Tong Wang : One Must Have a Clear Purpose in the Pursuit of Art
王
彤：学艺术的目的要明确
《美术周刊》：你出国已经20年了，这20年，你认为中国最大的变化是什么?
王彤：当前的中国对我来说很新鲜，跟中国人交往就像跟外国人交往一样。中国最大的特点就是变化，总的来说，我们是朝着好的方向变化。
这种变化体现在很多方面，比如环境、教育、医疗、艺术等等。艺术家的眼睛和心灵大约不同于普通人，但是我每天遇到的问题基本上都是一个“作为人”的问题。当我走在北京的大街上，我常常问自己，我们居住的城市保留了数千年文明的多少积淀，在我们市民的身上带有礼仪之邦的多少传统，在我们的劳动中是否体现了精益求精的态度?
Art Weekly: You’ve been abroad for 20 years now. In your view, what has changed the most in China over these two decades?
Tong Wang: Today’s China feels very fresh to me. Interacting with Chinese people now is almost like interacting with foreigners. The defining feature of China is change—and overall, I believe we are changing in a positive direction.
This transformation can be seen in many areas—environment, education, healthcare, the arts, and more. Artists may perceive the world differently, both with their eyes and their hearts, but the problems I encounter on a daily basis are fundamentally about one thing: being human.
When I walk the streets of Beijing, I often ask myself: how much of the thousands of years of civilization has our city truly preserved? How much of the traditional etiquette of this “land of propriety” lives on in us, its citizens? And in our labor—do we still embody a spirit of craftsmanship and excellence?
《美术周刊》：你当初出国的原因是什么?你认为现在国内的学生和你们那个时代有什么不同?
王彤：上世纪80年代的许多青年都选择去西方。我从鲁迅美术学院附中、鲁美国画系一直到留校任教，前后经历了10年，我对鲁美的一切都太熟悉了，太熟悉可能有心理上的安全感却容易麻木不振。出国这么多年来，我一直对北欧恬静的风光与祥和的氛围充满感激之情，它们都在我的艺术里留下了印记。
时代在发展，今天的学生无论在信息的把握还是在学识上都比我们优秀。我上学时曾在床头写过这样的字条“来访者请不要超过20分钟”，是为了有更多的时间画画。我们的学生时代比较单一.
Art Weekly: What made you decide to go abroad back then? And how do you think today’s students differ from your generation?
Tong Wang : In the 1980s, many young people chose to go to the West. I had spent ten years in total at the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts—from the affiliated high school to the Chinese painting department, and later teaching at the academy. I knew everything about the school too well. That kind of familiarity can bring a sense of psychological security, but it can also lead to numbness and stagnation.
After all these years abroad, I still feel deeply grateful for the serene landscapes and peaceful atmosphere of the Nordic countries—they’ve left a strong imprint on my art.
Times have changed. Today’s students are, in many ways, more advanced than we were—whether in access to information or in academic knowledge. I remember back in school, I once posted a note above my bed that read: “Visitors, please don’t stay longer than 20 minutes.” I wanted to save as much time as possible for painting. Our student days were much simpler.
《美术周刊》：请谈谈你在丹麦皇家美术学院教中国画的体会。
王彤：我除了教水墨，还教其他的课程。丹麦的学生对中国传统绘画了解有限，我只是试图培养他们对中国艺术的兴趣，让他们逐渐了解中国的文化。我觉得中国人了解西方与西方人了解中国同样重要。而我们与西方的交流并不对等。在彼此的友好交流当中，最重要的是我们自己的心态，那就是我们应该有对本民族文化的自信心。
我想看到的是中国人不卑不亢的气质与精神，而不是对我们自己文化的不以为然。中国有许多东西是值得骄傲的，但是这种骄傲不应该以中国当今经济的崛起和军事的强大以及狭隘的民族主义作背景。这种骄傲应当以爱人类与爱自然为基础，应该来自一个人的内心深处，就像孟子说的“威武不能屈，贫贱不能移，富贵不能淫”.
Art Weekly: Could you share your experience teaching Chinese painting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts?
Tong Wang: In addition to ink painting, I also teach other courses. Danish students generally have limited knowledge of traditional Chinese painting, so my goal has been to cultivate their interest in Chinese art and gradually introduce them to Chinese culture.
I believe it’s just as important for Chinese people to understand the West as it is for Westerners to understand China. However, our exchanges with the West are often not equal or balanced. In these interactions, what matters most is our own mindset—that we approach them with cultural confidence.
What I hope to see is a sense of calm dignity in the Chinese spirit—not indifference or condescension toward our own culture. There are many aspects of Chinese culture that are worthy of pride, but that pride should not stem from the rise of China’s economy or military strength, nor from a narrow nationalism. Instead, it should be rooted in a love for humanity and nature. It should come from deep within a person—like what Mencius described:
“Unyielding in the face of power, unmoved by poverty, and unseduced by wealth and status.”
《美术周刊》：丹麦皇家美院的教学和国内有怎样的不同?
王彤：丹麦皇家美院只有200个学生。除了院长的美术史课以外，其他都是选修课，有些选修课只有一两个学生。他们的学生普遍很有个性，学生之间都强调差异。丹麦的学生看起来比中国的学生要成熟，他们学艺术的目的很明确，你可以根据作品一下子分清他们彼此的面貌。当然，国内的教学也有优越性，比如，我们强调学生要掌握我们的优秀传统和西方的传统。
国内的美院教育是普及教育。现在流行艺术考前班，其实就是一套“艺术八股”，这是艺术教育的悲哀。也许世界上并没有一种完美的教育体制。我一直认为教育是一个干净、崇高的事业，它关系到整个国家和民族的兴亡。
Art Weekly: How does teaching at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts differ from teaching in China?
Tong Wang: The Royal Danish Academy has only about 200 students. Aside from the rector’s art history course, all other classes are electives—some of which may have only one or two students. Danish students are generally highly individualistic; they emphasize difference among themselves. They also appear more mature compared to Chinese students, and their purpose in studying art is often very clear. You can easily distinguish their personal styles just by looking at their works.
That said, there are also advantages to art education in China. For example, we emphasize the importance of mastering both our own rich traditions and those of the West.
In China, art academies function as a form of mass education. The current popularity of pre-admission art training classes has unfortunately produced a kind of “artistic cliché”—a formulaic system—which, to me, is a tragedy for art education. Perhaps there’s no such thing as a perfect educational system anywhere in the world. But I’ve always believed that education is a pure and noble endeavor—one that ultimately determines the rise and fall of a nation and its people.
《美术周刊》：听说你想建中国艺术学院，进展如何?
王彤：我曾与中国驻丹麦大使馆的文化参赞沟通过此事，皇家美院也在帮助我，现在仍然在策划当中。我在寻找政府的介入，也希望国内的艺术家一起来做这件事。建中国艺术学院是我的一个梦想。
外国人对中国的艺术兴趣很大。外国的艺术家觉得中国画很新奇、有意思。我曾经影响了一些人，他们喝中国的工夫茶，打太极拳，开始选用宣纸画画。我认为办学的目的主要还是培养他们对中国文化的兴趣。
Art Weekly: We’ve heard that you have plans to establish a Chinese art academy. How is that progressing?
Tong Wang: I’ve discussed the idea with the cultural attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Denmark, and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts has also been supportive. The project is still in the planning stages. I’m seeking governmental involvement, and I also hope Chinese artists will join me in bringing it to life. Founding a Chinese art academy is one of my dreams.
Foreigners have a strong interest in Chinese art. Many foreign artists find Chinese painting to be fresh and fascinating. I’ve influenced some of them—they now drink Chinese kung fu tea, practice tai chi, and have started painting on xuanpaper. I believe the primary purpose of such an institution is to cultivate genuine interest in Chinese culture.
《美术周刊》：中国当代艺术有很多“符号”，你认为它们能代表中国含义吗?
王彤：今年年初（2007年），我在德国汉堡与皇家美院的同事一起看了一个叫“麻将”的中国艺术家的展览，它展示的几乎都是政治波普，毛泽东肖像被西方一些媒体等同为中国的当代艺术。我知道，在国内艺术市场上一个符号获得成功，很多人就会跟上去。艺术家的作品符号化后很难改变，因为一旦改变，就无法获得市场认可。换一个角度看，靠画画致富与高速公路收费站都是合理合法的，都是艺术家生存需要的。我自己不是一个符号型的艺术家，并没有资格去品评他们。
Art Weekly: Contemporary Chinese art often features many “symbols.” Do you think these symbols truly represent Chinese meaning?
Tong Wang: Earlier this year (2007), I attended an exhibition in Hamburg called Mahjong, together with colleagues from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It showcased works by Chinese artists, most of which were political pop. Chairman Mao’s image, for example, has been equated by some Western media with contemporary Chinese art as a whole.
I understand that in China’s art market, once a particular symbol becomes successful, many will follow suit. Once an artist’s work becomes symbolized, it’s hard to change direction—because doing so might mean losing market recognition.
But from another perspective, making a fortune from painting is no different, in principle, from running a highway toll station—it’s legal, and part of the artist’s means of survival. Personally, I’m not a symbol-driven artist, so I don’t really see myself as qualified to critique those who are.
《美术周刊》：你对当前国内火爆的艺术市场怎么看，国外是这样吗?
王彤：国外不是这样，中国也不必像国外那样。其实这种现状挺好，很多艺术家由此而过上好生活，这无论如何都是一件好事。
Art Weekly: What’s your view on the current booming art market in China? Is it the same abroad?
Tong Wang: It’s not like this abroad, but China doesn’t need to be like other countries. In fact, I think the current situation is quite good. Many artists have been able to improve their lives because of it—and that, no matter how you look at it, is a good thing.
《美术周刊》：你现在想得最多的问题是什么?
王彤：我想的问题往往不是艺术的问题。我觉得一个人面临的问题要比一个艺术家面临的问题要多得多。我时常告诫自己和我的学生，要自己去承担命运、责任，别浪费短暂而宝贵的一生，大家应该在关爱、互助的前提下学习，做一个人比做一个艺术家更重要。
Art Weekly: What’s the question you think about the most these days?
Tong Wang: The things I think about are often not related to art. I believe that the challenges one faces as a person far outnumber those faced as an artist. I often remind myself—and my students—that we must each take responsibility for our own destiny. Don’t waste this brief and precious life. We should learn with a spirit of care and mutual support.
To be a good person is more important than to be a good artist.
2007年 11月11日刊登于 《中国文化报·美术周刊》
Published on November 11, 2007 China Culture Daily · Art Weekly