张刚，出生于河北张家口地区。据他自述说，在经历了一段残酷的青春叛逆期后，进入了绘画这条道路，基本上作为一个自学成才的艺术家开始了自己的艺术职业生涯。一直向前，不曾中断。

　　无论是上世纪90年代兴起的与传统及激进均保持距离的新视觉表现方式，还是带有自我冷漠意味的嘲讽式的观念现实主义，张刚的绘画与它们的各类要素之间都保持一定的共通性。

　　在某些方面，张刚沿用原有的现实主义传统的表达，但又在画面中将某一部分的写实技法倾注其可能的“破坏”，是一种对现实观察角度的改变，对自我感知到的现实进行思考后的重新定义。张刚的艺术对所描绘的对象该如何鲜明表达的语境上，与写实主义画家库尔贝有着相似之处。库尔贝反映底层人民的生活，如《碎石工》，他有一句名言：“我不会画天使，因为我从没有见过他。”

　　现实——人文关注式的悲鸣

　　现实主义，在中国艺术，及中国之外的各艺术范围内，是被广泛提及和运用的一个概念。无论是面对真实存在的物体，还是想象出来的对象，绘画者总是在描述一个真实存在的物质而不是抽象的符号。那么，我们该如何对张刚的艺术作品或概念进行对应与梳理？现实主义肯定是一个明显的指向，因此它直接涉及艺术家对社会性的观察：能否将自我经历的事件、场景、关系的各类感知转换为精准的、与真实相关的图式，让我们站在画作前能想像及感受到它的存在。

　　张刚的绘画作品展示出，中国乡镇与大城市之间人们互往的生活脉路紧密相关的各类符号，非常丰富：一处中转的场所、一个等候的群体、一处未知的方向、一份对未来的向往与坚持，而行囊、装束、阳伞、小吃摊等则是最强大的中国普通民众的普通生活的现实象征，因为它真实体现出最普通的小人物在以大城市为梦想追寻目标的代表性指征。张刚强调这类道具式的现实性符号，与画面中表达的其它情绪类的符号一起，作为在中国艺术语境下自我呐喊的一种手段。通过这些，作品具有传统文化与和当代中国文化交融的重要意义，非常地隐晦与微妙。在描绘等待的人群时，又象征性的传递出中国人生活的变化和动荡，对梦想的去往充满着不确定，随时会为奋斗更改方向的不安与惆怅等等。

　　张刚的作品还不同于“对自然或当代生活做准确、详尽和不加修饰的描述。”，这种现实主义摒弃理想化的想像，主张细密观察事物的外表。然而，这位十六岁离家，阅历仓桑的年轻艺术家内在蓄积着繁盛的各类生活感受，并具有可以在手中自然流淌的绘画技术，还有脑中清晰性展现绘画主题的思路，构成了作品中最细微的社会性的示现。

　　这种示现，令人动容。但在现今庞杂的中国艺术世界中，张刚却并不足以令更多的人关注到。张刚作品中，更多的则是怀着对鲜明色彩的兴趣与执著，关注行途中转场景与人群的各种形态。系列作品时间纵向跨度十年间，以各类中转人群作为城乡变迁的历史性的信息资料，这些都具有可探寻式研究的价值。

　　因此，他的作品并不满足现实主义表达的边界之内，他画车站中的人群或者场景，事实上是展示一种梦想旅途中的暂休，一种对梦想的等候，一种对梦想到达的期待。在作品《盲●之寻No.2》中，人物双手中的行李成为视觉侧重，双臂因紧张而肌肉收缩，背景则被虚弱化，甚至于丢弃描绘背景，都是思考性的处置。

　　在张刚的艺术中，他的画面对现实外部世界直接介入，但并非是单一的再现。他画城市间汇聚场地的男人女人，都隐去了面容，甚至是身体，人深层孤独感、陌生感跃然而出，对应着人的微小的生命性。

　　在这个过程中，被选择出来的场景，及被设置为具有故事情节画面，都被更改了原始性的社会意义，以便建立可以带动人情绪的隐喻。例如他在作品《盲●之幸福在何方No.6》中立交桥、人行道、人群、交通信号灯之间交错的构图，时间设定为黄昏，灯光的色彩渲染，从亮白到艳红再至果蓝，隐喻斑斓城市下蕴藏着诸多希望。

　　张刚并不是在臆造，亦或是“发现”于这样一种现实主义题材，作为中国千千万万个出自乡村，怀揣渴望的年轻人中的一员，他对辗转于各个城市体验深刻。表达自我，并引发对奔走式小人物的关注，建立各个群体间联系的真相，也是张刚作品中一个重要的现实意义。

红色——情绪性的隐喻

　　以自我生活为起点进行的艺术创作，张刚既不是起始，当然也不是结束，更不会是唯一，然而值得注意的是，在创作中他并不为观众祛除令人躁动的不安与惊诧，他善于，且聚精会神地向外传递着内在潜伏的挑战性，令我们改变惯常的体验平凡事物的语境。这一部分的完成，依旨于画面中的红色。红色在张刚作品中是重要的组成部分，不容忽视。特别有趣的是，艺术家对红色有持续的迷恋，一切都在红色的基调上变化、诉说。

　　哲学家别林斯基说：“我们要求的不是生活的理想，而是生活本身，像它原来的那样。”“把全部可怕的丑恶和全部庄严的美一起揭发出来，好像用解剖刀切开一样。”

　　生活的真实并不仅仅是一个画面，它是具有情绪性的。张刚艺术中关注着路程中人们可能产生的情绪，因为这类情绪可能会被忽略及漠视。许多的诉求感受，积压成一团挚烈的红，其间有愤怒的承载。

　　例如作品《虹之十一》中的红色，让我们看到城市与人们硬生生地被红色覆盖，单色的夸张中有被撕扯开内在情绪的真相，也许它是激情，也许它是热烈、也是许它是路途中的迷茫，也许是它是城市的绚丽，这些都被暴露在城市历史性的自然轮转的牵引力之中。张刚称其为“旅途碎片”，我品读到的是画面中流转着的情绪线索：匆忙-悲愤-无奈-拚搏-隐忍-乐观等等。张刚其它作品的红色都带有一种入侵性，及攻击性，或者说，进军性更准确一些。

　　车站、广场等地域性的符号具有暂停、通往、到达等意义，而红色代表着各类挚烈情绪，这两个分别代表现实性外在，与感受性内在的两个符号的汇合，意味深长。

　　观念——小人物的大城之像

　　德国作家席勒认为，诗的两种表现形式在于“模仿自然和表现理想”。在张刚艺术中有自然与理想的构成，依赖于他对传统题材的选择——“小人物”，派生出独具的特质——“大城之像”，而非个人独断，他的画作是个性化的、特异性的，其内在的价值值得审视，由此，人们被提供了独特的审美经历。

　　沉浸于从2002年至2013年间的海量张刚作品中，一条有关小人物与大城市之间的对话图卷清晰自现。自2008年的作品《待之三》开始，至作品《盲●No.12》从最初画面的清晰至后期人物的隐示，几乎所有作品的图像里，众人中更卑微的小人物被重点描绘，乞讨者、残疾者、独行者表现出的多种姿态，例如有的独立，有的依偎，有的混杂，因此我认为有关小人物的内在感受对张刚来说具有特殊的意义，这部分尤其呈现了艺术家对城市中低层群体内在的大胆的想像。

　　走近人类的内在，我们发现，许多情绪与感受我们无法探知，有的只是外在的姿态、动作、表情、语言，考虑到观众所能触及到的视觉感知，张刚大部分作品弱化场景是有益的，那是一种城市间模糊的概念，场景本具有叙事性的功能，隐去了故事性，只考虑表达人在城市中的情绪，可能会更多的吸引我们的注意力。

　　实际上出现于很多画面中的背向、群聚、堆叠的行囊都从画面现实转向外在现实，在车站及广场等待中转的人群成为现今中国都市的快速建设及乡镇重要劳动力离家求索的暗指与隐喻。看似被随意刮抹的中心画面是张刚精心构筑的提示，提醒着它是每一个人都有的梦想，并都拥有拼搏的执著与力量。文明在渴求美好的城市寻梦之路中交错、变革。画面特定的情境具有混合的信息，既标明一段路程的结束，也预示着未来未至之前的警示与惶恐。

　　最后，有关“小人物的大城之像”这个话题，给我们提供了广泛的可能性。有人聚，而居，而安，则成为“城”。大城究竟何像，大概也属于瞎人摸象之境。每一个为梦想出离家乡，奔走于城与城，城与家的人们，都有一个内在的映射。至于大城究竟何像？张刚已经为我们开启了一类可以参考的思索的可能性。

　　这种体验主要来源于与创作的大型、大量的绘画结合，其背后相关着强大的情感性的意识状态。从这一点讲，张刚的艺术，是用模糊的场景与人物，精准地再现了表达对象的细节。这或许标志着一种靠近，靠近内在感受体验，这是超越外在现实性的成长式寻求。这种艺术强调用世俗的现实主义世界中寻找自我的精神圣地。

　　艺术家也需要相信，成长背景是自己艺术概念的源泉，任何摒弃自我体验与经历的艺术作品都可能是虚假的。艺术是生活的另类呈现，但绝不是生活的总和，我们都渴望美好与真相，但它们并不关联，尊重并愿意呈现内在真相，需要勇气。

　　张刚在用红色的作品提示着：在庞大的生命中转流程中，我们都是过往的小人物。

　　方香

　　2013年12月2日　　

　　IN THE BIG CITY'S IMAGES OF THE NODOBY

　　--on ZhangGang's realism oil painting

　　Zhang gang, was born in hebei zhangjiakou region. According to what he said, after a cruel youth rebellious period, he start drawing , basically a self-taught artist started his career of art. Straight ahead, never interrupt.

　　Whether it is the rise of the 1990 s by keeping a distance from traditional and radical new visual expression, or with the notion of self cold means satirical realism, zhang gang's painting and the various elements of convergence are keeping commonality.

　　In some ways, Zhang Gang follow the original expression of the realist tradition, But in a certain part of the picture realistic technique will pour its possible "sabotage" ,and it is a change in the angle of observation of reality, to think of self perceived reality after redefined. Zhang gang to depict objects of art how to distinct expression context, has similarities with realism painter courbet,. Courbet reflect the underlying people's lives, such as the knapper, he has a famous saying: "I won't draw an angel, because I have never met him before."

　　Reality - humanities concern plaintive wail

　　Realism, the art in China, Art outside the scope of China's various, is widely referred to and used of concept. Whether in the face of real objects, or imaginary object, painting is always in describing a real substance rather than the abstract symbols. So, How do we sort Zhang Gang correspond with artwork and concepts? Realism is an obvious point, so it directly relates to the artist observation of the social: could you please self experience of the event, scenes, and all kinds of relationships associated with real perception into precise, schema, let's stand in front of the painting to be able to imagine and feel its existence.

　　Zhang Gang's  paintings show that the lives of Chinese people to each other between villages and towns and large cities of arteries and veins road closely related to all kinds of symbols, is very rich: a place of transit, a waiting group, a unknow direction, and adhere to a yearning for the future, while their bags, costume, parasols, - are the most powerful of the ordinary life of the ordinary Chinese reality symbol, Because it reflects the true representation of indications that Ordinary little people pursue goals in big cities. Zhang gang emphasizes the reality of this kind of stage property-type symbol, and the images of expression of other emotions symbols together, as in the context of Chinese art a means of self. Through these, the work has the traditional culture and the significance of contemporary Chinese culture blend, very subtle and delicate. In describing the waiting crowd, and token passing out the change of Chinese life and instability, the dream is full of uncertainty, struggle to change direction at any time be upset and disappointed and so on.

　　Zhang Gang's painting are different from the works of "the natural or contemporary life do accurate, detailed and inornate description." , this kind of realism, abandon the idealized imagination, advocated close observe things appearance. However, This sixteen-year-old child who left home, experience a lot ,young , all types of internal accumulation of a prosperous life experience, and has naturally painting techniques, as well as the clarity of mind to show the painting theme ideas, constitute the work the most subtle social shown now.

　　As a result, his work does not satisfy within the boundaries of realistic expression, he draw a crowd in the station or scene, in fact it is a kind of dream to temporarily take for the trip, show a kind of dreams waiting for, looking forward to a kind of dream. In his work "blind, of No. 2 ", the luggage in the hands become a visual focus, arms because of tension and muscle contraction, the background is weakened, and even discarded background, are idealistic disposal.

　　Zhang Gang art directly involved in the external world of reality, but not a single performance.. He painted the city site convergence between men and women, omitted the face, and even the body, People's sense of loneliness, strangeness skyrocketing, corresponding to the lives of tiny people.

　　In this process, the scene selected , and the story of the picture, have been changed primitive social significance in order to establish who can bring emotional metaphor. For example he set in his works. "Blind ●of where is happiness No.6" between the overpasses, sidewalks, crowds, traffic lights staggered composition, time of dusk, lighting, color rendering, from white to red and then to fruit under blue, colorful metaphors city bears many hope.

　　Zhang Gang is not in conjecture about, or "discovery" in such a realistic theme, as

　　one of hundreds of thousands from rural China carries ,the desire of a young men, he played for various cities to experience profound. Self-expression, and raises concerns about the little people running style, the establishment of the truth contact between the various groups, as well as works of Zhang Gang, an important practical significance.

　　Red - emotional metaphor

　　In our own lives as a starting point for artistic creation, Zhang Gang neither starting, of course, is not the end, but not the only,but It is worth noting that, in the creation of his audience not to remove the cause of anxiety and restlessness surprise, he was good at, and attentively to pass the inherent challenges lurking outside, so we changed the usual context of the experience of ordinary things. Complete this part of the screen according to the purpose in red. Red is an important part of the work in Zhang Gang, can not be ignored. Particularly interesting is that the artist has continued fascination with the red, everything changes in a red tone, telling.

　　Philosopher BieLinSiJi said: "we are asking is not the ideal of life, but life itself, as its original." "The whole terrible ugly out with all the solemn beauty, as if cut with the scalpel.

　　Real life is not just a picture, it is an emotional nature. Zhang Gang watching  people's emotions that may arise in life. because such sentiments may be ignored and disregarded. Many demands of feeling. Strongly  backlogged into the fiery red , there have been angry bearer.

　　Work "Rainbow 11" red, let us see the city with people abruptly covered by red, monochrome exaggeration has been torn open inner emotional truth, maybe it is a passion, maybe it was warm, but also promises it is a road of confusion, perhaps it is the gorgeous city, which have been exposed in the historic city of traction among the natural cycle. Zhang Gang called "road debris", I read the article in the circulation of the emotional picture clues: hurry - grief - reluctantly - hard - Tolerance - optimistic and so on. Red in Zhang Gang other works are presented with an invasive and aggressive, or that the march of more accurate.

　　Station, square, such as regional symbol pause, to, reach significance, and red represent the all kinds of strong emotions, both represent the reality of the external, joins the two symbols of susceptibility inherent, meaningful.

　　Concept -- like of the little city

　　German writer Schiller believes that two forms of poetry that "imitation of nature and performed well." Zhang Gang artistic ideal natural composition and, depending on his choice of a traditional theme - the "little people", derived from the unique qualities - "city ", rather than individual arbitrariness, his paintings are personalized specificity, the intrinsic value is worth examining, whereby it is provided a unique aesthetic experience.

　　Immersed in the massive work from 2002 to 2013 in between, a little picture clear dialogue with cities from now. Since 2008 the work "waiting of 3" starts to work "blind ● No.12", from the screen to clear the initial post-implicit character, the image almost all the work, the crowd was more humble little emphasis portrayed , beggars, disabled, loner exhibit a variety of gesture, for example, some independent, some snuggling, some mixed, so I think the inner feelings about the little people have special significance for Zhang Gang, this section presents a particular artists on urban populations lower intrinsic bold imagination.

　　Approaching the inherent humanity, we find that we can not detect a lot of emotions and feelings, some just outside of posture, movement, facial expressions, language, taking into account the audience can touch on visual perception, most of the work is beneficial weakening scene , it is a vague concept among cities with narrative scenes of the features omitted the story, only consider the expression of human emotions in the city, may be more attracted our attention.

　　Actually appeared in a lot of screen back, cluster, stacked bags are turning to external reality from the screen reality, waiting at the station and transit plaza crowd quickly become today's Chinese urban and rural construction labor away from the important quest dark means and metaphor. the screen seems to be the center of scraping random is carefully constructed by Zhang Gang, It is a reminder that everyone has a dream, and have the dedication and hard work and strength. In Wonderful city civilization desire dream of the road in staggered change. A picture of the specific context mixed information, both marked the end of the journey, and also indicates that future alerts and fear.

　　Finally, regarding the "big city's like little people" topic, gives us a wide range of possibilities. Some people gather, neighbors, and security, has become the "city." What's a big city, probably it just like a blind man feeling the elephant. anyone dream out from home, running in city and town, city and home of the people, there is an inherent mapping. As to what exactly is cities? Zhang Gang has opened the possibility of a class can refer to the thinking for us.

　　This experience combined with the large mainly from a large number of painting, which is associated with strong emotional state of consciousness. From this point, Zhang Gang's art is blurred scenes and characters, accurate reproduction of the details of the expression of the object. Perhaps this marks a close, close experience of inner feelings, which is beyond the external reality of growing type sought. This art emphasizes realism secular world find themselves in the spirit of the Holy Land.

　　Artists also need to believe that the background is a source of growing their own artistic concepts, any work of art to abandon self-experience and experience is likely to be false. Art is presenting an alternative life, but by no means the sum of life, we are eager to beauty and truth, but they are not related, and are willing to show respect for the inherent truth requires courage.

　　Zhang gang's works in red tip that : in the huge life transfer process, we are passing a worm.

　　FangXiang

　　2013.12.2