細節
關良
太白醉寫圖
設色 紙本 裱於紙板
1984年作
款識:太白醉寫 甲子番禺關良畫
鈐印:關良;番禺南亭
來源:
藝術家家屬收藏

關良的繪畫藝術可分為油畫、水墨、水彩、素描。事實上,關氏的藝術鍛鍊都是從油畫開始,而其中國式水墨戲劇人物,也是從西洋油畫基礎發展起來的。關良對京劇的愛好和修養更充實了他藝術創作上的多元性,讓他結合民間趣味和水墨詩意,顯現出獨特的繪畫風格。關良主張利用俐落的線條和簡約構圖,來表現造型一向嚴謹的京劇人物(圖1)。他相信要創造一幅有靈魂的戲曲人物作品,必須先提出畫中的意趣,不能只限於一味模仿劇中人的扮相、動作、服飾等外在形象。

關良的京劇人物是根據特定的戲劇情節,在形象刻劃上進行了創新,以運用一些造型手段達到寫意傳神的目的。關良的摯友金容在回顧關良時記述:「關良先生常常談到八大山人把鷹的眼睛畫成了方形。鷹的眼睛是最有神氣的一種眼睛,畫成方形就比圓形更有力量」。《太白醉寫圖》(Lot 1353)的人物內在思想,就是藉眼睛表現出來。劇目取材自歷史故事「太白醉寫番書」,講述李白入都應試,因不肯賄賂主試官楊國忠及高力士被黜。後黑蠻國以蠻文上表唐玄宗,滿朝無識者;賀知章薦李白,李白宣讀蠻書,一字不差。玄宗又命其草詔以宣國威,李白乃請旨命楊國忠磨墨,高力士托靴,以洩露被屈抑之憤。關良以精簡的線條巧妙地表現了正在侍奉李白的高力士與楊國忠既驚又怕的眼神,映對李白自信地沉思的神情,及旁邊低頭的侍女順服的表情。為了表現形體的感染力,刻意簡化人物塑造,簡單地勾勒輪廓,捨棄了繁瑣的細節,貫徹了關良「用十筆畫的,改用五筆來畫」的主張。

《舞獅圖》(Lot 1354)以農曆新年中傳統舞獅入畫。舞獅源起於中國南部廣東省,春節期間人們到處舞動年獸一番,配以大鑼、大鼓,以示年獸走動之聲,希望年獸走過的地方會給人們帶來吉祥好運。年獸其形狀為獨角、青鼻、獠牙、眼大炯炯有神,頭如巴斗。舞獅通常是兩個人合作,一人舞獅頭,一人舞獅尾,舞者必須將獅子的「喜、怒、哀、樂、驚、疑、貪、戾」等各種表情充分的表現出來。關良捕捉醒獅的動作神情,有如捕捉戲劇中的人物動態。畫中舞獅二人和引領醒獅的「大頭佛」抬腿踏步,跟著鑼鼓聲進發。藝術家刻意簡化了獅身和獅頭的裝飾細節,刻意誇張放大炯炯有神的雙眼。關良筆下的醒獅脫去了霸氣,卻充滿逗人喜愛的「稚拙美」。紅、橙、黃、綠鮮艷奪目的用色,不失節日的氣氛。

關良將戲曲人物中糾結的情緒與戲劇性,在畫面中利用虛、實空間比例來點出各個動作誇張的戲劇人物,避免了因複雜構圖而犧牲了畫的趣味和想像空間。《舞獅圖》雖然不是《太白醉寫》戲劇畫,但也如京劇充滿連環動作,背景以留白的方式處理,更突出醒獅的形態與「大頭佛」的步法。同時讓人聯想鑼鼓聲、炮竹聲伴隨躍動的醒獅,充滿了濃厚的春節氣氛。

關良謙遜真誠、樸實自然的品性是其藝術創作所散發的魅力。關良的畫風「大巧若拙」、「拙中藏巧」,畫作看來漫不經心的地方,卻正是他熬費苦心的經營。關良把中國戲劇舞台帶進水墨畫中,豐富的舞台表現形式擴充了水墨表現範圍,使水墨表現更有進一步的發展空間。關良的藝術告訴我們,偉大的創作不一定是嚴肅的,單純樸實,反樸歸真的美,同樣能感化人心。
來源
Collection of the artist's family

榮譽呈獻

Felix Yip
Felix Yip

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拍品專文

The art of Guan Liang can be classified into oil, ink, watercolor paintings, and drawings. His artistic education began in oil painting, which is the foundation for his later painting of drama characters in Chinese ink. Guan Liang's love for Beijing opera added to the breadth of subject matters in his art; his works on this theme fuse the appeal of that popular entertainment form with the poetry of ink as a medium to yield works of strong individuality. Guan favoured the use of incisive lines and simplified compositions to express the dramatic yet disciplined characters of Beijing opera seen on stage (Fig. 1). Guan strived to depict the soul of the opera characters through understanding the essence of the dramatic story performed, rather than merely imitating the external features by portraying their makeup, costume and actions.

The characters in Guan's Beijing Operas series are all based on traditional plays, but through his innovative brushwork and vision, they become animated and vivid in style. The painter Jin Rong (1985-1928), who was also Guan's best friend, recalled that "Mr. Guan Liang often mentioned that Bada Shanren painted the eyes of eagles into rectangular shape. Eagles have the most striking eyes. Their rectangular shape makes them appear more powerful than those of the round shape." Evidently, it is also through the eyes that Guan Liang chose to express the inner psyche and emotions of figures in Drunken Li Bai the Poet (Lot 1353).The drama alludes to the historical story Drunken Li Bai Wrote in the Barbarian Scripts, Li Bai the famous Tang Dynasty (618-909) poet who went to the capital for examinations, but was expelled for not bribing the examination officers Yang Guozhong and Gao Lishi. Later, the Black Barbarians sent a state letter in foreign script to Emperor Tang Xuanzong, which nobody in the court could read. Officer He Zhizhang recommended Li Bai to be the translator, who interpreted the letter without any error. Pleased with Li Bai's knowledge, Emperor Tang Xuanzong asked Li to reply a letter in foreign script to impress the barbarians and flaunt national strength and power of the Tang court. Having completed the task, Li Bai asked the Emperor to assign Yang Guozhong and Gao Lishi to serve him, as a punishment for their unfair treatment and corruption. In this painting, Guan depicts Yang preparing ink for Li to paint and Gao holding one of Li's legs to make him comfortable while painting. The fear and shame in Yang and Gao's eyes that contrast with the confidence and concentration on Li's face are all captured in the artist's simple and subtle lines and brushstrokes. To emphasize the essence of the characters, Guan Liang deliberately simplified the forms of the body, sketching the outline with simple strokes and abandoning complicated details, and put his idea of "use only five strokes to paint the ten-strokes needed" into practice.

Lion Dancing (Lot 1354) depicts the traditional ceremony in Chinese Lunar New Year, which originates from Guangdong province in Southern China. During Spring Festival, people will celebrate and dance with the cloth-made lion together with music played by the gong and drums on the streets. With the appearance of this festive animal, it is believed that good fortune will be delivered to the local citizens. The cloth-made lion represents the mythical creature with a unicorn and a cyan nose, a pair of tusks and alert eyes; its head is as big as a large vessel. Lion dancing usually requires two people: one dances with the head and the other dances with the tail. The dancers express the lion's complex emotions of happiness, anger, sadness, cheerfulness, fright, doubt, greed and violence through their dance to make a successful performance. In this painting, Guan Liang tried to catch the lion's action and expressions as if he was depicting opera figures. Two lion dancers and the big Buddha's head holder raise their feet and progress in rhythm of the gong and drums. The artist deliberately simplified the decorative details on the lion's body and head and enlarged its big and wide eyes, so to achieve a sophisticated and uncomplicated aesthetic. The lion still remains fierce and powerful without appearing menacing, and the bright and flashy colours of red, orange, yellow and green build a cheerful, festive atmosphere of the painting.

Guan Liang's works are best-known for their balance in spatial emptiness and richness. He ingeniously avoids a complicated composition which would diminish the interest and imagination of the painting, to emphasize the complex emotions of the characters, the dramatic plots and the expressive body movements. Lion Dancing is an active scene with a focus on the gait of the lion and the big head Buddha figure, which stand out in a blank background. The festive sounds of the gong, drums and fireworks could almost be heard out of the painting.

The unaffected modesty and spontaneous simplicity of Guan's brushwork are the artistic manifestation of the true personality and genius of the artist. The way he 'renders wisdom in simplicity', 'making wit of what is apparently stupid' are essential to traditional Chinese philosophies. The most casual brushstroke is done with the most meticulous effort. Guan's paintings of the Chinese opera exemplify how ink as a medium has been constantly reinvented and how Chinese artists have found innovation in traditional modes of expressions. Guan Liang's art tells us that austerity is not a prerequisite for great work, but that unadorned simplicity and genuine feeling can communicate just as well with any viewer.

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