《东庄图》之果林

　　不久前，我参加了肖峰·宋韧老师的回顾展，那天是人山人海的，让我感动的是三个多小时的研讨会，我是第二个发言的，我回顾了三十多年前自己跟随肖峰、宋韧老师学到的一切。

　　更感动的是，我又见到了许多见过的作品，以及一些很有名的素描，肖峰老师的色调、色彩以及宋韧老师的厚重结实的风格。他们对我的影响之大之深，只有我自己晓得的，应该说是肖、宋两位老师引导我走上了学版画，学雕塑，并进行油画创作的道路。

　　前些日子，收到《融合与创造2007·中国油画名家学术邀请展》邀请函。时间是年底之事，可心却乱将起来，女儿高考，结果未卜，我只能集中精力，与妻做些女儿高考的服务工作。

　　于是《果林》一遍又一遍的调整，似乎越来越远了似的，有一些收不回来之势。

　　恰此时，我2002年从新疆运回来的沙已用完了。而朋友们运来的沙是较粗的、较躁的那种。于是我真的安不下心来。画面一直无有大的起色。心里好难受的。

　　在很长的一段时间。有二种事值得记录：一是也是对我来说是，极为重要的事，那就是我女儿考进华东师范大学，这对我对我的人生而言也实在是太重要了。另一件是要我参加了2008年上海双年展主题方向的专家会。在诸多专家的发言中，我得到了许多启迪，尤其是对城市的主体及客体的认识的发言，更是意义非凡。之后，我与来自美国芝加哥大家巫鸿教授及其妻蔡九迪(犹太人)进行了一次交谈(那次陆蓉之和上海当代艺术馆馆长龚明光也在场)。因为巫鸿教授主编的《汉唐之间的艺术与考古》三卷本对我还有一点影响的，其中有关“华化粟特美术”的内容我产生一定的兴趣。我想主要是对我感兴趣的西域题材是一致的。

　　可能是一段时间的停顿与困惑，使我散发于对其它的艺术样式关注，每晚入睡前会翻看一下有关“章草”之类的书，了解从汉至今有关“章草”的发展历史。我以为汉“章草”是最为动人的，史游《急就章》、张芝《秋凉平善贴》、皇象《急就章》之好，真是善哉!善哉!

　　这期间，我有机会看了一出程派的大戏《文姬归汉》，李佩红的功夫也是了得，与一般意义上的程派风格不同，李佩红以“亮透”的嗓音及手段使程派在发展的领域有了一种新的路径，很有意义的。

　　八月三日，陈强对我说：“沈周《东庄图》原为二十四幅，明末即散为二十一幅，你若画完二十一幅后，再续画那明末已散的三幅，使之成为完帧，就更有意思了。”这一次着实吓了我一大跳，不过我以为这是极有意义的一个想法。我很是高兴陈强的创意，不过这可得要化二到三年的时间。

　　似乎《麦山》上的麦期很长很长，从2007年的6月到2008年的2月，整整八个月的创作期。这其中对我和我的生活而言，的确是发生了许多重要的事情。

　　2008年2月春节过后不久，我又开始了《麦山》的创作，面临画面的组织与协调，而协调的艰巨性是从未见过的，当入调的厚重色块贴上画布时，我的心开始慢慢地落了地，《麦山》已成熟了。

　　Guo Lin

　　——What I think, feel and act during the creating process

　　A few days ago, I attended the retrospective of Mr. Xiao Feng and Mr. Song Ren. Both of them are my teachers, who influenced me a lot in my art career. It was them that led me to start my study in printmaking and sculpture, and my later artist career in oil painting.

　　These days my daughter is preparing for the coming college entrance examination, and I try to help my daughter with her preparation of exam. So I could not focus on the art work and keep making adjustments again and again on the painting.

　　For a long time, there are two important things that need to be recorded. One is that my daughter successfully entered East China Normal University. The other is that I attended the expert meeting for the preparation of 2008 Shanghai biennial. I was impressed by lots of experts’ ideas, especially their opinion on the subject and object of the city.  Later I had a conversation with the famous professor Wu Hung and his wife.

　　Maybe it was because of the stop and distraction that led to my curiosity on the other art form. Every night I would read some book about Zhang Cao (a specific kind of cursive hand of Chinese calligraphy), and get to know the history and development of Zhang Cao.

　　During that time, I also had an opportunity to see a Cheng School opera Wen-chi's Captivity and Return. The actor Li Peihong was very impressive and acted differently with traditional Cheng School style. He uses his unique voice and technique to create a new path for Cheng School’s development, which is very meaningful.

　　On the 3rd of August, my friend Chen Qiang visited me and suggested me that if I could complete the rest of three lost paintings, the collection would be more valuable. I was surprised to hear about the idea, but I would love to try although it may take another two or three years.