刘骐鸣：艺术家（简称：刘）
美国艺术：杂志（简称：美）
美：刘骐鸣不是您的原名吧？为什么改名呢？
刘：是的，我原名刘琦，也一直觉得挺好的。虽然，从小学到大学的过程中，偶尔会听到有人说他有什么朋友跟我同名，但毕竟感觉很远，与我没有多大的关系。后来网络拉近了人与人的距离，在网上我发现叫刘琦的人实在太多了，什么强奸犯、杀人犯、身残志坚者、副省长、院长等等，什么人都有！于是那些关于刘琦的报道，我总怀疑是在说我！特别是到了2000年后，当我周围突然有人叫我“市长”时，我注意到，原来北京还有个高官跟我同名，这使我心理极不舒服。于是就产生了改名的念头。但当时由于户籍管理问题，改名字非常困难，我当时也还在大学任教，如果改了会涉及到诸多不便，就这样成了一个很无奈的心病。06年，当我脱离国家单位体制到北京做职业艺术家时，我感觉自己似乎获得了新生，这样，到北京的第一天，我就告诉所有新朋友我叫刘骐鸣。
美：如果只能用12个单独的词或者数字来描述您自己，您的选择是什么？
刘：宽容，疾恶如仇，自恋，果断，知足常乐，冒险，乐观主义，宿命论者，怀疑论者，特立独行，使命感，阿Q精神。
美：给我们谈谈您目前正在进行的创作或准备的展览。
刘：正在创作的作品与“5·12事件”有关，同时也是为明年在巴黎和北京的两个个展作品做准备。“5·12事件”是“5·12地震”的背面，在死伤数十万的生命中，一部分是因地震天灾夺取的，另一部分则是体制缺陷下人为导致的人祸。所以我将他称之为“5·12事件”。
美：您更在意通过作品来展示它所能述说的故事，还是它的装饰性所带来的或独特，或强烈的视觉震撼，还是有其它的意义？
刘：我不看重作品的叙事功能，视觉的独特或震撼也不是我所追求的。但我努力通过作品有效地表达我对我生活其中的这个社会的相关问题，并提出自己的意见与看法，用作品的方式介入社会批判。
美：您的作品风格好像一直在变。 您把现在这种风格溶入您的作品中有些什么特别的原因吗? 您目前进行的艺术创作是因为您喜它们,它们很容易完成，或者是因为它们投收藏者所好呢?
刘：如果说风格仅仅指作品的表面形式的话，那我肯定永远也成不了这样一个风格性的艺术家。艺术是我介入社会批判的一种方式，我会根据批判力度、角度、方式的需要而变换自己的表达手段。这个变换与是否容易完成或收藏无关。
美：您觉得您的私生活对您的艺术主题有影响吗? 您是否会尽量将您的创作与生活分隔开来？
刘：不是有没有影响的问题，他们是水乳交融，相互渗透在一起。社会是由每个个体的生活组合起来的。每个个体的生活是无法游历于社会之外的，我的私生活就是社会的一个缩影。个人的命运就是社会的历史的命运，反之亦是如此。
美：哪些名艺术家对您现今的艺术创作有影响? 他们是怎样影响您的?
刘：前期是大学时代的老师王林、张晓刚和叶永青，他们非学院式的教育使我在艺术的道路上由自发的表现状态走向自觉的表达状态。近年来，艾未未的影响很直接，我认为他是目前艺术圈有影响力的名人中唯一一个有社会良知的人，他的言行激励着我更勇敢的以艺术的方式介入社会批判，犹如战友。
美：您通常是实地创作，参考照片，面对模特还是按自己的记忆或想像去创作？
刘：记忆与想像，我通过自己个人的记忆去捉摸集体的历史的记忆，想像是营造画面的创作方法。
美：您最常听到的关于您的创作的评价是什么?
刘：隐秘的伤痛，个人化的历史记忆，尖锐的政治立场与社会批判，强烈的人文关怀等等。如果说伤痛与记忆是一种情感连接的生命导线、立场与批判是一种生活态度的话，关怀当然就是人类终极的命运指向了。
美：您会不会觉得人们对像您这一类型的艺术家有成见? 您曾经听到过哪些关于艺术家的偏见？
刘：有的，比如说有些认为我是在画过时的文革题材，还有说是附和西方人眼里对中国的认识偏见。其实这本身才是一种偏见。“题材过时论”，针对商业来说也许可能。但在我的理解中，艺术永远没有过时不过失的题材问题，因为提材本身不是问题，作者想表达什么才是最重要的，也是选择什么题材的唯一的理由。
另一方面，我也并非是在画文革，我不外乎是借历史事件的象征性与寓意，来说当下中国和当下中国人的问题。问题本身是客观存在的，有问题就需要讨论、需要解决。你不能简单的被狭隘的民族主义牵着鼻子走，民族主义是任何一个国家意识形态最善于利用的东西。不管是中国人还是外国人，只要是人，无论种族与信仰，人类的最终价值取向其实是一致的，在人类发展过程中，因为不同国家或群族的发展水平不一致，可能会出现阶段性或迂回的利益取向的区别，但你不能因此否定最终的价值判断。
美：当一部作品完成了, 你会不会因为"让它走"而感到失落或悲哀? 事后您会和拥有您作品的人有什么特别的联系吗？
刘：不会，艺术作品是作者思想的存载体，艺术家与大众的思想交流最有效的途径就是通过作品来实现。我渴望交流，所以，每当作品走出工作室时，我是很兴奋的。因为它实现了我与更多人交流的可能。我会特别注意作品的流通过程，我愿意和每一个拥有我作品的人成为朋友，他欣赏、认可或者购买我的作品本身也因此有了成为朋友的可能。简单地说，我更相信我通过作品可以获得更多的知音，于此，不甚悦乎！
美：在您向画廊，展会等提交您的作品，或向公众展示您的作品之前,您会先听取一些建议并修改还是跟着自己的感觉走呢?
刘：如果仅是涉及到展览空间与作品尺寸关系的问题，我乐意与此交流调整。因为作品将在该空间与观众发生情感交流、观念碰撞！合理的空间布局与合适作品尺寸大小是达到最有效的交流效果的重要因素。
美：除了在家乡的展览, 您还去过哪些国家展出? 您觉得什么国家或地区的人们比较接受您的作品？
刘：美国、法国、韩国、台湾、香港、新加坡、德国就这些，相对来说法国、香港和美国的人们更接受我的作品一些。
美：我在美国看过不少英文访谈，感觉上好像和中文访谈的问题和及回答都不太一样。英文访谈的问题大多比较浅显，回答也比较接近生活。中文访谈则感觉比较"深奥"。您觉得来自东方国家的人想了解的关于艺术家的东西是否与西方国家有所不同？
刘：肯定是有所不同的。究其原因说来话长，简单来说，不同的文化传承支配着不同的思维习惯，比如秘宗、玄学都是东方智慧的结晶，修炼是靠悟，很内化。而基督教却依靠一大本教义，系列条款，讲究形式，很外化。在历史中东方比西方的封建文明时间更长、程度更深，因等级尊严，为长者讳，为尊者讳。从什么事不敢直接表达到不能直接表达，最后不表达。这样检验一个人的聪慧程度也就是看其参悟能力。所以东方人要表达的东西肯定不是作品的表面所展示的东西，作者要真正传达的东西往往在表层之下隐藏着。
美：你是怎样选择经纪人的? 您对新手选择经纪人有些什么建议吗?
刘：其实没有太多的选择机会，我毕竟不是一个很火红的艺术家，没有抢购现象。
就目前合作的经纪人来看，基本上还是很默契的。因为她是一个游学西方但对中国文化很了解的人，理解我在做什么，同时也很尊重我的创造自由；她也正在努力建设更好的收藏群体，所以我很支持她的工作。对于新手怎样选择经纪人，如果达到了前面说到的这四点，这个经纪人又能直接与国际上重要的策展人、博物馆发生直接交流，我想就很完美了。
美：近两年，中国艺术品拍卖创造了一个接一个的历史新高。我想知道你是怎样看待中国当代艺术市场和中国艺术家的。
刘：这不是一个独立于中国在国际中角色扮演变化的个别现象，它与中国以外的国家对中国的了解需求是一致的。我们只是因为需要深度开发那座森林，所以那座森林里一切东西的标本才显示出它的重要性与价值。艺术和艺术家自然是一个“国家切片”的最好标本了！既然是标本，自然也因这个切片的深入程度、完整性、代表性、所含信息量，先被发现和后被发现、被发现和不被发现以及被谁发现而命运有别了。
美：纵观成名的现代艺术家，您觉得一件艺术品（或一个艺术家）的成功有多大比例是属于运气(或者说是源于上帝的祝福)?
刘：50%吧，成名与否有一半是属于运气。
一个很有名的艺术家曾经这样告诉我：如果要使作品获得展示或销售出去，作品完成只等于做了30%的工作，你必须用70%的时间和精力去完成后面的个人推销工作。要想成名，你必须花更多的时间和精力去社交和应酬，即使这样，也不一定成名。按照他的说法，一个艺术家的成名，作品好只是基础，人缘好才有机会，运气好才能实现。所以经纪人这个角色的重要性是不言而喻的，艺术家可以因此获得70%的时间和精力投入在作品创造上。
美：如果可以自由选择，哪里是您最向往的生活或创作地？
刘：我希望每年有一半的时间在西西里岛做一名渔夫，另一半时间在中国做艺术（在中国那个城市都是一样的）。
美：您觉得您是什么时候开始成为艺术家的？您还记得您的第一件艺术作品？有图片吗？
刘：大学毕业时吧，作品名称是《轻·暗室技术·重》，这是我大学毕业时在四川美术学院做的也是我人生中的第一个个展中的作品。还有图片。
美：关于艺术院校你有些什么意见? 你是否认为它们会毁掉艺术家的天才?
刘：艺术院校肯定一直在不断地摧毁着天才，但艺术不需要天才！
对艺术院校的建议就是要么关门，要么取消党的领导。
美：在学校所学的课程中,哪一门对您最有用?
刘：没有，精神自由与制度合理的环境才是最重要的。
美：您是如何从一个艺校毕业生成长成今天的全职艺术家的？
刘：学会做减法，不断的蜕变！
美：如果您能拥有除了艺术以外的另一种技能, 它是哪种技能?
刘：修理匠，我乐于修理任何被毁坏的东西。还有就是出租车司机，因为我的方向感特好，识路能力超强。
美：在您眼里，这个世界是个复杂的混合题，还是非常的简单，或者说单纯？
刘：是个非常简单的复杂混合体。
美：您觉得对一个全职艺术家的来说最困难的是什么？
刘：最困难的是没有艺术基金会的支持，与可以长期租赁的工作室，因为我们现在租赁的工作室随时都可以被政府夷为平地。
美：您觉得做为一个全职艺术家的最大好处是什么？
刘：精神自由，行为独立。
美：如果我们的网上读者想买您的画，他们可以在哪儿看到您的作品展示？还有通过什么方式与您的联系呢？
刘：可以在与我合作的画廊看到我的作品。购买可以通过画廊、经纪人以及直接与我联系，邮件是最好的联系方式。
美：最后您能给刚起步的艺术家一些忠告或建议吗?
刘：吃什么拉什么，别急！
American Academy of Arts：Liuqiming
Liuqiming：Artist（Liu）
American Academy of Arts：Magazine（A）
A：Qiming Liu is not your original name, is it? Why did you change your name?
Liu: Yes, my original name was Qi (another Chinese character than the Qi in Qiming) Liu, which I think is quite nice as well. Although, from primary school to University I sometimes realized that some friends were called the same as me, but still I felt that didn't have anything to do with me. Afterwards the internet has drawn people closer to each other, and I realized there really were too many people called Qi Liu, rapists, murderers, vice-governors, directors, etc... you could find anything! As a result, I felt that any report about any Qi Liu was talking about me! Especially after 2000, when there were suddenly people turning up calling me Mayor, I noticed that there was a high official in Beijing called the same as me, which made me feel extremely uncomfortable. As a result the idea of changing my name came up. But due to problems of the residence permit it was extremely difficult to change my name, and at the time I also held a teaching post at the University, changing would have involved quite a lot of trouble. That's how it became to be a worry very hard to change. In 2006 I got out of the national work unit system to go to Beijing and work as a professional artist. At that time I felt I almost got a new life, so from my first day in Beijing I started to tell everybody that my name was Qiming Liu.
A: If you can only use 12 words to describe yourself, which ones would you use?
Liu: Tolerant, disgusts evil, narcissist, decisive, content with one's lot, takes risks, optimistic, fatalist, skeptic, independent in mind and action, has a sense of mission, "A Q" consciousness (keep on fighting although there are no fruits of your labor).
A: Tell us about what you're creating right now or which exhibition you're planning to take part in.
Liu: My present work has to do with the incident of 5.12, at the same time I'm also preparing my personal exhibitions in Paris and Beijing next year.
"The Incident of 5.12" is the reverse side of the 12th of May earthquake. Within the hundred thousands of people killed, there was one part due to the natural disaster itself, and another part caused by the shortcomings of the system. So I call it the "5.12 Incident".
A: Are you paying attention to the story that your work can tell, or to the unique kind of way of expression_r_r, or to the strong visual shock, or what else is most important to you?
Liu: Important is not the narrative function of the story； visual uniqueness or a shocking quality is not what I'm striving for. But I'm trying hard to effectively express my ideas and opinions about the questions or problems of this society, which I'm encountering in my life. I'm using my works to criticize society.
A: It seems as if the style of your works is constantly changing. What are the reasons for the style you're presently using in your works? Are the art works you're creating right now the ones you like, or are they easy to accomplish, or are they fitting in with the collectors' likes?
Liu: If talking about the style is only referring to the outside shape and appearance, then I will certainly never become an artist of style. Art is a means of criticizing society, I vary my means of expression_r_r_r according to the need of strength, angle and way of criticizing. This variation does not have anything to do with collectors likes or whether it is or not easy to accomplish.
A: Do you think your personal life has an influence on the motives of your art works? Are you trying to separate your art works and your life as much as possible?
Liu: The question is not whether there is an influence or not, they're in complete harmony, they're mutually permeating. Society is composed of all the singular lives put together to a whole. Every single life can't just leave society and travel outside of it for its own pleasure, my personal life is a microcosm of society. The destiny of an individual is the destiny of society's history, and so it is vice-versa.
A: Which artists have influenced your creative artwork of nowadays? How have they influenced you?
Liu: At an early stage there were my University teachers Lin Wang, Xiaogang Zhang and Yongqing Ye, their unconventional style of teaching enabled me to move from a spontaneous to a conscious state of expression_r_r. In recent years, there was a direct influence of Ai Weiwei, his words and deeds encouraged me to use art more bravely as a means to criticize society, just like comrades-in-arms.
A: Do you usually create on the spot, refer to pictures, models, or do you create according to memory and imagination?
Liu: Memory and imagination, through my own memories I fathom a memory of a collective history, imagination is the creative method of building a picture.
A: What is the most common reaction you get for your creative work?
Liu: Hidden pain, individualized historical memory, sharp-pointed political stand and social critique, intense concern for human affairs, etc.
If hidden pain and recalling are a kind of lifeline linked by emotion, if standpoint and critique are a kind of attitude to life, then showing concern of course is directing to mankind's ultimate fate.
A: Do you think people have prejudices against artists like you? What kind of prejudices against artists have you encountered?
Liu: Yes, they do, some people for example think I'm painting outdated Cultural Revolution themes, some say I'm echoing Western prejudices against China. This actually is a prejudice in itself. Maybe the theory of "outdated themes" is possible in the light of business. But as I see it, art can never have a question of whether it is outdated or not, because the subject itself is not the problem; what the artist wants to express is the most important thing, this is also the only reason to choose a subject.
On the other hand, I'm really not painting the Cultural Revolution, what I'm doing is just to borrow the symbolism and allusion of historical events, to aim at problems of present-day China and present-day Chinese. The problems obviously exist, and if there are problems, we need to discuss them, to solve them. You cannot simply be led by the nose by narrow-minded nationalism. Nationalism is the easiest ideology to abuse in any country. It doesn't matter whether Chinese or foreigners, as long as they are humans, no matter what ethnic group or ideology, the final orientation of values of the human species is the same. In the process of development, because the level of development of different countries or ethnical groups is not the same, there can appear current or recurring differences in the orientation of interests. But you cannot negate the higher values because of this.
A: When you have finished a work, do you feel you are loosing something, or do you feel sad, because you have to let go of it? Do you tend to have a special relation with the people possessing your works?
Liu: No, the works are the accumulative carriers of an artist's thoughts and idea, an artist's most effective way of communication with the public is realized through his works. I'm longing for communication, so whenever my works leave my atelier I'm very excited, because it brings about the possibility to communicate with even more people. I particularly pay attention to the process of circulation of my works, I wish to become friends with everybody possessing my works. If they enjoy, approve or buy my works, the possibility of becoming friends consequently exists. To put it simply, I believe I can gain even more understanding friends through my works, so how could I not be very happy!
A: Before you submit your works to galleries, exhibitions etc., or display them to the public, do you tend to first listen to some suggestions for alterations, or do you go along with your own feelings?
Liu: If it only involves questions about the exhibition space and the measurement of my works, then I'm ready to do discuss adjustments. That’s because in this space, emotional exchange and collision of concepts with my works will take place. A reasonable arrangement of space and an appropriate measurement of the works are an important factor to get an effective result of interchange.
A: Apart from exhibitions in your homeland, where else have your works been exhibited? Where do you think the people receive your works best?
Lin: In the USA, France, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Germany. Relatively speaking, the public in France, Hong Kong and the USA receive my works best.
A: I've seen a lot of English interviews in the USA, and I feel the questions and answers are not quite the same as in the Chinese interviews. The questions in the English (American) interviews are often quite easy to understand, the answers are quite near to life, too. The Chinese interviews seem to be more "profound". Do you think that what people from the eastern hemisphere want to understand about art is different from the western countries?
Liu: There certainly is some difference. Looking into the reasons for this, it's is a long story, to put it simple, different cultures bring along different customs of thought, for example Tibetan Buddhism, Taoist Metaphysics are crystallizations of Eastern wisdom, the practice of asceticism relies on the consciousness, it's very much directed towards the inside. Christianity relies on the basis of religious doctrine, series of clauses, it pays attention to the form, it is very much directed towards the outside. In history, the duration of feudal civilization is longer in the East than in the West, the degree is deeper, because of the honoring of social status, taboos about the gentry, taboos about the seniors. From not daring to directly express to not being able to directly express, in the end, there is no expression_r_r. This way, examining a person's degree of intelligence is just to look at his understanding ability. So what people from the eastern hemisphere want to express certainly is not what's on the surface, what an artist really wants to communicate often is hidden below the surface layer.
A: How do you choose your agents? What are your suggestions to young artists for selecting agents?
Liu: Actually there are not too many opportunities to choose agents, me for example, I' m not a very well-known artist, there’s no kind of rush-to-purchase-phenomena about me. Just looking at the agent I'm presently working with, it's basically still a tacit agreement. Because she's a Westerner studying abroad, but with a lot of understanding of the Chinese culture, she understands what I'm doing, and at the same time respects my creative freedom very much. At the moment, she's making great efforts to build up an even better group of collectors, so I support her work very much. In regard to young artists choosing agents, if they've got the four points mentioned, ad this agent can directly communicate with important international curators and museums, then I think it's perfect.
A: In these two years, Chinese Art auctions have brought about one climax after the other. I'd like to know how you're looking upon the contemporary Chinese Art market and Chinese artists.
Liu: This is not only a singular phenomenon of the transformation of the international role ofChina. It is consistent with the requirement of other countries to understand China. If you want to profoundly exploit a forest, you need the specimen in the forest to reveal its importance and value. Art and artists naturally are the best samples of a "country section"! Since they are samples, they naturally are discovered for their degree of penetration of this section, for their completeness, representativeness and the information volume they're containing. Thus their destiny differs in as whether they are discovered earlier or later, discovered or not, and by whom they are discovered.
A: When scanning famous modern artists, do you think the proportion of a work's or artist's success depends on luck (or being blessed)?
Liu: 50%, becoming famous or not depends by half on luck.
A very famous artist once told me: If you want to have your works exhibited or being sold, then completing the works is only 30% of what you need to do, you need to use 70% of your time and energy to accomplish a personal promotion of your work afterwards. If you want to become famous, you need to use even more time and energy to make and entertain social contacts, and this way you still don't necessarily become famous. According to what he's saying, an artist's works are only the base to become famous, only if you have good relations, then there is an opportunity, only if you're lucky, then you can succeed. So the importance of the role of agents goes without saying, consequently artists can gain 70% of time and energy that they can put into their creative work.
A: If you can choose freely, where would you most like to live and work?
Liu: I would wish to spend half of every year in Sicily as a fisherman, the other half inChina creating art. (It doesn’t matter where, all the cities are the same in China)
A: When do you think did you start to become an artist? Do you still remember your first work of art? Do you have pictures of it?
Liu: When I finished university, the name of it was "light · darkroom technique · heavy", it was finished at the time when I graduated from university at the Institute of Fine Arts in Sichuan, it was also one of the works in my first personal exhibition. I still have pictures.
A: What opinion do you have about the academies of art? Do you think they ruin the talent of artists?
Liu: The academies of art certainly always have unceasingly ruined geniuses, but art doesn't need geniuses!
My suggestion to the art academies is just to either close down, or get rid of the Party's guidance.
A: Among the courses you studied at school, which one is most useful to you?
Liu: None, spiritual freedom and the circumstances of a reasonable system are the things that are most important.
A: From the art academy graduate that you were, how have you become the professional artist that you are now?
Liu: I've learned to do subtractions, unceasing transformations!
A: What kind of profession could you do apart from being an artist?
Liu: A person repairing things, I'm happy to repair anything that's been damaged. And a taxi driver, because my sense of direction is especially good, my ability to remember the road is extremely strong.
A: In your eyes, this world is a complicated synthesis, or it's very simple, or it's plain?
Liu: It's a very simple complicated synthesis.
A: What do you think is the most difficult thing for a professional artist?
Liu: The most difficult thing is not to have the support of an art foundation and a working space that you can rent on a long-term basis, because the working spaces that we are renting right now can be razed to the ground by the government at any time.
A: What do you think are the greatest advantages of being a professional artist?
Liu: Spiritual freedom, independent action.
A: If our internet readers want to buy your paintings, where can they see your works exhibited? And how can they contact you?
Liu: In the galleries I'm working with. They can get into contact through you, through the galleries, agents or directly get into contact with me, the best way of contact is by mailing.
A: At last, can you give any advises or suggestions to artists that have just started?
Liu: What you put into your mouth comes out at the back, don't be impatient!