文化交流雜誌特約作者 趙暢
去紹興文理學院美術學院拜訪呂國鋼先生，是因為他創作的反映中國輕紡城的巨幅工筆畫作《絲路新語》已於6月底完成。
車至校區門口，與其聯繫。很快，他便出現在我的視野裡。遠遠望去，還是那般模樣，一張典型的國字臉上依然留著濃黑的絡腮鬍子，走路的步子不疾不徐。雙手緊握一起，細細打量，發覺歲月還是在這位畫家臉上鋪上了些許滄桑——畢竟，作為朋友，我們已經多年未見了。他的工作室在二樓，有近200平方米，乍一看多少有些雜亂，但如果聯想到這是畫家的工作室，一切也就顯得有些秩序和規範了。最吸引我眼球的，當然就是長條桌上那幅正在創作的巨幅工筆畫作《絲路新語》了。未等我落座，我們的話題就由此契入……
巨幅畫作《絲路新語》。
說及《絲路新語》的創作，呂國鋼不免如數家珍、娓娓道來。他要通過畫作來承載古代絲綢之路曾經的鼎盛與輝煌，來凸顯新時代賡續絲綢之路傳統而不斷開拓升華的新氣象、新氣派、新魅力。看得出，對於這幅作品的創作，呂國鋼是充滿激情且信心滿滿的。
用巨幅工筆畫的表現手法反映中國絲綢城，《絲路新語》開了先河。「作品如果能被大家認可，最可能的原因是我的創作主題緊扣時代。」呂國鋼不無謙虛地回應我。其實，除了上述原因，在我看來，更為重要的還是因為他具有真正的藝術底氣、創作實力。因為這些年來，他先後有10多件作品獲得省級、全國級榮譽，其中人物畫作品《清夏》《小鎮姑娘》分別入選第11屆、第12屆全國美展，《長者》參加第7屆「西部大地情」全國美展……
是啊，紹興絲綢一直述說著光榮與夢想，是中國絲綢之路的發祥地之一。據《越絕書》《吳越春秋》等典籍記載，當時越國的絲織品有帛、絲、紗轂等多種。隨著永嘉南渡和宋室南渡，大量移民的湧入亦刺激了越地的蠶桑與絲綢的發展。到唐代後期，「越羅」「繚綾」更是成為名動朝野的品牌。越地絲綢也隨海上絲綢之路為域外所知。明清以降，越地的絲綢生產逐步形成區域性分工。中華人民共和國成立後，尤其是改革開放以來，紹興絲綢業獲得了空前的發展，重新成為浙江省最重要的絲綢生產基地之一。
讓人們記憶猶新的是，1986年秉承篳路藍縷以啟山林傳統的紹興人，在柯橋創辦了中國輕紡城。經過30多年奮鬥，目前經營面料5萬餘種，日客流量20萬人次，年成交額從1988年的0.76億元躍升到目前的800多億元。而今，中國輕紡城已是全球最大的輕紡批發市場，被稱為中國市場經濟的標誌，也當仁不讓地成為「21世紀海上絲綢之路」的重要節點。
畫家呂國鋼。
「作為一個紹興的畫家，拿起畫筆把自己所見所聞、所感所想真實地記錄下來，我感到責無旁貸。」畫作接近完成，呂國鋼一邊展卷讓我欣賞，一邊款款向我介紹。《絲路新語》屬於大型主題性中國人物畫，它以群像的方式，取廣角視野，全方位表現中國輕紡城市場火熱的交易場景。畫面人物有70個之多，其身份涉及絲綢、紡織產業鏈各個環節的從業者，主角為當下的中國人和行走在21世紀海上絲綢之路的各國旅客、商人。眾所周知，主題性繪畫的一個主要特點就是將繪畫的觸角直接指向社會現實，直面人生、正視歷史，追求真善美。因此，創作此類作品，不僅要有能觸動其心靈的社會事件，也需要創作者本身具有豐富的生活經驗。
將畫作冠以「新語」之名，這是因為新時代跟古絲綢之路在時間、地點、人物、交易方式上都不盡相同，包括交易的內容如今也已由絲綢而漸漸延伸擴大到其他面料的紡織品，何況，目的也有差異，如今除了商業上的交往，還有基於傳達文化、加強交流、合作共贏的考量。確定創作內容後，呂國鋼並沒有停止完善立意、積累題材、精心構思的腳步。
這兩年多來，他是在邊積累邊構思的交互中推進創作的。他先後多次完成了草稿創作，並將每一次的草稿創作作為了向「完美」逼近的階梯。上海每年都有春季、秋季「中國國際紡織面料、家用紡織品及輔料博覽會」，於是，他就成了博覽會的必到客。他不僅像商人一樣跟人家去談，去深入了解交易的情況，而且也像攝影家那樣去選取不同的角度拍攝，有時更是拿起鉛筆速寫一個個觸動人心的場景、細節。
柯橋有一個「新絲路模特大賽」，已經舉辦了好幾年，他也前往參觀。模特穿著近似絲綢的棉質印花面料製成的服飾，通過T型舞臺流溢出五光十色的美，他分明覺得這就是走向世界的美，這就是中國的影響力。
《絲路新語》局部，來自中東歐的顧客。
於是想及，在《絲路新語》中就有一組人物以「頂天立地」的方陣張揚著中國絲綢的特有魅力，蓋源於柯橋「新絲路模特大賽」的啟迪。除了模特走秀，畫面中還有貿易洽談的場景。
呂國鋼告訴我：「這是兩個時空，為了防止由此削弱畫面的美感，就必須盡力打破這一相對孤寂的時空感。幾經反覆比較，採用了十字形的構圖設想。十字形構圖可以充分調動畫面中的各個人物，並進行巧妙的穿插。『豎』的是模特走秀的場面，運用旋轉式、S形的構圖。因模特只有10多個人，人物就要畫得大一點，以提升場面的視覺衝擊力；『橫』的則是貿易場景，有五六十人，所以人物就小一點。自我感覺，這幅畫打破了固定的時間、空間連接的場景，給人一種立體式的大場面敘事方式。」
筆者對此深以為然。因為大尺寸的畫作，最怕的就是平鋪直敘，筆筆都安穩，筆筆都沒有毛病，這種平穩是可怕的魔怔。好畫必須有跳脫畫面的畫眼——突破常規，化平常為奇崛。也恰恰是這種舒張與酣暢，無羈的放浪，才能撥動欣賞者的興奮點。呂國鋼正是憑著上述的特殊構圖方式，將那些看似無關的獨立的片段，深深鑲嵌進牽魂奪魄的藝術邏輯內。
細細觀瞻，其「大取其形，小取其神；遠取其勢，近取其質」，乍看似工筆，其實卻是兼工帶寫的藝術創作特點，的確得到了最為充沛的表達。而更讓呂國鋼感到欣慰的是，這些場景都是從現場參觀考察獲得的，包括其中涉及到的56個人物，都可以從生活中找到原型，因而其更好地呈現了藝術的真實性和感染力。
「我相信這是一個生動的紀實的畫面，也是一個抒情的歷史篇章。難怪在創作這幅畫的過程中，自己內心時常湧起作為炎黃子孫的自豪感。」呂國鋼的臉上綻出了會心的笑。
因為作品尺幅巨大，呂國鋼在繪畫時需要用到梯子。
呂國鋼有理由高興，有理由為自己鼓掌。這兩年中，除了完成正常的教學任務，他幾乎將自己的業餘時間都投入到了這幅畫作的創作中。創作室裡的燈光可以為他作證：想畫而沒有靈感時，他基本是冥思苦想；靈感來了，他就夜以繼日地創作。即便是節假日，創作室也是他唯一的目的地。不為別的，他只是為了在恰好的光影裡，捕捉住藝術生命裡的剎那芳華。
想起了大仲馬曾經說過的一段話：「當你拼命想完成一件事的時候，你就不再是別人的對手，或者說得更確切一些，別人就不再是你的對手了。不管是誰，只要下了這個決心，他就會立刻覺得增添了無窮的力量，而他的視野也隨之開闊了。」對於呂國鋼，《絲路新語》是他藝術生涯中最大尺幅的創作，也是難度最大、最為辛苦或許也是最為成功的一次藝術創作。有了這一次難忘的創作經歷，他覺得自己才真正懂得了先前不曾悟徹的諸多藝術真諦，比如什麼叫真正的責任擔當，比如怎樣的生活積累才利於藝術創作，比如創新探索如何突出重圍來表達自我個性，比如積澱文化修養主要的依靠路徑有哪些，等等。
我想，這些感悟是他的一番大實話。自然，我也更有理由期待他創作出更多更好的藝術作品。
Stories of Silk Road Retold
A Chat with Shaoxing-based Artist Lyu Guogang
Lyu Guogang, a Shaoxing-based artist currently teaching at Shaoxing University, came into view when my car was pulling over at the entrance to the campus. We have been friends for many years, but haven’t met for quite a while. Seated in his studio on the second floor of the building, I couldn’t wait to start our chat regarding the artist’s new painting, titled Stories of Silk Road Retold, which has receiving support from China National Art Fund since August 2016.
《絲路新語》局部，仔細挑選絲綢產品的客戶。
The finished painting spread out on a long table instantly caught my eye. 「It makes me feel good and lucky to be chosen by the national art fund. It is also a reminder of my responsibility as an artist.」 The theme of Lyu’s artwork embraces China’s 「Belt-and-Road」 initiative. Born in 1973, he has been working as an art teacher at his alma mater since his graduation in 1995. He has won more than ten top honors at the most prestigious national and provincial art exhibitions.The unassuming man is fascinating to talk to.
「What I want to achieve through this project is to display the glory of the Silk Road at its apex in ancient China and to express the Silk Road spirituality sublimated into a new form of glamour in the social and economic climate of today’s world. So it is essentially reinterpretation of my understanding of the Silk Road,」 explained the artist. Lyu’s fascination with the Silk Road is straightforward. He is a native of Shaoxing. A city of history and culture in eastern Zhejiang, Shaoxing has been a proud seedbed of China’s silk glory, and is one of the birthplaces of the Silk Road. Shaoxing is.
The reputation of silk produced in Shaoxing reached its peak during the later years of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and harnessed a hard-core following overseas. Present-day Shaoxing is still a silk production powerhouse in Zhejiang Province, with Keqiao serving as the world’s largest textile wholesale market.「It is my responsibility as an artist from Shaoxing to record what I see and feel through my paintbrushes,」 Lyu Guogang said, spreading the scroll for me to see the details of his new work.
Falling into the figure painting category and using a wide-angle perspective and depicting a group of 70 characters, Stories of Silk Road Retold strives to portray the hustle-and-bustle scene of traders and tourists at the Keqiao Textile Market. The message is the Silk Road being revisited by merchants and tourists from all over the globe in the 21st Century.
對畫中的每一位人物，呂國鋼都細細刻劃。
Lyu is happy to talk about the realism of the project he just finished in June 2019. For the past few years, he has been closely observing the textile market in Shaoxing for as much inspiration as possible, noticing that the fine fabric invented by ancient Chinese people has not only blossomed into a flourishing industry that has been branching out and making a great variety of other textile materials but also continuously enriched the trading and cultural communication.
Over the past three years since his project was officially approved, the artist has never stopped thinking regarding the motif and presentation of the painting. 「Perfection」 is what he aims at. The past years has seen the artist appear at every INTERTEXTILE fair held biannually in Shanghai. He has also been a frequenter at the annual New Silk Road Model Contest held in Keqiao, taking every opportunity to sketch the moments that touched him.
「The rising power of China and its open-up vision became tangible when I was watching the glitzy light and color flowing on the runway,」 remarked Lyu Guogang.As I was surveying the scroll, I noticed how the man was inspired by what he saw at the model contest.「The 『十』 composition of the work sets off the incompatibility of the models on the runway and the busy trading scene at the Keqiao textile market. Such composition also allows for maximized narrative freedom when it comes to the layout of different characters and thematic scenes.
The last thing I want to see in this project is 『impeccable boredom』, the kind of correctness that reflects the artist’s lack of imagination and innovation. The key is to figure out a new way of composition, and to find the 『eye』 of the work.」
《絲路新語》局部，來自中東歐的顧客。
「All the 56 characters portrayed in the in the trade section come from real life,」 the artist announced proudly. 「It is like a documentary that records a historical chapter in a lyrical way.
Every time when I worked on it, I felt proud to be a Chinese.」Lyu Guogang surely has many reasons to feel happy and proud. For the past two years, he devoted almost all his free time to the project. Stories of Silk Road Retold is by far the largest, the most demanding, and probably the most successful creation in his artistic life. 「
For me, it is an unforgettable experience that has opened my eyes to the truth of painting art, making me understand what it really takes to make an artist.」