‘8000Milesofcloudsandthemoon’ReflectionsonLiuRuowang’ssculptureTheyoungsculptorLiuRuoWang’sworksallhaveadifferentlook,buttheyareallburstingwithvirileenergy.Ithinkthattheunceasingmasculinityoftheseworkscomesfromtheartist’sownaspirations,andalsoreflectsthesuddenriseofChina’speople.Inanagethatlacksfaith,thisisonetypeofpreciousenergy.AsMr.LiangQichaooncesaid:“Beliefisvital.Inthespiritofonepersontowardsanother,inthespiritofonesocietytowardsanother.”TangDynastypoetDuFu’sline:“Thespiritsoaksthroughsilkandleavesitdamp”,candescribetheeffectofthetypeofChineseartthatisfullofpride,andhasamagnificent,free-spiritedair.IlookatLiuRuowang’ssculpturesandthinkofthefolkmusicoftheNorthwestontheLoessPlateau.LiuRuoWangcomesfromthatplace;

hisfacecarriesthedignityoftheLoessculture’slongtraditions,theunaffectedinnocencethatreflectsthehardshipsofthelifethere,butmostlyaburningpassionforanidealfuture.Hence,asaChineseartistborninthe70s,LiuRuowangdoesnothavethesuperiorityandcarefreeattitudeoftheyouthborninthebigcity,thoughheunderstandshistoryasasurpassingofculturalandregionalboundaries.ThiskindofthinkingabouthistorypiercesthroughhistoricalnarrativefromtheperspectiveofmodernChinese,andrecollectionsofhistoryareoneofthepresentfeelingsinLiuRuowang’swork.ThefaceoftheChinesespiritisportrayedafreshinhissculpture.Althoughtheyaresculptures,LiuRuowang’sworksarenotlimitedtotheoftseenformsofWesternsculpture.Instead,incolour,textureandevencomposition,hedrawsonelementsfromChinesetraditionalart,whichprovidesafreshChinesemanner.ThepeasantsinLiuRuowang’ssculptureshaveredfaces,likethecharacterGuanYuinChineseancientliterature,thecolourofajujube.Thisnotonlysignifiesthattheyarefullofvitalenergy,butalsocarriesthefestiveandluckysignificanceofredinChineseculture.TheclothestheyarewearingarethegreycolourthatonecanoftenseepeoplewearinginNorthernShaanxiProvince.Inthe‘HorseandCarriageGuard’,thefiguresaresoldiersofmodernwarfare,buttheyhaveanearthycolourandtextureasiftheyhavebeendugupfromtheground.Theyhaveallcomefromtheearthandtheirimpliedreturntotheearthissomethingthatisworthyofcontemplation.Thecrowdedarrangementofthework,whichpicksupontheartisticandculturalaspectoftheQinEmperor’sterracottawarriors,givesfreshexpressiontotheideaofapowerfulandunifiedgroup.InLiuRuowang’sworks,the“hero”isnotonlyalifeideal,butalsoactsasanechoofhistory,andistheartist’smaintheme.Nomatterwhetheritisthe‘Heaven’sSoldier’,‘ThePeople’orthe‘HorseandCarriageGuard’,allofthefiguresmoraleandposture,whethertranquilorinhighspirits,haveafocusonheroism,beyondthelimitsoflifeanddeath.Itisworthnotingthattheheroesintheworksarenotspecial,high-statuspeople,butthedirectlycreatedordinarypeopleofordinaryhistory.By“ordinaryhistory”Imeannotthosegreatexploitsthatshakeheavenandearth,butthehistoryofordinarylifewhichisofthewidestpossiblesignificance.Inhisuseofmaterialsandinthepostureofhisfigures,LiuRuowangpreservesanordinaryandunaffectedsimplicity.Forinstance,heveryrarelyusesmodernindustrialstainlesssteel,andhedoesnotexcessivelyflaunttheantiqueexpensivefeelingofthebronze.Thefiguresinhisworksarenotincomplicatedposesormakingexaggeratedgestures,butratherlikeChineseclassicalBuddhistcaveart,haveanunmovinganduprighttranquilityandsteadiness;

eventhestitchingontheirclothesisofthesimpleststyle.Thesemethodsgivethefiguresanamiableandapproachabledemeanour,pullinginthespectator,andrevealingLiuRuowang’sknowledgeofordinarypeopleandhisbeliefthatheroismcomesfromthepeople–thepeoplearetheheroicconceptionsofartandhistory.LiuRuowangputstheherobackintheranksofthepeople,andallowshistorytoassumeanhonestappearance.Thoughoneofhisworksiscalled‘Heaven’sSoldier’,yetthefigureisstillasoldiernotageneral,thisisadetailworthnoting.Theconceptof“ceremony”inLiuRuowang’sworksisalsosomethingworthyofourappreciation.Throughouttheages,wehaveseentheappearanceanddisappearanceofinnumerableceremonies.Thoughinnumerable,theyallexpressagrouporanation’sspiritualandculturalvalues.Theyareoftenasociety’sfestivals,organizedanddesignedbysocietytotransmititsculturalvaluesovertime.Inthelifeofapeople,ceremoniesarepopularlythoughttobeameansofchangingbeliefsintosomething“actual”and“individual”.Throughceremonies,peoplecanfindthepulseoftheirancestors,fromthisrealizetheirownstatusandplace,andthenestablishtheirownspiritualexistencewithinthemeaningsoftraditionalculture.LiuRuowang’sworksseeminglydepartfromthelifestyleoftoday’sindustrializedcities.Heisnotexpressingcurrentcitylife;

ratherhelookstoshelterinhistory,andonthefringesoftoday’ssociety,particularlywiththemarginalizedpeasantgroups.Thisreflectsatrendincontemporaryartofthepossibilityoffindingapeople’soriginalconsciousnessthat,afterthesuddenbutbloodlessriseinthestrengthoftheChineseeconomy,ispartoftheinevitablerevivalofthepeople.TheNorthernShaanxipeopleinLiuRuowang’sworks,shoutingandsingingontheLoessPlateau,arenotonlynarratingthejoysandsorrowsoftheChinesepeasants,moresotheyareexpressingtheartist’sdeep-seatedfeelingsofhisyouth,transformedintoaprofoundandambitiousreflectiononhistory.FromLiuRuowang’ssculptures,itisasifIcanseehimstandingonahighbankoftheYellowRiver,welcomingtheplateau’sstrongwinds,whiledeepinthought.Heuseshisownconsciousnessfromatiredandflatdailylifetoemergefree,andconjuresfromthedusttheseancientironcladhorses,tothesoundofabuglecall.Thesoulsoftheseancientsenterintohisconsciousnessandgradually,afreshsetofmodernheroesemerge.LiuRuowang,inthisfantasticalcomposition,establishestheimageofthemoderngroup,andrecoversaconnectionbetweenusandpeople’shistory.AsIseeit,therevivaloftheimageoftheheroinChinesecontemporaryartisrelatedtothepeople’sdevelopingself-confidence.ItreflectsthepeacefulriseofthegreatcountryoftheEast,andtheyearningtowardsthenewgenerationforheroicfigures.The“monumentalnature”ofLiuRuowang’sworksisanotherfeaturethatisworthyofattention.Tohavea“monumentalnature”meansthatsomethingcommemoratesastateofaffairsoranintension,itnotonlyhasthemeaningofenduringgreatnessandbeingabovethecommonrunamongtheartworld,butalsopointstothosethingsinhistorythatarenotable,importantandoflastingvalue.Itisveryobvious,intheartist’sownsizingofhisworksthathewantstogobeyondlife-sizedimensions,itisespeciallyvaluabletojudgeandstressthesefocalpoints.InTheOriginoftheWorkofArt,HeideggersaysinpraiseofGreektemples:“Theyactasanartworkopeningupanewworld,atthesametimeandonthecontrary,theyestablishthisworldonfirmsoil.”WithregardtothefiguresinLiuRuowang’sworks,theycanwithoutexceptionstandalone,andareoftenexhibitedoutsidewhere,surroundedbybuildingsandthemodernenvironment,theybecomeaplaceofmonument.UsingHeidegger’swords,they:“gathertogethereverywayoflifeandtypeofrelation,toformonebody,inthemiddleofthesepossiblerelations,lifeanddeath,fortuneandmisfortune,honouranddisgrace,theyrevealtheshapeofman’sdestinybeforeoureyes.Furthermore,thescopeofthissystemofrelationsistheworldofthishistoricalpeople.”LiuRuowanghasprovidedadefinitelypublicsculptureandasharedspace,inpassingthroughthissharedspace,everyonewiththeirpresentstateandtheirtiestohistory,canfindtheirplaceinhistoryandsociety.LiuRuowang’sworkssummonusoutofoureverydaylives,fromourrecollectionsrisestheideaofourselvesasvaluablemembersofsociety;