挽救记忆
——钞子伟、钞子艺的怀旧情结
文/陈培一
怀旧是人类固有的情结。汉代班固在《西都赋》中云：“愿宾攄怀旧之蓄念，发思古之幽情。”这种怀旧，来源于往事并不如烟的心绪。或是叹于历史的发展、时代的变迁而造成的时过境迁，或是感叹于生不逢时、怀才不遇的人生磨难，或是留恋于生活记忆的美好曼妙，或是刻骨铭心的爱恋情思。怀旧的表现方式有多种，或赋诗、填词，或为文、作画，而钞子伟、钞子艺兄弟表现他们对生活的回忆，对历史追忆的方式却是用陶泥来捏塑。
钞子伟、钞子艺是孪生兄弟，河南南阳人，祖上是以烧制粗泥大缸为业的农民。钞氏兄弟在“童孙未解供耕织”之时，就“也傍桑荫学种瓜，”自小就与泥巴结下了情缘。长大后，又先后到南阳理工学院、中央美术学院学习深造，学会了当代雕塑的造型手段和现代陶艺的创作理念。
他们的创作冲动，起源于他们的梦想和梦想的陆续破灭。正如他们在创作自述中所说：“早在十几年前的学生时代初到北京考察时，就曾经被皇城的辉煌博大气势，和颐和园、圆明园、国子监以及老城区的四合院建筑所震撼。当时曾数天浸淫在老城区的大小街道上，常常流连忘返不能自拔，但当时就一直有一种怪怪的感觉，因为在我们印象里那些所谓大大小小带‘门’的地名其实实物已经消失，而那一条条老的街道早已被淹没在现代化繁华大街上了。皇城的威仪和古城的辉煌其实是蜷缩在这个不伦不类、不土不洋的‘现代’都市里。十几年前，当我怀揣梦想来京学习生活再次目睹老四合院的拆迁，看着一条条胡同消失，看着皇城遗址和一个个残垣断壁，彷徨、失落、无助、无奈，一种撕裂心头的悲怆感和责无旁贷的责任感促使自己拿起手中的刻刀。”1999年，钞氏兄弟便在这种动机的支持下，开始了老门楼、老物件系列作品的创作。家庭是社会的最小单元，机关部门是社会的中小单元，国家民族是社会的大单元。每个单元，不管大小，都是独立的个体，每个个体都是封闭的。这个封闭的单元，都有一个切断或开通与外界交流的门户。不同的地区，不同的民族，不同的身份，不同的行业，不同的时代，对门有不同的理解，所造之门、所用之门也不尽相同。另外，门的功能不同，所处的方位不同，所使用的材料不同，所使用的建筑形式不同，也会使门出现不同的表现特征。故，门是一种文化的结果和现象，是人们自我封闭、隔离或相互隔离的手段，也是自我安慰、自我保护的武器。门第、门阀、门户，成为了区别的指代。对于中国而言，北京城的正阳门瓮城是中华民族六百多年来江山易帜、民族兴衰的最好见证。钞氏兄弟采用了近乎诙谐而又有些荒诞的手法，摄取了几个重大历史事件的镜头 ，组合了这个复杂的画面。这种构图方式，像中国传统绘画章法的透视散点，又像当代电影艺术的镜头组合与切换。城门洞里，即将开进北平的解放军与正要出巡的大清朝皇帝撞了个正着，把皇帝堵在了瓮城里，有“瓮中捉鳖”之效。欢迎子弟兵进城的人群、旅游观光的人群、造反的红卫兵、刀马人物组成的奥运五环、外国的传教士、巡城的清兵、车祸现场、闲逛的市民，不同的场景营造了一个亦真亦幻的艺术世界。从文化的角度来说，几乎每次重大的社会变革都会给历史遗产带来厄运。正阳门的瓮城和东西闸门拆除于中华民国建立后的1915年。永定门瓮城，于1950年被拆除。1957年，永定门城楼、箭楼被拆除。1959年，天安门广场的中华门被拆除。北上门、地安门也几乎同时被拆除。1965年7月1日，北京开始修建地铁。1969年10月1日，中国第一条地铁通车。因此，而拆除崇文门、宣武门、阜成门、西直门、安定门、东直门、朝阳门等内城城门，并填盖了护城河。上世纪90年代以后，大规模的旧城区改造工程使原本残存不多的老四合院迅速锐减，到如今被做为一个文化符号被有限保留。这种巨大的社会变革，刺痛了钞氏兄弟，在完成《大事记》的同时，他们陆续创作了一系列呈现覆巢状态的作品，表现了在社会动荡之下，古老文明的无奈与无助，被摧枯拉朽般地被摧毁的惨痛。如《红色时代》、《墟》、《北方民居》、《老城门》等。他们用泥板成型的传统技法，结合现代工艺，在陶土中加入了化妆土、色剂、化工原料，甚至还有食盐、草木灰等原料，很好地表现了城门楼、门楼的质感和历史沧桑感，凝结了过去的历史片刻，试图挽留住那些已经或即将消失的记忆，引起了人们对传统遗产的关注。
钞氏兄弟出生在十年文革的中期，降生在红色的海洋之中，沐浴着红色阳光，在红色歌曲的伴随中而长大。所以，“东方红”就成了他们最深刻的记忆。在“人有多大胆、地有多大产”的人民公社时代，“东方红”拖拉机是农业机械化耕作的主要生产力代表，是那个时代特有的标识，也是彼时的主要交通运输工具，承载了彼时人们的希望与梦想。“东方红”拖拉机是中国自己设计生产的大型机械工具，它宣告了中国传统农业生产模式的终结，也开辟了一个新的纪元。与“东方红”拖拉机同时代出现的还有红旗轿车、解放汽车、毛泽东号蒸汽机车等。钞氏兄弟将这些东西称之为“红色机器。”它们都是那个战天斗地时代的产物，也是那个时代社会生产力的标志。当历史发展到了今天，这些曾经辉煌一时的“红色机器”随着那个时代的终结而降温了、冷却了。有的被收进了博物馆，有的被收藏进了人们的记忆，而大部分被时代所抛弃，被打入了冷宫，成为了一堆堆不屑一顾的废铁。如果说，钞氏兄弟的“老门楼”系列作品是他们感性的冲动所为的话，那么，这个“红色机器”系列则是他们更多理性思考的结果。他们从这些“红色机器”身上，解读出了那个时代的国家命运，感悟到了那个时代的民族精神，体会到了那个时代的青春与浪漫，也品味到了那个时代的悲情与壮阔，更慨叹于那个时代的无知与迷茫。他们用双手重新“复制”了这些红色机器，描绘了那些曾经的辉煌和此时不堪的破败，希望以此唤醒当下更多的国人对那些已失去和消失的记忆的思考。前世不忘，后世之师。尊重历史，尊重过去并不意味着守旧。抱残，更无涉落后，而是更好地提醒当下的人们不要重蹈覆辙，要接受前人的教训，不要再付出前人已经付出的惨重代价，不要让悲剧重演。当我们面对钞氏兄弟这些“红色经典”之时，除了暗自赞叹他们娴熟的技巧，扎实的写实功力之外，可能更感到一种震撼，被那些锈蚀斑驳、萧索冷落所凝结的惨淡与衰落所促动……
生活在北京的钞氏兄弟，不仅发现、关注中国的当下社会问题，用作品表现反映了一些环境保护、交通灾难、民生安全的“事件”，而且也留恋于昔日南阳的农村生活，创作了一些“老物件”，再现了他们过去熟悉的生活场景和生活伙伴，在作品中注入了真挚的情感。如《老板车》系列，《辘轳》、《老皮箱》、《老船》、《老灶台》、《老物件》（军帽、军挎包、解放鞋、茶缸之类）等。这些充满乡土气息的作品，这些充溢着怀旧色彩的作品，拓展了当代艺术的表现空间，丰富了当代艺术的创作题材，创造了一种新的审美价值。当代艺术其实就是颠覆传统，解析传统，再造传统，各种新材料、新技术的大量使用，使其日趋光鲜华美，异彩纷呈。而钞氏兄弟就在这个当代艺术大潮的挟裹之下，不为所动，用近乎返璞归真、写实再现的现实主义手法，用近乎文物修复的艺术标准，为当代艺术刷上了一笔重重的、苦涩的又有几分自豪情愫的怀旧色彩，从而也形成了自己独特的艺术语言、艺术个性，也用一丝不苟、匠心独特的严谨认真创造了自己的艺术样式。
“记忆承载观念”是钞氏兄弟多年的艺术追求，他们“不刻意地去粉饰华丽的外衣，做一个虔诚的艺术殉道者，默默的，也用最朴素、最诚恳、最真实的语言来表达对自己作品的注释……”
2010年
陈培一 ，雕塑杂志社副主编
Saving the Memories
——Reminiscence Story of Chao ziwei and Chao ziyi
Chen PeiYi
Reminiscence is the inherent feeling of human being. Ban Gu, who lived in the Han Dynasty, said, “Remember past times or old acquaintances with kindly thoughts” in his work Ode To Xidu. Such reminiscence derived from the past frame of mind. For example, the marvel of the full memory of historical development, the change of times that caused the difficulties in life, the change of circumstances, improper time, unrecognized talents, impression of divine beauty in life memories, or the love affection. There are many manifestation modes of reminiscence, inscribing a poem, writing words and articles, drawing, however, the brothers, Chao ziwei and Chao ziyi describe the retrospect of history by means of kneading clay.
Born in Nanyang, Henan province, Chao ziwei and Chao ziyi are twin brothers, whose ancestors are farmers with the occupation of firing coarse slurry vat. “Even they didn’t know how to plowing or weaving when they were young, they learned to plant melon under tree shade”, which forged a different sense with mud. When they grow up, they studied in Nanyang Institute of Technology, China Central Academy of Fine Arts, from where they learned the sculpture method and design idea of modern Ceramics.
The creative urge comes from their dreams and destroys of dreams in succession. Just as they said in their creation description, “In the early ten years ago, they were shocked by the gorgeous and spacious Imperial City when they came to investigate in Beijing, such as the Summer Palace, Yuan-Ming Yuan Imperial Garden, the Imperial College as well as Beijing quadrangle in old city. They lingered on these days that were spent on the streets in old cities and found it impossible to stop recollecting, there was a strange sense that these material objects named with the word “Gate” had disappeared, however, the old streets had been submerged under the modern flourishing ones”. The impressive, dignified Imperial City and brilliant ancient city were crouched in the nondescript, non-indigenous and non-modern city.
Ten years ago, when we found that the bystreet disappeared one by one, when we looked at the archaeological site of Imperial City and the old ruins, it only left us hesitation, lose, helplessness and hopelessness, and there was a heart wrenching of sadness and indispensable responsibility, which urged them to take up the carving knife. In 1999, the CHAO BROTHERS began the creation of serial works for old gate tower, old objects based on such support of motivation.
Family is the smallest unit of society, institution department is small unit, and nation state is big unit. Each unit is an independent individual no matter it is big or small, each individual is closed, and the closed unit has a gate which may cut or open the communication of the outside world. People who live in different areas, different nations, different identities, different industries, and different times have different understanding of the “gate”, and the gate they made or used are also different. Moreover, the difference of gate’s function, direction, material, architecture reflect gate’s different performance characteristic. Therefore, gate is the result and appearance of culture, it is the method of self-containment, separation or mutual isolation, and it is the weapon of self-comfort as well as self-protection. Ancestry, family power and gate turn into the substitution.
As to China, the Urn City of Zhengyang Gate is the best witness of the changing nature and vicissitude nation over the past 600 years. The CHAO BROTHERS adopted the humoristic and fantastic method, and intussuscepted some scenes of significant historical events, which combined the complicated image. Such composition way looked like the scattered perspective of Chinese traditional painting composition, combination as well as switch of modern film art scene.
The marching liberation army to Beiping ran across with the emperor of the Qing Dynasty who was about to patrol and was subsequently plugged up at the city gate, which seems “Shadow Valleys”. The crowd who were welcoming our own army, the tourists, the rebellious Red Guards, the Olympic Rings combined with armed horseback figures, foreign missionaries, the patrolling Qing soldiers, the scene of the car crash, shopping citizens, all of which built a real and imaginary art world.
On the culture side, nearly every significant social transformation brought bad luck to the historical heritage. The Urn City of Zhengyang Gate and the East-West Gate were pulled down on 1915 after the establishment of Republic of China. The Urn City of Yongding Gate was pulled down in 1950. The Yongding Gate Tower and the Embrasure Watchtower were pulled down in 1957. The Zhonghua Gate of Tiananmen Square was pulled down in 1959. At the same time, the Beishang Gate and the Dian Gate were pulled down. Beijing began to build subway from July 1, 1965, and the first subway began to open to traffic on October 1, 1969. Accordingly, the Chongwen Gate, the Xuanwu Gate, the Fucheng Gate, the Xizhi Gate, the Anding Gate, the Dongzhi Gate, the Chaoyang Gate as well as some other gates located in inner city were pulled down, and the moat was filled in.
After the 1990s, the extensive modification works were carried out in the old town, which caused the sharp cutoff of few extant old quadrangles that were kept restrictedly as a culture symbol. Such significant social transformation hurt the CHAO BROTHERS, and they successively created a series works of suffering condition and simultaneously finished Memorabilia, which represented the hopelessness and helplessness of old civilization, the pain of destroy liked crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood. For example, Red Times, Ruins, Northern Residences, Old Gate, etc.
They added vitreous slip, toner, chemical raw material, even salt and wood-ash to the clay by using the traditional mud shaping method with the combination of modern arts, which commendably represented texture and historical sadness of the city gate tower as well as gate tower that coagulated the past historical moments, they tried to detain the disappeared memories or the memories that will disappear, which draws much attention to the traditional heritage.
The CHAO BROTHERS were born in the middle of the 10-year Cultural Revolution, under the red sea and enjoy the red sunshine, and they grew up coupled with red songs. Therefore, the East Is Red became their most profound memory. In the times of People's Commune, “How much the plantation products depend on how gutsy you are”. “Dong Fang Hong” tractor was the major productivity of agricultural mechanized farming, and it was the particular marking of that times and the major transportation, which carried people’s hope and dream. “Dong Fang Hong” tractor was the large machine tool designed by ourselves, which indicated the termination of Chinese traditional agricultural production model and started a new chapter.
Meanwhile, the Red flag car, Jiefang truck, Maozedong steam engine were raised. The CHAO BROTHERS called them “Red Machine”, which were the outcomes of that battle era and symbol of social productive force.
Nowadays, the once glorious “Red Machine” has been cooled down by the termination of that era. Some of them are kept in the museum, and some are kept in mind, however, most of them are thrown away, just like being banished to the cold palace and turn into piles of scrap iron.
If the CHAO BROTHERS’ series works of “Old Gate Tower” were their results of impulsion, the series of “Red Machine” were the fruit of their rational thought. They unscrambled the nation’s destiny and realized the ethos of that time, they experienced the youth and romantic, they tasted the pathos and grandness, and they sighed with the ignorance and confusion.
They “recopied” these Red Machines by their own hands, which descried these resplendence, racks and ruins, in which way to awaken people thinking about the passed and disappeared memory. As an old saying goes, “A fall into the pit a gain in your wit.” Respect the history, respect the foretime doesn’t mean conservatism or falling behind, and it means the better reminder for not repeating past mistakes, one should learn predecessor's lesson but not let it happen again or take a heavy toll which has been paid already by them.
When we face these “Red Classic” of the CHAO BROTHERS, in spite of their delicate skills and well-knit writing, we can feel the shock, the corrosion and mottle, the snub, cheerlessness and decline.
The CHAO BROTHERS who lived in Beijing not only discovered that one should focus on the current social problem and reflect some issues like environmental protection, traffic disaster, the people's livelihood as well as security through their works, but also can't bear to part the rural life in Nanyang, they created some “Old Objects” which described the old familiar life and buddies with sincere feeling, such as the series of Boss Car, Windlass, Old Luggage, Old Boat, Old Hearth, Old Objects, Army Cap, Army Satchel, Liberate Shoes, Tea Urn, etc. These works were filled with flavor of rural life and nostalgia, which fully expanded the expression space of modern art and enriched creation theme as well as a new aesthetic value.
Actually, the modern art referred to upsetting tradition, parsing of tradition, recreating tradition and the abundant use of various new documents as well as new technology, which made it bright, fresh, beautiful and colorful. However, the CHAO BROTHERS were not affected by the modern art waves and tides, they added heavy, pained and pride nostalgia by using return to innocence in a realistic way according to the standard of renovating historical relics, which formed a particular art language and character, they created their own art style with strict adherence and distinctiveness.
As for the CHAO BROTHERS, “Memory Carries Idea” was the art pursuit over the years, they prettified brilliant coat unintentionally, they would like to be a devotional martyr, silently, in which way they express annotation of their own works through the simplest, earnest, sincerest words.
2010 BeiJing
Chen Peiyi Sculpture magazine deputy editor