文 中國周刊 2007年第51期

又是一個繁花似錦的春天。

北京近郊，碧水山莊。藝術大師范曾居住的抱沖齋旁，桃花灼灼，綠草芬芳。正在北京舉辦三峽遠古風系列油畫畫展的當代著名畫家陳可之登門切磋技藝。窗外春光明媚，室內笑聲朗朗，藝術的心靈在這里溝通，藝術思辯的空間在這里延伸。

 

 

藝術家相見，話題自然從作品評講開始。

說到陳可之的作品，范曾說，很多年來，他一直關注陳可之的創作，對他的作品印象深刻。說到這里，他談起了陳可之早年的成名作《歷史》。范曾認為，作者對生活的認識并非人云亦云，而是有他自己的獨特見解，那個正在給劉少奇畫像擦去灰塵的少女背影，似乎也凝聚著豐富的人民感情。如果說少女手中那塊抹布是一種象征，那就是象征了廣大人民群眾對歷史的正確解讀。這幅作品的藝術語言雖然單純，人物形象卻洗練有力。說到這里，范曾揮動起手臂模仿那個少女的姿勢，久久沒有放下。

陳可之的巨型油畫作品《重慶大轟炸》，以聞名中外的“五·三”、“五·四”大轟炸，“六·五”大隧道窒息慘案為基點，全景式展示了抗日戰爭時期，作為中國抗戰陪都的重慶，遭受日本侵略者轟炸的歷史瞬間，畫中的人物高達萬人，每一個局部都有很強的故事性。

陳可之告訴范曾，這是一次他終生難忘的創作歷險。創作人員把重慶認真地走了一遍。陳可之回憶說，他在皇嘉大酒店頂層的水箱上，腰拴安全繩，看到了城市輪廓，眼前一下子豁然開朗，“在這里，我看到了山城的巍峨與秀美，歷史與現代。”談到對《重慶大轟炸》的印象，范曾說：“畫面恢弘，氣勢磅礴。從畫中可以看出你對歷史的思索和對藝術的不懈追求。”

 

 

在中國畫壇，陳可之是一位頗有特色的重量級畫家。早在1979年，年僅18歲的陳可之就以油畫《歷史》崛起于畫壇；1987年創作的《冬日晨曦》、1993年推出的《東方之子》更使他名聲大噪；1999年，陳可之的《三峽晨曲》作為北京人民大會堂重慶廳特大屏風被長期陳列。而被稱為“三峽怪才”的他，從1996年開始便不斷深入三峽庫區，用畫筆記錄下三峽已經消失和正在消失的壯美景觀。

范曾很認真地傾聽了陳可之藝術之路的敘述。范曾對陳可之說：“你的成長之路十分坎坷，但正是這種磨難成就了你，成就了你今天的藝術地位。”《重慶大轟炸》引發的著作權糾紛案，拖累了陳可之將近兩年的寶貴時間，但是，在繁雜的訴訟程序中，陳可之沒有消沉，更沒有放下自己的畫筆，反倒創作了一系列更有價值的作品。談到這里，范曾插話說：“磨難對于一位偉大的藝術家來說，經常是創作的源泉。只有經歷磨難并以平和的心態對待，人才能有所成就。”

 

 

多年來，陳可之到夔門、過三峽，大江截流及每一次水位上漲，他都趕赴峽江，搶拍珍貴素材資料；他從不厭倦地觀察地殼運動的神奇構造；研讀藏于山水之間的古詩絕句，陳可之以他對自然遺產的虔誠感悟和天資，將對時空長河的理解與傳統文化的氣質融入油畫之中。

談到成功舉辦的三峽系列畫展，陳可之說，隨著舉世矚目的長江三峽水利工程的進展，三峽新文物的出土又將三峽文化的起源上溯了近千年。近十年來，他用心血創作了三峽系列，不僅想彰顯出美奐絕倫的三峽美景，同時也想呈現三峽文化的瑰麗與神秘。

在評價陳可之三峽系列油畫時范曾認為，社會呼喚屬于時代的藝術精品，在陳可之的作品里他讀到和感到對人民、對民族、對國家、對時代的忠誠。從藝術史的角度看，深刻地反映社會歷史的重大題材，而又具有藝術價值的作品總會受到歷史的垂青，也是人類社會文化遺產的重要組成部分。當前，中國藝術呼喚崇高與理想，呼喚陽剛與大氣的時代精神。“陳可之你做到了，你不但是一位優秀的畫家，你也將會是一位偉大的畫家！”

得知今年秋天陳可之將在國家美術館舉辦個人畫展，范曾說：“我要為你的畫展題字。”一句真誠的言語，相通的藝術心靈。

我們期待金秋，陳可之藝術之果更加豐碩！

 

Chen Kezhi is a very prestigious oil painter in the fine arts circle of China. Having been drawing the large-scale portraits of the state leaders for many social institutions since seven or eight years old, Chen was praised as a “child prodigy”. His works were chosen to be exhibited in the “National Mobile Exhibition of the Works by the Students from Schools of Fine Arts”. When he was a sophomore in Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 1979, and was fascinated by the painting of historic events. His “History” became a representative work of the “Scar School” of Sichuan, which was highly appraised by the veteran art critic of our country such as Wang Zhaowen. In 1981, he finished “Water of Yanhe River”, an oil painting with great influence. In 2000, his "Soul of Yangtze River – Boat Trackers in Three Gorges” won the golden medal of “Stars Award” of Ministry of Culture. Chen led his collective to make vigorous effort for 2 years and finished “Big Bombing in Chongqing 1938 – 1943” in 2004. It is a mighty and grand work of art involving the images of thousands of people in a tragic and miserable scene. It won the “Peace Contribution Award” in Japan in 2004 and made him a celebrity. In 1987, his “Sunshine of a Winter Morning” won the golden medal (ranking the first) of the first Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition held by China Artist Association. At the distinguished academic gathering to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Chinese oil painting, Chen’s solid art achievements and the original aptitude for great historic events were well demonstrated once again.

Since 1996, Chen Kezhi has devoted himself to the 100 oil paintings of the Three Gorges series for 10 years. These paintings reproduce the original impression of the Three Gorges that has forever disappeared, deliver the mystic atmosphere of the orient and the majestic scenery of China, and provide the profound humanist ideal with the immemorial weight.

“Oriental Son”, an oil painting by Chen Kezhi is now collected by the Olympic Museum of Switzerland, for which Samaranch wrote a letter to express his gratefulness. Other works of Chen are collected by Lincoln Art Center of the United States, China National Museum of Fine Arts, the Great Hall of the People, Memorial Museum of Chinese People's Anti-Japanese War, China Three Gorges Museum of Chongqing and many institutions and individuals throughout the world. When Chen Kezhi was young and thriving, he attended the JSD auction of the modern oil paintings in Hong Kong in 1993 and thus became one of the artists who first attended auctions after the reforming and opening. The outstanding performance of his oil painting works at the auctions of modern oil paintings and the soaring auction price manifested the great appreciation potential of Chen's works.

Chen Kezhi was born in 1961. His name was listed in IBC Cambridge, Britain, “Who’s Who in the World” of U.S. Encyclopedia, “Predominant Figures in Modern China” and the CD book entitled “Top 100 Artists in Modern China”. In 1993, he was interviewed by the China Central Television for a special column in “Oriental Son”. He acquires the allowance granted by the State Council for experts with special contribution. He is a member of All-China Youth Federation, council member of Chongqing Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and vice chairman of World Artists Association (US). He also published the works like “Selections of Chen Kezhi’s Oil Paintings” and “Peace Declaration of Poem and Painting”.