A Tale of Two Nations
兩國演
Acrylic, ash, bronze, and iron on canvas
114 x 195cm, 2022
(下滑见中译)
“There are, at the present time, two great nations in the world which seem to tend towards the same end, although they started from different points: I allude to the Russians and the Americans. Both of them have grown up unnoticed; and whilst the attention of mankind was directed elsewhere, they have suddenly assumed a most prominent place amongst the nations; and the world learned their existence and their greatness at almost the same time.
All other nations seem to have nearly reached their natural limits, and only to be charged with the maintenance of their power; but these are still in the act of growth; all the others are stopped, or continue to advance with extreme difficulty; these are proceeding with ease and with celerity along a path to which the human eye can assign no term. The American struggles against the natural obstacles which oppose him; the adversaries of the Russian are men; the former combats the wilderness and savage life; the latter, civilisation with all its weapons and its arts: the conquests of the one are therefore gained by the ploughshare; those of the other by the sword. The Anglo-American relies upon personal interest to accomplish his ends, and gives free scope to the unguided exertions and common sense of the citizens; the Russian centres all the authority of society in a single arm: the principal instrument of the former is freedom; of the latter servitude. Their starting-point is different, and their courses are not the same; yet each of them seems to be marked out by the will of Heaven to sway the destinies of half the globe.”
–––Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1835
A Tale of Two Nations (detail)
春情
“还想画什么?”
“还想画庄子的混沌之死,画一喉两歌的半部红楼……画一封给艺术的情书,就叫它《洛神赋》……画苏轼的记梦,思慕文字里的华夏文明。”
十七岁逃出国后,我不交同胞,不沾国语,无条件吞咽西方一切。然而却在古希腊哲学里回忆先秦诸子,在京都幻想宋唐,在欧洲现代主义美术中思念文人画,透过黑格尔尼采容格触摸老庄,穿越基弗的废墟邂逅红楼梦……我的文明在我出生时已逝去,如今在异乡,透过他人的语言,追寻属于我的、那关于阴阳正反的美学……但愿今生与前世能在支离破碎中相逢 。
A Tale of Two Nations (detail)
“如今世界上的这两大民族——俄国人和英裔美国人,虽然起点不同,但似乎都在朝着一个目标前进。 这两个民族的发展壮大可说是悄无声息。人们看着别的地方的时候,他们忽然就比各个国家更强大了,而他们的存在和强悍几乎同时得到了整个世界的认可。 其他所有民族唯一能做的就是维持下去,因为他们似乎已经临近发展的天然界限了,可是这两个民族的发展壮大却从未停止过 。别的民族要么裹足不前,要么前进得十分艰难。只有这两个民族,轻松且飞速地奔跑在一条看不到终点的路上。 美国人需要战胜的,是自然布置在他们前方的阻碍,俄国人需要战胜的,是人。一个在和荒原、蒙昧厮杀,一个在和秣马厉兵的文明交锋。所以美国人以劳动者的犁铧完成征服,而俄国人以战士的刀剑完成征服。 为了得偿所愿,美国人通过个人利益进行鞭策,完全放手,让个人自由发挥他的力量和智力。为了得偿所愿,俄国人几乎将社会的所有权力都交给了一个人掌控。 前者采取的首要措施是自由,后者采取的首要措施是奴役。 他们从不同的起点出发,沿着不同的道路前进。可是上天似乎给这两个民族都下了密令,使得他们迟早要各掌半边世界的命运。”
––––托克维尔 《论美国的民主》, 1835