非常地妖的风景 Yang Jia’ Landscape
《非常地妖的风景 之一》
Yang Jia’ Landscape NO.01
C-Print Size:100X167X6cm 2008
摄影：杨佳
(蒋志选自杨佳博客照片制作)
《非常地妖的风景 之二》
Yang Jia’ Landscape NO.02
C-Print Size:60X60X3.5cm 2008
摄影：杨佳
(蒋志选自杨佳博客照片制作）
关于“非常地妖的风景”的对话
许崇宝（许）与蒋志（蒋）
许：什么动因促使你做了“非常地妖的风景”这组作品？
蒋：换一个角度重新观察人，思考人，看待人。
许：对“非常地妖”这个博客名字，你怎么理解？你的作品标题也借用了这四个字。
蒋：我不知道，网络上很多人的ID都有带“妖”字，里面可能有一种流行文化认同心理。因为我是从他这个博客中选取了照片，所以要注明来处。
许：博客上一共四百八十六张照片，你只选了这两张？
蒋：我选当时让我有所触动的。当然还可以选一些，但是我觉得就先选两张吧。我觉得重点不是选什么照片。
许：我对比了一下，你的作品在细节上和杨佳博客上的照片没有区别，是否可以说你挪用了现成的图像？摄影作品在此是否会出现“作者危机”？
蒋：对的，我只是把这两张照片制作出来了，一张很大，一张比较小，是展览中常见的方式。作品标签注明杨佳是摄影者，他就是作者，这毫无疑问。作品，我想，最重要的是表现方式，我的方式是让它们在和以往不同的空间和时间中生成新的意义，同样一张照片，可能，在家庭相册里是纪念照，在法院是证据，在展厅中是艺术作品。与事物相遇，每个人都能有感而作。
许：有意思的是，博客上大多数照片拍摄的是山和花，你选择的图像虽然同样是有山和花的形象，但重点却是云？这是我的错觉？还是你有意为之？
蒋：你的感觉很细致和敏锐。其实我一开始并没有意识到这一点，我只是当时在众多照片中选出最让我有感觉的几张，后来我才去想这里面是什么打动了我？可能像云和花，越是容易变化和消逝的事物越能给人触动吧。但是，选任何不同的照片都会给人不一样的感觉，所以，画面是什么，不是我首先要考虑的。
许：这两张照片的调子截然不同，一张给我以诡异、阴郁的感觉，另一张是春暖花开，晴空万里。
蒋：云就是云，任何感觉都是人赋予的。虽然我不知道杨佳当时拍摄的时候是怎样的感受，所谓调子都是观者自己定的，当然我也比较看重睹物生情、悯天忧人的审美传统，我觉得这也是做人的传统。我们需要重新恢复感觉，抵抗麻木症的侵袭。但不是恢复俗套的感觉。在这里，我想要的是重新去感觉一个人。对我来说，重新去感觉的过程比最后形成的照片重要。
许：杨佳事件后网络上有很多人对他的这些照片进行分析，试图将事件与图像联系起来，仿佛有“在劫难逃”之意，摄影也是你常用的表达媒介之一，你如何看待这种分析？
蒋：一场巨大的劫难，它的力量会促使人把很多事物联系起来，把我们的无知编写成神秘传说。如果我们再单一、简单地看待事物，看待人，看待政治，看待所谓恶，看待我们和世界的联系，我们当然会“在劫难逃”。
Dialogue between Xu Chongbao (Xu) and Jiang Zhi (Jiang) on “Yang Jia’ s Landscape”
Xu: what’s the motif makes you create Yang Jia’ s Landscape?
Jiang: it’s the purpose of observing, thinking and treating people from a different angle.
Xu: How do you think about the blog name of “Fei Chang Di Yao” cited as the title of your works?
Jiang: I don’t kown, the ID is very attractive. The “Yao” character is included in many netizens’ ID. There is certain psychological identification with the pop culture inside this character. It’s necessary for me to indicate the source of my photographs, i.e. the blog of “Fei Chang Di Yao”
Xu: why did you only select two out of the 486 photographs published in the blog?
Jiang: I selected those touched me then. It’s possible to select more, but I thought two is enough. I don’t think what selected is the point.
Xu: After comparing your work and Yang Jia’s photo, I find there is nothing different. Does it mean that you use the already-image as art? Will “crisis of author” arise with respect to photography works?
Jiang: Yes, I just produced these two photos, one is big while the other is small, which is popular form in exhibitions. It is indicated on the labels that Yang Jia is the photographer and the author; this is beyond question. I believe the crucial factor of photographic works is the way of expression. My way is to give varied meanings to my works in different spaces and at different time. A photograph may represent memory in family album, evidence in court, and art work in exhibition hall. Everyone would do something following the feelings brought by encounter with things.
Xu: mountains and flowers are subjects of most photographs online; the interesting thing is that cloud is the focus in your works although mountains and flowers are contained too. Is this my illusion or your intent?
Jiang: You are meticulous and sagacious on the images. At first, I just chose photos that moved me, then, I asked myself what moved me behind the images? Maybe, the easier things vanish like flowers and clouds the more they could touch human. However, any different photograph selected will make people feel differently. So, picture is not my prime consideration.
Xu: the tone of these two photographs are completely different, one makes me feel quirky and gloomy while the other brings the feeling of spring flowers and blue sky.
Jiang: cloud is cloud and any feeling is endowed by man. I have no idea about what Yang Jia felt when he took those photographs; actually the so-called tone is determined subjectively by audiences. Certainly, I think highly of aesthetic traditions such as feeling-upon-seeing and concerning state and people, and this, in my opinion, is also the tradition of behavior. We need to recover our sense resisting strike of callousness. However, it is not the conventional sense that I want to recover. I want to re-feel a man. For me, the process of re-feel is more important than the art work.
Xu: There are plenty of analyses of his photos online after Yang Jia event, attempting to connect those photos with the event, as if “there’s no escape”. As an artist uses photography as medium, How do you think about those analyses?
Jiang: The power of a disaster will urge people to establish relation among many things and compile our ignorance into mysterious tale. Obviously, “there will be no escape” for us if we keep viewing things, persons, politics, so-called evils, and the relation between man and world from a mono and simple angle.
关于杨佳的艺术评论
文/蒋志
就我个人来言，写杨佳的艺术评论是一个亏本生意，但是，作为一个艺术评论家，我有更高的价值追求。而且，这次不想卖弄我驾轻就熟的写作技巧，看了太多的电视和报纸之后，我对一面之词感到厌倦了。所以，我想更多地引用相关的人和我十分尊重的评论家们的话。为了更方便我的引用的学术发挥，我对所引用的相关人士和评论家们的原文做了少许技术处理。
还需要事先申明的是：我在文中对“艺术家杨佳”的提法，将直接称呼其姓名，而不像惯例称呼为“优秀的艺术家杨佳”“不可多得的非常优秀的艺术家杨佳”或“中国当代乃至当代国际艺术界不可多得的不能不说非常优秀的艺术家之一杨佳先生”，不是我有意怠慢这位至今为止已拥有观众五十三多万人次的艺术家，也不是我的Ctrl 键和C、V键不好用（读下去你会注意到这3个键非常便捷），而是这篇无偿的评论失去了增加稿费的可能性——也不是出于我心地善良。
首先我要简单的介绍这位80后艺术家，他出生在1980年8月，生活并无工作于北京，未婚，他自己说“一个大龄光棍现在最想结交的就是美女”。除了摄影之外，爱好旅游和读文艺书籍。处女座的他性格内向，特别守规矩，和我一样不擅言词。守规矩的习性，有几个熟识他的人举了几个例子，一个是他小时候为了乱扔烟头而指责其父，一个是有次埋怨其母亲随手扔一个雪糕包装纸，还一个是他从不违反交通规则。杨佳的小学同学黄淼说，小学时代的杨佳虽然内向，但仍然喜欢参加集体活动，喜欢和同学一起掷沙包做游戏，玩的时候从来不作弊胡闹。
据知情人说，由于父母离异，更使他性格内向沉默，除了经常旅游面对大自然，网络是他乐于进入的世界。2006年，杨佳加入网络上的小学校友录后，第一条发言就是希望大家能在入学20年后聚会庆祝。博客上唯一一篇也可能是最后一篇日志发表于今年6月4日，上面记载了在北京爬山的经历，“下周再有这样的活动还参加，争取一直保持在头队”。这篇博客看得出他是惜命之人，他写自己爬山时体力不支的情况，“本来还计划要坐车去找领队吃饭的，现在只想能活着走到山下就谢天谢地了”。在写文章中他还连续打了9个“哈”。
他母亲的1500元退休金用来维持一家生活，但是他为了艺术，不仅辞了工作，还买了一台准专业数码相机，并且还装了一个可以把连拍的照片合成一张全景图的软件。杨佳发表的摄影作品有486件，都贴在国际知名传媒大亨默多克的太太主办的聚友网。他的博客名为“非常地妖”。我相信大多数摄影是出自他本人。
他的摄影作品第一次受到专业的关注是来自于心理学界，看完他的所有摄影作品后，心理专家李惠敏的第一感觉是“博主对远景、近景的构图都把握到位，可见其”布局谋篇”能力较强，分析问题周详、细微而冷静。除了旅游照，博主很少放生活照，隐约反映出他对真实生活的一种回避。在少见的集体照中，博主常站在后侧或靠边，有一种自卑或默默无闻的心态。”
好了，我得开始我的正文，其实所谓的正文都是我略做修改的别人的文本（别人的写别人的文本）。本来我想用斜体字标出我引用的原文部分，但是斜的太多了，我只好放弃这个负责任的想法。但是每段我会标出抄了几成（按十成计算,姓名的技术处理不算）。
杨佳从二十八岁的某一天（2008年7月1日）闯进上海闸北艺术空间的那一刻开始，或者是从2007年10月5日晚上8点半骑车经过上海一个普通的路口的那一刻开始（见注释1），就注定了他将是一个被艺术史抛弃的人。尽管这一次，他以艺术的崇高的名义干预到社会的各个层面，又借助社会的力量完成了以通常艺术的方式无法完成的事情。这“事情”无疑都被他自己称为艺术。然而高雅的艺术圈中永远不会承认这是艺术，而更像是暴戾的行径，用今天的话说，是蓄谋已久的谋杀。为了完成这“事情”各式各样的手段和匪夷所思的方式逐渐成为他自认为的艺术的一部分。孤僻、无正当职业、单亲家庭、沉默寡言、暴躁、凶残成为艺术圈中评价他最常用的词汇。真正的文化精英们面对他的“事情”，绝大部分的人采取了回避和不置可否，或不屑一顾的态度。他认为自己是艺术圈中最被蔑视的人，尽管多数纯粹的艺术家认为他并不在圈中。很多人谈起他时都咬牙切齿，用他们能想象的到最恶毒的语言诅咒他。有人甚至他的律师都扬言他难逃一死。可以确定的是，他是最臭名昭著的人，他不知疲倦的频繁亮相于各大主流媒体，他的作品总是引起激烈的争议，被社会和媒体广泛关注。争议成为他的举措的不可缺少的部分。（9成）
闸北艺术空间是近年来兴起的艺术空间之一，其实他们的总公司，做过很有影响力的展览，主题是“意外或被自杀”。参展艺术家有湖南湘潭的黄静、湖北襄樊的高莺莺、浙江温州的戴海静、重庆李琴、广东佛山廖梦君、阜阳李国福、广州谭静、上海刘凌波等等。展览大大突破了传统的展览观念和形式，不展示、不报道、不评论。几乎所有的媒体都被口头通知不能擅自发表报道和评论，但是，由于互联网常穿马甲的业余评论员过于人多嘴杂，这些作品和艺术家还是被广为人知，展览频频意外地获得了巨大的效果，虽然艺术家们的亲友团表达了不同看法，挑起了一些不满甚至敌意的情绪，然而，这个展览仍被认为是中国当代艺术现状具有历史价值的重要展览，埋下了突破艺术困境和传统展览机制的颠覆性的种子。（5成）
如果每个艺术空间都是一个小王国的话，那么这个空间则代表着一个小王国的最高权利意识形态和文化形态。众多的小王国又构成了大的帝国。当杨佳穿梭于这些空间时，被隐藏在空间里各种力量包围。让他不得不去面对一些复杂的现实。尽管每个机构都有自己的各领风骚的风格，但当权者却有着惊人的相似。当杨佳的刀飞舞在这些空间时，我相信我们一定可以感受到或者接受到另一种知识。杨佳还创造了语言独特的非凡技艺，他将人对身体的欲望潜能，对胸部的迷恋情节夸张到了某种极至。让我们在幽默中不知所措。他用上访材料、催泪瓦斯、单刃刀具、榔头、登山杖、防尘面具、 橡胶手套、 打火机等各种艺术材料，无限的扩张放大他的一刀观。他甚至希望他的一刀可以刺痛积弊以久的机制，并被世人誉为“杨一刀”。（8.5成）
当我们讨论艺术家的创作的时候，更为客观的态度是，不要一味偏重于他的代表作，我们如果从一些他平时的并不经意的作品进行分析，我们更能一窥艺术家的整体的审美趣味和精神面貌。他大量的摄影作品虽然都是“莫名其妙的重复一些琐碎的细节，毫无道理的拍摄着一些不重要的东西。” 但是另一位评论家说：“几百张照片记录着一个快门狂人的点滴生活，那些早被时间淡忘了的旅游合影，风景观光，这就是生活本身。” 还有人说：“他在画面中创作出一种背景与前景间、个人与集体间、人与环境间暧昧的、具有悬疑的关系 — 这些全都转瞬即逝却又故若磐石。”
他的作品“在看似简单的画面构图中着力追求素朴、凝炼的文人精华和情怀，从而创造出纯正高雅的意境和格调。”这是和他平时勤于文艺书籍的阅读和经常观摩中国古典山水名作（在他博客上可以找到他拍摄的国画和书法作品与网友分享的照片），擅于汲取中国传统文化的精髓是分不开的。
我个人非常欣赏他拍的一张天空的照片，天空占去大部分篇幅，一片饱含阳光的刺目的白云是画面的主体，白云的中心有一小片不祥的阴影，黑色的山影盘踞一角。正如有人评价的：“它能很好地表现特殊的意境和画者的主观情趣。构图的一些基本法则如开与合、聚与散、藏与露、虚与实、对比与调和、局部与整体、变化与统一等，是很见功力的”。
还有一张拍的桃花的照片，“意境清新、恬静、幽谷、高雅，诗一般的艺术风格。”正如一个风景画家介绍自己的创作：“追求宁静自然、丰富耐看、平实的意境。”这位艺术家的自述好像正为杨佳道出了心声：“与自然风景的对话交流多了，很自然就有了表达的愿望。如果没有丰富的人生体验，也很难深刻表现风景之美。一样的风景，不同的境遇、不同的心境与年龄所感受到的风景自然不同，细心观察体味大自然四季的微妙变化，并寄情于其中，记下打动你的瞬间感受，这些就是我风景摄影创作的生活、情感素材的积累，它已经成为我的生活习惯。”
他的作品还获得了大量的评论：
今年7月初，因杨佳一次饱受争议的行为，中央和地方媒体给予了积极的关注。为此许多媒体作了人物专题。就作品本身的评价，在艺术界无疑是一次轰动。在艺术创作日益活跃的今天，我们有理由提出这样的问题，为什么艺术?艺术为什么? （9．5成）
昨天我看了电视剧《大奋斗》，他和成长在八十年代的杨佳正是这样性情的一群人。
杨佳的作品与电视剧《大奋斗》不谋而合，异曲同工，这是一个年代的性情，这是一群人的性情，无法背叛，无法忘却。所有的故事都在细枝末节中迷漫。你、我、他或许都是这样的性情中人，在现实的生活中哪里是我们的单元？ （9.8成）
他的创作手法吸引着观者去思索人与其环境间、被遗忘以及被渴求的、现在与未来之间的冲突。此次发生的作品充满着对社会与政治的评论、描绘着确定性以及不确定性、反映着艺术家对中国发展的信心和发展中衍生出来的问题。杨佳将被掠夺的与被敬畏的事物并置，将被遗忘的与被重访的地方并列。他的作品捕捉那近乎于沉默静止并正消逝中的历史，更深入地探索并揭露着某种不满与愤慨的情绪。（10成）
他对空间和形式有自己独到的见解，并对人类的生活方式有着深刻的见解。他通过照相机表达着他对世界的理解。（10成）
他的作品有其内在的重量感和个性张力。这种内在的力量来源于他的生活和想像而不是某种艺术形式或流派，从作品中能看到个人的生活和性情，我想这是衡量艺术品好坏的重要标准。（10成）
他的作品和他本人一样，有很多元的阐释性。（10成）
他很注重汲取中国传统文化的精髓，本土文化特征很浓。（10成）
我们可以从他的作品中体味到社会和人本等艺术性。（10成）
他的创作表达了对这个被商业化、网络化、全球化的时代的感受，通过作品的表达来与复杂的社会发生关系。（10成）
他更多的关注内心世界和表象世界之间的关联。（10成）
他的艺术作品无一例外的走结合社会的道路，中国当代社会就是杨佳们的直接实验场，他的艺术与社会发生了最紧密地联系。杨佳的所为一直是在为当代艺术进入社会主流寻找一种途径，他追求一种生活是艺术的、艺术是生活的态度。从这种意义上说，杨佳是一个最彻底的中国式的前卫艺术家。像这样杰出的艺术家在这个世界上只有两个地方能找到，一个是南半球，一个是北半球。（9．5成）
我很高兴终于完成了这篇评论，笔者才疏识浅，本想提高一下认识再写，但是由于时间有限只好作罢。在写作过程中得到了许多朋友的帮助，他们在评论事业中作出的卓越贡献，我只能高山仰止，没有他们的评论文本，我也无法写完这么多字。在遇到某些问题的时候，我总是向美丽大方的谷歌小姐求教，无论多忙，她都会及时帮我查找，我差点陷入她那宽阔的胸怀不能自持。有时我会埋怨她是不是对我隐瞒了什么，她不计较我的粗暴无理，每次都会小声地解释“我真的有难言之隐”。
2008-9-1
注释1： 2007年十一期间，杨佳去上海旅游，被闸北艺术空间分馆的芷江画廊的一个工作人员一眼看出他极有可能是艺术家，我们姑且称之为“疑似艺术家”，说他的自行车不错，问艺术家本人是不是有版权，艺术家宣称这是用租的材料做成的作品，“艺探”看了租赁合同之后觉得这个作品很“当代”，然后盛情邀请他去画廊看场地，没想到十分投缘，画廊工作人员陪了他6个小时，当然，6个小时的良宵没有按摩很难舒服地度过，所以，据艺术家说有7、8名工作人员给他按摩了，但是艺术家觉得他们按摩的手法不好，于是叫来他们的经理，经理来看了看，问手下的人：“谁按得不好？”，“没有啊！”所有人都否认了这个问题。于是，经理转身对艺术家很客气地说：“你看，没人吧，我们都很专业的。”
艺术家愤愤返回北京，但是经常投诉到闸北艺术空间要求一个说法。可能是艺术家对按摩过敏，2006年他去山西旅行的时候也曾被当地某画廊工作人员按摩掉几颗牙齿，最后索赔了3万。这次他也向闸北艺术空间提出3万的索赔。虽然空间两次派专员从上海来北京协调此事，但是艺术家的过于认死理的倔脾气上来了，拒绝让步。他再次到上海讨说法的时间是2008 年6月12日。
An Art Critique on Yang Jia
Jiang Zhi
Personally speaking, writing an art critique about Yang Jia is a loss making business. However, as an art critic, I am more ambitious than that. I won’t show off my highly developed writing skill this time. One result of watching too much TV and reading far too many newspaper articles is that I get really tired of just showing one side of the coin. So I want to quote more often from relevant personnel and some critics I greatly respect. Besides, some technical processing was applied to the quotes of those relevant personnel and commentators, to better facilitate the academic materials.
There is something I feel the need to state from the outset: I would just address “the artist Yang Jia” by his name, instead of the more commonly adopted titles like “outstanding artist Yang Jia” “rare and extraordinary artist Yan Jia” or “Mr Yang Jia, one of the most rare and extraordinary artist in the contemporary Chinese, and even the international, art scene.” I am not deliberately slighting this artist who has an audience of more than five hundred thirty thousand people. And the Ctrl, C and V keys on my keyboard work just fine (read on then you would notice how highly convenient these three keys are). The real reason is not how kind-hearted I am , but this is a free commentary with little possibility of any increase of writing fees.
First I’d like to introduce this artist briefly. He is born in August, 1980, lived but did not hold a job in Beijing, is unmarried, he said of himself that “as a not so young bachelor, the one thing I want to do is get to know some pretty girls.” He loved traveling, reading literature books and photography. As a Virgo, he was quiet and obeyed every rule. Like me, he wasn’t good at words. As for how rule-abiding he was, several of his acquaintances provided us some examples. When he was a child, he once condemned his father for tossing a cigarette butt, another time, he complained to his mother over her littering of an ice cream wrapper. Besides, he never disobeyed any traffic regulations. Huang Miao, Yang Jia’s primary schoolmate, said that although Yang Jia always kept to himself, he still enjoyed group activities, like throwing sandbags with his classmates. And he never cheated when playing.
According to the account of some insiders, the divorce of his parents made him even more quiet. Other than nature which he encountered when traveling, the internet was the world he enjoyed most. In 2000, he joined the online community for his primary school alumni. His first post was to ask everyone to hold a reunion party for the 20th anniversary of their entrance into the school. The only, and maybe the last entry of his blog, was posted in June 4th this year, describing a mountain hike in Beijing. He wrote, “If there is another such activity next time, I will join again, and strive to be among the first “. From this blog, you can also learn that he treasured his life. He wrote about how tired he was during the hiking, “I was planning to go and dine with our team leader, but at that moment I would be grateful for just being alive after hiking down the mountain”. And he typed nine consecutive “hah”.
His mother supported the whole family with her RMB 1500 pension. But for art, Yang Jia did not only quit his job, but also bought a semi pro digital camera, then installed software to generate panoramas. Yang Jia published 486 pieces of photographs, all posted in MySpace.cn, a website created by the wife of Murdoch, the international renowned media tycoon. The name of his blog is “unusually coquettish”. I believe most of the photographs are created by him.
The first professional attention his photographs got was from the field of psychology. Psychologist Li HuiMing viewed all of his works. Her first feeling was that “the blogger arranges the perspective very properly, which demonstrates a rather strong capacity of composition. He would be thorough, specific and calm when analysing problems. The blogger rarely posts any photos of his life except when traveling, which more or less showcases his avoidance of real life. In the rare group pictures, the blogger usually stands in the back or by the side, demonstrating his self-contempt.”
Well, I should start my text now. Although in fact, the alleged texts are all quotations from other people’s articles (other people’s articles writing about other people) with a few revisions. I was going to write all quotations in italics, but was forced to abandon this responsible idea for there would be too many italics. However, I would mark down the percentage of the quotation.
Yang Jia was doomed to be abandoned by art history since the day (June, 1st, 2008) he went into the Zhabei Art Space, Shanghai when he was twenty eight, or since the day he rode a bicycle across an ordinary crossroad in the evening at half past eight of October, 5th, 2007, (see note 1). Although this time, he intervened at various levels of society in the noble name of art, and leveraged the force of society to accomplish an undertaking that any normal art form would never be able to accomplish. This undertaking was undoubtedly called art by himself, yet the refined art circle would never admit so. Instead, they consider it a ruthless conduct, a premeditated murder in today’s language. The various ways and unimaginable methods he adopted to accomplish this undertaking gradually became a part of his so called art. Unsociable, without a proper job, single parent family, quiet, testiness, cruel are the most commonly used vocabulary when he is mentioned by the art circle. Facing his undertaking, the true art elite’s attitude was avoidance or indifference. He considered himself the most despised person in the art circle, despite the fact that the majority of pure artists did not even consider him a part of this crowd. Most people would become quite emotional when talking about him, cursing him with the most malicious language they could think of. Some, even his attorney, claimed he could not escape the fate of death. If there is one thing we can be sure of, it is that he is the most notorious person. He tirelessly showed himself in all major media, created works which generated violent controversy and attracted wide concern from the media as well as from society. Controversy was an indispensable part of his activities. (90 percent)
Zhabei Art Space is one of the art spaces which emerged in recent years. In fact, their mother company hosted some rather influential exhibitions. One of them was called “Accident or committed suicide upon”. Artists in the exhibition include Huang Jing from Xiang Tan, Hu Nan, Gao Yinyin from Xiang Fan, Hu Nan, Dai Haijing from Wenzhou, Li Qin from Chong Qin, Liao Mengjun from Fu Shan, Guang Dong, Li Guofu from Fu Yang, Tan Jing from Guangzhou, Liu Ningbo from Shanghai. The exhibition was a major breakthrough in both the concept and form of traditional exhibitions, with no showing, no report and no comment. Almost every media received an oral notice not to comment or report it. However, thanks to the abundance of amateur critics on the internet with multiple screen names, these works and artists became widely known, and the exhibition unexpectedly yielded tremendous effect, despite the fact that some of artists’ families and friends who saw the exhibition expressed some different opinions which gave rise to discontent and even hostility. The exhibition was still seen as an important one with historical value, which planted a subversive seed of breaking the dilemma of art and the traditional exhibition mechanism.(50%)
If a single art space is a small kingdom, then this space represents the form of supreme ideology and culture. All these smaller kingdoms join together to form a larger kingdom. When Yang Jia was shuttling between these spaces, he was surrounded by various forces hiding inside, and was forced to face the complicated reality. Although every institution has its own style, those welding authority are shockingly similar. When Yang Jia’s blade was flying in these spaces, I believe that we could surely feel or receive another kind of knowledge. Yang Jia also created a unique and extraordinary skill with language, which exaggerated man’s potential desire towards the body and the obsession with breasts to the greatest extreme. As a result, we are at a loss with regards to his humor. With various art materials like petitioning materials , tear gas, back swords, hammers, alpenstocks, dust proof masks, rubber gloves and lighters, he exaggerated his idea of a single stabbing. He even hoped that by his blade, he could cut through the long decayed mechanism. Thus, he was called “Yang the blade” by the world. (85%)
When commenting on the work of an artist, it’s more objective if we see further than his representative pieces. When analysing his not so deliberate work, we may gain a better glimpse of his overall aesthetic preferences and inner world, even though his great number of photos are “unintelligibly repeating some trivial details, and inexplicably filming some inconsequential matters.” Another critique said: “Hundreds of photos recorded the bits and pieces of a shutter–holic. Those long forgotten travel group photos and landscape pictures, is life itself.” Someone said that “(I)n those pictures, he created a kind of ambiguous and suspenseful relationship between the background and foreground, person and group, as well as human being and environment They are all transient but somewhat solid. “
His work “pursues the simple and condensed idea and emotion of the literati in a seemingly simple picture, thus creating a pure and elegant feeling. Much is due to his reading of literature and appreciation of Chinese landscape painting classics (you could find his photos of Chinese painting and calligraphy posted in his blog) as well as his proficiency of drawing from the essence of traditional Chinese culture.”
I personally highly appreciate one of his photos of the sky. The sky occupies most of the space, and a piece of glaring cloud brimming with sunshine is the principle part of the picture. In the middle of this cloud, there is a scrap of ominous shadow; by the edge is the dark shadow of a mountain. It is just as someone had commented: “It could very well represent a specific sentiment of the artist. From its use of some basic composition rules like open and close, gather and disperse, unveil and reveal, empty and solid, contrast and harmony, segmented and whole, change and unify, we can learn the proficiency of the artist.”
And there is also a photograph of peach blossoms, “fresh, tranquil, isolated, elegant, just like a piece of poetry.” Just as a landscape painter said when introducing his own work: “I am seeking a peaceful, natural, rich and down to earth feeling.” This self-statement seemed to be speaking for Yang Jia : “When you communicate more with the natural landscape, you would naturally feel the need to express. Without a rich life experience, it would be hard to show the beauty of nature in any significant way. Even when you are facing the same scenery, the feeling would be greatly different when you are in a different stage of life, mindset or age. Carefully observe and appreciate the subtle changes of the seasons, feel it, and mark down the touching seconds. That’s how I gather the life and emotional materials of my landscape photography. It has already become a part of my life.”
His works also gained lots of comments:
One of Yang Jia’s highly controversial conduct attracted wide attention from both the central and local media in early July, many of which did special reports about him. And the shockwaves from the critique of the work itself have reverberated through the art community. As art creation becomes more and more active, we should ask such questions. Why do art? What is art for? (95percent)
Yesterday I watched the television series called “The Grand Strife”. Yang Jia who is born and grew up in the 1980s is just like those people.
The works of Yang Jia are highly similar to the television series “The Grand Strife”. It showed the temperament of an era and a group of people, which cannot be betrayed and cannot be forgotten. All of the stories dwell hazily in the trivial details. You, I and he may all be such a person. Where in real life is our chapter? (98 percent)
The way he created his works invites the audience to consider the conflict between people and the environment , the forgotten and welcomed, the present and future. The work that happened this time was filled with commentary on society and policy, describing the certain and the uncertain, reflecting the confidence of the artist on the future development of China as well as his concern about the issues generated by such development. Yang Jia put together the deprived and respected, the places that are forgotten and popular. His work grasped the almost silent, static and decaying history, and even more deeply explored and unveiled certain discontent and anger. (100 percent)
He has unique insight into space and form, as well as profound understanding of how people live their lives. Though his camera, he expressed his understanding of the world. (100 percent)
His work carried intrinsic weight and character. Such inner force came from his life and imagination instead of any form or school of art. It enabled the audience to see his life and temperament. I think this is an important criteria when judging any piece of art. (100 percent)
Like himself, his work could be illustrated in various ways. (100 percent)
He addresses learning from the essence of the traditional Chinese culture; a person with strong local color. (100 percent)
We could sense the society and human nature from his work.(100 percent )
His work expressed his feeling of the commercialised and globalized era. And he was connected to the complicated society through the expression of his work. (100 percent)
He was more concerned about the connection between the inner world and the outside world.(100 percent)
His artwork connects with the society without exception. Contemporary Chinese society is the direct experimental field grounds of the ‘Yang Jias’. His art connected with society in the closest way possible. What Yang Jia did had always been about finding a way for contemporary art to enter into the mainstream of the society. He pursued such an attitude, that life is art, and art is life. In this sense, Yang Jia is one of the most thorough pioneer artists of the Chinese style. Such an excellent artist could only be found in two places in this world, one is the Northern Hemisphere, the other is the Southern Hemisphere. (95 percent)
I am very glad this commentary is finally finished. Because of my highly limited knowledge, I was considering writing it after having acquired a better knowledge of this subject. However, the limited time forced me to abandon such a thought. During my writing, I received assistance from a lot of friends. I greatly admire their outstanding contribution to the field of critique. It would be impossible for me to write so many words without their commentaries. When encountering some problems, I always go to the gorgeous Miss Google. She found me the answer no matter how busy she was. I was almost lost in her generosity. Sometimes I complained whether she was hiding something from me. Regardless of my brusqueness, she explained quietly in a low voice, saying, “I really had to”.
August 2008, Beijing
note 1 :
During the National H oliday in 2007, Yang Jia travelled to Shanghai. A staff in Zhijiang gallery, a branch of Zhabei Art Space immediately realised that he was probably an artist. Let’s call it “suspected to be an artist”. The staff said the artist had a nice bike and asked whether he owned the copyright. The artist claimed that it’s a piece made of rent material, then showed the staff the lease. The staff considered the piece to be quite “contemporary”, then warmly invited him to see the gallery. They hit it off at once, and the gallery staff accompanied him for six hours. Of course, the six hours could not be such a nice time without a massage. That is why according to the artist, seven or eight staff gave him a massage. But the artist thought they didn’t give a nice massage and thus called their manager. The manager came, then asked his staff “Who didn’t give a good massage?”. “No one!” All denied. Thus the manager said politely: “See, no one. We are professionals.”
The artist went back to Beijing greatly angered. Later, he frequently complained to the Zhabei Art Space, and asked for an apology. Maybe the artist was allergic to massages. When he was travelling in Shan Xi in 2006, several of his teeth were massaged away by local gallery staff, and he claimed RMB 30,000’s compensation. This time, he also made a claim of thirty thousand. Though the space twice sent commissioners from Shanghai to Beijing to negotiate, the artist was far too stubborn to give in. He went to Shanghai seeking for justice again, the time was June 12th, 2008.
展览主题：摄影劫 Kalpastival of Photography
展览时间：5月29日——6月27日，2010
展览地点：伊比利亚当代艺术中心 B厅
参展艺术家：董文胜、高世强、韩磊、蒋志、金石
展览脉络：这是一个与马德里摄影节相关联的一个影像展览，策划人期待通过本此展览与艺术家共同探讨“摄影劫”这一主题。
展览主题概述：摄影劫，以劫代节，“劫”来自是佛宗梵语，指自开始至毁灭的轮回，在此摄影劫指向摄影本体，作为最当代最易产生影响力，也最为直接、便捷的图像生产途径之一，其“劫”何在？。 同时做“劫持”之劫，作者与对象/观念之间以摄影为媒介，三者之间是否存在多变、微妙的劫持关系？
作为与马德里摄影节相关联的展览，在中国本土我们如何看待和讨论摄影节？是形象工程？还是有内在体制化倾向的艺术展览方式？在很大程度上，摄影节成为一种在地化的图像应对策略，艺术家以其生产的图像参与全球各地的摄影节展览，作者所处的创作纬度与图像的态度关联性何在？这种纬度与态度在多大程度上影响了不同社会语境中的阅读趣味的形成？
展览主题的英文 Kalpastival 是一个合成词汇，由 Kalpa(劫)与Festival(节日)两个词根据英文词汇构成法则组合而成，有“劫节并存”之意。