张君玉茂(字酣实)幼而习画，追摹前贤，冥思造化，神遇魂飞，汲汲于笔墨传统的创造性表现。其数十年转益多师，沉潜运思，笔磨墨敷，艺事大成。今将于法兰西国卢浮宫展其所作，以公诸四海同好，实为艺坛幸事。余于山水笔墨之道愧乏研究，今承命涂鸦，仅聊以志赏心之乐云尔。

　　当代新儒巨擘徐复观先生在《中国艺术杂谈》一文中指出：“中国的虚、静、明的精神，不知不觉的便涵融了自然，美化了自然，主体精神与客体自然，有互相融合而互相升华，成为主客皆忘的混融一体的世界。所以自然是中国艺术的生命。离开自然便不要谈中国艺术。”此所言者，如主体精神与客体自然的“涵融”，以及中国文化的精神，正是张玉茂山水世界给人们带来的独特的审美享受。关于中国山水画与“自然”的关系，徐复观还有一个朴实而深具思想性的观点很值得思考，他认为“中国的山水画，则是在长期专制政治的压迫，及一般士大夫的利欲熏心的现实之下，想超越社会，向自然中去，以获得精神的自由，保持精神的纯洁，恢复生命的疲困而成立的，这是反省性的反映。”(《中国艺术精神•自叙》)在“自然”中吸取自由、纯洁之精神，以内省之心消解生命之疲困，有深意焉。观张玉茂山水图画，最大至深的感受是一种涵融自然、物我同一的朴实弥满之气息，披图览阅而有千山万树之思。

　　古人尝言登山则情满于山，所谓“满”者，当寓有意趣的丰茂弥满之意。而究其所由，断断离不开山川自然景象的绵延万千，满目的纷披生机。仁者登山而有观景畅神、思远情茂之念，这是人生中难得之片刻，是心胸中最开敞、最重要的时分。论者有谓张君常常久久地静坐于长白山坡梁上而不动一笔，观山听风，吐纳万物生机，此乃与造化精魂冥合之际。中国文人画家深谙冥对自然之道，其情其意均因自然之迹而生、因造化之魂而存。在其笔下色墨无痕，但在其心中则是丘壑满怀，与宗教神秘主义的虚无蹈空之论实不可同日而语。观景物弥满而昭生虚静之心，赏花叶繁纷而吐纳简约之思，这正是艺术精神的主体性力量昭彻于有生之际而嘎然独造。

　　以笔墨创新而论，论者有谓张君玉茂擅拓印、泼墨、泼彩，于勾皴之上然后得色墨流淌、冲撞、渗透之意趣，使景物浑然一体而得泛化笔墨的无尽意象。此语确当，然或更可深而言之。以实景如树花之繁茂而仿佛漫天而生，尽得仿佛天然的偶兴所至，色墨无痕而千变万化，宛若淋漓如飞流千尺，山岚树茂间的色墨翻滚如泉瀑霞映，莫可端倪。或谓：色墨无痕若造化，万千意态始画成。斯言至矣。

　　景实而意虚，物繁而趣雅，这是万千气象中独具的深邃而澄明的底蕴，是古今诗化艺文必具的大度气象。山高水远，云气迷蒙，纷披中有凝重的叠压起伏之躯，微光透显中有云天水色之间的坚实树石。这是一片生长在茂林繁花之上的空灵淼远的境界，观者不难于有限的视觉空间中找到无限的宇宙生趣，在自然的稳定性中体会心灵的自由翻飞之途。在这里，没有对古人山水图式的亦步亦趋，过往的一切图像经验全部被重新渗化到自然中进行重述，把所有支离的概念、僵化的技法重新在自然中熔铸。在这里，技法探索与精神探索是同一的、可欲的和可能的，它所言说的意义十分显明。

　　或许论者尤应深究的是，在山风树涛中翻飞的时空之感受如何在平静的图式中也同样渲泄出轻微的内心不安与焦虑体察，这是所有沉湎于自然之思中的文人所无法抗拒的敏感扣问，也是现代人重建心灵中的宁静追求所必经的荆棘之途。我想，前贤如范宽、郭熙、倪瓒者，均是启发着我们超越时空而与古人神交的永恒星辰。

　　癸巳年秋于珠江南岸人境斋

　　Natural Brushwork, Numerous Forms

　　- Expression on Zhang Yumao’s Landscape Paintings

　　Li Gongming

　　With another name of Hanshi, Zhang Yumao studied painting from his childhood. Learning from predecessors and researching by himself, he focused on creatively showing tradition of Chinese painting. After studying from several teachers and dedicate on painting for decades, he made great achievements. It’s a lucky thing that his works will be exhibited in the Louvre of France and showed to the world. Though I know little about painting, it’s my pleasure to be invited to write preface for him.

　　The contemporary master Mr. Xu Fuguan has said in By-talk on Chinese Art: “Chinese spirit of virtuality, quietness and brightness unconsciously combines and beautifies the nature. Subject spirit and object nature integrate and sublimate by each other and finally become a world integrated the subject and object. Therefore, nature is the life of Chinese art and Chinese art can’t be discussed without nature.” The “integration” of subject spirit and object nature and the spirit of Chinese culture in this sentence are unique aesthetic enjoyments that Zhang Yumao’s landscape world brings to the people. About relationship between Chinese landscape painting and “nature”, Mr. Xu Fuguan has another simple and thoughtful idea worth thinking. He thinks that “Chinese landscape painting is an introspective reflection wishing to go beyond the society, go to the nature, obtain freedom of spirit, maintain purity of spirit and restore tiredness of life under long-term oppression of authoritarian politics and reality of most officials’ venality.” (Autobiography in Chinese Artistic Spirit). It’s meaningful to absorb free and pure spirit from “nature” and dispel tiredness of life by introspection. The deepest expression on Zhang Yumao’s landscape painting is the pure feeling of melting into the nature as if watching thousands of mountains and trees.

　　The ancients said that the heart will be full of love on mountain when you climb the mountain. The meaning of “full” is plenteousness, which is resulted from extended and vital natural scenery. The benevolent persons climb mountains to enjoy scenery and relax mind. It’s not only a rare moment in life, but also most important and open time for mind. Mr. Zhang always sat on hillside of Changbai Mountain for long time, but didn’t start painting, just viewing mountain, listening to wind and observing creatures, which is the moment to integrate nature and spirit. Chinese literati painters are familiar with rule of the nature, so their affections come from and last for the nature. Though ink on paper is light, the heart is full of the nature. It’s quite different from the nothingness theory of religious mysticism. Calmness from full scenery and simplicity from various flowers are unique subjective strength of artistic spirit in life.

　　For innovation of brushwork, somebody said that Zhang Yumao is good at skills of painting, so the works are vivid with experienced brushwork. It’s right, but more than it. The flourishing trees and flowers seems to be full of the world, like to be painted naturally; ink is light but various, like rushing water from high place; color among mountains and trees is changeable, like fountain, waterfall and rosy clouds. Maybe the words “natural brushwork and numerous forms” are enough.

　　Virtual spirit from actual scenery and elegant feeling from various things are not only unique and profound deposits in noisy world, but also necessary generous bearing in ancient and modern poetic art and culture. On misty mountain in the distance, solid trees and stones can be seen in weak light from dignified and wavy body. It’s an ethereal realm growing on lush trees and flowers. The audiences will be easy to find infinite interest of the universe in limited visual space and feel free soul in steady nature. There is no copy of ancient mode for landscape, because all past images’ experiences have been restated after re-infiltrating into the nature and all fragmented concepts and rigid techniques are re-melted in the nature. Research on skills and spirit is identical, desirable and possible here, which significance is obvious.

　　Perhaps it should be studied how to express both sense of time and space of wind blowing in mountain with trees and slight inner worry and anxiety in still picture, which is the irresistible and sensitive question from literati who are indulged in thoughts for the nature, as well as the difficult and unavoidable way for modernists to rebuild calmness in heart. I think that the previous masters, such as Fan Kuan, Guo Xi and Ni Zan, are the eternal stars who inspired us to contact with the ancient in spite of time and space.

　　Written at Ren Jing Zhai on southern bank of the Pearl River in Autumn of 2013