陈利生
昌化石每一块原石都是精华。钱高潮用之雕刻G20杭州峰会国礼各国政要肖像印章,向世界展示了中国文化跨越时空的艺术魅力。
2016年秋,全球瞩目的G20峰会在杭州召开。
峰会结束,外交部礼宾司有关负责人说,浙江选材昌化石创作的各国政要肖像印章,是G20杭州峰会上最闪亮、最有意义的礼物。
一
在一件件精美绝伦的国礼背后,各有诉不完的衷情,道不尽的心里话……
2015年11月,有关方面发出G20杭州峰会礼品纪念品征集函,要求作者必须是工艺美术大师和非遗传承人。临安昌化鸡血石博物馆馆长钱高潮收到了这一征集函。
钱高潮出生于昌化石产地,从事昌化石雕刻已40余年。
“我就是一名工匠。我能有今天,缘于家乡的一块石头,它让我明白人的一辈子只专注于一件事,就能努力干好。”钱高潮向笔者坦言,他认为人生有许多选择,看准的事就要心无旁骛专心去做。
在漫长的艺术生涯中,钱高潮专注于石头世界,创作出千余件石雕作品,出版有多种专著,是临安石雕界—位名声很响的人物。如今,他在钱王故里开辟新的事业。
钱高潮收到征集函后,立马研究:结合峰会主题,立足“有创意、有创新、有特色、有精品”的设计理念;注重讲述中国故事,有寓意;合理运用中国传统文化元素,格调优雅、内涵丰富、造型漂亮,有纪念意义,有文化代表性等要求;体现我国顶级水平,突出“弘扬中国文化,展示大国风范,体现中国风格、浙江韵味、杭州特色”。于是,钱高潮选材中国四大名石之一的昌化石,雕刻各国政要肖像印章以作应征。
钱高潮说:“石文化是东方传统文化的重要支脉,也是世界文明的一部分。”他充满自信地认为:“昌化石具备‘细、润、洁、腻、温、凝六德,质地温润,其多元的文化价值和极高的经济价值,应当有可能被选为G20杭州峰会的国礼。我们等待惊喜,这在情理之中。”
话是这么说,但自参加应征后的那段日子,由于执行保密的规定,钱高潮每次上交作品让专家评审都没有音讯,他因焦急期盼而心绪忐忑,茶饭不思。不过他依然积极准备。2016年春节期间,钱高潮火急火燎地开工了,设计方案、泥塑、挑选原石……光是寻找石材这一项,钱高潮就跑回上溪老家十多趟。有好多热心的老乡得知钱高潮是为G20杭州峰会准备国礼,就专门把石材送上门供挑选,让钱高潮十分感动。
经过长达半年的设计、修改、提升,专家多次评审筛选,钱高潮的方案从近千件作品中入围前100名,再入围前20名,最后盼来了有关方面的录用通知书。钱高潮难掩激动之情:“虽然只有薄薄一纸,却寄托了沉甸甸的期盼。”
二
从收到征集函之日起,到作品完成上交的2016年8月20日止,10个月,钱高潮走过了一条艰辛之路。
钱高潮说:“这是一项重大的政治任务,时间紧、任务重、压力大。雕刻石头是很考验人的,一块石料,往往一琢磨就要大半天,心浮气躁是做不出好作品的。”他把博物馆整个团队都带动起来,排出倒计时表,落实各人的责任。
那段时间里,钱高潮的整个身心沉浸在创作中。创作的热情使他忘记了疲惫,几乎每天只休息5个小时。他说:“在离上交作品时间越来越近时,我多么希望时光能够倒退,今天是19日,明天、后天是18日、17日!”
按规定,钱高潮的设计方案不能与同行交流,只能自个儿收集资料琢磨。他辗转难眠,满脑子装满国家元首形象,时时与他们进行心灵交流。
“我们团队花好几个月时间搞设计,对印钮、基座及图案作了数十次修改。我们把独特的杭州元素渗入作品,比如,基座师法良渚文化时期的礼器玉琮,融权力和信仰于一体,象征人类文明共同发展。同时,我们在这一基础上加进新元素,增刻了20根线条,寓意峰会名称。”钱高潮侃侃而谈。
钱高潮说,最有故事的,要数印钮的设计。开始,他们考虑传统的瑞兽、国花,但有些国家的动物很难表现,而国花作桥钮也是如此。利用圆雕、镂雕等技法在昌化石上雕刻花卉很难体现意蕴。
钱高潮考虑用中国传统的生肖钮,像美国总统奥巴马属牛,德国总统默克尔属马,创作上不成问题,但俄罗斯总统普京、沙特阿拉伯国王萨勒曼的属相应避讳。钱高潮做了调整,设计了北极熊和“沙漠之舟”骆驼,但最后都被自我否定。
构思,调整,推翻,再构思。钱高潮将纸、笔放在床头柜上,随时记录夜半醒来一刹那的灵感。日思夜想,点点滴滴,钱高潮脑海中闪过一个又一个方案。印钮的设计稿终于正式出炉:统一选择狮子作为印钮。
钱高潮动情地说:“确定狮子作为印钮,是缘于我的理解。拿破仑曾说过,中国是一头沉睡的狮子。习主席说,中国这头狮子已经醒了,但这是一只和平的、可亲的、文明的狮子。”
后来证明,这个思路与峰会主题十分贴切。钱高潮说:“中国同世界各国一道共谋和平、共护和平、共享和平。中国狮子能传递这样的希望!”
钱高潮通过圆雕、镂雕、浮雕、薄意等雕刻技艺手法,在印钮上创作了36头狮子,神态各不相同,且与每位国家元首的个性相吻合:或大度,或优雅,或活泼,或严谨,或和蔼……钱高潮的刻刀极为精准地触及到作品的每一处细节,每一处细节都凝聚着他的思考与追求。
三
肖像印是一种世界性的艺术语言。钱高潮的昌化石各国政要肖像印章作为国礼已经分别送出。最近,这一印谱在杭州世贸中心展出。
肖像印是用印章的形式表现特定人物的性格,既有印章的基因,也有书画的元素:以画家的构图造型能力、书家的笔墨线条功力、印家的铁笔纵横之腕力,在方寸之间作艺术游走。我们从印谱中可以欣赏到钱高潮创作的参会成员国和嘉宾国及有关国际组织的领导人的共计36幅肖像,被一一浓缩在6平方厘米的印石上,惟妙惟肖,各有呈现。
钱高潮创作的肖像印,立意巧妙,神形兼备。他将篆刻技法和中国画的白描手法,有机地统一在了印面之中,每一幅肖像都自然率真,神韵刻画得丝丝入扣。“太像了!我经常观看各种大大小小的展览,但如此高水准的人物肖像印还是第一次见到。”看了钱高潮作品的新华社记者这样感叹。
谈到人物肖像创作,钱高潮毫无保留地抖了出来:“雕好一幅肖像,关键在在于眼睛和嘴巴,这两点处理好了,人物的表情、神韵就更加细腻传神。比如,俄罗斯总统普京表情严肃,那双犀利的目光十分坚毅,是一个非常有个性的人物。”“我尽可能通过对元首外貌特征的把握,凸现出他的性格气度,折射出世界大国的风采。”
各国政要肖像印章最终被选定为G20杭州峰会国礼,作品自然不失“匠心”,同时,也蕴含着特殊的意味:既承载传播中国形象和文化的重任,又契合“构建创新、活力、联动、包容的世界经济”的峰会主题;既寓意精诚团结、合作共赢,更体现了中国“五位一体”的战略思想。
钱高潮曾对笔者介绍,各国政要肖像印章中,含有“政治、经济、社会、文化、生态”五位一体的元素:狮钮象征“政治”;基座象征“经济”;玉琮象征“社会”;印面象征“文化”;昌化石石材象征“生态文明”。
谈起昌化石与G20杭州峰会的缘分,钱高潮感慨:“从来没有这样的机缘,家乡的一块石头代表了国家的形象。”
“我们此次能为G20杭州峰会承制国礼,备感自豪,这是世人对我们‘工匠精神的最大褒奖。”钱高潮雕刻团队中的成员聊起制作经历,依然难以平静:“参与制作国礼是我们一辈子的骄傲!”
各国政要肖像印章向世界展示了中国文化跨越时空的魅力,同时也让我们品读到又一个最美中国故事。
(除署名外,本文照片由钱友杰拍摄)
The portrait seals made of Changhua Stone were rated by the Department of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the most beautiful and culturally significant item in the G20 “gift box” crafted for the political leaders at the 2016 Hangzhou G20 Summit, which was held in Hangzhou in September of this year.
The stories behind the exquisitely-made national gifts are equally exciting and thought-provoking.
The invitation letter sent by the Artistic Commission of the G20 organizing committee arrived at the office of Qian Gaochao, curator of the Linan-based Changhua Bloodstone Museum, in November of 2015. A Changhua native, the man has 40 years of experiences in bloodstone carving.
“I am a craftsman; and it is the bloodstone of my hometown that made me what I am today. The bloodstone is a strong reminder of the importance of dedication and focusing on just one thing in a lifetime,” Qian Gaochao shared with affection, “Life is full of options, but it is important to focus on what you choose to do with undivided attention.”
The maker of more than a thousand bloodstone works and the author of a dozen published books, Qian Gaochao is a qualified leader in the stone carving circle of Linan. The success of his G20 seal creation, that tells the “China story” and shows the evocative charm of Zhejiang and Hangzhou in an intriguingly cultural way, adds a brilliant touch to his stellar career as an artist.
“Stone carving is a very important bifurcation of the cultural tree of the Orient, and constitutes an integral part of the world civilization,” A high-spirited Qian asserted with great self-confidence.
“The immense cultural and economic values of the Changhua bloodstone qualify the special stone variety as an outstanding member in the ‘national gifts club”, he explained.
The days after the submission of the design plan, however, were a tough time for Qian Gaochao. The suspense brought months of sleepless nights. Preparation work for the project started during the Spring Festival. The selection of the best possible stone materials alone took multiple trips to his home village in Shangxi.
The design and assessment from experts took about half a year to finish. Qians bloodstone seal design founds its way into the 20 finalists list and was approved by the Artistic Commission.
“Stone carving is not for those with an unstable mind. It is a challenge physically and mentally. It takes a lot of hard thinking before you carve into a stone; and the G20 project was the result of what we call team work. Everyone in the museum has a share of the success.”
During the 10 months of the creation, Qian Gaochao worked full-bore, full time, taking a break only when he had to. “With the day of submission coming closer and closer, I wish time could stop for a while for me to reexamine every detail,” he recalled.
“It took the team months to finalize every detail regarding the base and pattern. What we aimed to do was to incorporate not only the essentials of the Hangzhou culture but also the G20 elements into the design. The goal was to have something rich and story-telling, instead of just achieving aesthetic values, and a lot of consideration went to avoiding diplomatic taboos. At the end of the trial-and-error process, we came up with a perfect solution, that is, using the lion image for the design of the knob.”
“The inspiration comes from a line from Napoleon, who once declared, ‘When the sleeping lion (China) awakes, it will shake the world.”
“I feel lucky that the idea turned out to be an echo also to President Xis declaration to the world that “the lion has awakened to embrace world peace and mutual understanding.”