on physical features of the color and its independent value. More importantly, “posturalist” abstract artists are interested in the isomorphic qualities between inner spirituality and outer impression of the painting, these types of paintings are replete of the artists’ life.

能量8/ Energy 8

布面丙烯、综合材料/ Acrylic on canvas, Comprehensive Material

120×120cm

2017

比尔·维奥拉（Bill Viola）说：“尽管我们使用’视觉艺术’这个术语，但所有的艺术都在表征看不见的事物。”对于抽象艺术，维奥拉的话尤其贴切，因为这种艺术正是对世界和生命内在真实的揭示。表面上看，李向阳是一个不拘小节、粗枝大叶的人；实际上，他是一个敏感脆弱而又善于思考的艺术家。前不久的一天，当他站在工作室他的作品面前对我说出“创伤正在愈合！”（The wound is healing！）这句话的时候，我顿时洞悉了他的抽象绘画的秘密。李向阳怎么会有创伤？他的创伤又来自何时何地？那是一种什么样的创伤？通过对话，我豁然明白了李向阳这些不可明状的抽象作品背后的隐秘含义。

Bill Viola states, “Even when we use the terminology ‘artistic language’, but the art is in the things invisible to the eyes.” This statement is especially accurate to describe abstraction, because it's an artistic genre that reveals the truth about the world and life. On the surface, Li Xiangyang does not stick to trifles, and somewhat careless, but in fact, he’s a sensible and reflexive artist. Not long ago, he stood in front of a painting at his studio and said, “The wound is healing!” With which I have captured the secret of his abstract paintings. How could Li Xiangyang been wounded? Where was he wounded? And what kind of wound was it? Through our conversation, I suddenly understand the unspeakable meaning concealed in his abstraction.

作品局部细节/ Details of the work

胡适曾说“留学是一种国耻”，中国留学生在海外的心理感受是那些没有留学经历的国人难以体会的。中国文化的弱势地位是一百多年来中国人前赴后继留学海外的缘由，也正由于这个原因，每一个中国留学生在国外总会或强或弱地遭受到来自当地社会和个体的歧视。这样的屈辱是民族间的地位差异造成的，不是靠个人力量所能扭转的。近代史告诉我们，留学是国耻，不留学不仅会有更大的国耻，甚至会有灭种之灾，我们今天留学是为了将来我们的子孙后代在世界上活得有尊严。对于中西社会政治文化的差异和冲突，中国留学生是体会最深的人群，对于李向阳来说，在意大利二十多年的生活体验可谓刻骨铭心。他将这种体验称为“内心的分裂感”，他的抽象绘画所表达的正是中西文化冲突带来的精神分裂性。果真如此的话，李向阳的抽象绘画适合用法国后现代主义哲学家德勒兹（Deleuze）的“精神分裂分析法”来解读。

Hu Shi once said,“To study overseas is a national shame”, it’s difficult for those who have not had the same experience to conceive their feelings and senses. China’s inferior cultural position has been one of the reasons for many students to study overseas, and for this very reason every Chinese oversea student are often discriminated by local society or individuals. This kind of humiliation caused by differences in cultural hierarchy may not be changed with an individual’s effort. Modern history tells us, to study overseas may be a national shame, not going would bring out greater national humiliation, or even disasters. Our journeys to study overseas foster better integrity to our own culture for the future generations in a global context. As for the differences and conflicts between society, politics and culture between China and the West, Chinese oversea students are a community of people with the best understanding. For Li Xiangyang, his life experiences in Italy are profound. He claims this sense as “mentally dissociative”, and his abstraction conveys the conflicts and mental dissociation between East and West. If that’s the case, perhaps Li Xiangyang’s abstract paintings may be interpreted by the French post-modern philosophyer, Gilles Deleuze’s “schizoanalysis”.

展览现场

“创伤正在愈合——李向阳状态主义绘画展”主要展出李向阳最新创作的黑色和红色系列抽象作品，这两类作品构成了色彩上的强烈对比，也显示出不同文化趣味之间的巨大差异。那些用水墨和丙烯绘制而成的黑色抽象系列作品显示了深厚的书法传统的遗传基因，画面在线条的舞动中蕴含着内敛和宁静之气息；而那些由朱红、大红和玫瑰红颜料创作出来的红色抽象系列作品则传达出西方现代绘画的张扬的活力。西方人以凌厉无前为上德，东方人以疏静恬淡为美风。与其说李向阳已经将中西两种绝然不同的艺术精神融为一体，不如说他完美地呈现了中西两种难以调和的艺术趣味间的冲突。实际上，李向阳的抽象绘画一方面传达了精神上的惨痛，另一方面又表现了宗教般的欢乐。

This exhibition brings together Li Xiangyang’s most recent Black and Red series of abstract paintings. Not only the two series reveal strong tonal contrast, but the immense disparities between different cultural interests. The black rendered with ink and acrylic demonstrate profound calligraphic tradition, where the lines on the image dance with restrained calmness; where as the ruby, red and rose painted abstract series convey the audacious energy in Western modern painting. Westerners show pride from displaying unprecedented energy, where the orientalists have a particular appreciation for the aesthetics of quietude. Rather than considering Li Xiangyang has fully integrated the opposing artistic essences from the East and West together, it’s better to conceive his works of art as the embodiments of the reconciliations between these contending artistic interests. In fact, Li Xiangyang’s abstract paintings on the one hand convey his spiritual wound, on the other reveals faithful bliss.

展览现场

夏洛亚曾经说：“李向阳是可诅咒的，但他是一个有恒心的人。”这位导师的眼力是锐利而准确的，他发现了李向阳的才华，影响了他的艺术，也预见了他的未来。正是在夏洛亚指引的起点上，李向阳走出了自己的艺术道路，而这条道路仍在无限延伸。

Scialoja once claimed, “Li Xiangyang can be cursed, but he’s determined.” This professor’s perception is accurate, he discovered Li Xiangyang’s talent, and influenced his art practice, as well as fore saw his future. It was from the point of inception that Scialoja pointed out Li Xiangyang embarked on his artistic path, and determines to continue to the end.

2018年2月25日于北京

February, 25, 2018

王端廷

中国艺术研究院美术研究所研究员 博士生导师

（Wang Duanting, Professor at Institute of Fine Arts, Chinese National Academy of Arts ）

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