楊圭言：翰墨70年

文| 本刊記者 胡 婷 圖| 游 宇 受訪者提供

楊圭言

1945 年3 月出生于江蘇無錫，筆名任南、蘇南。早年畢業(yè)于徐州師范大學(xué)中文系。歷任涪陵師專中文系主任、教務(wù)處長、黨委書記，四川美術(shù)學(xué)院黨委書記，中國人才研究會藝術(shù)家學(xué)部委員會委員，教授?，F(xiàn)任重慶市老年書畫研究會副會長、重慶現(xiàn)代禪畫院顧問。其書法作品多次在國內(nèi)外書法大賽中獲獎。

今年74 歲的楊圭言，從5 歲開始提筆學(xué)字，歷經(jīng)70 年翰墨人生，以自己獨(dú)有的認(rèn)識，在筆墨間續(xù)寫傳承，完善著中國傳統(tǒng)文化對人格品質(zhì)的美好向往。

字內(nèi)功夫

從最初學(xué)習(xí)顏柳的行、楷入手，繼而學(xué)習(xí)隸、篆，在不斷的書法鉆研中，楊圭言慢慢形成了自己的風(fēng)格。他擅長行書，字形融篆、隸、行、草于一爐，筆力遒勁，筆勢沉穩(wěn)，底蘊(yùn)深厚。

中央美院湯池先生曾撰詩評價(jià)楊圭言的書法：“蘇南行草走龍蛇，奇正參差氣不凡。崩云墜石紙面出，屈鐵盤絲腕底來。硬筆老辣多雅趣，隸體清芬少俗埃。勤奮臨池善思考，書論嘉卉頻頻開?！?/p>

“對于一個書法家來說，在古人經(jīng)典書法中錘煉，慢慢就逐漸把自己的理解，融入到作品里去，形成自己比較獨(dú)特的書法藝術(shù)。哪怕里面有一點(diǎn)自己的東西，都很了不起?！币韵嗟靡嬲玫耐ㄈ谑侄?，去補(bǔ)正自己的認(rèn)知與追求， 在不斷的學(xué)習(xí)中，楊圭言期冀達(dá)到“人書俱老”的境界。

字外功夫

南齊書法家王僧虔在《筆意贊》中提出，“書之妙道，神采為上，形質(zhì)次之，兼之者方可紹于古人”。

“神采為上”“神形兼?zhèn)洹保饾u成為傳統(tǒng)書法藝術(shù)最重要的審美標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。

在楊圭言看來，字難得的是書卷氣。而要讓書法的黑、白線條富有文化內(nèi)涵，體現(xiàn)中國傳統(tǒng)的精華，需要很多字外功夫。

“比如寫《念奴嬌·赤壁懷古》，首先，就要了解豪放派詞，然后要了解蘇東坡寫這首詞的前因后果，把握他的心境，最后就需要書寫者把它化為精神的東西，再融入到書法中?！睏罟缪哉f，“此外，要想讓字寫得飄逸、豁達(dá)，就要學(xué)陶淵明的詩。要讓字里面有情節(jié)、有詩意，腦子里就要裝很多唐詩宋詞。”

著名藝術(shù)評論家史峰曾這樣評價(jià)楊圭言：把行草書法寫得既有規(guī)矩，也得性靈，千鈞之力的積累，絕對不會變成筆墨的呆板凝滯，而是要?dú)w化成風(fēng)行雨散的疏朗，這就是他的書法風(fēng)格。天地之間淋筆墨，春風(fēng)化雨醉儒雅，書法寫到這等境界，書卷氣息無以復(fù)加。

人書合一

01 孟浩然詩二首

人書合一，是書法家渴望的境界。此時，筆墨行進(jìn)所依據(jù)的，不僅是碑帖的法度，也是自然萬物的生命律動。

楊圭言說，“書法里不只是那幾個字，里面包含了書寫人的思想。我們常說字如其人，往往能通過一個人的字，看一個人的性格、修養(yǎng)、格調(diào)?！?/p>

“如王羲之的《蘭亭序》是在‘天朗氣清，惠風(fēng)和暢’，‘群賢興會’的環(huán)境中寫成。全幅呈現(xiàn)出平和簡靜、遒麗天成的風(fēng)格，字里行間流露出書家悠閑自然、瀟灑飄逸的精神風(fēng)貌，給人以如‘清風(fēng)出袖，明月入懷’的美感。”楊圭言說，“顏正卿的《祭侄文稿》則是在‘父陷子死，巢傾卵覆’的國難家仇中寫成，因而呈現(xiàn)出沉郁流麗、錯綜復(fù)雜的風(fēng)格?！?/p>

經(jīng)由數(shù)十年的臨池磨礪，楊圭言將古代書法的快意與瀟灑汲取于心，經(jīng)過師古求法的醞釀，傾注于筆墨，所以執(zhí)筆使轉(zhuǎn)，最是快意，提摁頓挑，極是自由，依書法而抒情的精神境界，在他的書法里涌涌而溢。

02 《洛神賦》局部

Yang Guiyan: 70 Years of Chinese Calligraphy

Article | Reporter Hu Ting Figures | Provided by You Yu＆Interviewees

Yang Guiyan

Yang Guiyan was born in March 1945 in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, with the pseudonyms of Ren Nan and Su Nan. He graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of Xuzhou Normal University in his early years. He successively served as the Director, Dean and Secretary of the Party Committee of Department of Chinese Language and Literature of Fuling Teachers College (now Yangtze Normal University); the secretary of the Party Committee of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute; and the member and professor of the Artists Division Committee of the Chinese Talent Research Association. At present, he is the vice-president of Chongqing Senior Painting and Calligraphy Research Association and consultant of Chongqing Modern Zen Painting Academy. His calligraphy works have won many prizes in calligraphy competitions at home and abroad.

Yang Guiyan, 74, began to learn and write Chinese characters at the age of 5. After 70 years of writing Chinese calligraphy, Yang Guiyan, with his unique insight, has inherited and kept passing on the heritage of brush and ink to embody the yearning for virtues in traditional Chinese culture.

Kung Fu in Chinese Characters

Yang Guiyan began to learn the regular script and cursive handwriting by imitating works of Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongyuan. Later on, he gradually formed his own style by studying the official script and seal script. Well-versed in the cursive handwriting, he has integrated the seal script, official script, cursive script and running hand into his own style, which is powerful with momentum and profound intention.

Mr. Tang Chi of the Central Academy of Fine Arts wrote a poem to comment on Yang Guiyan's calligraphy, "the strokes of calligrapher Su Nan are dancing like dragons and snakes, so extraordinary that they form contrast of grotesqueness and orderliness. Momentum is presented on the paper like collapsing cloud and falling stone; power is released by his wrist like bending iron and twisting wire. His penand-ink calligraphy is sophisticated with elegance; his official script is graceful and extraordinary. Diligent and thoughtful, he came up with new ideas and theories of all kind. "

"For a calligrapher, by facsimileing the ancient classical calligraphy, he will gradually put his own understanding into his works to form an original and unique art of calligraphy of his own. It is worth noting even if there is only a little novelty in his works. "By means of complementing each other, Yang Guiyan has amended his cognition and aim. He keeps learning with the expectation of becoming sophisticated both in handwriting and personality.

Kung Fu Beyond Chinese Characters

Wang Sengqian, a calligrapher in the Southern Qi Dynasty, pointed out in his Comment on Writing that "the quintessence of handwriting is superior in spirit and inferior in form, and only the fusion of them both will inherit the heritage of the ancient".

Therefore, "superior in spirit" and "Excel in both spirit and form" have gradually become the supreme aesthetic standard of Chinese calligraphy.

In Yang Guiyan's view, the essence of calligraphy is the cultural connotation. To embody cultural connotations and reflect traditional Chinese cultural essence with black lines against white paper, one must put a lot of effort beyond the handwriting.

"For example, to writeNiannujiao?Chibi Nostalgia, we should first understand the bold and unrestrained school of Song poems, then know the cause and effect of Su Dongpo's writing this poem by standing in his shoes, and finally turn what we have learned into something spiritual and then put it into calligraphy." Yang Gui said, "In addition, if you want to write with grace and generosity, you should learn Tao Yuanming's poems. If you hope your poems abound in scenarios and poetic elegance, you should memorize more Tang and Song poems."

Famous art critic Shi Feng commented on Yang Guiyan's calligraphy: His cursive handwriting is both orderly and spiritual. The long standing power in his handwriting is never stiff or stagnant, but freehand and relaxing like the shower and breeze. It is his calligraphy style. In a gentle manner, he applies his brushwork and pours the ink like the spring breeze and rain. The spiritual state and cultural manner in his calligraphy is beyond reproach.

Harmony of Calligrapher and Calligraphy

The harmony of calligrapher and calligraphy is a state every calligrapher desires. In such a state, the brush and ink follow not only the stringent laws of calligraphy, but also the laws of life and nature.

Yang Gui said, "Calligraphy is not just about a few characters, it contains the thoughts of the writer. It is said that we can tell a man by his handwriting because it often buries a man's character, manner and style."

"For example, Wang Xizhi's Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion was written in a clear and sunny day when several virtuous talents gathered up. The calligraphy work shows a peaceful and natural style, and the calligrapher's leisurely and graceful spirit hid between the lines, giving a joyful feeling as if a smooth breeze is caressing one's sleeves and the moonlight is casting on one's chest. Yang Kuei says, "Yan Zhengqing's Manuscript of Mourning My Nephew was written in a background of national calamity and family feud, where the father was set up and the son died, so it presents a melancholy, flowing, and intricate style."

After decades of honing and polishing, Yang Guiyan has fully absorbed the pleasure and chic of ancient calligraphy. By facsimile of the ancient classics and practice, he put what he has gained into his brush and ink, thereby yielding joyful brushwork and freehand style. Therefore, by way of calligraphy, he has adequately expressed his emotions and spiritual world.