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Flower Or Not? Mao Lizi’s art history

花非花:專訪毛栗子

By Laura Shen

文/申雁冰

The evolution of Mao Lizi’s art reflects his life history. The highly realism in the earlier years, critics on space at the middle age, and finally in the senior years, he gave up the hound for reality, as he gradually recognized the ambiguous boundary between truth and lie, reality and illusion, right and wrong. There is no necessity to stay astute for any situation, and it would turn to be much happier to contemplate the moon reflected on water, or gaze the flowers through mist, to set free interpretation and imagination. Flower or not, the fact or bubble, they are ephemeral among eternal being.

毛栗子藝術風格的演進史,反應了他個人的人生變遷。早年的高度現實,中年對空間的探索,到晚年終究放棄了對現實的追討,仿若看透真與假、實與虛、是與非間本無界限。事態的面目無需看得太清楚,隔水觀月、霧裡看花,任憑解讀與幻想。似花而非花,真實與幻覺,只在一念之間。

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毛栗子 《山水重构002 》 2014年作 , picture from Mao Lizi 

Beijing Yuppie

老北京與城市雅皮

Mao Lizi is unique. He is different from his peers born in 1950, a generation suffered from Cultural Revolution, disposed by the authority to impoverished countryside as “urban young intellectuals”, and dismissed from the disbanded state-run firms thanks to market reform, a deserted and ignored generation endured fierce change of the country. At the age of 65 while most peers spent their retired life, Mao Lizi leads an avant-garde lifestyle very much resembling the post-1990s young people. He is a humble intellectual in studio, wearing glasses and shirt, with grey hair. He is also a yuppie in city, favours Michelin food and champagne, loves social media, posts photos, shares posts, and wanders between diverse cities in Europe and China, a veritable Beijinger once steeped in the west. While his art is ethereal and elegant, he himself is pragmatic on how to enjoy the present, gregarious in art circle gam, and keen to urban change, environment and state’s livelihood.

生於1950年的毛栗子可能與大多數同齡人不太一樣。這一代人,承受過知青、老三屆、下崗等中國最劇烈的變革,被歷史耽誤和遺忘,如今多數退休在家,抱孫子帶孩子,過起晚年生活。毛栗子沒有65歲年紀的滄桑印記,也看不到命運變遷的痕跡,他像一個九零後,時髦前衛,是個生活玩家。在畫室,他是樸素的知識份子,灰白頭髮,穿襯衣、戴眼鏡。走出畫室,他就是城市雅皮,熱愛米其林美食、法國紅酒,喜歡走訪城市特色餐廳,也愛拍照發朋友圈、玩微信、轉發文章,是空中飛人,在歐洲與中國、不同城市間遊蕩。是個地道的老北京,又些許歐化。他的作品空靈淡雅、耐人尋味,而他本人入世務實,用心享受當下的點滴精緻,樂於和藝術圈中人交往走動,參與圈內的事件生態,關注城市發展和國計民生動態。

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Mao Lizi, profile photo credit from the artist.

A Within-Regime Artist’s Realism Breakthrough

體制內藝術家的現實主義突圍

Before 39, Mao lizi held a most stable, secure and respectable routine in China in that period, the “iron bow” life within the regime. He migrated to Beijing with family in 1953 from Shaanxi, and laboured in rural areas at age of 17 as all his peers. He was assigned to paint the set for revolution-themed drama on stage. “That is the inception of my realism art”, he mocked. Those works are hardly regarded as art today, but they complied with the art standard in the age then, when revolutionary romance and leaders’ icons were prevalent. He joined the army in 1972 and got promoted to a promising rank after 15-year service, but he knew that he is not interested in power, and especially, he had something different to say from the official language. Star Society has provided the platform for his art presentation, and he joined Star Society in 1979 when it was quite risky to participate such an association as an within-the- regime artist. Until 1988, he finally left the military and became an independent artist.

今日在法國和中國兩地奔走、到世界各地看畫作展的毛栗子,39歲前從未離開過大陸,前半生的路線算是那個年代最穩定、安全、讓人羡慕的體制內鐵飯碗生活。1950年生與陝西,1953年毛栗子隨家人遷居北京,與當時所有適齡青年一樣,17歲下鄉插隊,彼時他為文革樣板戲作舞臺佈景,是社會主義寫實風格。「如果追溯我過去的寫實主義畫風,也許應該從這時候算起」,藝術家調侃道。放在今天的語境下,作品甚至很難算得上藝術,而在當時,革命浪漫主義、工農領袖肖像就是藝術的標準。1972年入伍後,他在部隊幹了15年,已升正連級,日子很安穩,但他知道自己對當官無多大興趣。1979年參加星星畫會對於體制內藝術家而言,在當時是有風險的,但他毅然加入,並參加了歷屆星星畫展。在官方的藝術話語之外,他有「不一樣的想法」,星星為他提供了創作的出口。直到1988年離開部隊,毛栗子才正式開始了一個獨立藝術家的道路。

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毛栗子 《残荷3》 2011年作, picture from the artist.

The Door series was created during this period. They imitated the doors of the traditional residence houses in Hutong of Beijing, while the slogans of “Five Goodness Family”, “Smoke And Fire Is Prohibited” reverted the dwellings constrained within the planned unit, the regime strictly controlled population and family. His nostalgic and critical doors prompted market popularity, but it was not enough to establish his art language. His desire for change was occasionally accompanied with China’s radical turn.

創作於這一時期的《門》系列是毛栗子對那個時期的觀察思考。他畫的門有以假亂真的效果,描繪了當時的民居特色,包括老北京的四合院、平房、胡同,門上的劃痕、「五好家庭」門牌、「禁止煙火」標語,還原了被限制於單位和社區中的住宅,體制對人口和家庭的嚴格控制。毛栗子寫實主義的門,勾起了人們對家和街道的回憶,同時一種隱而不發的思考和批判暗藏其中,於是許許多多人來找他訂購《門》,他畫了一幅又一幅,直到畫煩了。他期待風格可以轉變,就在此時,一場國家的巨大變動也同時來臨。

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毛栗子 门-旧家新世  1987年作, photo from the artist

Door, Wall and Floor: The Space Transformation

門,牆,地:空間轉移

His first travel outside China mainland happened in 1989 in Hong Kong for attending the 10th anniversary exhibition of Star Society. In the same year, at the climax of students protest in Beijing, he held his first solo exhibition in United States. “Beijing was very hectic then, I was thinking of going back and see how it was going”, the artist recalled. On May 27, 1989, Mao Lizi returned Beijing. In 1990, he was offered visas from 5 countries’ embassies including U.S, U.K and Italy, treated as professional talent. He eventually chose France as the visiting professor for École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris (ENSBA) under French government scholarship assisted by French ambassador and counselor to China. Due to language barrier, he spent more time on producing artworks than teaching. He obtained a precious time to get devoted into painting and continued his realism practice. Fresco was a simulation of the classic Dunhuang grotto murals, the decorous lady icons were covered by Mao Zedong’s profile image, pell-mell slogans and graffiti. The civilization monuments were damaged by political head-washing movement, Mao’s solemn face and the mural ladies’ tender eyes formed a binary and ironic co-existence, which represented the artist’s reflection on state and history.

1989年前往香港參加星星畫會十周年紀念展,是毛栗子首次離開中國大陸。同年,他受美國Hefner畫廊邀請訪美並舉辦首次個展。此時正值學運高潮,「當時北京很熱鬧,我就想著回來看看吧」,他回憶到。於是,5月27日毛栗子從美國返回北京。1990年,作為被特殊優待的藝術家,毛栗子收到了包括美、英、義大利等在內的5國簽證,他最終選擇了法國,在法國駐華大使和參贊的幫助下,獲得法國政府獎學金,赴巴黎國立高等美術學院訪問並被聘為客座教授。由於語言障礙,毛栗子並不以教學為主,而是在優厚的資助和自由的環境下全心投入創作。離開故鄉的藝術家,在異國繼續實踐著現實主義繪畫。《壁畫》模仿了仿若敦煌壁畫的古典藝術,端莊的仕女圖被毛澤東頭像覆蓋,滿是不明來歷的標語、大字、塗鴉和水泥,絕美的中國古典藝術被毛時代的政治和洗腦運動破壞,仕女柔和的眼神和毛莊重神秘的面龐同時出現在畫面上,時空交錯恍惚,折射著藝術家對事態家國的關注。

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毛栗子 画3, picture from the artist.

He is often inspired by the space divider, whatever door, wall or floor, to construct his surrealism pseudomorph, expressing critics on culture, politics, tradition and time. Following the Beijing courtyard doors, he started to depict walls in Paris. He wrote the worldly popular French sentence Je t’aime on the city walls. The widely admired French romance appeared on the cold walls in the form of random graffiti, and this is Mao Lizi’s particular antilogy. The Key in 1991 is another practice. He imagined the white zebra crossings as piano keys so that the normal traffic was full of music in his eyes, whereas the reality was that it is merely the order and limit from a new country, not the freedom.

毛栗子擅於從空間中尋找靈感,在隔離物上展開想像。一扇門、一面牆、一片地,在現實的基礎上構建超現實假像,折射對文化、傳統和政治的批判,並隱射時代脈絡。開始巴黎的新生活後,毛栗子繼續挖掘著他對空間的好奇。從老北京四合院的《門》變成了巴黎的《牆》,他描繪了被文字塗鴉「Je t’aime」(我愛你)裝點的城市牆面,這句流行於全世界的代表法式浪漫的法語,以凌亂的塗鴉形式出現在冰冷的牆面上,熱烈的文字與現實的冰涼相遇,一種矛盾油然而生。作於1991年的《琴鍵》同樣耐人尋味,柏油馬路上的斑馬線被藝術家想像成鋼琴琴鍵,普通的馬路呈現音樂的浪漫,可當美好的旋律過去,留下的只是異國他鄉的十字街頭。白色方塊不是奏出旋律的琴鍵,而是秩序與限制,想像和現實再次交錯,亦真亦幻。

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毛栗子 墙1  1991年作, picture from artist

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毛栗子 琴键  1991年作, picture from artist

Brown and Blue

一抹棕,一抹藍

Mao Lizi is not a Diaspora artist though he sojourned in France for a decade. His works do not contain the trace of homeland and cultural background, nor influenced by the western art concept. He maintains his unique style, a genuine Chinese artist with strong Chinese characteristics. “Even today, my French is poor,” he joked. Since returned back to China in 2000, he worked in architecture and design industry for several years. His interest for space can be traced back to his previous series of Door, Wall and Burrow. He shelved art creating until he realized his creativity was restrained owning to the business interest and client needs in the design industry, so re-started his artist career in 2008. This time, his art has been tremendously transformed from realism to abstractionism.

雖在法國生活十年之久,但毛栗子卻不是「離散藝術家」,他的作品沒有家園與文化背景衝擊的痕跡,也沒有被西方藝術的手法理念影響到,而是始終保持屬於自己的創作,帶有深深的中國味。 「就是現在我的法語也不靈光」,他笑著說。2000年回國後,毛栗子致力於建築設計數年,從早年的《門》、《牆》、《地洞》系列作品中,不難看到藝術家對空間的極大熱情,對城市規劃、建築、室內設計的高度關注。這期間藝術創作一度擱置,但建築設計受到商業利益和開發商客戶限制,創作自由有限,又是這一點點「不一樣的想法」讓毛栗子重新搞起了藝術創作。2008年毛栗子回歸藝術,這一次,與他之前的創作有了巨大變化,與過去可謂一刀兩斷,從高度寫實轉為高度抽象。

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《无题10》,毛栗子 , 2011年作  picture from artist

Flower Or Not series resembled orchids, landscapes, clouds and human bodies. The lively, flowing brushwork that seemed to be highly arbitrary contains deep symbolism and stimulated endless imagination. His art is no longer the simulation of reality, but the dreamlike phantom combining abstract concept and design aesthetics. Thanks to his experience in design industry, his art now looks much more visually elegant that deserves decorating the interior. Blue and brown are the most frequent colours. Brown is derived from Chinese traditional ink and wash painting, embodied by Zen, Buddhism and life philosophy, while blue stemmed from the artist’s previous sojourn in France, it could be inspired by the sea in Cote d’Azur or people’s enthusiasm for blue doors. The two colours are the combination of his Chinese cultural root and overseas experience. His poetic paintings invited audience to envisage, this aura could be found in Landscape Reconstruction in 2014, which brings a new look by changing the state of water, enriching colour gradation and language of blue. Blue symbolized twilight scenery, blooming flower, fish in water, or the shadow of shark in deep sea as interpreted in On Sharks and Humanity exhibited in National Museum of China, suggesting environmental protection and love for nature.

《花非花》系列油畫,似胡姬花,似連綿的山水,似人體,似雲霧,空靈透明的一抹塗料在紙上看似隨意的揮灑,卻有深邃的象徵性,引人聯想。此時的作品不再仿真,而是如夢如幻,既有藝術的抽象概念,又包含設計的美學,與毛栗子此前二十多年的藝術實踐非常不同。這得益於他做了十年的建築設計,每一幅作品皆可作為裝飾畫擺在室內,讓居室高雅脫俗。他鍾愛棕色和藍色兩種色彩,棕色來自中國傳統水墨畫,是禪宗的本色,棕色油畫包含禪意、哲學、人生等諸多內涵,是畫家的中國文化根基;藍色源於旅法經歷,靈感是法蘭西的蔚藍海岸,也是法國人對藍色大門的偏愛。一棕一藍,一中一西,是藝術家個人的中國文化修養與海外旅居經驗的結合。毛栗子作品的吸引力在於具有一種可以讓人駐足的詩意和美感,給人極大的想像空間。作於2014年的《山水重構》讓人浮想聯翩,空靈的藍色塗料由濃轉淡,自然過渡,將中國傳統水墨書法的韻味淋漓盡致得發揮出來。一抹藍色似薄暮時分的山水,又似綻放的花瓣,也似水中的一尾魚,抑或在中國國家博物館《保護鯊魚》群展中被詮釋為鯊魚的影子,鯊魚變成姿態曼妙的生物在水中遊蕩,折射著藝術家對大自然的崇拜與環保意識。

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毛栗子 山水重构001  2015年作 , picture from artist

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毛栗子 颜料管局部  2011年作 , picture from Mao Lizi

The stochastic abstract art is the fruit of proficient skills. His career zenith comes at an age of retirement, contributed by dozens of years between West and Orient, state system and liberal market, solemn art circle and liberal market. It’s hard to explain the reason behind the worldly popularity of Chinese contemporary art, but he is aware of the increasing taste of Chinese audience. “There was a buyer of my work, a young lady maybe the post-1990s generation. She persists to buy her favourite art in spite of high price and cumbersome travel. I am very amazed to know such abstract work is loved by such young collector.” When asked about his favourite young artist, he spares no hesitance to express his admiration of Li Hui. They are both Beijingers, perceptive to market and institution cooperation. “Artist needs a good gallery and agent”, he said. He knows well that a man who can only paint is not qualified to be an artist. He is clear-sighted about the world change, and aware of what challenges an artist in an age of Internet, business, market. He knows how to respond.

毛栗子的抽象油畫玄機在於,作品看似創作得隨意輕鬆,實則處處是功力。一抹不經意的筆觸可以留下諸多供人聯想的空間。他的創作高峰,不是年輕時的成名作,而是在幾近退休的年紀,由過去幾十年在東方與西方、體制與市場、嚴肅藝術與市場化設計之間的多重體驗所祭奠而成。對於近年來中國藝術在世界大熱的現象,他說他也很難解釋這是為什麼,但是中國觀眾不斷提高的鑒賞力卻令他印象深刻:「曾有個買家是個非常年輕的女孩,大概90後的樣子,對我的作品愛不釋手,為買到一幅畫,不辭辛苦地奔走,花重金購買。這麼年輕的收藏家對我如此抽象的作品可以這般喜歡,讓我非常吃驚。」談到新一代的當代藝術家,毛栗子好不吝嗇地表達了他對李暉的欣賞。同為北京人的兩人,都對市場和機構合作非常敏感。「藝術家需要一個好的畫廊,一個好的經紀人」,毛栗子說。僅僅會畫畫的人已經不能成為藝術家了,毛栗子深知。他懂得與社會和市場互動,密切關注世界變化與藝術生態,積極開拓合作。在現今互聯網、商業、大市場的背景下,藝術家應如何應對新變化,是這個時代對中國藝術家的新考驗,而毛栗子無疑是贏家。

The End

First Published on a.m.post, November 2015, Hong Kong

首次發表與香港《a.m.post》雜誌2015年11月刊

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Abbey Laura San is a creative writer on city, architecture, contemporary art and society of Asia. She reflects on how to improve life quality through aesthetic, literary, and philosophical way.