Huang Zengheng |
Notes on Viewing the Paintings of Wang Tong
黄增恒 | 观王彤绘画随笔
王彤艺术的丰富性令我着迷。在他的作品中，东方的精神和西方的精神、色彩的表现与线条的表现、写意的方法和构成的方法、自由的作风和严谨的作风都杂糅在一起。尽管如此，其展现处理的仍然是成熟、统一而鲜明的艺术风貌。乍看之下，王彤的艺术气质敏感而飘忽，他经常即兴挥洒。在情绪良好的时候，作画的速度奇快。新的构思源源不断的涌现出来。但这一切都统摄在严谨而冷静的观察与思考之下。据我观察，他并未失控过。
What fascinates me about Wang Tong’s art is its richness and complexity. In his work, the spiritual essence of the East and the West, the expressive power of color and line, the techniques of freehand brushwork and structural composition, and the attitudes of spontaneity and rigor all converge. And yet, what emerges is a mature, coherent, and distinctly personal artistic style.
At first glance, Wang Tong’s artistic temperament may appear sensitive and elusive—he often paints with great spontaneity. When in a good emotional state, his speed of execution is astonishing, with new ideas flowing forth in an endless stream. But all of this is governed by a framework of careful observation and thoughtful deliberation. From what I have observed, he has never lost control.
在《话说五月青楼》那副作品中，一扇小小的门就使他颇费周折，改动不下十次。我们不要因其写意的状态而错误的认为他的作品是信手画出。因为他在即兴作画时的精神状态是根源于他的更深的几乎是恒定的心里层面——他的性格，从长期的修养和经历中陶冶出来的。也正因为如此，他的作品就有内在的统一性而与其他的画家迥然不同。许多人在初见王彤作品时感到了迷惑不解，尤其是国画作品。因为当他们突然遭遇了一种不太熟悉的艺术语言。而在此障碍之下，就觉得很难确切理解画家的深意。但是，即使由画家亲自来说明，人们也许会更糊涂。因为这种翻译必然会走样。从观众的角度，也许应当责怪王彤的作品过于自言自语了。但是，让我们反思一下，绘画鉴赏的妙处也就在这里。怎么说呢，因为艺术语言的问题逼迫了观众采取更恰当的直观的鉴赏方式来对待绘画。
In the painting A May Tale in the Courtesan’s House (《话说五月青楼》), a single small door gave Wang Tong quite a bit of trouble—he revised it no fewer than ten times. We should not be misled by the expressive, freehand quality of his work into thinking that his paintings are casually executed. For even in moments of improvisation, his creative state of mind stems from a deeper and nearly constant psychological foundation—his character—shaped through long cultivation and life experience.
It is precisely this foundation that gives his work an inner coherence, making it distinctly different from that of other artists. Many people, upon first encountering Wang Tong’s art—especially his ink paintings—feel puzzled or uncertain. This is because they are suddenly faced with an unfamiliar artistic language. Beneath this barrier, they find it difficult to grasp the artist’s deeper intentions. Yet even if the artist himself were to explain it, the result might be more confusing, as any attempt at “translation” would inevitably distort the original meaning.
From the viewer’s perspective, one might be tempted to fault Wang Tong’s work for being too self-referential. But let us consider this: perhaps this is exactly where the subtle charm of art appreciation lies. Because the challenge posed by the language of art compels the viewer to adopt a more appropriate, intuitive mode of perception—to approach painting not through explanation, but through direct experience.
庄子有言：“言者有言。其所言者，特未定也。果有言耶？其未尝有言耶？其以为异于音，亦有辩乎？其无辩乎？”人言与鸟语境亦无辩！而人们也确能在不通鸟语的情形之下欣赏它。唐诗宋词之中比比皆是。不错，审美鉴赏嘛。若以此为目的，则听故事，赏音乐，观图画，游山林，赏心悦目。虽未能确切懂得创造者的深意，但心灵深处难道不受其影响吗？
Zhuangzi once said: “Those who speak do so with words, yet what they speak of remains unsettled. Is there truly speech? Or has there never been any speech? If one considers it different from mere sound—is there truly a distinction? Or is there none?” The language of humans and the song of birds—can we truly distinguish them in essence? And yet, even without understanding birdsong, we are still able to appreciate its beauty. This is evident throughout Tang poetry and Song lyrics.
Indeed, such is the nature of aesthetic appreciation. If our aim is simply to experience beauty, then listening to a story, enjoying music, viewing a painting, wandering through mountains and forests—all these bring delight to the heart and mind. Though we may not fully grasp the creator’s deepest intent, can we deny that our spirits are touched and moved in some profound way?
因此，对于王彤的画感到陌生，不过少见而已。熟悉了，也就自然会在心里产生回响，自然会有所会意，引发审美的共鸣。不必去苛求绘画的切实注解。画家作画的深意往往是难以言说的。然而，王彤的艺术对我来水却并不太深奥。他的作画方式我十分的赞同。我指的是他在创作时并不事先完整设计，不已无数的草图作为构建，而是任形象在绘画过程中任意演变：或源源不断的涌出，或分裂展开，或消失隐灭。起初的意念只是一次碰撞，而当画作完成时，在画家的心里恐怕还是尚未完成的。不过是一系列形象演变暂时告一段落而已。而此后的新的作品，往往成为这一系列艺术变相的延续。
Therefore, to feel unfamiliar with Wang Tong’s paintings is simply a matter of limited exposure. Once one becomes familiar, a natural resonance arises within—an intuitive understanding emerges, sparking an aesthetic response. There is no need to demand a literal interpretation of the work. The deeper meaning behind an artist’s creation is often inexpressible.
Yet to me, Wang Tong’s art does not feel overly obscure. In fact, I deeply appreciate his approach to painting. What I mean is that he does not begin with a fully designed composition or rely on countless preparatory sketches. Instead, he allows the imagery to evolve freely during the painting process—emerging in a continuous flow, splitting into variations, or dissolving into absence. The initial idea is merely a point of impact, a collision; and even when a painting is finished, it may still feel incomplete in the artist’s mind. It is simply a temporary pause in an ongoing transformation of imagery. Often, a new work becomes a continuation of that evolving sequence of artistic metamorphosis.
作画不过是一个过程，看画也不过是一个过程。我天天看着挂满墙的王彤的油画，就感到其中的形象和意境总是游移着，变换着，层层展开，永无休止。而在这里，观赏的乐趣也随之游移，变化，层层展开，永无休止。 Painting is nothing more than a process—and so is the act of viewing a painting. As I gaze daily at the oil paintings by Wang Tong that fill the walls, I find that the imagery and atmosphere within them are constantly shifting, transforming, unfolding layer by layer, without end. And it is precisely within this ceaseless transformation that the joy of viewing also drifts, evolves, and unfurls—layer upon layer, without end.