——读刘建坤的绝版木刻有感

                    李忠翔

 

官渡区是距今日昆明城中心不过十余里的一个古镇，那儿有明代1458年建的金刚塔，有掺和着螺蛳壳筑就的土墙老屋等古文化遗迹。元朝之前这儿曾是滇池畔的渡口，故名官渡。数百年光阴流逝沧海桑田、官渡已成陆地，滇池之水距之远也。建坤就生活、工作在这样一个历史悠久、蕴涵丰富的自然、人文环境之中。他先后从事着民间美术的辅导、博物馆的文物调查研究工作，对民间美术、民俗风情、乡土文化文物的长期耳濡目染，为其艺术创作积累下丰富的素材，激发起创作的灵感。

而更为重要的是，目睹着都市现代化的改造，正迅速取代着人们长久以来所生存的环境及生活方式，那些充满人性、人情味的四合院、一颗印等传统建筑，那些古老的街道、庭院、那些在中国已经引领屋顶数千年的“瓦”，行将成为历史的绝唱。代之以冷冰冰的钢筋混凝土、玻璃幕墙、火柴盒高楼。绿色的田野越来越少，空气混浊天空灰暗……，压抑让人烦燥不安，怀旧正是乡土艺术的沃土。而此种乡土艺术的努力在我看来完全是一首无可奈何的挽歌，只不过希翼着凭借个人的所能，将那些行将消失的历史文化，留存于纸面，以作对心灵的慰藉。

建坤的版画所描绘的内容，大至可以分为三类：古镇、老宅的民俗生活场景，传统剧的演出，节庆日的龙舞、民间的自娱自乐、体育活动等。再是静静的行将被拆除的老屋、庭院。三是对土地农田的描绘。看这些画让人深切感受与时下现代文明的强烈反差，勾起人们对日渐逝去的恬静的生活，对大自然的纯美，对人与自然的融融和谐之情的怀念。这是建坤版画的精神意蕴所在。

建坤是以云南的绝版套色木刻技法创作，他的版画质朴，没有构图上的猎奇、色彩上的炫耀和技巧上的哗众取宠。象山民农家自酿的包谷酒一样淳香。他将绝版木刻的多层套印、多层色彩的互衬所产生的色块的丰富厚重感与民间绘画的线条造型自然地结合起来。其艺术风格与其版画创意的精神性追求相默契，很自然地表达了他所说的：“追求朴实，守望我们的精神家园，关注我们的生存环境。”这样一个创作心路。建坤是一个勤奋而有思想的画家。是云南很有个人特色的版画家。祝愿他有更多地优秀作品涌现。

 

2008年7月2日撰于赤甲山庄

 

 

李忠翔：国家一级美术师

中国美术家协会理事

中国版画家协会副主席

 

     Feelings after reading Liu Jiankun’s out of print wood printing

                                       Li Zhongxiang

Guandu district is an ancient town about 10 miles away from Kunming city. There is a JIN GANG pagoda built in 1458 Ming dynasty and old houses with soil wall contains shell and so on many ancient cultural relics. It was ferry of Dian lake before Yuan dynasty, so it is called Guan Du. As time passed, water of Dian lake is far from Guan Du, and Guan Du has become part of the mainland. Jiankun lives with the rich resource of history and humanity. He taught local residence fine art and research cultural relics for museums. All of these make he knows everything well in Kunming and give him fodder and inspiration of art. 

 

What is more important, the building of modern city is taking place of the traditional buildings with humanity such like quadrangle. The concrete and skyscrapers have replaced the old comfortable buildings. There is less and less green field but more and more polluted air, make people depressing , nostalgia is the motherland of local art. It is a copy of disappearing history on paper to comfort our hearts.

 

The content of Jiankun’s prints contains three kinds: first is everyday living scene of old houses and ancient town, the performance of traditional operas and dragon dance on festivals , local self-entertainment, sports and so on; second is the old houses and courts which will be removed soon; third is description of land and farm. These paintings show the great contrast of modern civilization and make people yearn the disappearing sweet life, natural beauty and the harmony between human and nature. This is the spirit point of Jiankun’s print.

 

Jiankun uses out-of-printing chromatically technology to create his works. His prints are simple without frivolous composition and colors as sweet as self-brewage corn wine by farmers in countryside. He combines the rich varieties of color produced by color layers of out-of-print chromatically with the traditional painting lines naturally. His art style has a perfect combine with his creation spirit which is “seeking simple, guard our spirit hometown, pay attention to our living environment”. Jiankun is a hard-working and thoughtful artist and also a special print artist in Yun Nan province.

2^nd July 2008 in red armour house

Li Zhongxiang

National first class artist

Syndic of China Artists Association

Vice-president of China Print Association