記錄者

斯蒂格奧克·斯鐸納克

(Stiq-Åke Stålnacke)

緣起馬新民的藝術世界

     一次又一次地與藝術相逢讓我懂得，人的自由存在于藝術之中。同樣數以千計的藝術文章、藝術家人像和藝術評論也讓我懂得，愛常常通過藝術來塑造。藝術可以作為歸宿和舞臺，屬于人的存在的最溫馨時刻。

    丹麥詩人言斯·奧古斯特·夏德 (Jens August Schade) 曾寫道：“人與人相遇，甜美的音樂由此而生”。但我想說的是：“人通過圖畫來表達，愛浮現其中”。當我站在中國畫家馬新民的作品面前時，這些是我的感受和體驗。

      這里展示的若干幅畫作，僅僅是一個壓縮的嘗試，描述他的作品所要賦予的關于快樂和苦難的、濃烈富集和顛覆三觀的感受，賦予那些想要打開自己的心扉、想要成為一名探尋者的人。

      這是因為：很長時間以來，我一直在觀察藝術，例如報刊雜志、廣播電臺和電視節目中的藝術評論。我經歷過無數次引人入勝和撲朔迷離的繪畫探險的體驗。

      我曾相遇過打開通向愛的冒險之窗的繪畫和藝術作品。

    （但不幸的是，我也相遇過太多枯燥無味的程式化操作。見識了毫無意義的東施效顰般的藝術。)

     但此時此刻 - 終于姍姍來遲 - 我相遇了一種以力量和原創性攫住我的藝術。這位藝術家的名字叫馬新民。

      與他的繪畫相遇，感覺如飲一杯清涼的甘泉，清爽提神。這正是那種我需要讓我得以繼續呼吸的相遇和補給。

      作為藝術家而言，馬新民是一位探尋者。他將自己敏感的觸角，伸向外界，伸向內心。他是渴望著進行全方位搜索的探尋者。他盡情拋灑自己的追求，為了找到能夠給他精神食糧的種子。馬新民是如饑似渴地找尋精神和詩的力量的藝術家。

    他的繪畫中的追求者/探尋者形象，我們可以在他的那些充滿關愛的地圖中看到，這是關于我們生活的財富的尋寶圖。這是每時每刻指向心靈中那首歌的尋寶圖/藝術品。這是不時地慢慢融化我心靈的冰霜的藝術品和繪畫。這位藝術家在自己的藝術中，聚焦于內心的旅行。

      但即便如此，它們也不是缺乏真實的繪畫。

    作為藝術評論家，我不會并且從不 - 請原諒我說從不 - 將一件藝術品剖解成凋零的碎片。我們要觀察整體。這就是我的所見。

看過馬新民的藝術之后，我有一種強烈的愿望要引用一下我自己。以前我曾為一個藝術創作寫過：

     這種藝術涉及悲天憫人的關照和敏銳、激情四射的強烈欲望情愫：

欲望的圖像

生命的心覺

生命的搏擊

生命的搏擊，我汲取營養的源泉。

難道真是這樣如此簡單嗎？

是的，就是這樣簡單。

馬新民揭示了簡單的魔術。

       但這不能也絕不會隱藏，在馬新民的創作中存在的、關于痛苦和脆弱的有意義的印記。在光鮮的火紅繪畫里面，我們可以從閃閃發光的美麗中，窺見繪畫如何也作為載體，承載著那些受傷與脆弱。

      我看過許多許多他的繪畫，我想要指出的是，我已經很久都沒有經歷過，在馬新民的藝術作品中給我帶來的那種震撼心靈的相遇。正是在這里，我看到了一個藝術家的全部率真。

      我真的不知道在我作為藝術評論家六十年生涯中，有曾看到過馬新民的令人受煎熬般美麗的系列作品中，那種具有如此強烈動力的藝術。這是藝術在表白赤裸裸的真實。

      還有比建立在對生活的熱愛之上的藝術更偉大的嗎？

      馬新民的藝術正是擁有這樣的根基。這對我而言高山仰止，對許許多多其他人亦如此。簡單的美麗和詩意時有出現。

      馬新民的藝術是一種活在心中的藝術。

      對藝術作品的評論、介紹和審視，可以有多種不同的方式。人們可以顯示自己的博覽群書、見多識廣和藝術科學見解，并且將藝術作品淹沒在一片抽象中。這甚至可以意味著，把藝術家包裹在云里霧里，讓別人無法企及。當我站在藝術作品之前，當我相遇這些有著高度抽象性的繪畫時，我常常不得不展露我自身的不足。

     當我們談到馬新民的藝術時，第一次相遇他的作品，絲毫沒有任何難以言狀。但當我試圖形容他的作品時，我想重申一下藝術家卡勒·海德伯格(Kalle Hedberg) 的經典名言。

     他曾說道：“技能固然重要。但意愿和張力具有更大價值。作為一位藝術家而言，與其混跡于一群庸碌無為的蕓蕓大眾，莫如犧牲在壯烈的搏斗中。”

    卡勒·海德伯格的話，再適合馬新民的藝術不過。在他的繪畫中，恰恰存在著搏斗與張力。這些是他的藝術的深刻內涵，使其時時既豐富多彩又動人心弦。

      歷久彌新。

斯蒂格奧克·斯鐸納克

     Thousands upon thousands of meetings with art have taught me that man's freedom may be found in the art. Likewise thousands of art articles, artist portraits and reviews have taught me that love can often be embodied in the art. Art can be the home and stage for the most tender moments of existence.

     The Danish poet Jens August Schade wrote: “People meet and sweet music fills the heart”. I would like to say: “People talk through an image and love emerges”. Such is my feeling and experience when I find myself before the Chinese artist Ma Xinmin’s works.

     Here, on a few sheets, a compressed attempt to describe the rich and dramatic feeling of happiness and pain that his works bestow – bestow upon those who open their minds – who want to be a scout.

    This was the background: For a very long time, I have been looking at art, as a reviewer in daily newspapers and magazines and on radio and TV. I had several exciting and tumultuous experiences of image adventures.

     I had met images, works of art that have opened windows to the adventure of love.

    (But unfortunately, I had also met too much of a tiresome rut. Had met art that was meaningless repetitions.)

      But then came – at long last – the meeting with an art that took hold of me with power and originality. The name of the artist is Ma Xinmin.

      The meeting with his images felt as refreshing as a glass of cold spring water. It is that kind of meetings and consumption that I need to have the strength to go on breathing.

     As an artist, Ma Xinmin is a scout. He directs his sensitive tentacles outwardly as well as inwardly. He is the scout who eagerly seeks in all directions. He throws his quest out there to find the seed that will give him spiritual nutrition. Ma Xinmin is the artist who eagerly seeks mental and poetic power.

     The searcher/scout in his images we can in his tender charts about our lives’ riches. It is charts/works of art that constantly point inwards toward the heart's song. Sometimes it is about artwork, images that thaw the frozenness of my soul. In his art, this artist brings the inner journey into focus.

      And yet not an image that is not true.

      As an art critic, I do not want to and never – say never – break a piece of art into details that tear to rags. We see a wholeness. That is what I see.

      I see Ma Xinmin's art and get a strong desire to quote myself. Thus, I once wrote about an artistry:

     (the below also applies to Ma Xinmin's art)

      “This art is about the partly careful and partly blazingly strong lust sensations:

Lust images 

Life sensations 

Life boosts 

Life boosts that I draw nutrition from. 

Maybe it is as simple as that? 

Yes, that is how simple it is. 

Ma Xinmin reveals the magic of simplicity.

      But is must and shall never be concealed that there is, in Ma Xinmin’s creations, significant elements of pain, vulnerability. In flaming red images we can, in the midst of the brilliant beauty, see how the image also becomes a bearer of the ravaged and fragile.

     I see many, many of his images and I want to say that it was a long time since I saw such a gripping meeting in artwork as I see with Ma Xinmin, in his artistry. That is where I see the total sincerity in an artistry.

    I frankly do not know if I have ever, during my sixty years as an art critic, actually seen art with such a strong dynamic as in Ma Xinmin’s suite of painfully beautiful works. It is art that speaks the straight truth.

     Is there anything bigger than an art that builds on the love of life?

     That is the foundation of Ma Xinmin’s art. It is big enough for me and for many, many. Not rarely does it own the beauty and poetry of simplicity.

      Ma Xinmin’s art, art that lives close to the heart.

      Commenting on, highlighting, reviewing artwork can be done in many different ways. One can demonstrate erudition, broad knowledge, artistic insights and drown artworks in abstractions. It may even entail cloaking the artist in a haze that no one can reach. I often have to disclose my own insufficiency when I am faced with artwork, when I encounter images that have a high degree of abstraction.

      With regard to Ma Xinmin's art, the works can, at the first encounter, appear slightly difficult to describe. But when I try to describe his art, I recall the artist Kalle Hedberg's classic words.

     He said:“Talent means something. But the will, the tension, has greater value. It is bigger to see an artist fall in battle than walk in single file in an idle mass.”

     These words by Kalle Hedberg can easily be adapted to Ma Xinmin’s art. There in his images was the struggle, the tension. It carries his art and occasionally makes it rich as well as exciting.

     Utterly alive.

Stig Åke Stålnacke