《挟来的南洋风》 CARRYING OVER THE STYLE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
By 朱仁民, 1999
记得前年去杭州机场接士仅，迎来的依然是这张木讷讷、厚笃笃的脸，只是少年白发又添了一层。见面第一句道：“我带来第二本画册”。第一本、第二本，一层白发换一本画册。我鼻子一酸，眼眶红了半圈。如今士仅又道：“我准备出第三本画册。”我欣然：“我来写序。”他微笑点点头“谢谢， 你最熟我嘛！ ”
弹指十五载，那年我在浙江美院国画系助教班，士仅在国画系留学，先认其人，后识其画，其人其画如此活脱地应着句“画如其人”。大凡此类作品此类朋友不会一见钟情，只能“随风潜入，润物无声”。他的平淡真切和当时美院内惊天动地、泣鬼泣神的时尚相比，我根本没注意其作品，只是其大江南北蜜蜂般地写生、读书，以及其常常冒出的几句画语画评倒使我心里悄悄地怦动几下。
第一本画册出来，我一惊。这位老兄一夜之间竟倒出那么一片墨水来。潘派的构图、吴派的用笔、浙派的用墨，以及他自身挟来的南洋用色，悄然融合，虽谈不上炉火纯青但惨淡经营中看得出士仅在博采众长，广学玄览中的茫然和努力。第二本画册出来，我一震。兴许是作品的内容形式赋予他一根直统的管子，一下子将其内在的自已倒了出来， 这是一套典型南洋采风作品集， 海岛、市井、小船、林荫、人物， 从远到近、从小到大、疏处行马、密不透风，其斑烂流动的色彩，沉着通透的墨色， 加上其特有的白描和色块的对比，淋淋漓漓地将南洋之风刮将过来。我为他的悟性和耐心而吃惊， 尤其是那密密麻麻、若即若离的短线将对像不紧不慢的随意切割设置， 精到有序、落落大方。最令我喜欢的是画间的人物、小船，不知他是学习古代的陈老莲还是近代的李可染， 能如此简洁、扼要三笔二笔， 笔笔如篆，将场景中的人物活灵灵地表现出来，组成一幅幅强烈的南洋风俗卷。我开始钦佩士仅的传统工夫和传达能力。“这样下去，要成大师的。”我说。士仅木然抬头， 毫无表情，将一大堆新作推在我面前：“我准备出第三本画册。”我楞住了。这位老兄打一枪换一个地方，从南洋写生倏然返回了他的花鸟世界。他展开这巨幅的“群英图”，“U”字形的构图，中心大块的空白，空灵透气，浓重的四只苍鹰屹立空白四周，鲜明而强烈，其墨色的厚重度、金石感与柔和的色彩自然结合、相得益彰，显而易见他在南洋画法与浙派、吴派的结合中成熟老练得多了。而这幅“翠羽飘飘舞轻浪”则一反大泼墨手法，兼工带写，双勾如铁， 穿插有风，簇拥着洁白粉嫩的花束，真实地传达了惠兰挺拔柔美的风姿。构图上将兰丛置于画中弧展而下，构成大气生动的格局。
士仅搁下了第二本画册中轻松自在远距离表现的方式转向恢宏匠心的近观效果。兴许是他内心勃发的特质，从容大气，兴许是对浙派、潘天寿的崇仰，笔里行间抖露出他在留学中深刻的吸取。我抬头注视良久：“你很重视传统，你很崇仰潘天寿，但是你挟来的还是一股扑面的南洋之风。”
士仅依然木讷讷地看着我，笑了。
一九九九年六月于杭州
朱仁民
中国美术学院风景设计研究院副院长
CARRYING OVER THE STYLE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
It was still the same honest and inexpressive Shi Jin whom I received at the Hangzhou airport two years ago, only he had more white hairs. His first words then were: "I have brought you my second art album." I was deeply touched by Shi Jin's efforts, more white hairs only bore testimony of his labour for each album. Of late, he said: "I am preparing to publish my third art album." "I shall write the foreword," I obliged. "Thank you, you know me best." He nodded with a smile.
Fifteen years ago, while I was attending a assistant lecturer Chinese painting course at the China Academy of Fine Arts, Shi Jin was studying in the same faculty too. I first knew the artist before seeing his works. Shi Jin's works are a reflection of himself. We do not take to such works and friends initially, feelings only "follow the wind in and mature silently". Against the trend to sensationalise matters in the academy, his plain and sincere nature made his works hardly noticeable. It was his busy painting and studying schedule around China, as well as the words and comments, which frequently appeared from his works, that quietly aroused my notice.
I was surprised by his first art album. His talent seemed to have poured out overnight. There was a combination of the Pan Tianshou's style of composition, the Shanghai School method of using brush and ink and his own distinct colours of Southeast Asia. It was hardly perfect, but his painstaking efforts to learn from different sources were evident. His second album further astonished me. It was as if the contents and form of his works served as a channel for the expression of his soul.This was a typical album on Southeast Asian scenery; the fluidity of many colours amidst the translucency of ink expressed in the furry of subjects; island, market, small boats, forest, people, intersecting with light strokes and contrasting colour blocks thoroughtly emitted a style of Southeast Asia. I was amazed by his grasp and patience, there was a sense of order amidst the dense but free strokes sometimes near and yet far away. I particularly liked the people and small boats in the paintings. Whether in the style of the old Chen Hongshou or the contemporary Li Keran, Shi Jin was able to vividly portray the people in two to three bold and dynamic strokes, resulting in works of distinct Southeast Asian scenery. My admiration for Shi Jin's skills in traditional paintings and ability to express himself grew. “You'll be a master in no time. “ I said Raising his head, he said without a trace of expression: “I am preparing to publish my third art album," and put a pile of his recent works in front of me. I was stunned.
This album marked a change of focus from Southeast Asian scenery to flowers and birds. One painting entitled "Heroes" showed 4 eagles in a U-shaped formation contrasting against an empty background; it indicated a marked improvement in his combined Southeast Asian and Shanghai School style. Next was this "Orchids In The Wind", it has both minute and free drawing styles, bringing out the beauty of the orchids realistically; showing the orchids hanging downwards also
brought out the liveliness in the painting.
In this album, Shi Jin has shifted from the free and easy, far-distance form of expression to that of elaborate and detailed close-up effects. This could be due to the growing calmness in him, it could
also be due to his admiration for the Shanghai school of painting and Pan Tianshou, and his strokes revealed the deep impact of his studies in China. Raising my head, I glazed at him for a long time before saying: "You respect tradition very much and admire Pan Tianshou greatly, but you still carry over a gust of Southeast Asian style with you." With his usual plain expression, he smiled.
Zhu Renmin
Assistant Director
Landscape Design Division
China Academy of Fine Arts
Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
