創繪畫新技法
造藝術新價值
Inventing New Painting Techniques
Creating New Value of Art
文 / 黃歌川 Written by Ko Chuan Huang
用心念創作，獨創新畫風
我自幼喜愛藝術，自覺俱有藝術創作天賦，讓我視繪畫為生命的一部分，故數十年如一日，無可遲疑，也未退怯，不斷地鞭策自我，奮發學習，精進功力，研發創新，以傳世為己任。
在技法與媒材運用上，摒棄舊規，自研獨創的畫法，繪畫工具與材料。畫作的構圖與佈局，盡力心思，用心念與意識，加上多年累積的深厚功力，才能揮灑自如。畫作內容求新，題材廣泛，技法獨樹。在自然之中，樹立了自我畫風與畫格，並以客觀的心態創作，令觀賞者賞心悅目。
藝術啟蒙期
少年時立志未來往藝術方向發展，深知務必培養與充實學識，因遇抗戰爆發，暫緩進入藝術專校學習，投筆從戎，參加國民政府戰鬥師資培訓班，結業後先調派民眾教育團，後調派民眾訓練團，執行宣傳戰務，巡迴全國各地，畫漫畫、編壁報、刻木刻、演話劇、編刊物，喚起國人抗敵鬥志，鼓舞後方士氣，穩固後方民心，保衛國土。
抗戰勝利復原歸鄉，任公職兼創出版事業，後赴首都南京政府單位工作，公職之余兼報社記者。民國三十八年，奉報社之命，來台採訪新聞，兩岸斷航後在台定居。人生前三十載，在大陸成長茁壯，奠定了藝術啟蒙的基礎。人生後六十餘載，在臺灣落地生根，全心全力展開藝術創作生涯，至今仍然不息不休，奉獻於繪畫創作。
早期為美化人生而藝術
在台定居後，重新調整藝術創作方向，隨時代潮流，在不同的階段，採用不同的新式畫材，研發創新技法，挑戰自我極限，打破傳統束縛，進行改革創新，使每個階段創作的作品，都能展現全新且獨特的風格。
五○年代初創作是「為美化人生而藝術」。當時全球開始流行特殊攝影技術，我即投入藝術性攝影研究，並創作速描寫生、水彩畫、中國水墨畫等多項作品。當年臺灣缺乏良好彩色印刷技術，有幸轉向香港知名畫刊雜誌（良友、四海、中外、今日世界等）發表作品，將作品傳播至海外各地，達到宣揚中華文化之成效。
賦予蠟染的新生命—「冰裂紋蠟染藝術」的誕生
五○年代，我多次受邀參加國際美展，發覺西方人士對中國水墨畫，因認識不足，頗難接受，反而對「蠟染」極為欣賞與愛好，並視為足以代表東方神秘文化之藝術，這促使我投入蠟染繪畫創作。
傳統蠟染技法，需煮染料染色，製作十分瑣碎繁雜，冰裂紋難現。蠟染之美的精髓在於「冰裂紋」的呈現。為此我苦心研究改良，研發出革命性「冰裂紋蠟染畫」獨特技法，讓奧妙無窮的冰裂紋可以顯現，體現了蠟染之美，並賦予蠟染新的生命。我所研發的技法，可以憑自己的思想與藝術造詣，在取材與構圖方面，自由發揮創意，不再受限僅能繪製傳統蠟染常見的幾何或單純圖案，因此提高了蠟染的藝術價值。
為讓廣大世人認識冰裂紋蠟染畫之美，多年來在國內外各地開班傳授，並受邀前往韓、馬、美、加等地展出與表演，至今仍為推廣新法，留世傳承而奮鬥中。
提倡現代生活化禪畫－以畫弘法
七○年代，公職退休後，接受宗教洗禮，領悟生命真諦，醉心禪學研究。為回應 星雲大師推展人間佛教與禪生活化，走進了新的創作階段「為宏揚宗教藝術而藝術」，提倡現代生活化禪畫，以畫弘法。
以禪宗達摩法像為畫題，創造卡通化、趣味化、與幽默化的造型，加上現代藝術元素。不同於傳統畫法，自立風格，塑造出達摩千姿百態的造型，顯現禪畫新面目，提升現代繪畫藝術在宗教藝術上的價值，充實藝術內涵。透過現代生活化禪畫，讓更多的世人，認識達摩祖師，進而親近生活化禪學，實現臺灣成為「生活禪」的誕生地，流傳於五大洲，照耀全世界的心願。
為追求藝術自由而畫－多媒材創作
繼禪畫之後，我再次嘗試新的創作「為追求藝術而畫」。九○年代，國外新發明水性顏料取代油性顏料，顏色多彩，紙或布可做為畫材，掀起全球藝壇「多媒材」風潮，臺灣美術界也搭上新潮，隨風起舞。我以風景文物、荷蓮、向日葵等為畫作題材，運用西洋畫具，選擇非紙非布當畫布，以特殊材料作畫，創造另類畫風，使作品呈現活潑，美妙多姿，充滿生命力。
我尤愛畫荷蓮。荷蓮被佛家視為聖物，象徵純潔淨心，淨化心靈，修心養性。我繪荷蓮採用幻象派的構圖，結合現代水墨的渲染技法，運用多媒材工具與材料，創作出三度空間與幻象派抽象的荷蓮作品。靈動的筆觸與線條配合，畫筆飛躍，有如行雲流水般，形成新象，讓人們產生奇特視覺效果。
提倡中國水墨畫油彩化，呼籲為共同為中國水墨畫，成為世界繪畫藝術而努力
近年，我大力進行中國水墨畫改革，提倡「中國水墨畫油彩化」，為傳統水墨尋找未來發展空間，開拓新的出路。用西方的材料與技法，以布代紙，以油彩代墨 汁，翻新改造，歷久彌新，似同東菜西材，不但匯聚東西方藝術的特色，亦吻合時尚風貌，讓中國水墨畫朝向國際化，登堂入室西方藝術殿堂，為中國水墨畫創造嶄新的歷史價值。
中國水墨畫油彩化為必經之路，深感使命重大，今用自己的作品作示範，呼籲同道好友支持與回應，共同努力讓中國水墨畫能夠與西方油畫並駕齊驅，成為世界各地藝術家樂於創作的世界繪畫藝術之一。
終身奉獻藝術，完成服務人生之基業
身為藝術家，一生奉獻藝術創作，達六十餘年之久，自感背負使命，不敢懈怠，日以繼夜，埋首創作。作品種類多且質精，計有冰裂紋蠟染畫、達摩百態禪畫、油畫、國畫油彩化，以及荷蓮向日葵多媒材畫等。
作品流通四海，無遠弗屆，創造個人成就與奇蹟，完美地完成了服務人生之基業，帶給眾生欣賞作品之喜悅，感到無比安慰與滿足。
Creating with a Devoted Mind and Inventing Unique Painting Style
I love arts at an early age. Gifted with artistic creations, I have treated painting as part of my life. I have been creating for decades, yet it seems to be just as short as one day. I have not hesitated and have not cowardly retreated. Persistently reminding myself to make further progress, I have studied hard, and gained progress in skills, conducted research, and made innovations. I have taken as my own responsibility the handing down of my creations to the future generations.
In the application of techniques and in the use of media, I have abandoned old rules and created painting tools and materials of my own. I can now create at will after years of gaining accumulated progress in techniques, with a fully devoted mind and with full brain power in the arrangement of the structure of paintings.Contents of my paintings change constantly with unique techniques. I have established my own style and character in paintings and am creating objectively, so that viewers would feel refreshed and pleasant to the eye.
Artistic Enlightenment Period
After winning the War of Resistance against Japan I went back to my hometown after demobilization. I became an official in a government agency and at the same time started my own publishing business. Afterwards I served in a government agency in Nanjing. I also concurrently served as a reporter in a newspaper. In 1949, I was assigned by the newspaper to conduct interviews in Taiwan. After the suspension of direct sea and air links between both sides of the Taiwan Strait, I settled in Taiwan. For more than 30 years in the early stage of my life I grew up and matured in the mainland, being inspired by art and laying a good foundation in this respect. For more than 60 years I had settled in Taiwan, fully devoted in the creation of paintings. This would last forever without letup.
In Early Period of Life, Art Creation Was Meant to Embellish Life
After settling in Taiwan, I had re-adjusted the direction of my artistic creation. I had studied and created new techniques with different latest painting materials at different stages in accordance with changing trends of changes of the times. I had challenged self-limit, broken the shackles of tradition, conducted innovations so that my pieces of work at different stages would have brand new and unique styles.
In the early 1950s, my artistic creation was meant to embellish life. At that time special photographic techniques had become popular around the world. I had devoted to the study of artistic photography and had created many pieces of work in sketches, watercolor paintings, Chinese ink paintings. At that time Taiwan was in lack of good color printing technology, so I chose to publish my pieces of work at such well-known Hong Kong magazines of illustrations as “Liangyou,” “Szuhai,” “Chungwai,” and “Jinjihshijie.” These pieces of work were spread over the world, thus achieving the purpose of promoting Chinese culture.
Breathing a New Life in Chinese Batik Painting—the Birth of “Chinese Batik Painting Art of Wax Crack Lines”
In the 1950’s, I had been invited many times to participate in international art exhibitions, at which I discovered that Westerners were hard to appreciate Chinese ink paintings because of lack of knowledge, but they love “batik paintings.” They had deemed it to be a representative of arts of Oriental occult culture. And this was the reason why I had been involved in the creation of batik paintings.
Traditional batik techniques are very complicated. It needs to be dyed with boiled dyes and is hard to show wax crack lines. The essence of beauty of batik is the presentation of “Wax Crack Lines.” To this end, I painstakingly make improvements and come up with a revolutionary and unique technique of “Chinese Batik Painting of Wax Crack Lines.” This would show wonderful “Wax Crack Lines” and embody the beauty of, as well as breathe a new life in, batik. In selecting topics and in the construction, the painter would no longer be bound by traditional geometric or simple patterns. He can rely on our own thinking and artistic skills to freely create, thus raising artistic value of batik.
In order for people of the world to understand the beauty of “Chinese Batik Painting of Wax Crack Lines,” I have taught in classes at various overseas and domestic places. I have also been invited to demonstrate and exhibit the technique in Korea, Malaysia, the U.S., Canada, etc. I have persistently devoted to the handing down to posterity of this new technique and to its promotion.
Promotion of Zen Paintings Merged with Modern Living and Preaching Buddhist Teachings with Paintings
In the 1970’s, after my retirement from public office, I began to learn the true meaning of life with religious enlightenment. I have devoted to the study of Zen. In order to echo Master Hsing Yun’s call for Humanistic Buddhist (人間佛教) and bring Zen into people’s lives, I had entered a new stage of creation with the conviction of “creating pieces of art with the intention of promoting religion.” I had advocated Zen paintings going into modern living and the preaching of Buddhist teachings with paintings.
I had selected the topic of the image of Dharma of Zen Buddhism in the creation of models of cartoon, fun, and humor with the addition of modern artistic elements. I had established my own style in depicting a hundred or more poses of Dharma, which is different from traditional painting techniques and had shown a new face in Dharma paintings. It had also raised the religious and artistic value and enriched the contents of modern art of paintings. Through modern Zen paintings going into modern living, more people were able to know Dharma and therefore came to know Zen going into people’s lives. It had helped in making Taiwan the birth place of “Zen Going into People’s Lives,” which had become popular in five continents and lit up the wishes of people all over the world.
Drawing Paintings in Pursuit of Artistic Achievements and Creation with Mixed media painting
After drawing Zen painting, I had again tried new creations “in the pursuit of artistic achievements.” In 1999, an invention from overseas of water-based paint had appeared to replace oil-based paint. The new paint was colorful and could be applied on paper and cloth. This had triggered a global trend for Mixed media painting. Artistic circles in Taiwan were also influenced by this new trend. I had selected topics such as scenic spots in Taiwan, lotus, and sunflower in my paintings and had applied Western painting tools. I had selected special painting materials which were neither paper nor cloth, thus creating a different painting style. My pieces of work were vivid, and lively, and wonderful.
I was particularly fond of drawing lotus. Lotus was considered sacred in Buddhism. It signified pure hearts, purified soul and mind, and self cultivation. I had applied fantasy painting construction when drawing lotus, with spreading techniques of modern ink paintings. I had also applied mixed media tools and materials in order to create three dimensions and a piece of work of impressionist and abstract nature. The painting strokes were lively like water and cloud and matched with lines, creating a new landscape as well as a special visual effect for viewers.
Promoting Oil-based Chinese Ink Paintings; Calling for a Joint Effort to Help Chinese Ink Painting Become a World-class Painting Art
In a more recent period I had vigorously called for a reform of Chinese ink paintings, promoting “oil-based Chinese ink paintings” in an attempt to find new room for its future development. I had suggested the application of Western materials and techniques, replacement of paper with canvas, replacement of ink with oil so that Chinese ink paintings could be completely reformed, giving a new look yet with fine tradition. It was like using Western Ingredient to make Chinese dishes. This not only would integrate special characteristics of Western and Eastern Arts, but would also give Chinese ink paintings a fashionable appearance, making it an international art form to be accepted by Western art circle. This would create a historical value for Chinese ink paintings.
Oil-based Chinese ink painting is a foregone conclusion. I feel deeply committed to the cause. Now I am demonstrating it with my own pieces of work. I am calling on fellow art lovers for their support in the hope that Chinese ink paintings and Western oil paintings will be considered as peers, with the former becoming one of the world-class forms of painting art with which artists all over the world would like to create.
Compiling Recent Pieces of Work into Book Series
In my over 60 years of creative career, I bear heavy responsibility as a member of the art circle, to which I am deeply committee without showing a slightest relief from this duty. I have worked day and night to create. I have created many fine pieces of work, including Chinese batik paintings of wax crack lines, Zen Paintings with a hundred poses of Dharma, oil-based Chinese ink paintings, and pieces of work with lotus as the topic and those using Mixed media painting.
摘自【台灣藝壇國寶黃歌川百歲世紀展畫冊序文 2019】
Excerpt from the Preface of Exhibition Catalogue of “Taiwan’s National Art Treasure, Ko Chuan Huang: Centennial Commemorative Exhibition and Collection (2019)”