個人簡介：
黃鎮黃鎮，1979年出生於福建莆田
2010年畢業於中央美術學院雕塑系本科
2016年畢業於中央美術學院雕塑系藝術碩士
2012年就職於中央美術學院雕塑系
現工作生活於北京
藝評網合作藝術家
出版物：
山水2011《中國當代藝術文獻》中國2011年2012年
《時尚芭莎》中國2010年
《藝樹》中國2012年
《流動藝術2012》中國2013年
《藝財-發現》黃鎮中國2014年
《sculpture》美國2015年4月
參展記錄：
個展：
山水2015年
《山水》HT畫廊北京
《兮》者畫廊北京
群展：
山水系列2013
水墨山水
水墨山水之一2016年
呼吸-中國傳統文化的當代形塑南京雕塑博物院南京
新格調-承德當代雕塑邀請展河北承德
國家藝術基金—繁星計畫巡迴展中國日本美國
2015年
十年有承奧美零空間北京
上海021博覽會上海
中國風景《極》龍藝榜美術館北京
物性美學萬荷美術館北京
蕪湖雕塑大展安徽
明天青年雕塑展成都藍頂美術館四川
明天當代雕塑獎四川美院重慶
2014年
第十二屆全國美展雕塑展山西太原市美術館太原
《靜悟》今日美術館北京
萬和春季藝術沙龍展-再造空間3+2萬荷美術館北京
ASIANCONTEMPORARYARTPART‖美國邁阿密
2013年
從卡塞爾走來中國漳州
大同國際雕塑雙年展大同雕塑博物館大同
流動藝術2013聯展中華世紀壇北京
築夢時間——東湖2013全國青年雕塑家邀請賽暨優秀作品展武漢
新風景2季節畫廊北京
2012年
雕塑中國中央美術學院北京
2010年
千里之行中央美術學院北京
羅中立獎學金四川美術學院四川
白兔十年回顧展澳大利亞悉尼
2009年
宋莊藝術節——精神儀式北京
藝術評論：
BuildingtheImage:TheSculptureofHuangZhen
InrecenttravelstoBeijing,Ihavelookedforgoodyoungsculptors,butIhavebeenmostlydisappointed.AvisittothehugesculpturestudiooftheCentralAcademyofFineArts(CAFA),acknowledgedthebestartschoolinChina,convincedmeofthetechnicalskillofthestudents,whowereworkingonacopyofapublicmemorialinTienanmenSquare.Butwhilegifted,thestudentswerepouringtheirenergyintoagiganticreliefthat,unfortunately,hadlittletoofferbeyondacertainexpertiseinfiguration.Inasmallroomoffofthestudio,therewasalsoashowbyhalfadozenpost-graduatestudents,whoserepresentationalworkagaindemonstratedconsiderablefinesse,butlackedconceptualforceofanykind.Indeed,inabsurdfashion,theviewerevenfoundexamplesintheshowofseeminglyearnestchinoiserie—nudegirlsinartdecosurroundings.SuchpiecesprovethetechnicalefficacyoftheconservativeChineseeducationsystem,whichimitatestheWesternacademicmodel,withitsemphasisonfigurationandclosedetail.Buttheworkalsomadeitclearthathoweveradvancedtheirskillsmaybe,thestudentslackaclearideaofwhattosculpt
Fortunately,thisgeneralperceptionofChinesesculptureisonlyaccuratetoapoint:theexceptionoftenprovestherule.InthecaseofthehighlygiftedsculptorHuangZhen,himselftrainedatCAFAandnowaninstructorthere,wecanseehowtheapplicationofacademicprinciplesisgivennewlifeandintensity.Interestingly,histhree-dimensionalworkisinspiredbyaclosereadingoftraditionalChinesepainting.SoitisnotsomuchameldingofdifferentculturesasitisaconsciousreturntothegreatlegacyofChineseinkworks—intheformofacoiledsteel(bentbyHuanghimself)mountain,tree,orrock.Theseworksaresemi-monumentalinfeeling—thatis,largeenoughtoimpressandsuggestthenaturalformstheyarebasedon,butstillkeyedtothehumanbody.TheyarealsodeliberatelyChineseininfluence.ChineseartingeneralseemstobemovingabitawayfromWesterninfluence;forexample,inkpainting,considerednearlyafolkartforsometime,hasbeenmakingacomeback.Consequently,Huang’slyricmountain,semitransparentyetmarvelouslysubstantialasanobject,maybeseenasatranslationfromonemediumtoanother.Thetransitioningofonemediacategoryintothenext—thatis,frompaintingintosculpture—givesHuang’sartcontemporaneitywithoutsacrificingaconnectiontotraditionalarts.
Themetalwire,woundbyhand,offersweightandtransparencyatthesametime.Huang’smarvelouslyrealizedmountainshowsushowapaintedcompositionmighttakeplaceasathree-dimensionalpiece;risingsomefivetosixfeetintotheair,theworkpossessesthegravityofamassiveform—whilemaintainingdimensionsthatrelatetothehumanbody.Interestingly,Huang’sphotographemphasizestheemptyspacebetweenthecoilsofsteel,makingthesculptureimpossiblyairyevenasitsoverallformconnotessubstantialmateriality.Themountainisanelegiacwork,joiningHuang’sotherrecenteffortsinanatmosphereofseriousplay,highlightedbythepoeticattentionbothtodetailandthework’soverallgestalt.ThelyricaspectofinkpaintingisrepeatedinthissculptureandotherworksbyHuang,who,asarelativelyyoungmaninhisthirties,maintainsayouthfuloutlook.ReconcilingChinesecontemporarysculpturewiththehistoricallegacyofinkpainting,Huang’sartbridgesthegapbetweenthepastandthepresent.Ofcourse,IncontemporaryChinesesculpturethereismorethanonekindofstyle—wehaveonlytothinkoftheGaoBrothers,whosebroadironyconsistsoffemaleMaoswithbulbousbreasts.TheseworkswouldnotbepossiblewithoutknowledgeofWesternsculpturalpractices.
Yet,interestingly,Huangdoesnotturntowardirony.Instead,hemakesuseofhisestheticinheritancebyconnectingwiththegracefulnessoftheartthatprecededhim.Thisdoesnotmean,however,thatheisonlyinvestigatingthepast.ThesculpturecontemporizestheclassicalChinesepaintingtradition,whichhasbeenmostlymoribund(withcertainoutstandingexceptions)duringthelastcentury.ThewillowtreecreatedbyHuangstandsoutasanexampleofgracefulness,addingtohispoeticreadingofthepast.Figuredtothesizeoftheartistorviewer,thispiecerelatestostudiesbypaintersthatwouldseemuntranslatablefromtheirinitialmedium.Onealsorecognizes,onseeingthetree,thattheattractivenessofHuang’soutputstemsfromhiswillingnesstobuildabeautifulimage.Thiskindofworkexistsinstrongcontrasttotheoverlytheoretical,deliberatelyalienatingfactureweoftenexperienceinWesternsculpture.SomehowtheinheritanceofChinesepaintingsurvivesinHuang’sart,whichforgesanewpathbyrememberingtradition.SuchanorientationtowardcreativitycontrastsstronglywithWesternnotionsthattheworkshouldbeoriginal,withoutprecedent,andrelentlesslynew.
Thefinalworkdiscussedhereisalargerock—notascholar’sstone,butsimplyarock.ItshaphazardshaperecallsinasuperficialwaytheformlesswiresculpturesofAlanSaret,theNewYork-basedartist.Yettheeffortsofthetwosculptorscouldnotbemoredifferent—whereasSaret’sshapesdefycloseformalanalysis,Huang’seffortsaremoreorlesstiedtothenaturalformthatactsasavisualtemplateforeachsculpture.Byneitherslavishlycopyinghisinspiration,norsuccumbingtotheexcessiveinformalityweoftenexperienceinartoutsideChina,wefindsomethingofamiddlegroundinHuang’swork.Thestoneoccupiesitsspacewithaweightanddignitythatisunusualincontemporaryart.Finally,thecontrastbetweenthecoiledformsandtheopenspacesbetweenthemarguesuccessfullyforanessentialtension,oralternativelyabalance,informalterms.Huangisasubtleandintelligentartist.Hemaintainsclassicalstrictureswithoutappearingdogmatic,whichbyitselfisanunusualachievement.OnehopeshisworkwillbecomebetterknownintheWestastimegoeson.
JonathanGoodman
