文/徐曉燕
這許多年以來，我的興趣一直都在描繪自然景物上，這也許是天性所致，自我的東西比較適合於我，我也在表達方式上作過一些嘗試，力求更能貼近我的感受，道出心聲。
在我的作品裏，幾乎都有莊稼地、菜地。構圖也是平鋪而去的，但我從未感到過單調。莊稼，這一人類與大自然合作的尤物，又凝結了人類希望與情感，在我的眼裏體現著自然的造化，也帶來了我對人性本身的思索。
我選擇大地這一母題，還因為我看到了一切生命隨著大地一年四季，週而复始，幾經盛衰輪迴，又終歸於大地而永恒、完美、迷人。
在同一季秋天，我曾感受過大自然對人類的慷慨奉獻之情，又看到了那些被剝去果實又割下頭穗的玉米殘茬，在那夕陽下，在風中佇立著的秸稈，枯草，我的心也隨之長久的不平靜，然而大自然又讓我頓悟了，這也無法改變的真實，不可言喻的美麗動人便是真實的一切，我越來越覺得，藝術的描寫實在是藝術家心智的自白，是借助你描寫對象而創造出來一各精神境界，這各精神境界不僅源於藝術家對自我的關注與捕捉，更有賴於藝術家無限的霞想和熱烈的情懷。
最近我完成的一組《秋季風景》系列，對於我來説有著某種特殊的意義，不在乎它是否完美而出於它的真實，更由於它成為我堅定的主題：自然——生命。
凡高的一語可以道出的心願，“一個勞動者的形象，一塊耕地上的犁溝，一片沙灘，海岸與天空都是重要的描繪對象，這些都不是容易畫的，但同時都是美的，終於從事于表現隱藏在它們之中的詩意，確實是值得的。”
NATURE-LIFE
XU XYAOYAN
For all these years, I’ve focused on the depiction of natural views. Perhaps I was born a love of nature, with which I am always at ease. Also, I’ve experinmented with new approaches of expression, trying to express the feelings buried deep in my heart.
Nearly all paintings feature fields of crops or vegetables. The composition, which is forever plain and simple, has never made me feel monotonous. A captivating product of the collaboration between humanity and nature, crops carry the hope the hope and passion of human beings. In my eyes, crops are an embodiment of nature itself; they have driven me to reflect on reflect on human nature.
I have chosen the motif of earth because I find it enchanting to behold all the lives on the earth following the cycle of seasons and going through all the vicissitudes, before ultimately returning to the vast land. What and eternally perfect process!
In autumn, overwhelmed by nature’s selfless generosity toward humanity, I will find myself at a loss, looking upon the corn stalks robbed of their fruits and then beheaded; the crop stalks and weeds swaying in the wind disturb me profoundly, Nature, however. soon makes me realize that all of these are just a fact of life. The beauty that begs description turns out to be the ultimate truth. It has gradually come to me that the artistic portrayal is actually a manifestation of the artist’s inner world. In other words, the subject serves as a medium for the painter to create a spiritual realm, which is based on the unceasing exploration of nature a well as the boundless, passionate imagination on the part of the artist.
The “Autumn Scenery” series ,which I completed recently, is of special significance for me. Its truthfulness, not its faultlessness, is what really matters. It is another monument to my consistent theme of nature-life.
My wish finds its most apt expression in an observation by Vincent van Gogh, which goes like this, the image of a man working, the furrows left by the plough, a stretch of beach, coast, or sky, all these are important subjects to be depicted; they are difficult to paint, but they are beautiful. It is indeed worthwhile to spend a lifetime exposing the poetry concealed in them.