《中国病人》

展览名称：《中国病人》(图片联结)

策展人：江铭

参展艺术家（按姓氏英文字母排序）：李清 唐建英 乌日金 王宝明 杨坚 张学海

开幕时间：　2010年3月20日下午两点半　

展览时间：　2010年3月20日　至　4月10日　

展览地点：北京798红鼎艺术中心

展览评论：

                                 中 国 病 人

文/江铭

这次展览是我关于黑白现实主义艺术现象研究的一个延续。黑白现实主义艺术现象，是中国当代艺术发展历史中现阶段的一个重要表现。中国当代艺术历史脉络的演变一路以这样的线索发生：从1976-1983年伤痕时期开始解冻，经过1985现代主义启蒙、1989现代艺术大展、后89玩世写实主义思潮、90年代中期的后波普浪潮——消费主义新阶段成熟、2000年后黑白现实主义问题暴露并展开。　　

今天我们一再提到黑白现实问题有着重要的意义与价值。这种现实的意义与现阶段的世界性经济危机、本土民生问题、阶级矛盾、贫富差距等问题紧密相联。　　

黑白现实主义在现阶段艺术史的文化指向上有以下两个方面的意义：一、社会学意义。在社会学的意义上，黑白现实不仅涉及到社会底层的问题，更主要的是在现阶段的社会发展过程中一系列新的问题所引发的危机与冲突。二、艺术史的特征。这种特征的显现主要是指新的现象与前一个阶段的主流艺术现象的明显差异，在一个新时期，必然要有一个适应它的新的文化艺术的表征，即一个符合新时代内在气息的人们普遍的真实感受。而这种差异性的特征主要显现在艺术语言、表现手法、流行色彩等几个方面。　　

这两个方面的问题，我都曾经在《黑白立场》、《黑白现实主义文献展》、《转折点——新现实表现绘画展》等几次展览的文章中有所阐述。有兴趣的朋友可以参考研究。　　

《中国病人》是这次展览的名称。主要是借助这样一个概念，来隐喻中国的现实状况。这种病征的表现就像“癌”一样。而“癌”症分为早、中、晚几个阶段。基本上在早期阶段无法发现，因为没有显著的特征可以表现出来，而中晚期阶段的特征则开始显现并不断爆发，这个时期病人的生理与精神异常特征显著。当一个人进入这个中晚期阶段的时候，救治起来需要付出巨大的代价。而一个社会的发展也具有相似的演变过程。所不同的是，癌症病人一但不可救，付出的是生命的代价，走向死亡，不会复活；而社会之“癌”一旦不可救，付出的则是社会动荡的代价。而社会一旦动荡不安，承受代价的还是最普通的百姓。这是任何一个有良知的人都不愿意看到的。　　

当下的中国社会生活看似合理化地取得了惊人的成功，经济生活不断改善。但是，随着全球性的经济危机的爆发，一种普遍的迫近的毁灭意识也正像瘟疫一样在普遍的人群中蔓延。这种意识也就是对当下生活的畏惧，即担心一切使生活具有价值的重要的事物正在走向末日。　　

焦虑与畏惧控制着每一个人，从工人到农民，从资本家到农民工，从超级富豪到街头流浪汉，从警察到罪犯，无论谁都不能够幸免，每个人，每天都生活在对未来无法确定的畏惧之中，进而感觉自我迷失在一片虚空之中。对未来生活的忧虑，对他人的不信任，对命运的怀疑，对可能成为牺牲品的危险的担忧，都唤起人们一种被遗弃的感觉。　　

当绝大多数的人都感觉到是被遗弃或将被遗弃的时候，也就是我们的现实生活在精神上成为不可取的。而人们在这种不可取的现实生活中将再也找寻不到生活的意义，即而感觉到生活的不可忍受。于是人们便会纷纷逃避到疾病之中去，疾病却成为保护者，使得人们能够逃避现实。　　

当一个国家或民族绝大多数的人们都逃向疾病的时候，也就是这个国家正身患顽疾急需救治的时候。可是谁能够给中国这个巨病人开出根除病灶的良方呢？　　

作品阐释：

李青的作品是精神表现主义的，他的作品整个画面给人一种低沉、紧张、甚至带有某些不祥的恐惧感。这种感受正是现阶段中国社会面临复杂矛盾、所暴露出的动荡局面给人内心与精神带来的不确定性感受。面对今日的社会，人们在所谓普遍富裕之后，内心与精神却日益不安、焦虑。我们人类之所以为人，就是在满足物质、生理以及性欲这些基本需要之后，并不能够像动物一样感到完美。人的内心与精神、心理的满足才能够使我们感到和谐与完满。而今日的中国现实，社会的种种矛盾与冲突，传统道德的沦丧，人性良知的缺失，社会公信力的破产，政府的不作为、对底层人民的压榨等等的现实，让我们的幸福指数持续下降。在李青那些挥洒淋漓的画面上，那一双双犹如从地狱投射而来的目光，让我们体验到的不是一片繁花似锦的世界，而是一个日益疯狂、嗜血、冷酷、无情的精神病状态的世界，而这样的世界对于很多人来说却是真实的，触手可及的。　　

唐建英的作品是通过对监狱、囚犯的描述揭示了这一特殊人群异样的内心与精神世界。那些被限制了人身自由的人具有特殊的社会学、心理学的研究价值。罪犯是社会结构中一个特殊的群体，就像长在一个人身体中的肿瘤一样。但是这个肿瘤也是一个生命体，它有着一套自我发育、成长、毁灭的系统。这个系统其实是从另一个反面透视了一个社会的健康指数。当代中国社会，由于转型的影响，整个社会的伦理、道德、精神、信仰都发生了天翻地覆的变化，在经历了一段长达30年的物质主义的统治之后，新中国所建立起来的新型社会主义伦理、道德体系彻底崩溃了，这种转变使得过去人们的精神、思想都发生了彻底的动摇。新的社会经济结构、政治秩序也使得新型的社会犯罪问题突显出来，而犯罪类型的转移、犯罪心理、精神等等问题对于研究，当下社会的矛盾、冲突等问题具有重要的价值。我们甚至可以说罪犯是人类另类文明之花。其实人类的那些美好词汇，譬如正义、高尚、信任、仁慈等等，如果不和罪犯联系在一起阐述，其内涵将显得很是空泛。而假如在一个官商勾结、警匪一家、黑白颠倒的时代，谁又是真正的罪犯呢？唐建英的作品是通过对罪犯的描述来让我们来反思这个社会的真实现实状况。　　

乌日金的作品具有某种寓言性的指向，他通过狼——人视角的置换与镜像，寓言性地表达了我们这个时代疯癫的、野蛮的、毁灭性的发展模式与状态。乌日金此前的代表作《城市》系列通过一头游走于城市之中的“荒原狼”寓言性地批判了中国社会近30年疯癫的不可思议变革的现实。这次参展的头像是他新的尝试，这些作品虽然是人物的头像，在作品的寓意上乌日金还是在传达着荒原狼的内心感受。而那头荒原狼其实就是艺术家的自我。他描述的还是艺术家自我的精神危机。现实之中，道德堕落、文化堕落，到处都散发着一股腐臭的气味，而艺术家却与这个社会格格不入，在他看来，现实中的一切就像是一场场的游戏。我们身处一个大变局的时代，虽然我们能够预感到新的时代终将到来，但是现实的世界却处处是赤裸裸的物质利益，精神道德不受重视，传统文化与人道思想遭到摧残。一头来自草原的荒原狼它寓言的是疾病与危机，而不是毁灭，不是通向死亡的危机，它的嚎叫是一种治疗。这治疗的药方就是，它希望我们人类不要再用那些肤浅的、商品化的假文化来代替真正的文化。　　

王宝明的作品是一种绘画装置，他使用一种工业发泡剂制造了这种效果。这种发泡剂制造出来的感觉就像我们今日的社会一样。表面的繁华锦绣，骨子里却是腐烂的、堕落的、肮脏的、虚空的。这些古怪病态、畸形异变的形象注视着我们，让我们不得不重新审视我们的生活，是什么使我们今日的生活变得如此的萎靡、是什么使我们的精神与信仰变得如此混乱、茫然？是什么又使我们找不到出口与方向？这些腐烂的脸孔鄙夷地注视着我们。他们仿佛再说：这些人肯定是疯了，要不然怎么就能够忍受着这样糟糕委琐的生活而没有反抗？怎么就这样自愿屈从在权威与专制的淫威之下，却还在自嘲苟活着？　　

杨坚的作品有很多组系列，这次展出的是他其中的一个系列。这些作品从画面上看给人一种病态的感受，但是这种感受却有一种唯美的成分。杨坚不是一个观念化的艺术家，而是有着一位传统绘画大师气质的艺术家。这种气质来自与那种天然的对绘画传统与绘画风格的迷恋。他研究与尝试着多种风格，而且每一种风格与气质都被他打上了个人感觉。这是一种只有具备绘画本能才气的艺术家才能够做到的。杨坚的这组作品通过那些具有某种精神病气质的面孔的描绘，传达出我们这个时代文化中困扰着大多数正常人的心理问题。从没有一个时代的中国人能够我们今天一样不得不独自面对残酷的竞争，却注定要失败。因为我们身处在一个全然靠赌博才能够生存的特殊的环境之中。这些问题从那些精神病患者的面孔中反映出来，但是却不仅仅存在于那些患者身上，而是存在于我们每一个人的身上，是我们这个社会中绝大多数人群都注定要面对的。

张学海的《我们》系列作品产生在SARS时期引发的恐慌，同时在中东发生的战争使恐慌加剧。那段时期的人们都感到自身的极其脆弱，产生这种感受的原因，一方面来自自然，另一方面来自社会。自然的力量使人再一次的感到自身的渺小和无奈，而来自社会的战争却是人为的，可以避免的，但是却发生着，历史已经无法改变。从电视到报纸，每天报道的全是这样的内容，每天都是与死亡有关的消息，人们无处可逃，恐慌和伤害笼罩在每一个人的心中。所以他画出这些黑沉沉的，沉重的，伤害的作品。这些作品从画面上看，他试图使用一种具有中国水墨画特征的风格来传达他要说出的感觉。这种效果显然是达到了。那些水迹班驳的画面给人一种受侮辱受迫害者的感受。这种感觉不是从画面的表面得来，而是真实的传达出艺术家内心的矛盾、痛苦、焦虑与挣扎。这些画面引起我们对人类生存以及当下社会残酷现实状况的思考。 　　

Name: Chinese Patients

Curator : Jiang Ming

Artist：  Liqing  TangJianYing  WuRiJin  WangBaoMing  YangJian  ZhangXueHai

Open Reception : 3pm   3,  20, 2010

Exhibition Dates : 3,20,2010-----4,10,2010

Address: Gallery TOPREDART  　　Beijing　　

Chinese Patients　　

By Jiang Ming　　

This exhibition is an extension of my research on the art of the black-and-white realistic art. The fact of black-and-white realistic art is an important presentation in the current stage of the development history of Chinese modern art. The development of the Chinese modern art is occurring in such a clue: it began to resuscitate from the period of scar (1976 – 1983), the enlightenment of Modernism (1985), the Modern Art Exhibition (1989), the trend of thought of cynicism-realism, the post-pop tide in the mid-and-late 1990s, the mature in the new stage of consumerism, and the problems of black-and-white realism after 2000.　　

Today, when we talk about the problem of black-and-white realism, it has the important significance and value. Such realistic significance is tightly relating to the current worldwide problems, such as the economic crisis, the problem of local well-being, the classical contradiction, and the problem of gap of wealth.　　

The cultural direction of the black-and-white realism in the art history of the current stage has the important meaning in the following two aspects: 1. the sociological meaning. In terms of the sociological meaning, the black-and-white realism does not only relate to the problems of the underclass, it also points to the crisis and confliction cause by a series of new problems during the current social development. 2. The features of the art history. The presentation of this feature mainly means the obvious differences between the new fact and the mainstream art fact in the previous stage. There must be one suitable presentation for the new art and culture in a new stage, it should be suitable for the common real feeling of the people in the new times. While this feature of difference is mainly presenting in the several aspects: such as art language, presentation method and pop colors.　　

I have stated the problems of two aspects in the articles of several exhibition: The Position of Black and White, The Exhibition on the Literature of Black-and-white Realism, The Turning Point – The Exhibition on the Painting of New Realism. Any friends with interests can refer to them and research.　　

Chinese patients is the name of this exhibition. We mainly use such a concept to express the realistic condition in 　　China　　. The presentation of this disease is just like the cancer, which the cancer can be divided into three stages: early stage, middle stage and stage. Basically the cancer in the early stage can not be found, for there are no obvious features presenting, while the features in the middle and late stages begin to show and explore continually, at this period, the abnormal psychological and spiritual features of the patients become very obvious. When a person enters the middle and late stages, it will cost a lot to cure the patient. While the development of society has also the similar procedure of transformation. But the difference is, when the cancer patient can not saved, he will die and not revive; when the cancer of society can not be saved, the cost will be the social turbulence. And when the social turbulence occurs, the men enduring the cost will be the common and ordinary people. This is the fact that any man with conscience doesn’t want to see.　　

Currently, there seems to have the astonishing success on the social living in 　　China　　 in a rational way, the economical living is becoming better and better. But, along with the exploration of the global economical crises, a common and impendent ideal of destroying is spreading among the common people just like plague. Such ideal is the fear to the current life, that is, they fear every important and valuable matter are meeting their doomsday.　　

The anxiety and fearing are controlling everyone, from worker to peasant, from capitalist to farmer worker, from millionaire to beggars, from policeman to criminal; nobody can have a narrow escape. Everybody is living in the fearing for the indefinite future everyday, then they feel that they are losing in a void. The worrying to the living in the future, the distrust to other people, the doubt to the fate and the worrying to the possible danger of being the victim, all of these can make the people feel that they are discarded.　　

When most of the people feet that they are or will be discarded, that is, our realistic living become impossible in terms of the spirit. The people can no more find the meaning of living in the impossible realistic leaving, so they feel that the living is insufferable. So they began to evade in the diseases, the diseases become their protectors to make them evade from the reality.　　

When most of the people of a country or nationality evade in the diseases, it is the time when this country is in urgent diseases? But who can give the receipt for 　　China　　, this huge patient?　　

The explanation to the works:　　

The works of Li Qing is spiritual expressionist, the entire images of his works give us a feeling of horror with depth, tension and even some ominous feeling. This feeling is just the feeling of uncertainty that the current Chinese society is facing the sophisticated contradiction and the presenting situation of turbulence. When facing the current society, after the so-called common rich, they feel anxious in their spirit. The human being is the human being, for after meeting the basic needs such as material, physiological and sexual desires, they don’t feel perfect just like animals. The spiritual and psychological satisfaction of the human being can make us feel harmony and perfect. While various facts in current China, such as the various kinds of social contractions and conflictions, perishing of the traditional ethics, lacking of human conscience, bankruptcy of the social credibility, nonfeasance of governments, and the oppression to the underclass, such facts make our happiness index decrease. On the paintings made by Li Qing, the eyesights coming from the hell don’t make us feel a world of flower carpets, but a world of mental diseases filled with craziness, bloodsucking, unfeeling and motionless. While, such world is real and touchable to many people. 　　

The explanation to the works:　　

The explanation to the works:　　

The works of Wu Rijin has the direction of some fable. Via the transformation and camera shooting of the visual aspects from wolf to human beings, he presents the crazy, mad and destroying development and status of our times. The previous representative works of Wu Rijin – the series of City describes the unimaginable and crazy transformation of the recent 30 years in 　　China　　. This head portrait is his new trial, though these works are the head portraits of the persons, Wu Rijin is still expressing the mental feeling of the wolves in the wasteland. Actually, the wolf in the wasteland is the artist himself, what he describes is the mental crisis of the artist himself. In the reality, the degeneration in the moral and culture is giving off a rancid odor, while the artist is incompatible with this society. In his opinions, everything in the reality is just like the games, we are in the period of great transformation. Though we can feel that the new times will come, but the direct material benefits can be seen here are there in the realistic world, the spiritual ethic is not paid attention, the traditional culture and the thought of humanitarism is destroyed. There is a wolf coming from the wasteland, it symbolizes the diseases and crisis, but not destroy, not the crisis leading to death. Its roar is a kind of treatment, the receipt of this treatment is: it hopes the human being don’t substitute the real culture with the shallow and commercialized false culture.　　

The explanation to the works:　　

The works of Wang Baoming is a kind of painting equipment. He created such effects with a kind of industrial vesicant. The feeling of the vesicant is just like our society nowadays, it is prosperous apparently, but it is rotten, degraded, dirty and void substantially. Such eccentric and malformed facts are watching us, and making us have to review our living – what made our living so weary today? What made our spirit and faith so confused and vague? What makes us cannot find our exit and direction? Such rotten faces are watching us scomfully. They are seeming to say: these people must be crazy, or why they are enduring such bad and wither life without revolting? Whey are they willing to endure the abusing of power of the authority and dictator and living with self-mockery?　　

The explanation to the works:　　

The explanation to the works:　　

The series of We made by Zhang Xuehai come from of the panic generated in the times of SARS. At that time, the war in the 　Middle East　 makes the panic even worse, at the time, everyone felt that they are very tender. The reason of generating such feeling comes from the natural on one hand and comes from the society on the other hand. The force of nature makes the human being feel their tininess and shrug again. While, the social war is man-made, they can be avoided, but they are happening. This history can not be changed; all such content are reported everyday from TV and newspapers. We see the messages relating to the death everyday, the people have no places to hide, and the horror and damage are shrouding on the heart of everyone. So he is painting such black and lumbersome works. In terms of the images, he tries to express his feeling with the features of Chinese wash painting. The effects have been reached. These paintings with water stain can give a feeling of being oppressed and humiliated. Such feeling doesn’t come from the surface of the painting, but it has really expressed the contradiction, pain, anxiety and struggling of the artists. Such painting makes us think the survival of the human beings as well as the current cruel social conditions.