從劉永剛接受中國國際廣播電臺採訪的一段談話中可以看出，在上世紀90年代初期，劉永剛對德國表現主義美術非常關注，在一次觀看德國表現主義美術作品展覽時，感覺這些作品與他自己所想像的美術作品表現形式十分相近，由此決定了他的德國留學和創作生涯。
每一個人的思維總是體現出一貫的風格和模式，藝術家更是如此。任何一個藝術家最後的思維方式的選擇，並不是突兀的創新，而是在一個連續的生長過程中的逐漸將其獨一無二的特徵予以強化。在每一個自以為新奇的“拐點”，其實都深藏著一條由來已久的線索。劉永剛對德國表現主義的理解以及所産生的認同感，恰恰是他一以貫之的思維方式之延續。在其早期所創作並引起業界關注的油畫作品《北薩拉的牧羊女》中，就可以看到有諸多因素暗合德國表現主義繪畫精神。
德國表現主義在其初起階段，繼承了北歐各國傳統藝術中的表現主義傾向。在早期日耳曼人的所謂“蠻族”藝術、中世紀的哥特藝術和文藝復興時期以博斯、勃魯蓋爾為代表的藝術家創作的作品中，可以感受到強烈的表現主義傾向。表現主義中能夠吸引劉永剛的因素是什麼呢？或者説，劉永剛究竟從德國表現主義藝術中受到了什麼樣的啟迪、從而促使他義無反顧地奔向了這個國度？雖然沒有直接與劉永剛交換過意見，但是，從他的藝術創作生涯中可以感受到，這是解讀劉永剛的藝術理念和作品的一把重要的鑰匙。
正如“橋社”（DruckeDie，成立於1905年）的創始人凱爾希納（Ernst LudwigKirchner，1880—1938）在一份宣言中所倡導的：“每一個人，每一個屬於我們的人，直接地、毫不虛偽地表現出驅使他們進行創作的東西。”他們在讚賞凡·高、高更和蒙克的作品的同時，對原始藝術亦懷有虔誠的態度。愁悶、空虛和木偶般的神態幾乎成為這類表現主義作品的標誌性圖像。高更曾經認為：“人類現代智慧在詳盡的分析中失去自身的作用，它甚至連最簡單或最顯而易見的東西也感覺不到。”（愛德華·路西—史密斯：《西方當代美術》，1986）在這樣的藝術主張和推崇的藝術作品現象之下，其策略性的重點是對原始主義的理解和運用。從西方當代戲劇理論來説，原始主義（Primitivism）無疑包含著三個方面：表演性、儀式性和狂歡性。（吳飛：《先鋒與原始——論先鋒派戲劇的三個特徵》）表現主義的藝術家將原始主義的視覺直覺性納入到創作手段之中，在表達非理性、激情、神秘和主觀性方面起到了重要作用。曾經何時，這種神秘的激情和帶有暗示意味的表現風格啟發了中國當代的藝術家，由此産生了一些重要的作品。劉永剛在1987年創作並受到業界好評的油畫作品《北薩拉的牧羊女》即是這類風格的代表作品。無論從人物造型，還是色彩的處理，均反映出劉永剛對隱秘的激情和主觀意趣表述的興趣。近乎于笨拙和僵硬的人物姿態，顯示出作者對儀式性的原始主義藝術因素的敏感。
10多年的留學和創作生涯，並沒有將劉永剛的藝術禁錮在他曾經鍾情過的德國表現主義之中，而是將促使劉永剛的藝術創作實踐向著超越表現主義精神的方向邁進。劉永剛曾經談到：“到了國外以後看了很多展覽、很多作品，都覺得在大學學的，包括到國外學的，看著看著，學著學著，最後沒有了自己，還是屬於一種向人學習，不斷地向人學習，向人模倣。越是這樣，走到一個極端的時候，發現要有自己。那這個自己哪兒來？一定要有根。根在哪兒？在祖國大地傳統文化上。傳統文化我喜歡文字。我從小就喜歡文字。那我就開始有回歸，所謂的回歸，就是把（中國）傳統的各個歷史時期的文字開始進行研究，做比較，最後，其實也就是（把）這種（文字的）形狀、構造，變成一種形象的，或者視覺的。”（引自中國國際廣播電臺訪談節目）這段談話揭示了劉永剛在藝術創作觀唸有了新的發展，其內涵就是要將中國傳統文化和藝術因素融入到當代藝術形式的表述之中。
在這一時期，劉永剛創作了大量的富有抽象表現主義精神的作品。眾所週知，抽象表現主義在反具象化美學觀念、自我表徵和自我情感的強度表達方面與表現主義一脈相承。劉永剛的這類作品以強有力和狂放不羈的筆觸以及強烈而奔放的色彩表達出一種凝重的力量，一些“十”字型構圖的畫面凸現出一種神聖的宗教意味。這或許是原始主義中的“儀式性”和“狂歡性”交織的結果。頗耐人尋味的是，劉永剛在這類作品中有意強化了中國傳統書法的書寫意味。中國文化傳統所具有的寫意性與現代西方文化所秉持的抽象性有著易於溝通之處。在習慣以主、客體二元對立的方法論觀察和認識世界的西方人看來，擺脫客觀對象的表面形象而以抽象形態亦有其魅力所在。中國人所貫持的“天人合一”理論則顯示出主、客體一元論的方法論。正如沃林格爾（WilhelmWorringer，1875-1965）所論：“東方人知道，在他的有限性中，他是不可能看到神的。”（《哥特形式論》，張堅等譯）這一認識論特徵決定了中國人更關注具有抽象意味的形式，如對書法藝術的領悟與鑽研，以及對筆墨趣味的審美觀照。劉永剛敏銳地抓住了這種東、西方文化和藝術中的精神及其變化，巧妙地將西方當代藝術的形式與精神融入他對中國傳統藝術精神的思考之中，創造出了富有東方精神的當代藝術作品。
劉永剛在關注東方、尤其是中國傳統因素的同時，對他所感興趣的一種更加原始的人類情感以及力量進行了獨到的考察，其結果就是以《愛擁》為主題的系列雕塑作品的出現。劉永剛在談到這組作品的立意時説：“用愛，擁抱全世界，擁抱全人類，擁抱全社會，擁抱每一天！有愛，才能相互擁有！讓愛，擁有天下！”劉永剛在甲骨文、蒙古文甚至巴斯巴文中找到了靈感。
看到劉永剛的《愛擁》，不禁聯想到布朗庫西的《吻》。布朗庫西以及其簡約和寫意的手法，將一對擁吻的戀人之愛昇華到一個充滿具體內容的愛的理念。那種溫馨在觀者心中引起深厚的暖流，它所産生的感動是任何一件寫實作品所不能比擬的。布朗庫西注重純粹而完整的直覺，以極度單純的造型表達對事物本質的感受。顯然，劉永剛也力圖以一種簡潔的表述方式，將主題“愛”以抽象化和擬人化結合起來，對“愛”的本質作出自己的闡釋。但是，劉永剛所闡述的“愛”是超越了一切人為限制的“博愛”，是“仁者愛人”之“愛”。當樊遲請教何為“仁”時，孔子答：“愛人。”（《論語·顏淵》）可以説，個體生命的“愛”與社會性的“仁”是互為內容和互為本質的。有論者指出：“單就生命個體而言，‘仁’實質上是對生命本體的一種張揚和呼喚，是生命個體在持續不斷發展中所孜孜以求的目標與化境，同時也是個體生命完善的一種推動力和牽引力。”（張涵、史鴻文：《中華美學史》）劉永剛試圖表現的就是這樣一種高度抽象化而有豐富內涵的“愛”之理念。
劉永剛的這些雕塑作品以“愛”這一主題為主要線索，讓抽象的文字以擬人化的形態做出擁抱的姿態，然後生發出千姿百態的結構。這些雕塑作品給人以厚重而柔軟的感覺，在作者表現出對材料的敏感和獨特理解的同時，將這些堅硬的石材化作溫厚而柔和的生命。無論是高大的露天雕塑，還是中國美術館展廳內的小型雕塑，當它們以方陣的形式陳列在人們眼前的時候，觀眾仿佛看到了這些形體富有生命力的生長。或宏偉，或茁壯，均表現出一種力的擴展感。在這裡，曾經深深影響過劉永剛的表現主義精神得到了轉化與改造，表現主義或者抽象表現主義所具有的神秘感被代之以更加充滿陽光感的正面頌揚。在此，可以清晰看到劉永剛將西方當代藝術傳統與中國文化傳統精神結合在一起的努力。
羅伯特·戈德沃特（RobertGoldwater,1907-1973）在討論原始主義的界定時曾經説過：“最終，單純性和根本性的實質便是它們中有價值的、為它們而存在的：換句話説，是假設一個人在歷史上、心理上和美學上越是返璞歸真，事情就越單純；由於它們更單純，它們也就更深刻、更重要、更有價值。”（《現代藝術中的原始主義》，殷泓譯）這段話既可以作為理解劉永剛現有作品的註釋，也可以看作是對劉永剛的《愛擁》系列一個值得期待的、有待進一步延展的廣闊領域的描述。
（郭曉川，美術學博士，藝評人，《今日中國美術》主編，北京中力文化體育公司藝術品投資總顧問）
Appearance andEssence: the Development of Liu Yonggang’s Artistic Outlook
Guo Xiaochuan,PhD, fellow of China Arts Academy, famous critic of fine arts
It is apparentfrom China Radio International’s interview with Liu Yonggang thathe started to be interested in German expressionism in the early1990s. At an exhibition of German expressionist works, he foundthat they were very similar to his idea of the best way ofexpression. Therefore he decided to pursue his studies and careerin Germany.
There is aconsistent style and pattern to everyone’s thinking, and that isall the more true of artists. The selection of the way of thinkingis not sudden innovation, but the intensification of some uniquefeature in a continuous process. In every seemingly new ‘turn’ ishidden a clue of long standing. Liu’s understanding and acceptanceof German expressionism are exactly the continuation of his way ofthinking. In one of his earlier works that aroused interest in hispeers, Shepherdess of Northern Sala, one could see many factorsthat coincide with the spirit of German expressionism.
At itsbeginning, German expressionism carried on the expressionisttendency in the traditional arts of Northern European countries.That tendency could be strongly felt in the ‘barbaric’ arts ofearly Germanic people, the medieval Gothic art, and works by suchRenaissance artists as Bosch and Bruegel. What was it aboutexpressionism that fascinated Liu? Or, what was it aboutexpressionism that inspired him to go to Germany? Though I haven’tdiscussed that with Liu, I can tell from his artistic career thatit is an important key to understanding his artistic outlook andworks.
As advocated byErnst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938), who founded Drucke Die in 1905,in a manifesto, ‘Everyone, every one of us, will express whatdrives them to create directly and without any insincerity.’Praising Van Gogh, Gauguin and Manch, they held primitive arts inpious esteem. Melancholy, emptiness and puppet-like expressionswere almost characteristic of such expressionist works. Gauguinwent so far as to believe that ‘modern human intelligence has lostits function in elaborate analyses; it fails to feel the simplestand the most obvious.’ (Edward Lucie-Smith, Contemporary WesternFine Arts, 1986) Under such a principle, their strategic focus wasthe understanding and use of primitivism. In terms of the theory ofcontemporary western theatre, primitivism has three orientations:performance, ritual and carnival (Wu Fei, The Avant-garde and thePrimitive: Three Characteristics of the Avant-garde Theatre).Expressionist artists incorporate the visual intuition ofprimitivism into their means of creation, which went a long way toexpressing irrationality, passion, mysteriousness and subjectivity.The mysterious passion and suggestive expressionism inspiredcontemporary Chinese arts to create important works. One of themasterpieces is the world-acclaimed oil painting Shepherdess ofNorthern Sala painted by Liu in 1987. The rendering of the humanfigure and colors reflect his interest in latent passion andsubjective meanings. The posture of the human figure, almost clumsyand stiff, indicates his sensitivity to ritualistic primitivismart.
Instead ofconfining his art to German expressionism, the ten-odd years ofstudy and creation will take his creative practice beyond theexpressionist spirit. As he said, ‘After I saw a lot of exhibitionsand works abroad, I found that for all that I learned in collegeand saw abroad, I had lost myself. I was still learning andimitating. But I finally came upon the point where I found itnecessary to be myself. How do I find myself? I got to find myroot. Where is the root? It’s the traditional Chinese culture. I’vebeen fond of Chinese characters since I was young. So I started toreturn. That is, I began to study and compare characters ofdifferent periods of the tradition. And finally, I turned theirshapes and compositions into visual images.’ (quoted from CRI’sinterview with Liu). That indicates that his artistic outlookexperienced some new development, that is, the incorporation oftraditional Chinese culture and art into the formal expression ofcontemporary art.
It was duringthat period that Liu created a large number of works of abstractexpressionism. As we know, abstract expressionism is in line withexpressionism in terms of the anti-figurative aesthetic view,self-indication and the forceful expression of the artist’s ownfeelings. Liu’s works convey a dignified power with powerful,uninhibited strokes and rich, bold colors. Some compositions thatfeature the cross convey religious sacredness. That may be theresult of the interweaving of the ritual-orientation andcarnival-orientation in primitivism. Interestingly enough, Liudeliberately accentuated the importance of ‘writing’ in traditionalChinese calligraphy. The stress on the spirit or impression in theChinese cultural tradition is similar to the importance attached toabstractness in modern western culture. In the eye of westerners,who are used to perceive the world in terms of the binaryopposition between the subject and the object, the abstraction ofthe object is also fascinating. The Chinese belief in tianrenheyi,or man being an integral part of nature, suggests unity of thesubject and the object. As Wilhelm Worringer (1875-1965) observed,‘Easterners known that they cannot see god in his limitedness.’(Form in Gothic, tr. Zhang Jian et al) That epistemologicalcharacteristic determines that the Chinese care more about formsthat suggest abstractness, as embodied in their perception andstudy of calligraphy, and their aesthetic appreciation of theinterest of ‘brush and ink’. Liu was keen enough to grasp thespirits and changes of Chinese and western arts and cultures, andwas ingenious enough to incorporate the form and spirit of modernwestern art into his thinking about the spirit of the traditionalChinese art. The result was contemporary works rich in the orientalspirit.
As he paidattention to the oriental, especially the Chinese tradition, hemade an original examination of a more primitive type of humanfeeling and power that interested him. The outcome was the seriesof sculptures entitled Embrace of Love. Talking about the theme,Liu said, ‘Let’s embrace the world, mankind, society and every daywith love! Love is the only way to mutual possession. Let lovereign!’ He got his inspiration from oracle bone inscriptions, theMongolian script, and even the Basiba script.
Liu’s Embrace ofLove is reminiscent of Brancusi’s Kiss. With simple, impressionisttechniques, Brancusi elevated the love of a couple embracing andkissing each other to a pregnant idea of love, the tenderness ofwhich induces great warmth in the heart of the viewer. The movingeffect could not been achieved by any realistic work. Valuing pureand complete intuition, Brancusi expressed his perception of theessence of things with extremely simple shapes. Apparently, Liualso tried to use a simple way of expression to abstract andpersonify the theme of love and to make his own interpretation ofthe essence of love. However, the love he tries to expoundtranscends all human limitations; it was the love as in ‘the Goodlove people’ (Confucius). When Fan Chi asked Confucius what wasGoodness, the latter answered, ‘It means loving people’ (Analects:Yan Yuan). We may say that the love of the individual and theGoodness of society are the objects and essences of each other.‘For an individual, Goodness is, in essence, the call for theessence of life. It is the ideal objective diligently pursued bythe individual, and also the driving force of the individual’sperfection.’ (Zhang Han &Shi Hongwen, History of ChineseAesthetics). What Liu tries to express is such a highly abstractand meaningful idea of ‘love’.
Centering roundthe theme of love, abstract characters are arranged in personifiedpostures of embrace and varied structures. They produce an effectof heaviness and softness. While expressing his sensitivity to andoriginal understanding of the material, Liu turned hard stones intowarm, gentle lives. When his sculptures, both the tall, open-airones and the small ones in the art museum, are displayed in aformation, viewers seem to see them grow with full vitality. Theirgrandness or sturdiness conveys a sense of expansion. Here, theexpressionist spirit, which had deep influence on Liu, wasconverted or transformed. The mysteriousness of expressionism orabstract expressionism is replaced by positive eulogizing. Here weclearly see Liu’s efforts to blend the tradition of contemporarywestern art and the spirit of traditional Chinese culture.
(Guo Xiaochuan,PhD in fine arts studies, art critic, editor in chief ofContemporary Chinese Arts, Chief Advisor for Investment in Works ofArt at Beijing Zhongli Culture and Sports Co. Ltd.)