洋YANGART

静谧与纯粹 – 谈吴洋的绘画艺术

Serenity and Pureness

-- On Wu Yang’s Art

吴洋的油画艺术作品总给人沉静，幽雅，从容，淡定，纯朴，真切，而精致的感受。而她最近创作的综合材料作品也传达着同样的气息。在浮躁而喧嚣的今日社会，她的作品如同有效的镇静剂，让观众脱离世俗的浮泛，获得同经过修炼一般的身心的清宁与超越。

其实我早就认识她，每次在酒会或者聚会上碰到她，经常有不约而同的默契，她也总是温婉沉静，不愠不火。常言说文如其人，艺术更不会撒谎。吴洋的艺术气质和她本人的秉性十分吻合，仔细品评她的作品，你不仅能获得恬淡与宁和的心境，如同品味一杯清新的春茶，而且能感受到艺术创造的智慧，分享她对艺术历史的分析与品评；更远一点，你也许能获得某种情愫的升华与精神的启迪。

这个展览向观众介绍了她最近几年艺术探索的成果。这集中体现在《蛋糕系列》和《包裹系列》中。前者早两年就开始了，后者是最近一两年的新发展。两者之间有着密切的关联。她的作品一般尺寸不大，但所包含的容量却不同寻常。世界现代艺术史上的经典作品一般也没有太大的体量。

《蛋糕系列》描绘的是大小，形状，颜色不一的蛋糕，有的是完整的，也有用刀切开的，画面没有任何背景，反而突出了蛋糕的主题。画家用纯净的色彩，清晰的笔触创造出介于写实性和想像性之间的关于蛋糕的意象。日常生活中关于蛋糕那松软的质感，奶油香甜的气味，以及手感，而不是蛋糕简单的形象，能更多地表现出来。油画色彩的独特质感同样借助蛋糕的题材而被画家发挥的很充分。蛋糕在普通城市居民日常生活中越来越密切，尤其是生日蛋糕，已经成为人们生日礼仪中一个关键的环节。蛋糕的朴实的形式感，富丽的表面奶油，以及蛋糕所承载的美好希冀与祝愿都被画家浓缩到画布上，而且拥有了坚实的分量感，变得凝重而坚实。因此，人们对蛋糕的日常化生活经验被转化和升华为有生命与哲学意味的视觉经验。

《包裹》系列中，艺术家将绘画和塑料拼贴结合起来。画家一直对塑料这种日常生活中无所不在的材料有着特出的感觉。在这一系列中，画家将塑料引入自己的艺术实践中。她将透明塑料布将画面部分或全部包裹起来，并用线缝纫，有的再往塑料上加一层色彩和笔触。画面在被包裹和缠绕后，也能隐约显现出来，塑料的质感与肌理给画面带来了某种价廉的神秘感与暧昧不清的意味。各种塑料产品的广泛使用，尤其是各种各样的塑料的应用是最近二十年的事情，因此也极大地改变了人们的生活。这种纯粹的人造物在带给人们生活方便的同时，又埋下巨大的环境隐患。在吴洋的系列作品中，塑料的使用不仅是创造性的，而且也揭示了我们对当代生活的特定但准确的心理感受。

从这个意义上讲，吴洋是一位爱思考的艺术家。她利用独特的个人视觉表达了当代社会生活和普遍心理的共同感受。欣赏她的作品时，你不仅拥有古典主义的情思，也能获得当代艺术的精神性启迪。

张朝晖

Serenity and Pureness

-- On Wu Yang’s Art

Wu Yang’s oil paintings always impress viewers with qualities of serenity, elegance, effortless calmness, innocence, sincerity and delicateness. The same qualities can also be found in her latest works of mixed medium. In the chaotic world obsessed with uncessant labour, her works are like a dose of effective tranquilizer, enabling viewers to detach themselves from the worldly vanity and acquire cultivated calmness and transcendence for body and soul.

I’ve known Wu Yang for a long time. Every time when we came across each other at some openings or parties, there often seemed to be some tacit understanding between us about things we liked and disliked. She always carries herself gracefully, and looks calm and detached. It is said that writings speak one’s true mind, and I believe art never lies about its creator. The characteristics of Wu Yang’s art match perfectly with her personality. A careful observation of her works not only offers one a peaceful mindset, as drinking a cup of fresh spring tea. One can also enjoy the wisdom in her artistic creations while sharing her insights and comments on the history of art. To further one’s reward, there also might be some sort of spiritual enlightenment.

The exhibition shows viewers her achievements in exploring the art realm in recent years. The Cake series are from earlier period about two or three years ago, while the Wrapped series are creations from recent one or two years. The two series are closely related. Usually her works are not large in size. But they are extraordinary in volume. Actually when we look back at the world modern art history, few classic works are large ones.

The Cake series depict cakes of different sizes, shapes and colours. Some are one whole piece; some are slices, painted against a void background, therefore highlighting the theme of cake itself. Artist use pured colours and clean strokes to depict the subject which are between realistic and imaginary images. Instead of simple images from our daily life, the sponginess, creamy aromas and the feel are well delivered. At the same time, the unique texture of oil paint is brought into full play with the subject by the artist.

The Western pastry is becoming more and more popular with Chinese urban residents, especially birthday cakes, which have been an essential part of the celebrations. Its straightforward ceremonious shape, the rich creamy top, together with best wishes bestowed, are all concentrated on the canvas, giving substantial volume to the cake, which then becomes solemn and solid. In this way, the daily life experience people hold towards cakes is transformed and lifted into the visual experience about life philosophy.

In the Wrapped series, artist Wu Yang combined painting with plastic collage. She has been fascinated with the characteristics of plastic film. In the series, she put plastic film into her art creations. With transparent plastic film she wrapped up the painting, partially or completely, and sewed with threads. Sometimes she added one more layer of colours and strokes on top of the plastic film. After being wrapped and twined, the image can still be seen, but with some air of mystery and ambiguities because of the plastic film’s characteristics and textural effect. Plastic has been widely used in daily life during the recent two decades, therefore changing people’s lives significantly. But while the manmade material brings convenience, it also undermines environment safety greatly. In the Wrapped series, the creative use of the material also reveals our understanding of the contemporary life, specifically yet precisely.  

Therefore, Wu Yang is an artist of thinking. She has managed to use her unique individual vision to reflect a common sentiment about the modern-day life and mindset. Her works not only enable viewers to experience feelings of classicism, but also to attain spiritual enlightenment about contemporary art.

Zhang Zhaohui