戴李黎
青年“老”畫家余宏達(dá)的藝術(shù)創(chuàng)新之路
作為著名工筆人物畫家顧生岳的關(guān)門弟子,國家一級美術(shù)師余宏達(dá)對于藝術(shù)創(chuàng)新的追求可謂非常執(zhí)著。他,少年老成,功力深厚,藝術(shù)表現(xiàn)風(fēng)格上,力求大度偉岸的氣局,烹煮的往往是藝術(shù)大宴。
他,大學(xué)讀書伊始就屢獲大獎,卻始終在苦苦思索如何突破自我,找尋未來發(fā)展的道路……
有所敬畏,有所成就
你可以想象嗎?一件2.4×2米的巨幅工筆畫半身像,光是頭就有1.1米大。浙江省第八屆青年美展的評委們剛進(jìn)入展廳,就一眼看見了這幅作品。國畫頭像的最佳尺寸是比真人頭略小一點,放到這么大,難度極高。因為畫太大容易顯得空,內(nèi)容多了又容易畫過了,分寸極難把握。評委們蜂擁上前,仔細(xì)察看這幅畫,好奇轉(zhuǎn)為驚嘆。
這幅作品就是余宏達(dá)為參加第七屆全國青年美展專門創(chuàng)作的工筆人物畫《童第周像》。這是他的創(chuàng)新之作,參賽全國青年美展前,先須經(jīng)省青年美展的檢驗。
作為浙江畫院的專職畫師,余宏達(dá)曾5次榮獲省級展的最高獎,《竺可楨像》還入選了第十二屆全國美展,2009年《草原驕子》入選全國第七屆體育美展,同年加入中國美術(shù)家協(xié)會,在浙江畫壇青年畫家中有很高的知名度。對于這次獲得浙江省第八屆青年美展優(yōu)秀獎(最高獎),并入選第七屆全國青年美展,他格外欣喜。
余宏達(dá)坦言,入選全國青年美展的難度非常大。首先,它是僅次于全國美展的一個高級別畫展;其次,它有年齡限制,45歲是上限,這個年齡段內(nèi)恰恰是畫家創(chuàng)作能力最強的時候,并且參賽不用地方美協(xié)推薦,自己投作品就成,參展也最踴躍;對他個人而言,剛好卡進(jìn)年齡線,反倒處于劣勢,因為青年美展的目的就是發(fā)現(xiàn)新人、推出新人,且作品力求創(chuàng)新。近年來,中國畫發(fā)展很快,已經(jīng)有成名作的畫家創(chuàng)新更難。
余宏達(dá)是帶著一顆敬畏心,抱著一種學(xué)習(xí)的態(tài)度去參加第七屆全國青年美展的。對他來說,還有很多的藝術(shù)理想要去實現(xiàn),也一直在尋找一個未來的創(chuàng)作方向,作品入選對自己是一個鞭策。
在題材的選擇上,余宏達(dá)是有考量的,他選了童第周,一是因為兒時課文里寫童第周的文章給他留下了深刻印象,一直想畫,可以說是一個夙愿;二是他最專長的就是工筆人物畫中的肖像畫。每個畫家因不同的氣質(zhì)、秉性,都有自己的繪畫類型,余宏達(dá)畫風(fēng)偏雅,又適合畫厚重的題材,畫這種科學(xué)家特別對路。
其實,這次選擇《童第周像》作為參賽作品,余宏達(dá)是做了一個大膽的嘗試,因為參展效果好的是人物組合,肖像畫只畫一個人的半身,畫面的感染力要比那些人物組合的主題性弱很多。但是他最終還是堅定選擇做自己最擅長的。
一幅肖像畫,要怎么創(chuàng)新呢?首先余宏達(dá)從參展效果上來做。參展要求上限是2.4×2米,他就把它畫到最大,這樣視覺效果好,醒目。原型是一張很模糊的黑白照片,這個很考驗一個畫家的還原能力,但這對余宏達(dá)來說不是問題。
其次,他把加減法做到極致。這么大的畫面上,只有頭跟手畫得特別深入細(xì)膩,其他的都做了減法,舍去了很多東西,大片的留白,做到極簡,突出重點。像顯微鏡之類的器物只是勾個線,又在作品上做了一些破壞性的實驗,比如把人物的手稿很隨意地寫上去,這在以往創(chuàng)作中是不敢想象的,但創(chuàng)新就是要有這種不破不立的勇氣。當(dāng)然,為謹(jǐn)慎起見,余宏達(dá)在電腦上做過很多個效果圖。
落款也特別講究,專門請教了池沙鴻老師,老師建議字一定要寫得小,如此方顯得畫更大,投照片會特別有優(yōu)勢。
果然,《童第周像》主體有沖擊力,遠(yuǎn)處所見,大氣開闊,頭部鮮明;近處端詳,造型嚴(yán)謹(jǐn), 形神兼?zhèn)洹L貏e是臉和手,雖然寫實逼真,但不匠氣,而是意在筆先。墨色運用得出神入化,保持了生動的繪畫性。整幅畫又簡約得高級,很有現(xiàn)代感。
這幅畫的創(chuàng)作手法,屬于工筆重彩,盡精微,自廣大。它的藝術(shù)創(chuàng)新性體現(xiàn)在簡跟繁、精致跟隨意之間的碰撞。
余宏達(dá)說,這次入選青年美展對自己其實是一次考核,他想通過這次歷練來告別自己作為畫家的青年時代。
念念不忘,必有回響
余宏達(dá)自幼酷愛繪畫,尤其在人物畫上表現(xiàn)出一些天分,幼時在少年宮學(xué)習(xí)國畫與素描。高中就讀杭七中第一屆美術(shù)特色班,因成績突出任班長。此后更是開了外掛般在學(xué)霸和學(xué)神的路上飛奔。
首先,余宏達(dá)課外有幸跟隨顧生岳先生學(xué)習(xí)繪畫,顧先生見他是個難得的苗子,收他做了關(guān)門弟子。這使得余宏達(dá)一開始學(xué)人物工筆畫的路子就很正,起點很高。其次,他在高中畢業(yè)后應(yīng)屆考上了浙江美院(現(xiàn)中國美院)國畫系人物專業(yè)。大學(xué)四年專業(yè)成績均列系里第一,并分別榮獲過中國美術(shù)學(xué)院吳弗之造型藝術(shù)獎、中國美術(shù)學(xué)院潘天壽獎、中國美術(shù)學(xué)院一等獎學(xué)金、全國首屆高等美術(shù)院校新秀中國畫大展金華獎、中國美術(shù)學(xué)院崇麗藝術(shù)獎。特別是畢業(yè)作品《百年少帥》,榮獲了2002年全國第五屆工筆畫大展銅獎、2002年浙江省中國人物畫大展金獎。此后他又以專業(yè)第一的成績順利考取本校研究生,讀研期間繼續(xù)榮獲中國美術(shù)學(xué)院研究生一等獎學(xué)金、2005年浙江省首屆中國畫人體展金獎。再后,研究生畢業(yè),他憑著優(yōu)異的專業(yè)成績和較強的工作能力順利進(jìn)入浙江畫院,成為全院最年輕的專職畫師。
學(xué)霸余宏達(dá)并沒有被成績沖昏頭腦,從本科畢業(yè)起就一直在思考一個問題——如何打破慣性創(chuàng)作思維,找到一條創(chuàng)新之路。他深知畫家要不斷求新求變,不能老躺在以前的成績上,不然作品將會落伍??勺铍y的就是自我突破,起點越高,突破越難。但再難,這條路也得走。
創(chuàng)新不是空中樓閣,不能憑空瞎造。創(chuàng)新也要走正路子。中國工筆人物畫是一門古老的藝術(shù),發(fā)展到今天,已經(jīng)有了很大的創(chuàng)新。當(dāng)年浙派畫家在潘天壽先生倡導(dǎo)下,吸收西方的素描,提倡中國人物畫為現(xiàn)實主義題材服務(wù),就是一條正道。
探索中,余宏達(dá)首先做的就是加法。在畫院,他學(xué)寫意、練書法。除了畫工筆肖像,還創(chuàng)作了一些其他類型的畫,如工筆寫意畫、現(xiàn)代女性工筆畫、觀音像為主的佛教題材作品、特定題材創(chuàng)作、瓷瓶畫……4EAFA7D6-BE52-47B1-9919-0D0AAEDED6CD
還有對兄弟藝術(shù)的借鑒,如了解版畫創(chuàng)作;對北京當(dāng)下的前沿藝術(shù)家、當(dāng)代藝術(shù)甚至電影海報藝術(shù)也進(jìn)行了比較深入的了解。門類跨度多藝術(shù)的沖擊,也給了他很多啟發(fā)和靈感。
一方面余宏達(dá)在創(chuàng)作題材、樣式、手法上廣泛涉獵、學(xué)習(xí)、實踐,另一方面他在展覽參賽上找突破口。他分析了很多案例,反思自己創(chuàng)作上的優(yōu)劣:筆墨功夫扎實,畫小細(xì)節(jié)很好,小品、個展有優(yōu)勢,但參加大的賽事,特別是全國性的大展,在一張畫能夠體現(xiàn)一個人最高水平的大創(chuàng)作上太過傳統(tǒng),大效果很難體現(xiàn)。余宏達(dá)始終覺得沒有把自己完全發(fā)揮出來,他也嘗試過幾次大幅作品創(chuàng)作,畫得很累,也不是很成功。他去各地觀展,思考成敗得失,再總結(jié)出一套適合自己的理論。
大賽展覽屬于展廳藝術(shù),視覺沖擊力很重要,觀眾首先視覺被吸引,才來看細(xì)節(jié)。認(rèn)識到這一點,余宏達(dá)把作品定位在了巨幅。然后,展覽對現(xiàn)代繪畫的語言要求也會比較多,所以作品一定要新,這也是吸引眼球的另一方面。因此,創(chuàng)作上一定要突破完全傳統(tǒng)的手法,加上現(xiàn)代藝術(shù)手法的因素。
經(jīng)過多年的學(xué)習(xí)、實踐和探索,余宏達(dá)開始做減法了。他決定專注于自己最大的優(yōu)勢——肖像畫,立意現(xiàn)代理念,借鑒各類現(xiàn)代藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作手法,深耕細(xì)作,挖掘自己的最大潛能。
念念不忘,必有回響。困擾了余宏達(dá)十幾年的瓶頸,終于在《童第周像》的創(chuàng)作中獲得突破!多年的思索和積累在這一刻破繭成蝶,余宏達(dá)以一種很迅速的方式,15天時間完成了畫稿,畫得輕松愜意。
這幅畫的獲獎對他很重要,因為全國大展,國、油、版、雕同時評選,各類評委一人一票投選,能夠入選,說明他的這次創(chuàng)新之路被國家級各個專業(yè)都認(rèn)可了!
未來前進(jìn)的方向有了,接下來,余宏達(dá)要畫弘一法師。他計劃畫一個系列這樣的巨幅肖像畫,在浙江美術(shù)館或者中國美術(shù)館辦一個像樣的個展。我們祝愿他在新找到的這條創(chuàng)新大道上闊步前行……
鏈接 :
余宏達(dá)現(xiàn)為浙江畫院人物畫工作室主任。著名工筆人物畫家顧生岳的關(guān)門弟子,國家一級美術(shù)師,浙江省中國人物畫研究會副會長兼秘書長,杭州師范大學(xué)碩士生導(dǎo)師。
Breaking the Rules with Freehand Strokes:
The Artistic Innovation of Yu Hongda
By? Dai Lili
Yu Hongda is a persistent innovator, bold in style. He won awards when he was a university student, but he has always thought about breakthroughs.
A huge gongbi (a realist traditional Chinese painting technique) half-length painting 2.4 × 2 m in format, with its head as big as 1.1 meters! The judges of the Eighth Youth Art Exhibition in Zhejiang Province had never seen such a big head, so they all marveled at it. Yus Portrait of Tong Dizhou is highly innovative. As an artist at the Zhejiang Academy of Painting, he has won many provincial-level awards. He was particularly praised for his Portrait of Zhu Kezhen, A Proud Man on the Grassland (2009) as a member of China Artists Association.
Yu chose Tong Dizhou (1902-1979), a famed Chinese embryologist, as his subject matter because he knew Tong in his school textbook, and he is specialized in portrait painting. Because of his temperament and nature, Yus style is elegant, and suitable for grave themes of scientists. He chose a half-length as a bold attempt, as the theme is much weaker than a group of figures. How to innovate a portrait? The upper limit of the entries is 2.4 × 2 meters, so he draws it to the maximum for an eye-catching visual effect. In fact, his painting is based on a vague black and white photo, which truly tested the ability of a painter to restore the details on a painting. He made his additions and subtractions to the extreme. In such a large picture, only the head and hands are delicately executed. And he made subtractions elsewhere and gave up a lot of things. The blank parts on the picture are minimalist to highlight the key points: objects like a microscope are just outlines, and destructive experiments have been done on some details. For example, the manuscripts are freely written. This kind of courageous innovation was unthinkable before. Of course, Yu cautiously made repeated renderings on the computer beforehand.4EAFA7D6-BE52-47B1-9919-0D0AAEDED6CD
The inscription is also particularly small to make the painting appear larger. Sure enough, the Portrait of Tong Dizhou is impressive. When you see it in the distance, the picture is open with its clear-cut head; when you close up, it is meticulously modelled, rich in form and substance. His strokes in the face and hands, realistic but not mechanical, are very imaginative. The ink shade is exquisite, vivid and painterly, to make the whole picture simple and modern. The technique of this painting is colored meticulous brushwork, static yet vast. Its innovation is reflected in the collision between simplicity and profusion, between exquisiteness and randomness.
Yu Hongda has loved painting since childhood, having learned Chinese painting and sketching in the Youth and Childrens Palace in Hangzhou as a child. Besides, Yu was fortunate enough to learn painting from Gu Shengyue, a well-known gongbi figure painter who accepted him as his last disciple. With a high starting point, he was enrolled into the figure painting major of the Department of Traditional Chinese Painting at Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now China Academy of Art). His scores ranked first in the department, and he won Wu Fuzhis Model Art Award, Pan Tianshou Award and first-class scholarship of China Academy of Art, and Jinhua Award at the nations first art college Rookie Chinese Painting Exhibition, Chongli Art Award of China Academy of Art. His graduation work Centennial Marshal Zhang Xueliang won a Bronze Award of the Fifth National Gongbi Painting Exhibition in 2002, and the Gold Award of Zhejiang Provincial Traditional Chinese Figure Painting Exhibition in 2002. As a top graduate student, he continued to win first-class scholarship at China Academy of Art and a gold award at the first Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Painting Exhibition in 2005. After that, he entered Zhejiang Academy of Painting with his excellent professional achievements and strong working ability and became the youngest full-time painter there.
Yu has been thinking about a question: how to break inertia thinking and find a road of innovation? He knows that an artist must constantly seek new changes, instead of lying on the previous achievements. The hardest thing is self-breakthrough. The higher the starting point, the harder the breakthrough. Innovation cannot be made blindly. Innovation must also go on the right road. Chinese gongbi figure painting is an ancient art, but it has already a lot of innovation to this day. Under the advocacy of Pan Tianshou (1897-1971), the Zhejiang School absorbed the western sketch and improved Chinese figure painting as a realistic theme. It was the right way.4EAFA7D6-BE52-47B1-9919-0D0AAEDED6CD
The first thing Yu did was to explore “adding elements”. In the academy, he learned freehand and practiced calligraphy. In addition to portraits, he also did some other types of paintings, such as gongbi freehand paintings, modern female gongbi paintings, Buddhist themes like Guanyin images, specific theme creations, porcelain bottle paintings. He also learned about other art genres, such as printmaking, with a deep understanding of Beijings current avant-garde artists, contemporary art and even movie poster art. The impact of multiple art genres also gave him inspiration. Yu is well-read; he learns and practices creative themes, styles and methods, and he finds a breakthrough in the exhibitions and contests. He analyzed many cases, reflecting on the advantages and disadvantages of his works: he is strong at ink and brush, details in paintings, and he excels in sketches and individual exhibitions. But in grand contests, especially at national exhibitions, he is weak at creating great masterpieces, since he is too traditional to produce a single work to represent his highest level of capability. Yu always feels that he has not fully shown himself. He tried several large formats, not very successful though he worked hard. He went to watch exhibitions everywhere, weighing merits and demerits, and summarized a theory that suits him.
The exhibitions or the contests pertain to art of the exhibition hall, emphasizing visual impact. The audiences are first attracted visually before they see the details. With this, Yu positioned his work on huge formats. Then the exhibitions will have more requirements for language of modern painting, so his works must be novel to attract attention. Therefore, he must break through the completely traditional methods, by adding elements of modern art.
After years of learning, practice and exploration, Yu Hongda then began to do “subtractions”. He has to focus on his biggest advantage — portrait painting, and dig out his biggest potential by relying on modern concepts and learning from various modern art methods. After persistent trials, he has overcome the bottleneck that has troubled him for a dozen years, and finally came up with Portrait of Tong Dizhou! Many years of thinking and accumulation came to fruition at this moment. Yu completed his draft in 15 days. He painted leisurely and comfortably. He said to himself, it came to pass!
This award is very important to him because at the national exhibition, entries of traditional paintings, oil paintings, block paintings, and sculptures were contesting at the same time. Judges voted for their favorite works. His success means that his innovation has been recognized by judges from different genres! For the future, he has found a direction. Next, Yu wants to draw a portrait of Master Hongyi. He plans to draw such huge portraits as a series, and hold an exhibition at Zhejiang Art Museum or China National Art Museum.4EAFA7D6-BE52-47B1-9919-0D0AAEDED6CD