觀音佛畫＝Avalokiteshvara iconography; 意境＝yijing (artistic conception); 虛實相生＝ymbiosis of fiction and reality; 散點透視＝cavalier perspective; 運筆用墨＝brush and ink application
摘要
「意境」一詞最早是出現在文學創作與批評裏，如:僧皎然有「取境」、「緣境」之理論、唐末司空圖有「象外之象」、「景外之景」的見解;直至五代，山水畫迅速發展，「意境」 這個詞彙才被運用在繪畫中，當時有「澄懷味象」、「得意忘象」的說法。所謂的「意境」 即是抒情作品呈現情景交融、虛實相生，活躍著生命律動且韻味無窮的詩意空間。 夏荊山居士十六歲開始習畫，是融繪畫、書法、佛法、佛像畫一身的藝術家，其眾多 的觀音佛像畫，脫離宗教畫的藩籬，以水墨為主帶著濃厚的文人畫色彩，令人矚目的是其 背景所呈現的意境之美就如同意境幽絕的山水畫一般，帶我們進入「渾然天成」、「天人合 一」的境界，這種含蓄雋永、靜寂空靈之境，難道不是以夏居士這樣的畫家之心，感悟著 宇宙萬物的圓融與合一，而體現在畫布上?所謂「青青翠竹，皆是法身，鬱鬱黃花，無非 般若」之呈現。 本文擬以「意境與畫境」為題，探討夏居士觀音佛像畫之意境如何營造，並從「虛實 相生」、「運筆用墨」和「散點透視」三點討論畫作呈現的意境之美，最後則試著探析意境 背後所呈現的蘊意為何。 The term yijing (意境, which in Chinese means artistic conception or mood that can be sensed but is difficult to describe) was first used in Chinese literature and critiques, as seen in the theories of qujing (取境, to conceptualize an aesthetic feeling with images that best express the sentiment the writer is seeking to convey) and yuanjing (緣境, perceptual objects) proposed by Tang dynasty Chinese poet and Buddhist monk, Jiaoran; or Sikong Tu of late Tang dynasty’s insights on the concept of “the image beyond an image, the scene beyond a scene.” Landscape painting then saw rapid development in the Five Dynasties period, and it was during this time that the term yijing was widely used in the genre of painting, with concepts such as the following subsequently proposed: “Clear the mind to savor the image”, or “when meaning is achieved, the image is forgotten.” This so-called yijing is when lyrical works blend together scenes and crisscross fiction and reality to create a poetic space that is filled with life’s rhythmic vitality and boundlessly appealing charm. Master Xia Jing Shan began learning the art of painting at the age of 16, and he was an artist who was well-versed in painting, Chinese calligraphy, Buddhism, and Buddhist iconography. His prolific oeuvre of Avalokiteshvara iconography breaks the barriers of religious paintings and showcases rich literati art elements with the use of water and ink. The eye-catching backdrops on his paintings present a sense of yijing, or artistic conception, that exudes a beauty that is similar to the ambiances experienced with extraordinary landscape paintings, with the viewers transported to a world that feels impeccably natural and where mankind is an integral part of nature. This timeless, serene, and ethereal world arguably represented Master Xia’s mindset as an artist and also conveyed his enlightened thoughts on the harmony and unity between all things in the universe, with the following notions also expressed: “The emerald-green bamboo is just the Dharma-body. The thriving yellow flowers are nothing but Prajna, or wisdom.” The objective of this paper focuses on the theme of yijing and huajing (畫境, artistic conception of a painting) to examine how Master Xia created the artistic conception of his Avalokiteshvara iconography. The following three points are also explored to discuss the yijing expressed in the paintings: Symbiosis of fiction and reality; brush and ink application; and cavalier perspective. Lastly, attempts are also made to analyze the connotations behind the artistic conception created.
