Give Me A Reason Firstly
　　黄燎原 Huang Liaoyuan
　　2004年3月19日 北京望京
　　At Beijing Wangjing Hotel, March 19th, 2004

　　杨冕的新作品依然在探讨“标准”的问题，他这种孜孜以求的精神，让我想起多年以前那场轰轰烈烈的关于“真理的标准”的大辩论。而其实杨冕很清楚，标准是没有真理的，所以他很谦虚地给他的新作品命名为“2003年杨冕眼中的‘标准’”。了解杨冕的人都知道，杨冕不是一个谦虚的人，杨冕甚至狂妄之极。既然是“杨冕眼中的标准”，就是“窃以为”而非公理，而其实作为审美的公理，在当今这个世界上已经不存在了，现在的局面是公说公有理婆说婆有理众说纷纭莫衷一是。于是，在这个时候谈“标准”，才有了某种“积极的”或也可说是“消极的”意义。事物的两极在当代，有时就没有区别，矛也是盾，盾也是矛，矛盾也不矛盾。
　　杨冕不属于那种极端感性的艺术家，他在创作前总要左右掂量反复把玩某个其实已经成竹在胸的概念给自己一个理由先。比如这次的“美人标准”，他从想到做，历时一年，其间论证无数次，修修改改，贴贴补补，在一番吞吞吐吐后，方才一气呵成大江奔流。
在艺术领域谈论“标准”，是一个不折不扣的玩笑，因为“标准”对艺术而言，其实就是抹杀个性。“标准”是一个规范，是给一个行业划道树立典型，让大家参照去做。所以，“标准”对一个有“有理想”的艺术家来说，就是锁链，一个“真正的”艺术家，只有砸碎锁链，才可能得到整个世界。但是，现在生活真是一个怪圈，一切都不一定。
　　当审美的公理荡然无存，人类千百年来积存下来的智慧却依然保持着它削铁如泥的力量，这种力量就是“标准”公共的准则，集体的意识，大众的趣味。所以，“标准”其实就是社会的积习，是顽固势力的残渣余孽，同时也是精神的结晶体和社会进步的阶梯。杨冕对“标准”的质疑或者也许是顺从，反映了艺术家的一种“改革心态”或者面对“改革”的一种不知所措的尴尬心境。
杨冕一代的中国艺术家有着某种生而知之的勇敢和无畏，同时也有着某种泰山压顶也可以轻描淡写的雅皮气质，所以杨冕对“标准”的刻薄，其实是在一个游戏的气氛中完成的。
　　在“2003年杨冕眼中的‘标准’”中，杨冕选择了2003年给他刺激最大的几个广告中的女明星作为表现对象（徐静蕾、周迅、张柏芝、全智贤、高圆圆、章子怡等），去探讨“美丽”的标准。广告中的人物形象，一般被我们称为某个企业或某种商品的代言人，而对于代言人的选择，一般也都反映了当时社会的审美取向和价值标准，也许杨冕想要发问地是是谁为“我们”选择了代言人？“他”有这个权力吗？
“他”有。因为“他”有钱，所以“他”有权，这是一个天经地义的事儿，艺术家作品的“出口”，不也是在富人手中吗？有时我都觉得画家其实是没有手的，画家其实就是画笔，而拿画笔的就是那些富人。从梅第奇家族赞助艺术开始，艺术家就一直无法摆脱寄生的地位。或许艺术家不愿承认这一点，但“残酷”的现实就摆在你我眼前，就像我们活着一样真实和生动。
　　“他”没有。因为“他”有钱，而有钱人是为无产者服务的，这也是一个天经地义的事儿。有钱人一般都胸怀大众放眼世界，他们“择偶”的标准一般也都是建立在百姓审美的基础上的，因此他们经常是可以代表人民利益的，所以，也可以说他们的权力是人民给的。
所以，杨冕对“标准”的质疑，其实就是对社会趣味和大众审美的质疑，其目的应该是类似于马雅可夫斯基的“给大众趣味一记响亮的耳光”。
　　在现实生活中，杨冕是一个时尚青年，穿戴中产，举止优雅，所以他对时尚的嘲讽和批判是带着同情和怜悯的，有时甚至还是欣赏的。这种自嘲式的暧昧态度，在他的作品中就表现为一种貌似虚无虚构和虚拟的语气，画面的颜色犹豫朦胧，人物表情、特别是眼神飘忽散乱不够坚定，但所有的面孔和身体都流露出性感的信息，是这种信息而非表情，使画中人物充满自信。应该说，2003年在中国的广告中，的确出现了这样的征象美人不再如玉，美人如狼似虎，美人青翠欲滴，美人花团锦簇，美人魅惑，色相无敌。“性感”在“私底下”讨论了多时，终于登台亮相了。也许杨冕在这里的问题是：她们是否能代表中国新兴的性感？其实，中国也许还是那个中国，中国人的含蓄使得我们的性感停留在眼神和表情、以及欲盖弥彰的想象中这是中国的标准，它也与众不同。
　　其实，杨冕一直以来对“中国标准”的无穷追问，在我看来还不是一个“中国的问题”，因为“平庸的、无穷的复制”是西方工业化的重大成果，也是人类进步的一个重要标志，至于自食其果这类结果，是我们根本无法改变的命运，或者说是噩梦。所以，杨冕探讨的其实是一个国际化的历史问题。
　　杨冕浮生若梦的表述，在某种程度上契合了现在社会的迷离状态，当杨冕画中伤口般的红线闪电一样打在时代骄子的脊背上，一切溃烂的东西就立刻有了某种清醒的味道，这也许就是所谓的“禅”？“伤口”其实是“刀口”，刀是解剖的手术刀，杨冕想做主刀人。但其实杨冕的方式也不是很极端，他的尖锐是埋藏于风花雪月间的，所以他是绵里藏针，这十分符合他这一代艺术家的秉性。但无论如何，杨冕作品中这“致命的一击”令人难忘，它带有“警世钟”的作用，让人有“猛回头”的欲望。这是杨冕的特别之处。
　　如果单谈美人的标准，我以为很简单，赏心悦目可矣！

　　The new works of Yang Mian are still discussing issues of “standard”. His persevering spirit reminds me of the huge and popular debate on the “standard of truth”. In fact, Yang Mian clearly knows that there is no truth about standards. So he modestly named his new works “Yang Mian’s Standard Viewpoint, 2003”. All people familiar with Yang Mian know that he is far from modest – he can even be described as arrogant. “In Yang Mian’s viewpoint” means “he thinks”, instead of the widely accepted principle. However, the widely accepted principle for aesthetics no longer exists in this world, and the current situation is everyone has his or her own opinion. Therefore, to discuss “standards” now presents either a “positive” or “negative” implication. The extremes of something today sometimes have no difference or contradiction.
Yang Mian is not an extremely sensual artist. Before his creation, he always religiously thinks about some concept already existing in his mind – he gives himself a reason first. For example, the “Beauty Standard” took him one year from idea to execution. After numerous modifications, revisions and changes, the work is finally completed.
　　To discuss “standard” in the art world is a joke, because for art a “standard” means killing personality. “Standard” is a criteria, creating restrictions in the industry – by creating a model and having the world imitate. Therefore, for an artist with a “dream”, a “standard” means chains. A “real” artist can only gain the entire world after breaking these chains.
　　But, life today has a strange cycle, with everything uncertain.
Though the widely accepted principle of aesthetics disappears, the wisdom of human beings after thousands of years of accumulation still retains its sharp power. The power is a “standard” – public principle, collective consciousness and mass interest. Therefore, “standards” are the inbred habit of society, as well as the essence of spirit and the steps of social progress. Yang Mian’s questioning of “standards” might be obedience, reflecting his “reforming attitude”, or the ridiculous mood of facing “reformation”.
　　The Chinese artists in the same generation as Yang Mian have a kind of bravery and courage with broad knowledge, as well as the Yuppie style to joke about serious issues. Therefore, Yang Mian’s acrimony toward “standards” is actually completed in a playful atmosphere.
　　In “Yang Mian’s Standard Viewpoint, 2003”, Yang Mian selects several female stars in advertisements that impressed him most in 2003, like Xu Jinglei, Zhou Xun, Zhang Baizhi, Quan Zhixian, Gao Yuanyuan, Zhang Ziyi, etc., and makes them his objects, thus discussing the standard of “beauty”. Images in advertisements are normally known as ambassadors of a company or a commodity, while the selection of ambassadors always reflects the social aesthetic orientation and values of the time. Yang Mian asks the question: “Who selects the ambassador for ‘us’? Is he authorized to do so?”
　　Yes, “he” is, because “he” is rich and thus has the power. It is natural. And the rich also handle the output of artistic works. Sometimes I feel artists have no hands, they are the paintbrushes held by the rich. Since the sponsorship of the Medici Family, artists have never escaped from the position of parasitism. It is possible that some artists don’t want to admit it, but the “cruel” reality is in front of us, as real and vivid as we are living.
　　And “he” is not, because “he” is rich and the rich serve the have-nots, which is also natural. The rich often consider the public and the world, and their standards are based on the aesthetics of the public. Therefore in most cases they represent the benefit of the public, and we can say that the public authorizes them.
So Yang Mian’s questioning of “standards” is in fact questioning social and public aesthetics, which is intended to “give public taste a loud slap”, as Mayakovsky said.
　　In real life, Yang Mian is a fashionable youth, with middle-class sensibilities and graceful behavior. Therefore his irony and criticism on fashion have a sense of sympathy, pity or even appreciation. Such self-mockery and ambiguity appears as a virtual attitude in his works. The colors are dim and the expressions, in particular their eyes, are moving and hesitant. But all the faces and bodies express a sexy message, which makes the figures confident, despite their expressions. We notice that in the Chinese advertisements of 2003, there appeared the idea that beauties are no longer gentle; now they are aggressive, lovely, enchanting and addicting. After years of “secret” discussion, sexiness finally comes to the stage. Maybe Yang Mian is asking if they represent the emerging sexiness in China? In truth, China is still the old China. The conservativeness of the Chinese relegates sexiness to our eyes, expressions and inevitable imagination. It is the standard of China, different from the world.
　　Yang Mian’s endless questioning of “Chinese standards” is not “a question of China” in my opinion, because the “indifferent and infinite duplication” is an essential outcome of western industrialization, as well as a key symbol of human progress. The future is the destiny that we are unable to change, so Yang Mian is actually discussing an international issue.
　　His dreamy presentation somewhat reflects the confused mood of today’s society. When the wound-like red line is punched on the back of those stars like lightening, all rusting things are equipped with a clear meaning – it is the so-called Zen? In fact, an operation knife cuts the wound and Yang Mian wants to be the operator. However, his methods are subtle and his sharpness is hidden under those beautiful images. Such hidden irony complies with the style of his generation. The “fatal beat” in his works is unforgettable. It alarms the world and
　　makes us think. It is what’s unique in Yang Mian.
　　As to the standard of beauty, mine is simple – as long as she is beautiful!

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　文章来源：《2005杨冕眼中的“标准”》