視覺的藝術與視網膜的藝術
文藝復興盛期包括在它之前的藝術，我認為是一種視覺藝術，包括埃及壁畫、希臘壁畫、羅馬壁畫到中世紀繪畫、文藝復興之前的繪畫等等。那麼中國的繪畫藝術也是典型的視覺藝術。我所認為的視覺藝術，它的特點在於一方面它來源於自然，比如説文藝復興前期的喬托，另一方面，在繪畫的因素、繪畫的自主方面又大大獨立於自然。什麼是視網膜的藝術呢？我認為視網膜的藝術是指自卡拉瓦喬以後，歐洲油畫體系逐漸轉向這種表達眼球作為晶體對外界的反映，就是表達人的視網膜特徵的這種藝術。這是人類的眼球晶體對外界的光色等自然因素的全面的模倣。我認為這樣的藝術，從卡拉瓦喬起，一直到19世紀，歐洲藝術的一個相當的成分是這個成分。我舉個典型的例子，維米爾的繪畫，它幾乎是對事物的一個透鏡般的模寫，這種藝術在19世紀到了頂峰。這種觀念，也就是繪畫的自然主義因素，繪畫更多的能力是表達了眼球晶體對自然界的依賴關係和模寫關係。提出這個概念的意義在於，在我們這個媒體越來越發達的時代，攝影、電影、電腦發達的時代，這些是典型的視網膜晶體藝術。在這個對繪畫産生越來越大壓力的時代該怎麼走？繪畫該怎麼保持自己的獨立性？我個人認為保持繪畫的視覺特徵，會是一個繪畫堅守自己本質的好的方向。
繪畫的崇敬感
我觀察了整個20世紀在世界佔主流地位的西方藝術所創作出的整體的圖像。我有這樣一個感觸，20世紀的圖像是充滿後工業化的、夢囈的、恐怖的、絕望的、令人不安的圖像，20世紀最廣泛的現象是人們普遍失去崇敬感，如果説拿它與整個人類幾千年藝術作比較的話，我對這種圖像的警示作用表示懷疑。我認為在幾千年中，繪畫曾經是重要的，或者説是非常重要的，就因它代表了跟人類信仰相關的，或者代表了人類精華的思想感情。這樣的作品我不用舉太多的例子，這是20世紀正在失去的東西，我認為繪畫在人們的心靈當中如果還應起重要作用的話，必須要有一批重要的藝術家，以他們卓越的心靈和才華，重新使繪畫回到表達人類的精華感情和心靈活動的這樣一個過程之中。
“十國之行”
在2000年，我按著西方文明成長的順序分別走訪了埃及、希臘、義大利、法國、德國等國家，這個行程我自稱為十國之行。我感到造型藝術是偉大和幸運的，在這個過程裏，我完全可以看到造型藝術在幾千年裏形成的成果以及相互的脈絡關係。在這一點上音樂和文學就困難得多，而造型藝術你可以看到從最早的馬斯塔巴或者最早的神殿，一直到我們最新的造型藝術成果，我們可以清晰地感到造型藝術的脈絡和它成長的過程以及價值。我在十國之行中觀察了整個造型藝術在幾千年中産生的偉大精神歷程和它所起的對人的支撐作用。在我看來，這一點在20世紀逐漸中斷了，我認為這是不正常的，我認為這個偉大的脈絡還應該延續下去。在這個時代，人類內心渴望的，就是這些偉大的藝術，她能夠在人們的生活之中起到更大的支撐作用，藝術依然能夠反映人類所應有的那種自信、偉大的心靈生活以及人的所有比較光明的價值部分。20世紀的藝術單一地表達人的精神分裂、迷狂、不安和無聊，以及瑣碎的個人化的描寫，是有很大不足和局限性的。20世紀是不是應該為自己的夢囈、精神分裂、自虐等價值驕傲，以及用狹隘的個人語匯來面對幾千年的藝術成果呢？
我近期的藝術追求
我在近年的藝術追求中，摒棄了繪畫的世俗化因素，強調了繪畫的平面感和某種繪畫的本質特徵，我尋求繪畫的永恒性以及內心的昇華感，並且使繪畫努力具有更強的精神力量。我共創作了大約三十幅作品，把它們作為普遍精神價值失落現象的一種回應。我在這些作品中尋找繪畫的持久存在與人性的精神，選擇並實踐一種最高級的持久精練的造型方式。
我的新畫
我這些畫不是為了人們的僅僅一瞥而畫，它們具有持久的特性，我在這些畫中實現某種繪畫曾有過的令人尊敬的特徵。我所做的努力並不是為了創造與這個世俗時代等同價值的東西，而是更為深遠的具有普遍價值的東西，我把目光投向人類的總體歷史並從中獲得我認為有價值的東西。我依賴這些作品表達了我們全部內在的昇華感，並使這些作品成為有關嚴格的理性與人類信念存在的標誌。我註定是孤獨的，因為沒有去做普遍市場意義的東西，也沒有去追逐浮淺的流行觀念，而是去實現高層次的精神存在。這些作品是長久以來我內心所期望的，它們經得起持久的注視。我在這些作品中探討了曾經千古流傳的廣義的造型方式，並在此之上建立個人的藝術感覺。
持久的藝術
我的藝術並不是為第一眼的觀賞而準備的，我已經把某種持久的本質孕育其中。不為人所接受是持久性藝術的最初待遇，開啟那偉大的存在。我希望創造經得起長久注視的藝術，尋求藝術的最高級形態——最初的、非表面的技巧藝術的藝術。我在最簡約的嚴格的視覺形式中重新尋求繪畫與精神，這完全是一種新的繪畫。我以自己的生活方式輕蔑人性的普遍世俗化和墮落。
繪畫的表層
在繪畫層面上我實現了一種可以“呼吸”的壁畫表層，以避免油畫的宮廷式錶層語言，我希望這些畫具有一種壁畫的元素，我使用了非常嚴整的畫結構以及蛋彩畫所具有的特別的包容性。在這個時代人的視覺正在變得恍惚與膚淺，由廣告與生活中的工業材料所決定的光滑表面造成的審美結果成為人們的視覺習慣。我迷戀一種泥土般的繪畫，親近、質樸、醇厚，我還傾向於大理石的時間感覺，乳色是我最傾心的，最有昇華感的。
內在的價值
在這個時代我認為最深刻的人類變遷是人們正在迅速地失去人的內在價值感。當代藝術對此的反映為，把因價值危急而出現的種種畸態的藝術作為對現實的回應。其實我認為這個現實真正需要的是正面地堅持內在價值的人與具有這種崇敬感的藝術，對人類的某種寶貴精神的持守與昇華。這是面對世俗大潮的最具挑戰性的回應。我堅信亙古以來，世界諸文明所擁有的一些人類基本價值是共同的。當代生活中種種人類危機，是對失去這種價值的反映。在人們追逐的風潮中，我看到了藝術信念的退化與追逐名利的輕狂。
我的畫風在回到早期的寧靜，我在尋求一種人類精神的重要一面，而整個當代藝術已經沉迷於人的墮落的末世圖景之中。我所探求的是人類有史以來具有支撐作用的那種精神理念，在這個時代這是少數，但是重要的存在。我的笨拙的努力，並不是為了創造與這個世俗時代等同價值的東西，而是更為深遠的具普遍價值的東西。我以這些似乎莊嚴的人物，回應在早年內心中産生的靜穆感。
The perpetual existence of spirit and the essence of painting
Chao Ge
Visual art and retinal art
The art before and during the Renaissance period could be considered as visual art, including Egyptian mural painting, Greek mural painting, Roman mural painting, the medieval painting and the painting before the Renaissance. Chinese painting can also be looked as visual art. On one hand, visual art comes from nature, such as Giotto in the early period of the Renaissance; on the other hand, the characteristics of visual art are independent from the nature in terms of the factors and self-determination of painting. What is retinal art? As far as I see, after Caravaggio, the entire European painting system turned gradually to the expression of the reflection of eyeballs about the outside world. That is to say, it is a kind of art to express the characteristics of the retina of human being. This is a kind of complete imitation of what reflection of the eyeballs on the outside lights, colors and other factors in nature. As far as I know, this kind of art, from Caravaggio to the nineteenth century, had occupied a considerable proportion in European art. Let me take a typical example, the painting of Vermeer was almost a complete imitation and depiction on the objects. This kind of art had reached its peak in the nineteenth century. This kind concept was also the effect of naturalism in painting, the strength of painting is more focused on the retina’s dependence on nature and on the imitation and depiction relations. The significance in such an advanced time with photographs, movies and computers, all these media are retinal art. What is the way for painting media to go in such a time? How should painting maintain its independence? Personally, I think maintaining the visual characteristics of painting may be a good direction in keeping one’s intrinsic characteristics in painting.
The respectability of painting
I have observed the overall picture generated by the main stream western art in the 20th century. I have such a feeling that the pictures of the 20th century were full of post-industrialism, terror and despair and they made people feel uneasy. The most pervasive phenomenon is that people lost their respect to art. If it is compared to the arts of the past thousands years in human history, I keep skeptical to the alarming function of this kind of picture. In my opinion, during the past thousand years, painting had been critical or even very critical, because it had represented the things related to people’s belief or had expressed the essential thoughts and feelings of human being. As for such kind of work, I need not propose too many examples. These are what was lost in the 20th century . From my point of view, if painting is to have an important role in people’s heart, there should be a group of important artists, who can revitalize painting to the progress of expressing the essential feelings and psychological behavior of human being with their outstanding talents.
“A trip to ten countries” in 2000, along the order of the western cultures, I traveled to Egypt, Greece, Italy, France, Germany and other countries respectively. I called that trip “a trip to ten countries”. I felt that the plastic arts were great and lucky. During that trip, I could completely find the achievements of plastic arts created during the past thousand years and the relations between each other. In this regard, music and literature seem to be much more difficult to perceive, but, with the plastic arts, you can see from the earliest to the latest achievements. We can clearly feel the venation of the plastic arts growing process as well as its value. During my trip to the ten countries, I observed the great developing path of plastic art in the past thousand years and its supportive function on human being. From my point of view, this point has been gradually interrupted in the 20th century, which, is abnormal. From my point of view, the great venation should be continued. Nowadays, what human being long for in their hearts are those great arts, which can play greater supportive roles in people’s lives, which can reflect the confidence and the great psychological behavior and the relatively bright value part of human being. The art in the 20th century simply expressed the schizophrenia, mania, uneasiness and vacuity as well as insignificant depiction of personalization. This kind of art has serious deficiencies and limitations. Should the 20th century be proud of schizophrenia and self-torture? Should the 20th century use a narrow language to cope with art achievements of the past thousand years?
My recent pursuit of art
During the recent years, I have given up the secular factors in painting, and have emphasized the complanation and essential characteristics of painting. I pursue the perpetuity of painting and the enhancing of spiritual life and I try my best to give painting a more powerful and spiritual strength. Having created more than 30 works, I take them as a kind of response to the phenomenon of the loss of universal spiritual value. I seek in these works the perpetual existence of painting and the spirit of humanity and choose and practise a most advanced, everlasting and polished plastic way.
My new work
These works are not created for a glance by people; they have the feature of durability. In the work, I revitalized the ever existing respectable characteristics of certain type of painting. The endeavors that I made are not for creating an equal value to the secular time; I made the endeavors for a deeper thing with universal value. I paid my attention to the overall history of human being and from which I obtained what I think is valuable. Through these works, I expressed the complete improvement in mind and made these works become the mark of strict rationality and the existence of human belief. Maybe I would be deemed to be lonely because I did not do focus on market importance, nor did I chase the shallow concepts in fashion. Therefore, these works have expressed what I longed for all the time and they can withstand everlasting gaze. In these works, I have discussed the best-known ways of plastic arts in extensive meaning, and have built a personal feeling for art.
Ever lasting art
My art is not prepared for the first sight appreciation. I have nurtured certain durable and lasting essence in painting. The durable art is always unaccepted at the initial phase but it explores a great existence. I wish I could create the art that can be appreciated for a long time. I seek for the most advanced form of art , the art of the foremost and non-superficial techniques. In the simplest and strict visual forms, I seek the painting and spirit again, which is totally a new kind of painting. I disdain the pervasive secularization and degeneration of humanity in my own life style.
The surface layer of painting
On the surface layer of paintings, I have realized a kind of mural painting that can “take breath”， in order to avoid the royal court genre of superficial language. I hope these paintings can own a kind of mural painting elements, so I adopt very strict framework and make use of the special capacity of tempera. At present, people’s vision is becoming in trance and superficial. The aesthetic results made by the smooth surface of industrial materials in advertisements and life have become a visual habit of human being. I am infatuated with a kind of soil like painting, which is approachable, simple and pure. I am also apt to the feeling of time of marbles. Opal marble is my favorite, which makes me feel a sense of sublimation.
The intrinsic value
At present time, I think the deepest change of human being is that people are losing the sense of intrinsic value rather rapidly. The reflection of contemporary art on this change is the appearance of various kinds of abnormal arts that reflect on the reality at emergent moments. In fact, I think what this reality really needs to the positive people that insist on the intrinsic value and the respectful art, as well as the persistence and enhancing on certain valuable spirit of human being. This is the most challengeable response to the secular tide. I believe that from the remote times, the fundamental value of human being in all civilizations of the world is almost the same. Various dangers of human being in contemporary lives are actually the reflection of loss of this kind of value. In the fashion-sought background, I have found the degeneration of art belief and the ostentation and hubris in chasing of fame and gain.
My painting style has returned to the early calm and quiet status. I am seeking for a critical aspect of human spirit, while the entire contemporary art has been trapped into the depraved end-day scene. What I explore and seek for is the supportive spiritual concepts ever existing in mankind’s history. Perhaps there are only a handful of them, but they do exist essentially. My humble efforts are not for creating something with the same value of this secular time, but for something deeper with universal value. I made responses to the feeling of calm and solemn in early years by these seemingly venerable characters.