随着国内掀起民间美术的研究热,笔者近期调研山东潍坊地区的非物质文化的发展现状,在剪纸、杨家埠年画、风筝、面塑等民间美术形态中发现广泛存在着一种对称性的结构,比如右图中潍坊世界风筝博物馆展出的一些风筝作品,与此同时,再去查阅考古出土及历史文献上相关原始美术、民间美术发展历程中这种“对称性”的图像结构,并结合国内相关美术专家对“对称性”的解释与研究,笔者发现:广泛存在于原始美术、传统美术、民间美术形态中的“对称性结构”,绝不是一种可简单归结为“源于实用目的”的审美表征,而是随着审美主体的时代与文化观念的变迁而呈现出一种多元的历史审美精神,但总体上又延续着一个统一的思想结构,已成为一种具有历史、文化、观念结构意义的二级艺术符号。为此,笔者将以追问的形式,来呈现个人对民间美术形态中的“对称性”结构的思考。
第一个追问:民间美术之“功利先于审美,审美源于功利”
现在国内原始、民间美术研究的着述与专家多有“功利先于审美,审美源于功利”的观点,看法比如,中国艺术研究院民间美术研究学者吕品田就曾在其民间美术研究的讲座中引用成复旺《神与物游》一书中的观点,认为,“功利先于审美,审美源于功利。审美的超功利,只在于它是实现了的功利。”此外,邓福星在《艺术的发生》一书也暗含着类似观点,并且关注到原始美术中的“对称性”结构的造型特征,“几乎所有原始艺术都兼有审美与功利性的双重功能。在原始社会里,所谓只有审美功能的纯粹艺术是不存在的。由石、骨、玉、贝等制作的工具、武器和日常使用的陶器,作为先民生产和生活的必需用品而具有明显的实用功能,同时,在造型上又以规整、均衡、对称、光滑等可视因素造成形式美而具有审美功能。原始建筑也是这样,它既是实用的,又因布局的规整、色彩和结构的形式感而具有一定的审美价值。”
为此,笔者并不否认以我们当代人审美眼光来看,原始器物确实是审美与功利性兼有,比如近期在山东潍坊风筝博物馆展出的一些风筝作品,如崔永志的作品《墨牡丹》,单从风筝制作的仿生性的对称结构来说,这种“对称性”可推导为是以空气动力学为基础的一种实用功利性的平衡需求,但是如果细细观察风筝对称结构中的装饰性画面中的墨牡丹,却可以发现除了风筝项颈部位的牡丹是独立的自然的描绘,而非对称性的脱离客观物像的装饰牡丹,笔者以为这件作品中的牡丹暗示出两种美,一种是功利性的、对称的具有装饰美的牡丹,一种是具有个人独立的、审美自觉的墨牡丹。
这些细节都会让我们去思考这些问题:一方面这种审美与功利兼有的艺术应该是有时间限定的,不能轻易地把我们当代人审美意识赋予古人的制品,另一方面是所谓的“美术形态”中的对称性造型结构,绝不能简单地将其归结为“源于实用目的的审美表征”。
那究竟是因为什么呢?首先,从原始人所生活的时代来说,可能他们的弓箭制作是“基于对称的箭头能飞得更快,杀伤力更大”的意识这一源于数百上千年的狩猎生活与实践经验。但是这其中存在的一个问题是原始猿人是否具有审美意识,他们创作的工具是否包含着审美意识,也没有证据表明,而且今天我们相关研究者所说的早期人所使用的弓箭具有一种对称的审美意识,也是我们当代人自己赋予“对称”的一种审美意识,这些都是审美自觉以后的事,所以说民间美术的“功利先于审美、审美源于功利”只能是一种整体的概括性的理论构想,就像邓福星先生从人的意识与审美意识各自特征论证的“艺术的起源与人类的起源同步说”中所提到的第一件“石斧”一样,是一个理论构想,并无实证考据证伪。其中的核心问题就是审美意识自觉,所以这句话在审美未自觉的时代是不成立的或者说只能是一种猜想。
随着历史观念的推进以及考古发现,现在关于早期考古发现这种对称图像的结构中,我们可以在旧石器时代出土的“舞蹈纹彩陶盆”中的舞蹈人像中发现一种“对称”结构。于是,我们从媒介材料以及功能使用上的变化来说,首先这是一个对称的图像结构,而且这些对称图像已不具有实用功能,只能看作是一种符号,至于这种符号是审美化的符号还是一种巫术意义上的文化符号都有可能,但在笔者看来,这种对称符号是巫术意义的文化符号的可能性更大,毕竟这个时代仍未有证据显示其具有审美意识。由此可知,必须在审美自觉时代这种“民间美术审美源于功利”的说法才具有意义。在笔者看来,首先要粗略估计一个审美自觉的时间段,然后才是在这个自觉时代所能考古发现的民间带有功能性的“对称性”审美艺术形态。
基于此,需要在这个线性逻辑中架构一个“审美自觉”的艺术时代,而此应该从审美观念与审美自觉两个维度来建构、印证一个大体的审美自觉的时代结构。
(1)关于审美观念上自觉的思考逻辑,所谓观念上的审美自觉就是按照社会进化论的进程来看,这个时代的艺术首先应该已经从艺术形态的功能中脱离出来,具有艺术自身审美的一种自觉的价值。用国内学者研究成果,此界点可以上溯到魏晋南北朝“传神论”的出现,因为在传神的审美标准中,古人才开始从传统的“功能式的图案化”创作中转向对绘画形式语言自身的审美表现了,所以以此论“魏晋”以后可以成为古人审美观念自觉的上限。
(2)关于媒介上审美自觉的思考,纵观中国古代原始艺术史,从原始的石器工具、到彩陶、青铜器到帛画、墓室壁画,都是带有明确的功用性,从作为狩猎、做饭的石器、彩陶器具,以及祭祀礼仪用的青铜器,即使是最近出土与中原青铜文化不同的三星堆发现,从中出土的具有长眼睛、大耳朵的青铜立人雕像似乎不是为了祭祀用的,但是多数研究专家也认为是一种具有功能性的千里眼、顺风耳的象征隐喻。总之,在唐宋以前少有专门是作为审美之用的艺术媒介,直到具有鉴赏功用的卷轴画出现,毕竟山水、花鸟画的出现已萌发了古人的审美自觉,但是准备作为画家作为鉴赏功用的媒介还应该是水墨卷轴画,虽然考古出土的最早遗存中卷轴画是战国的帛画,但其制作的目的不是为了古人欣赏之用,是用来厚葬灵魂升天之用,不代表一种主动审美意识,只有出现了后世所谓的秘不示人的鉴赏之风后才是独立意义上的艺术品了,而由此来追问,绘画上现存最早可追溯的卷轴画作品应该是传为东晋顾恺之的《女史箴图》这幅作品。这应该可算作审美自觉的下限。
所以综合以上两个维度的考量,若以现代文明人的审美标准,民间美术以及原始美术中具有功利性,“对称”结构,其具有审美自觉意识形态的美术制品应该出现于魏晋南北朝时期。根据现有考古遗存推测,比如辽宁宋金元博物馆所藏的魏晋时期的铜镜是可以作为“民间美术中对称性审美性来源于功利”的一个论据吧,或者在此时代,此句话才具有指涉意义,这是追问的一个思考点与结论。
随着时代的进展与审美的发展,按照刘骁纯先生在《从确认自身到解体自身——美术史的进程》一文中形式发展的逻辑观点来看,民间美术中这种“对称性”将脱离功利性进入到一种形式自觉的时代,这也许是我们今天民间美术中的对称美学与原始美术对称性的差异。
第二个追问:原始美术与民间美术中“对称性”结构的适用性有多大?
通过第一个追问,我们大体对原始美术、民间美术中的关于实用与审美的关系有了一个简单的认识与视野。那么,接着第二个问题又出现了,在审美自觉时代的前后对称结构有无联系,又有没有差异性?而这个问题需要运用图像学的方法来比较、分析了。
其实,审美时代自觉前的对称结构具有实用的“稳定性”与“仿生性”特征。这种对称性结构不只存在于原始美术的图形、图像等符号中,具有广泛性与普遍性,尤其是在早期实用器皿——陶器类型中,而且这种类型的器皿应该都是对自然物的模仿,尤其是对人和动物的对称结构模仿等等,如图所示。
从上图陕西元君庙遗址不同地层陶器器形变化来看,这种具有结构对称性的小尖口瓶有可能是由原来形近球体的罐或瓶演变来的。它们的形成可能出于两种途径:一是由原来的球体形器物演变过来的。这些陶器对称性固然还相当简单,甚至有些粗糙,但它们仍然是对称性陶器发展链条上一个重要的环节,尽管它们已经经过了许多世代的演变,但这种具有原始形态的对称功能会逐渐审美化。笔者以为这也正是今天我们专家所常说的民间美术的原生态特点,即民间美术中所保持的这种对称性的 “实用——审美”的综合价值结构有极大的可能是从原始器物中延续下来的一种“功利性、实用性”,而恰恰是这种功利性,还渗透到它的审美机制中,并诉诸视觉形式中,我认为这才是民间美术中的对称性结构与古代原始美术对称性结构的一致性,而且这种结构性因为具有了功利性的实用价值,从而维持了一种长期的稳定性传承。二是邓福星在《艺术发生》一文中分析的早期美术中对称结构极有可能是导源于对某些自然物、动物与人的模仿,比如:“袋形的瓶、罐会不会是对动物的胃或袋形瓜果的模仿,筒形盆的制作会不会受到竹筒一类盛器的启发,在陶器各自系列的纵向发展中,我们也可寻到器形发轫于球体的迹象”,这种分析还是颇为中肯的。
第三个追问:原始美术与民间美术中“对称性”结构的是否具有时代性?
接着第二个追问的思路,我们自然就会提出第三个 追问了:原始美术与民间美术中“对称性”结构是否具有时代性?这个时代性又是什么?笔者以为在审美自觉 的时代,这种“对称性”结构在走向审美独立的发展过程中,“对称性”结构会日益被赋予一种社会文化性的含义,比如在民间工艺美术中铜镜地对鸟纹图案的发展演变,尤其可对比近代考古出土的唐代不同地区的各种类型“对 鸟纹”铜镜纹饰变化,可发现:唐代的“对鸟纹”铜镜出现了各种不同的鸾鸟主题,尤其是后期的铜镜纹饰样变化里出现了孔雀、鹦鹉、狮子、八卦等各种具有社会性寓意的纹饰图案。虽说从时代特色来看,唐代铜镜主题的繁荣是离不开其包容开放“盛唐气象”有关,但是在民间美术的对称性结构中的社会文化因素在改变着主题与图像的变化,而且这种对称性的结构具有一种超稳定性。为此笔者以为:民间美术中的“对称性结构”是具有原始性、原生态的特点,而附着在其上的审美文化因素是随之变迁的,于是有了我们接下来的第四个追问。
第四个追问:民间美术对称性中的“超稳定结构”又是如何产生的呢?
受金观涛、刘青峰着《中国现代思想的起源——超稳定结构与中国政治文化的研究》一书的启发,笔者认为需要从社会性文化等方面来分析这种核心结构的思想来源,而且这种文化性必然是一种带有意识形态的政治文化体制,就像曾率一支考察队到亚马孙丛林地区去了解印第安土着的生活、搜集材料的列维斯特劳斯所研究发现的。列维-斯特劳斯在《结构人类学》的《亚洲与美洲艺术中的拆半表现》中就分析了印第安部落妇女们在脸部做一种线条复杂、图案对称的面饰图绘。虽然该仪式显得怪诞,但其作用相当于一个符咒,即社会中种种男女不平等的社会现象(亦即社会结构关系的不平等)。实际上,他是在此剖析了仪式文化与其社会等级制度间的结构关系。从中可以发现这种在东西方艺术中皆存在这种对称性,甚至成为一种文化与审美的一一对应的结构权力关系,由此切入可知:中国传统社会随着以儒道释为主干的中国传统文化的发展,意识形态结构必然会辐射到民间美术的对称中。民间美术尤其是民间剪纸中的“对称性”必然会被社会主流文化意识形态所物化,比如儒家文化观念以及儒家美学的“中和”思想。所谓,“中也者,天下之大本也;和也者,天下之大道也”。如果说北京紫禁城故宫建筑文化中的“中轴线”是儒家君臣父子纲常政治体制文化的体现的话,那么,同样生活在超稳定社会文化结构中的民间宗祠文化的民间手艺人的潜意识意识形态应该是一种隐形传承。
总之,如果用结构主义艺术符号学原理来审视民间美术的对称性形态结构的话,正如,吕品田老师所分析的民间美术形态一样,“一级符号本身并不是一件艺术作品,它在被创作者采用之前 , 仅仅是一种观念性的存在。只有当创作者受内心需要的驱动 , 采用一级符号并建构起表达自我观念情感的特定形式结构时,艺术作品才算完成……,民间美术的对称性结构是由一级符号的社会化含义与创作者个性化要求整合而成的新的符号,其中包含着二个层级的符号,可借用民间美术二级符号系统示意来表示中国的文人画图像符号系统。”
因此,民间美术中的“对称性”结构可作为一级艺术符号来看待,它其实应是一种文化、美学意义化了的“对称性”结构,而非单纯的一种美好的口彩与祈愿,而且这种结构更稳定,更统一。而作为二级符号的对称性结构也不过是一种审美化了的功利,严格说来,民间美术的审美形态可能超越一种显性的功利,却无法超越这种意识形态化的观念结构,而这正是民间美术研究所需要关注的。
(作者单位:齐鲁文化(潍坊)生态保护区服务中心)
With the popularity of folk art research in China, the author recently investigated the development status of intangible culture in Weifang, Shandong Province, and found that a symmetrical structure widely exists in folk art forms such as paper cutting, Yangjiabu New Year pictures, kites and dough sculptures, such as some kite works exhibited in Weifang World Kite Museum in the right picture. At the same time, I will consult the relevant primitive art in archaeological excavations and historical documents This "symmetrical" image structure in the development of folk art, combined with the interpretation and research of "symmetry" by relevant domestic art experts, the author finds that the "symmetrical structure" widely existing in the forms of primitive art, traditional art and folk art is by no means an aesthetic representation that can be simply attributed to "derived from practical purposes", But with the changes of the times and cultural concepts of the aesthetic subject, it presents a diversified historical aesthetic spirit, but on the whole, it continues a unified ideological structure and has become a secondary artistic symbol with the significance of history, culture and conceptual structure. Therefore, the author will present his personal thinking on the "symmetry" structure in the form of inquiry p>
< img src="/picture/-1/33907689c9754db4a7fb9aaac0eb73ef.png" />
The first question: in folk art, "utilitarianism precedes aesthetics, and aesthetics originates from utilitarianism" < / P > < P style = "text indent: 2em;" > At present, many domestic works and experts on primitive and folk art research have the view that "utility precedes aesthetics, and aesthetics originates from utility". For example, LV pintian, a scholar of folk art research at the Chinese Academy of art, once quoted the view in Cheng Fuwang's book "travel of God and things" in his lecture on folk art research, saying that "utility precedes aesthetics, and aesthetics originates from utilitarianism. The super utilitarianism of aesthetics lies only in the realization of utilitarianism." In addition, Deng Fuxing's book "the occurrence of art" also implies a similar view, and pays attention to the modeling characteristics of the "symmetry" structure in the original art, "Almost all primitive art has both aesthetic and utilitarian functions. In primitive society, the so-called pure art with only aesthetic function does not exist. Tools, weapons and daily-use pottery made of stone, bone, jade and shell, as necessary supplies for the production and life of our ancestors, have obvious practical functions. At the same time, they are characterized by formal beauty caused by visual factors such as regularity, balance, symmetry and smoothness It has aesthetic function. So is the original architecture. It is not only practical, but also has certain aesthetic value due to the regular layout, color and formal sense of structure. " p>
Therefore, the author does not deny that from the aesthetic perspective of our contemporary people, the original artifacts do have both aesthetic and utilitarian. For example, some kite works recently exhibited in Shandong Weifang Kite Museum, such as Cui Yongzhi's ink peony. From the perspective of the bionic symmetrical structure of kite making, this "symmetry" can be deduced as a practical utilitarian balance demand based on aerodynamics, However, if we carefully observe the ink peony in the decorative picture in the symmetrical structure of the kite, we can find that except that the peony at the neck of the kite is an independent and natural description, and the asymmetric decorative peony separated from the objective image, the author thinks that the peony in this work implies two kinds of beauty, one is a utilitarian and symmetrical peony with decorative beauty, and the other is an individual independent and aesthetic conscious ink peony p>
These details will make us think about these problems: on the one hand, this art with both aesthetic and utilitarian should have a time limit, and we can not easily give our contemporary aesthetic consciousness to the products of the ancients. On the other hand, it is the symmetrical shaped structure in the so-called "art form", which can not be simply attributed to "aesthetic representation derived from practical purposes" p>
What on earth is that because of? First of all, from the era in which primitive people lived, their bow and arrow production may be based on the consciousness that "symmetrical arrows can fly faster and have greater lethality", which stems from hundreds of years of hunting life and practical experience. However, one of the problems is whether the primitive ape people have aesthetic consciousness and whether their creative tools contain aesthetic consciousness. There is no evidence to show that today, what our relevant researchers say is that the bows and arrows used by early people have a symmetrical aesthetic consciousness, which is also an aesthetic consciousness given "symmetry" by our contemporary people. These are all things after aesthetic consciousness, Therefore, it can only be said that "utility precedes aesthetics and aesthetics originates from utility" of folk art is an overall and general theoretical conception, just like the first "stone axe" mentioned in Mr. Deng Fuxing's "theory of synchronization between the origin of art and the origin of mankind" demonstrated from the respective characteristics of human consciousness and aesthetic consciousness. It is a theoretical conception without empirical research. The core problem is the consciousness of aesthetic consciousness, so this sentence is not tenable in the era of aesthetic unconsciousness, or it can only be a conjecture p>
With the advancement of historical concepts and archaeological discoveries, now about the symmetrical image structure of early archaeological discoveries, we can find a "symmetrical" structure in the dance portrait in the "dance pattern painted pottery basin" unearthed in the Paleolithic age. Therefore, in terms of the changes in the use of media materials and functions, first of all, this is a symmetrical image structure, and these symmetrical images have no practical function and can only be regarded as a symbol. It is possible whether this symbol is an aesthetic symbol or a cultural symbol in the sense of witchcraft, but in the author's opinion, this symmetrical symbol is more likely to be a cultural symbol in the sense of witchcraft, After all, there is no evidence of aesthetic consciousness in this era. It can be seen from this that the saying that "folk art aesthetics originates from utilitarianism" must be meaningful in the era of aesthetic consciousness. In my opinion, we should first roughly estimate the time period of aesthetic consciousness, and then the folk functional "symmetrical" aesthetic art form that can be found in Archaeology in this conscious era p>
Based on this, it is necessary to construct an artistic era of "aesthetic consciousness" in this linear logic, and this should construct and confirm a general era structure of aesthetic consciousness from the two dimensions of aesthetic concept and aesthetic consciousness p>
(1) On the thinking logic of conscious aesthetic concept, the so-called conceptual aesthetic consciousness is that according to the process of social evolution, the art of this era should first have been separated from the function of art form and have a conscious value of art's own aesthetics. Using the research results of domestic scholars, this boundary point can be traced back to the emergence of the "vivid theory" in the Wei, Jin, southern and Northern Dynasties. Because in the vivid aesthetic standard, ancient talents began to turn from the traditional "functional patterning" creation to the aesthetic expression of the painting form language itself. Therefore, this theory can become the upper limit of the consciousness of the ancient aesthetic concept after the "Wei, Jin and Northern Dynasties" p>
(2) As for the thinking of aesthetic consciousness in the media, throughout the history of ancient Chinese primitive art, from primitive stone tools to painted pottery and bronzes to silk paintings and tomb murals, they all have clear functions. From stone tools and painted pottery utensils used for hunting and cooking, as well as bronzes used for sacrificial rites, even the recent discovery of Sanxingdui, which is different from the bronze culture of the Central Plains, those unearthed from them have long eyes It seems that the bronze statue with big ears is not used for sacrifice, but most research experts also believe that it is a functional symbolic metaphor of thousands of miles' eyes and ears. In short, before the Tang and Song Dynasties, there were few artistic media specially used for aesthetic purposes until the scroll painting with appreciation function appeared. After all, the emergence of landscape, flower and bird painting has sprouted the aesthetic consciousness of the ancients, but the ink scroll painting should also be the medium to be used as a painter for appreciation function. Although the scroll painting in the earliest archaeological remains is the silk painting of the Warring States period, its production purpose is not for the appreciation of the ancients, It is used to bury the soul and ascend to heaven. It does not represent an active aesthetic consciousness. It is only after the emergence of the so-called secret appreciation trend in later generations that it is a work of art in an independent sense. From this, the earliest extant scroll painting in the painting should be Gu Kaizhi's "women's history proverb map" in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. This should be regarded as the lower limit of aesthetic consciousness p>
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Therefore, considering the above two dimensions, if the aesthetic standards of modern civilized people, folk art and primitive art have utilitarian and "symmetrical" structure, their art products with aesthetic conscious ideology should appear in the Wei, Jin, southern and Northern Dynasties. According to the existing archaeological remains, for example, the bronze mirrors of the Wei and Jin Dynasties stored in Liaoning song, Jin and Yuan museum can be used as an argument that "symmetry and aesthetics in folk art come from utilitarianism", or in this era, this sentence has referential significance, which is a reflection point and conclusion of inquiry p>
With the progress of the times and the development of aesthetics, according to the logical point of view of formal development in Mr. Liu Xiaochun's article from self confirmation to self disintegration - the process of art history, this "symmetry" in folk art will break away from utilitarianism and enter an era of formal consciousness, which may be the difference between the symmetry aesthetics in today's folk art and the symmetry of primitive art p>
The second question: how applicable is the "symmetry" structure in primitive art and folk art p>
Through the first inquiry, we have a simple understanding and vision of the relationship between practicality and aesthetics in primitive art and folk art. Then, the second question arises again. Is there any connection and difference between the front and back symmetrical structures in the era of aesthetic consciousness? This problem needs to be compared and analyzed by using the method of iconology p>
In fact, the symmetrical structure before consciousness in the aesthetic era has the characteristics of practical "stability" and "imitation". This symmetrical structure not only exists in the graphics, images and other symbols of the original art, but also has universality and universality, especially in the early practical utensils - pottery type, and this type of utensils should all imitate natural objects, especially the symmetrical structure of human and animals, as shown in the figure p>
Judging from the shape changes of pottery in different strata of yuanjunmiao site in Shaanxi, this kind of small pointed mouth bottle with structural symmetry may have evolved from the original spherical tank or bottle. They may be formed in two ways: one is that they evolved from the original spherical objects. Although the symmetry of these pottery is quite simple and even rough, they are still the development chain of symmetrical pottery