靜聽梧桐

文／張孟起

 一直嚮往於經營屬於自己的一方小天地，一個可以呈現個人胸襟懷抱、可以寄託閒情逸興的小天地。一個具有崇古、好古氛圍的所在。耳有古琴、崑曲之雅音，或黃鸝、畫眉之雀譟；案頭有文玩，或紙鎮、或筆筒、或水注，或奇石；有小院，雖無園林之盛，卻有小庭之趣，或植芭蕉、或種竹數桿、或搭架任紫藤攀爬，下可置一蓮花缸內養金魚數尾，優游其中不亦真趣。

如此的一方小天地，在心中已經幻想了許久，當然也有部份的實現，為現代繁瑣的科技生活找到些許逃匿的出口。直到看到了顧靜的畫，才發現她的畫境竟然和我心中的一方小天地不謀而合。歸納顧靜現代水墨作品的主題，可分為拜奇石、賞文翫、觀花鳥、遊園林四項。此四個主題不僅反映了畫圖主人遣興寄情的況味，也表達了畫圖主人對於環境與自然的主觀期待，更具體描繪出我心中小天地的一幕幕情景，觀顧靜的畫可令我悠遊其間，留連忘返。

中國文人向來對奇石投注極大的關愛，這一方面反映了中國文人對於天成抽象造型的深厚審美能力，更反映以小觀大納須彌於芥子的懷抱。顧靜筆下的奇石在皺、瘦、透之外，還多了一份墨韻的趣味，看來更具靈氣。特別是在石頭邊畫上仙鶴、喜鵲，更有著動靜皆雅的趣味。

畫水墨的藝術家基於實用或非實用的目的，收藏把玩文玩雜項是最自然不過的。以文玩入畫不僅反映畫家對案頭清供的品味，還代表對傳統文人生活的懷想追念。畢竟古人己一去不返，這些可提供擬古情趣的小物件，儼然是開啟時光隧道的符碼，引領觀者悠然神往於古人。

賞花鳥，賞的不僅是奇花異草珍禽，而是生命的真趣，是造物主的無盡藏。唯有對於生命真趣的嚮往與追問，才能體察生命本體的可貴與無窮的價值。不同於中國傳統的花鳥畫，在顧靜的筆下，花與鳥都更加純粹的存在，沒有複雜的背景。供養花卉的玻璃器皿，也是無比通透，襯托生命本體的高潔。

園林可說是中國藝術的大觀園，建築、造園、雕刻、繪畫、書法、音樂、戲劇諸多藝術，無不可納入於園林，園林可說是以上諸多藝術的最佳展演場，而園林的主人更是調動調配這些藝術的大導演。園林在顧靜的筆下，沒有過多的雕琢與刻意的舖排，亭台水榭素雅可人，透出憩淡的風韻，仿佛淡妝西子，盡得造物真趣。

賞析顧靜的作品很難避開她的名字─靜。綜觀她的作品，無一不遍佈靜氣，令人一見而忘俗，一看而靜心，猶如靜聽梧桐¹。畫境一如心境，心能靜畫方能靜。萬丈紅塵名枷利鎖，得一靜氣何其之難。觀顧靜的畫能獲得片刻清涼，即是大自在了。

 

1.  古琴多為梧桐所製，此「梧桐」引申為「古琴」之意。

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Quietly Listening to Wutong

I have always yearned for a place of my own; a place that provides embrace and sustains leisure –  a place of antiquarian atmosphere. In my ears, are rhythms of the zither¹ or songs of orioles. On the desk, are scholarly objects, such brushes and ink stones, and other curios from the past. There is a garden; although not vast, it has bamboo stalks that whistle with the wind, and plantain leafs that rattle in the rain. Underneath the greenery, is a lotus pond, filled with goldfish that swim around joyfully, like children at play. Such a place, although constructed countless times in our minds, but only realized partially in real life, provides a window of escapism that set the mind at ease.

Only after viewing Gu Jing’s art, did I realize that the scenes from her paintings and the place I have been yearning for are one and the same. The themes and motifs of Gu’s new ink paintings can be categorized as Paying Respect to Scholar’s Rocks, Appreciating Objects of the Study, Admiring Flowers & Birds, and Wandering through Gardens. These themes and motifs not only reflect Gu’s artistic pursuit as an artist, but also her fascination and respect for the natural world and its many wonders. Moreover, her paintings fantastically portray scenes of my ideal place, inviting me to wander and linger within.

The Chinese literati have long admired limestones of bizarre shapes, known to the West as scholar’s rocks. The literati these natural-forming rocks as embodiments of the naturalist principles of Chinese philosophy, and thus appreciated the rocks’ near-abstract qualities. In Gu Jing’s representation of scholar’s rocks, she initially splashes washes of ink freely onto the silk, allowing it to run and set spontaneously. After careful observation of how the ink settles, she then decides on the composition and skillfully fills in the rock’s contours. In this way, she mimics and honors the natural and spontaneous forming quality of scholar’s rocks.

For contemporary artists of new ink painting, the appreciation and collection of objects of the study, such as antique brushes and ink stones, are both natural and practical. As these objects were handed down from past literati, by once again putting them to proper use, one forms a continuity with the past. While Gu Jing forges a new path in new ink painting, she nonetheless holds a deep respect for the literati tradition she grew out of.

In the traditional genre of flower and bird painting, there are two aspects of admiration. The first is the motifs themselves; unique and rare flowers paired with graceful and elegant birds symbolize beauty and integrity, as they are wonders of the natural world. Secondly, traditional executions of flowers and birds emphasize meticulous brushwork, or gongbi, in portraying the subjects in a fine and realistic manner. Gu Jing’s innovation in this genre is her depiction of glass bottles and vases. By outlining contours with different shades of monochrome ink, and leaving the centre unpainted, Gu effectively creates glass containers in vivd likeness, and thereby demonstrates the traditional Chinese notion of negative space, or liubai.

Classical Chinese gardens essentially encompass all genres of Chinese art; architecture, gardening, painting, calligraphy, poetry, music, and theatre, can all be housed or performed in the garden complex. Therefore, the garden owner becomes the arbiter of all the arts. Similarly, Gu Jing, in her artful representations of gardens, encapsulates all the themes of motifs of her art, including scholar’s rocks, objects of the study, as well as flowers and birds, into single and comprehensive masterpieces.

When appreciating Gu Jing’s art, the character of her name jing, tranquil or quiet, naturally comes to mind. The composition of a painting is reflective a painter’s state of mind, and therefore only a mind at ease can ever create tranquil compositions. In viewing Gu’s paintings and being drawn into the compositions, one shares with her a state of mind that is tranquil or quiet – a mind that is at ease.

Richard MC Chang
Translated by Timothy Chang

 

1. The Chinese zither, or qin, is traditionally made with Wutong wood of the Chinese Parasol tree. Therefore, Wutong is an analogy for the zither.