THE WORLD AND THE GALAXY ACCORDING TO KIANG HOW
By T.K. Sabapathy, © T.K. Sabapathy
To produce 100 paintings over two years and feature all of them in a one-man show must surely be a feat for any artist anywhere.
Thang Kiang How has done just that. In his paintings he explores two themes: Flowers in the Mist and the Galaxy. He is showing 50 works on each of them, and they are to be viewed as constituting two distinct series.
This extensive exhibition is quite a departure from other one-man shows, which are generally fragmentary highly selective, small and intimate.
The one-man show is an invention of the modern art world, and serves to periodically publicise the most recent creations by an artist and solicit patronage for them. It is also a vehicle by which an artist tests the value, appeal and validity of his current preoccupations and expressions with viewers and prevailing critical opinion.
Kiang How is not constrained by such conventions. This is his second one-man show - he made his debut in 1979 - and he is determined to show all.
Not surprisingly, all the pictures do not command equal interest or sustained attention. Those depicting flowers in the mist are stamped with repetitive and regular designs and patterns. They are decorative and suitable for adorning the walls of suites or rooms, requiring no more than a casual glance.
The series exploring the galaxy has abiding interests. Why the galaxy? Kiang How explains "I paint at night, at times throughout the night. Everything is still, quiet. I am immersed in night light. The galaxy is a phenomenon that allows me to crystallise distinct and concrete pictorial images."
Ever since man entered into and explored space, pictures of the earth, its atmosphere, the planets and configurations of deep space have become integral parts of our world of visual images.
We enter into Kiang How's vision of the galaxy with the assurance of such commonly shared knowledge and experience. And we are reassured by what we see, Kiang How presents two distinct visions. In one, the entire surface is transformed into a vaporous near-translucent curtain of light. Within it are trapped centres of matter which crackle and explore.
In the other, the organisational principles which are required for making a picture are asserted. Kiang How adopts conventional approaches in composing. The pictures have clearly designated focal points; the surfaces are clearly delineated; and the movements is from the controlled centres towards the edges. The progression of the images is clear and legible.
These are pictures that have interest and appeal. They also reveal Kiang How's sheer enjoyment in manipulating the medium. He is enthralled by the accidental, arbitrary ways by which the pigment is blown by compressed air, and settles in unexpected configurations.
At the same time, he recognises the need to exercise control over elements of design and composition works in order to create images that are intelligible. The most accomplished works in this exhibition are the outcome of the integration of these two impulses.
But greater discrimination should have been exercised in the selection of the works. There are pictures which do no more than display technical virtuosity. There are others in which pictorial concepts and contents have not been sufficiently consolidated.
Nevertheless, Kiang How has struck out in a fresh direction. The pictures in this exhibition are related to his earlier works, especially in terms of his preference for blue and black, and his interest in textured surfaces.
Beginning with his blue mountain series in 1980, and moving to his large, brooding pictures of Balinese temples in 1983, and now in viewing his current preoccupations, there emerges an internal coherence and connection. What we see are images of landscapes that appeal to the imagination and to experience.
空灵淡宕寄山鸥－唐近豪风景化浅介
By 石君
(一）生活在纷扰繁忙世界里的唐近豪，以清静无尘的心，对大自然的山水云树沙鸥，独具深情。他是入世的，也是出世的；是写实的，也是幻想的。最近到山河锦绣的中国游玩回来，白天虽然忙着工作，俗务缠身，但到了深夜，灵思泉涌，使他在美术创作上，又一次丰收。
“这是桂林的山吗？这是黄山吗？...”看近豪的画，你最好不要这么问，因为答案将是正面的，同时又是反面的。把风景画得很象，那该是摄影机（我不提摄影家，如旷世高手朗静山先生之流）的工作。唐近豪是自学成功的画家，不是摄影机。五岳归来，近豪已把自己的真性情和生命的力量，反映到画面上，它摆脱描绘略型，表现抒情意象。作家喜欢写他熟悉的题材，画家也是如此。同样的景物，不同的画家自然有不同的表现方式和风格。有许多人画马，徐悲鸿的马与人不同；有许多人画竹，郑板桥的竹，独树一格；有许多人画山水风景，唐近豪的山水风景，也与人不同。对于某些画家，他们需要超过别人，唐近豪所努力以求的，是超越他自己，看来他已达到目标。早期致力于油画及胶彩画，后来又把巴迪、胶彩、版画混合而成独特风格的近豪，他的山水风景，扫千里于咫尺，巨峰屹立，青青蓝蓝的黛韵，烟岚轻动，他把气势磅礴的山川，给观众以空灵淡宕的视觉美感。炎阳中游山，烟
雨中游山，观感大有不同。属于后者的唐近豪的山水，更能使人回肠荡气。
近代画家倪瓒，极少在山水里加上人物，因为他认为“世上没有人!”生活在现代社会里的近豪，不该有这种愤世俗想，但是，人与人之间的是是非非，人海里的风风浪浪，是难免的。是为了这个原因，使近豪不爱画人物，只爱画那些代表自由自在，与世无争的海鸥吗？他笔下的海鸥，振翅高飞，翱翔天地，增加了画面的动感美感。不过，也有垂翼低回无所依的时候，那是画家遇到打击了吗？它更有垂翼仁然离群冲向蓝天的，是画家不甘屈服，是挣
扎向上的寓意吗？艺术的含蓄意境，是耐人回味的。
有山就有树，那是生命的象征。近豪画树，是松树？柳树？是深山老树？是平峦新树？大大小小，二三十棵的繁密丛林，成排成行，高下浓淡，处处有变化，枝枝叶叶，昂扬向上，细致而有力。
我对瀑布有偏爱，爱飞流自下，也爱涓涓迂缓。在近豪的画里，瀑布不多见，这是不是会减少了画面的走势，使人心缺少冲击和淘滤？
（二）抽象画的先驱Kandinsky偏重蓝色，他以为蓝色是男性勇敢意志的象征，一幅“蓝骑士Blaue Relter”而产生深远的影响。近豪也偏爱蓝色，他的蓝给真山真水以更深醇的气韵，给观众以更宁静脱俗的感受，对于生活繁忙的都市人，是洗心的良方。近豪的山山树树是蓝，连沙鸥也蓝。对象的颜色并不重要，只要它能表现个性，正如Kandinsky的蓝马，苏东坡的墨竹。
（三）拥挤的住处，纷扰的人群，逼迫的人心，使我们极需更多的空间，让视觉和想象奔驰。山水画的“三远”布局笔法，正可以解除都市人的紧张压缩心态。
古人画山水，不染天，不染水，但水天一色，浮荡心中，已经很生动了。而近豪古今并用，中西合一，吸取西洋画法，用淡青淡蓝点染天水，而烟林平远，使人心旷。他虽然少画山泉瀑布，但仍有静穆高远的意志，使人悠然。他的风景画，也少有迂回曲折的山路，但用树林重叠法推深，用山岭穿插法推深。而云烟隐现，深远的意境，使人神往。
灵活处理特殊画幅的空间，近豪的用心，处处可见。
