戏中戏

文：陈海燕

陈农的摄影作品，常常看起来像一场场浓墨重彩的历史剧，或独幕情景剧，充塞着人物、道具、场景和故事，构成的效果具有结构主义的写实性。丝绸之路属于中国乃至世界的历史常识，而以此冠名的陈农作品又是光怪陆离的哑剧，既磅礴又晦涩，这样的戏剧或许属于没有票房效果的小众演出，却吊足人们的胃口。

我说过：人是易于犯贱又自负的物种，一方面通情达理，一方面又脾气暴躁地将好奇和固执任性到无以复加的地步。艺术家如是，我亦如此这般地认为艺术其实是一场艺术家本人的春秋大梦，拿出来展览不过是一次路演，每个观者都可以拥有自己独立的观点和评价，不必理会所谓的庙堂学术或深奥理论。艺术本不该是高高在上、拒人千里的冷面孔，而应是紧贴生活的暖宝宝，有时她并不以一种甜美温暖的姿态和喜闻乐见的形式去呈现，令一些人不快亦在情理之中。从某种哲学层面上说，艺术也是另一种意义上的“宗教”，关乎精神、关乎信仰，关乎人们对世界的认知和诠释，有她自得并想要说的“法”。

佛曰：“夫说法者，当如法说。” 于是，陈农倾尽三年光阴，四易其稿，为寻远因近果，不辞劳苦奔赴新疆、青海、甘肃等地踩点，静心在敦煌临摹窟中壁画半年有余，陈农戏说自己这些年羁旅行役恰如玄奘西行取经求法，所幸历经磨砺终有所成。或许，艺术家普遍都有一种特殊的灵智反刍功能，且善于凭借自己所掌握的“语言”将心之所得用有形之相表达和呈现。所以，当说法者如法说时，观者需要的只是按捺住浮躁的内心和急于探知答案的欲求，耐心观看。这样，也许能让我们自己在意念里与陈农一起试着走一遍艺术与精神的丝绸之路。

如是我闻，陈农是个很有风格的人，形貌标立，长发绾结，习练文圣内家拳，喜着海魂衫、马裤和大兵鞋。若不苟言笑，兀自独孤，充满了元气淋漓的飒气；若放浪形骸，定引来睽睽众目，不为颜值，却为那“武艺”范儿的酷毙劲头。事实上，貌似世虑无忧的陈农早已不惑渐知天命，个性爽直，纯良憨笑，灿若孩童。在其位于北京后海胡同的杂院，常常隔三差五与友闲聚，信奉四海之内皆兄弟，来者不拒！不论多晚，门开处，朋侪满座，迷音绕梁，或觥筹交错，或酽茶盈杯，其乐融融。我去北京的机会不多，若去，一定心心念念瞅准饭点空腹前往，不只为品陈农福建人泡的地道岩茶，还为喝他亲手煲的闽地靓汤。每每夜半三更，在我酒足饭饱耳酣脑热后嗅着夜深的寂寥味道穿行于幽曲的北京胡同，都能听到自己许久不曾留意过的足音空空四散的回响，真心感觉生活里有艺术、有朋友、有闲情是如此美好！浮生何碌碌？形役何心劳？这大概就是陈农一直愿意坚守了过的一种深居尘廛嚣嚷，却仍似大避于室、中隐于市的生活方式：啤酒、浓茶、挚友、温暖的家人以及埋首做自己喜欢的事，抽身世外般地等待自然开出花儿、孕出果儿。其不着急、不赶路散漫得令人发指的样子常常令赤足狂奔惯了的朋友们羡妒！

然而，表象和真实之间总有差距，作品与人的反向关系也极其有趣。散漫的陈农创作作品时的较真样局外人看不到，喜欢“自然”两个字的陈农不喜欢“自然”的摄影效果旁观者也未必能理解，而这也是创作摄影“戏剧”的陈农与其自身的戏剧关系，说到底这就是摄影艺术里头的戏中戏！一如陈农本人在数码摄影和PS技术大行其道的当下，仍坚持使用大画幅相机和胶片、暗房冲印、手工涂布、手工着色、绘制、实景、人物、道具……与现代社会崇尚实用主义的快餐文化背道而驰。而陈农一次次劳心费神，以编剧、导演、制片的身份，兼任场务、道具、置景、服装、造型、美术指导，通过脚本、草图和镜头、通过杜撰和想象、通过错置和渲染，耗财耗力耗时的大制作手笔摆布出万念齐飞的这些戏场，仅仅是为了让观者可以暂时抽离现实的局限，重新以读图者的角度推敲和玩味隐含在作品背后的恢恢道义。简而言之，陈农自性且任性着甘当布道者，用自己的摄影艺术如法说。

此系列共十六张，以陆上、海上丝绸之路为母题，以经世匡时的历史神话故事为蓝本（比如张骞出使西域、文成公主入藏、万国来朝、焚书坑儒、诺亚方舟等），以时间为脉络、以生命为线索展开关于人与自然环境、人与历史文化、人与商业经济、人与权力意志、人与和平暴力的视觉象征描述，用宏大叙事的方式探讨关于生与死、精神与信仰、历史与未来，以及绝望与希望的一系列命题。整个系列充斥着隐喻性的象征符号，并用静帧画面的独立形式，串构成首尾呼应、起承转合的长卷。

陈农一手炮制的剧，以立体时空四维的方式展开，以平面二维的方式收梢，戏剧的情节被概念、被压缩和被编码，加入了艺术家本人自己的历史理解、哲学思考和视觉想象，因此解码过程需要秘钥激活。丝绸之路，就是激活这组戏剧的秘钥。名义上，丝绸之路是有关古代中国陆上与海上连接亚洲、欧洲乃至非洲的商贸线路，其实质却是链接了东方与西方、农耕与游牧之间的经济、宗教、政治和军事的沟通、交流与争斗。无论是史学界公认的西汉汉武帝派张骞出使西域为发端的“凿空之旅”，还是更早先秦时期 “玉石之路”的延伸，文明和技术的互利互惠、文化和思想的交流切磋一直是丝绸之路掩盖在物资商贸背景下求知求智的精神意义。这条存在于地理史册上的商路，拓展了人类对于世界的认知，开放了思想和胸襟，充满了过程中的冒险、挫折、砥砺与执著，更充斥着暴力、厮杀、野蛮和贪婪。其中，贯穿着物质与精神、繁华与湮灭、真实与假象的种种考验和矛盾冲突。那些飞扬在时空尘埃里已知或未知的历史真实和谜团，与浩如烟海、微不足道被历史记忆遗弃的关于生和死、爱和恨、轮回与重生的人伦故事，共同建构了丝绸之路迷人的历史背影。

这一条通往西方世界的商路以丝绸命名，不仅仅是物质决定论所倡导的因果关系，或是德国地理学家李希霍芬所给出的简单定论。就丝绸而言，中国发轫育蚕治丝直可推溯至新石器时代，继而以“丝国”名号霸世，本身就具有了非凡特殊的象征意味。对于丝绸的推崇绝非简单归因于其曼妙华丽、奢靡珍贵，也非伏羲氏化蚕桑为绵帛或“先蚕”嫘祖神话的传奇魅力，还归因于史前华夏文明对于蚕自卵至蛹并羽化升天的图腾崇拜，这一点与古埃及对蜣螂的崇拜如出一辙，其真正的核心仍然是出于对生命的敬畏和对生死的探求。当蚕成了通天的引路神，蚕所吐纳的透明纤毫成为一种具有象征性的精神线索，被拿来缫丝织物不仅可以事死，亦可以事生，甚而衍生出“垂衣裳而天下治”的农耕文明。围绕在丝绸周围的，不再是简单的物质样态，而是一种精神意志。这，就是陈农西行在丝绸之路上取来的经、如是说的法。

与其他坚持使用胶片摄影的艺术家不同，陈农的口味很重，体现在题材的选择上，体现在构思脚本的绘制上，体现在拍摄的选址上，体现在制作等比的戏服道具上，体现在现场置景的靡费上，体现在指挥群众演员的气度上，体现在预算经费的开支上，体现在手工涂布的厚重感和着色的秾丽上，体现在完美再现自己预期的效果上，体现在对于时间凝重感的表现上……对于陈农来说，照相不是相机“取正”拍摄物象真实，而是再创“真实”，照相是为了照出一种精神之相，摄影是为了摄出潜藏在现象背后的“影”。为了能再一次享受这重口味的摄影艺术创作，陈农带上他的宝贝器材和一票人马，以及那些不会说话的动物道具，从北京出发一路西行，历时整整二十五天在日头煌煌的高昌故城，为我们摆摄出这一场场大戏。

写于沪上

2016年1月16日

（Note： Please respect the copyright of the original author。 Thank you。）

A Play in A Play

by Chen Haiyan

Chen Nong‘s photographs often strike the audience as intense， resembling period dramas or even one act melodramas。 His cast， props and sets all work together to tell stories in a constructivist way with obsessive visual detail。 The unique niche appeal of Chen Nong’s Silk Road series lies in his esoteric and dazzling rendition of a theme as grand as its historic namesake。

I‘ve always found humans to be complex creatures that can be both frivolous and egotistical。 A perfectly rational person can just snap like that and become impossibly inquisitive and pertinacious。 With similar obstinacy， artists make their works。 I believe what audiences experience are in fact fantasies that took the shape of art works on exhibition that invite original responses from viewers rather than the dictations of highbrow “art critiques。” Art should not be all aloof and austere。 Whether it poses as endearingly cheerful or inconveniently dismal， art is supposed to stay intimate and true to life。 It makes a certain philosophical sense to say that art runs parallel with religion into the human heart。 She has her own “way” with spirit， faith and how people make sense of the world。

The Buddha once said， “The Dharma must be taught according to reality。” In Chen Nong’s three-year quest， he overhauled his draft four times。 He made a pilgrimage to far-flung parts of China like Xinjiang， Qinghai and Gansu to find an appropriate place to shoot and spent more than half a year copying Dunhuang cave murals。 Half-jokingly comparing his bitter work and travel throughout the years to Xuanzang‘s journey to the west， Chen takes delight in his hard-won accomplishments。 Perhaps artists share a rare gift of getting inspiration by ruminating on their previous experiences and expressing themselves in a special artful “language”。 For that matter， to hear what artists have to say， one needs to listen with an attentive ear and a peaceful mind。 This could be the way we walk the Silk Road of art and spirituality with Chen Nong as our guide。

Thus have I heard at one time。 Chen Nong has a distinctive look， tall and slender with his long hair up in a bun。 He practices internal style martial arts and outfits himself in a Breton shirt， riding pants and combat boots。 When he puts on a reserved and focused look， he gives off vibes of a valiant stoic soldier； and when he is in a defiant mood， he arrests attention with radiant vigor as a martial artist。 With a simple temperament and a boyish smile， Chen Nong， however unworldly as he might seem， is already in his 40s。 His courtyard， tucked in an alley in Houhai in Beijing， is where he hangs out with friends every now and then。 As a hospitable host， he has a large and expanding circle of friends。 They enjoy music and laughter over a drink or a good cup of tea， sometimes deep into the night。 Whenever I get to go to Beijing， which is a rare chance for me， I’d calculatingly visit Chen Nong at mealtimes with my stomach empty， for Chen makes totally authentic Fujian soup and serves great Fujian rock tea。 Every time we part ways after the feast late at night， as I twist my way through the empty alleys， I hear the echoes of my footsteps that have long gone unnoticed。 How lovely it is to have some leisure to enjoy the company of friendship and art！ What‘s the point of slaving away and fettering the mind and the body？ I assume this the reason why Chen Nong insists on his simple reclusive lifestyle。 With beer， tea， and the warm company of family and friends， he keeps his head down and put his heart into his own purpose。 The nonchalant way he lays back and makes time for nature to run its own course is a real envy to those who are used to working in a feverish haste。

Yet people are almost never what they usually seem， and artists in particular have a hidden side when it comes to creating artworks。 Outsiders would have been surprised to see how painstaking Chen Nong gets at work and baffled at his “unnatural” approach to photography as a worshiper of “the natural”。 This is the tension between Chen as an artist and his works of photographic drama， a play within a play indeed！ For his own play， he is the playwright， director， and producer。 In this age when digital photography and raster graphics editing hold sway， Chen still religiously adheres to large format cameras and films， darkroom techniques， hand coating， and hand painting。 Like a one-man set-design department， he designs and builds his own sets， assembles casts and makes props， rather out of step with pragmatic mainstream culture today where speed is king。 With all these strenuous effort and extravagant input， he builds layers of illusions powerful enough to sweep the audience off their feet， erasing the boundary between reality and fantasy； thus， the profound message behind his visual feast stages a perfect comeback。 In other words， Chen Nong preaches his beliefs through photography， like a devoted minister。

This set of 16 images features the motif of the Silk Road overland and the Maritime Silk Road， covering related historical stories and myths such as the story of Han Dynasty diplomat Zhang Qian’s mission to the Western Regions， the Tang Dynasty princess Wencheng traveling to marry Tibetan patriarch SongtsenGampo， a host of lesser states paying tribute to China‘s greatness， the Qin Shi Huangdi burning books and burying scholars alive， and the tale of Noah’s Ark。 It‘s a chronicle of life that visualizes symbols of man’s struggle with nature， history， culture， commerce， will to power and violence。 It is a grand narrative exploring the essence of life and death， spirit and faith， past and future， and hope in desperate times。 Metaphoric symbols frozen in independent still frames echo with each other and merge as one。

Chen Nong flattened four-dimensional dramas and made the plots abstract and compressed， and he spiked his works with his own understanding of the history， philosophical thinking and visualization skills。 To decipher the message of his works， we need a key。 In this case， it‘s the Silk Road。 The Silk Road derives its name from the trade in silk carried out along its length connecting China and many countries in Asia， Europe and Africa， but it was actually a cultural network central to the interactions between the East and West。 It’s a stage for the connections and conflicts between the nomadic populations and the agricultural societies in economy， religion， politics， and on battlefields。 The established beginning of the ancient Silk Road was when the Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian as a diplomatic envoy to the Western Regions， but the Silk Road had always been more than a trade route since its pre-Qin prototype。 The mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge， technology and ideas was an constant integral part。 What put this trade route on the map was how it enriched human knowledge and broadened people‘s minds。 It tells adventure stories where people show admirable grit in the face in adversity， and it also shows violent scenes of barbarous slaughter and dreadful greed。 Throughout its history， people rose to the challenges of having to figure out their way in dilemmas of material and spirit， rise and decline， and truth and illusion。 All the facts and myths buried in the dust of time and space， combined with the love and hatred in every individual cycle of life， shaped the glorious silhouette of the Silk Road。

This trade route to the west was not simply named after the merchandise it conveyed， nor was it thus named just because the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen decided so。 The production of silk originates in China in the Neolithic and China maintained its virtual monopoly over silk production。 During this time， silk developed into a significant cultural symbol for the country。 Silk gained its popularity not just for its luxurious texture and luster， or its charming mythical origin involving the mythical ancestor Fuxi and the goddess of silk Leizu。 It secured its place in the Chinese culture because the pre-historic Chinese civilization worshiped the silkworm as a totem， for its mysterious capability of life changes from egg to cocoon to flying adult。 Just like what the dung beetle did to ancient Egyptians， the silkworm inspired the awe and wonder for life in the ancient Chinese。 The silkworm hints the way to the heaven above and its silk serves as a symbol of spiritual transcendence。 Silk fabric wrapped the deceased and clothed the living， nurturing an orderly agricultural civilization with great emperors “allowing the upper and lower garments to hang down” without stirring。 Silk can be woven into an ideal textile， and more importantly it stands for an ideal on its own。 This is what Chen Nong’s journey to the west on the Silk Road has taught him and what he keeps trying to pass on。

Chen Nong‘s characteristic preferences have distinguished him from other film photographers。 His choice of themes， ideas of storyboards and locations of shooting make his works unique。 He is generous to a fault when it comes to making life-size costumes and props and elaborate sets， just as he is adamant on getting his cast into the right mood。 He demands perfection from his work， richness in the coating and coloring of films， and solemnness from the history captured in the final works。 To Chen Nong， photography means more than “correctly” recording what’s real。 It is about recreating a reality that makes visible the “form” of the objective。 To enjoy this special journey of art creation again， Chen Nong， along with his cast， animal props and his precious equipment， went on an odyssey from Beijing。 Each of the 25 scorching days in the ancient city of Gaochang was a witness of the grandiose plays the photographer now presents to us。

Written in Shanghai

January 16， 2016