南超从传统的平面绘画中决然地走出来，选择了这种立体的、固态的样式并迅速地使之完善成为作品的主体。由此可见，固化时空、封印生死是他艺术激情的主干。于是，斧凿笔塑、拾遗成趣，滥觞于此。

“五.四”以来，中国在文化认知上不断地放大一个谬论，即开明的标志就是趋同西方。乃至时下的“当代艺术”莫名其妙地成为一锅夹生饭，再加工的结果必然是在懵懂的状态下走向低俗的娱乐化，艺术家与看客在傻笑中彻底忘记文明的本质—趋向真理。孰不知十八世纪黑格尔发现的绝对精神正靠近两千年前中国老子的学术轨迹。南超钟情于传统文化的研究，他“固执”在传统的矿床里，坚信自己会有所发现，有所承袭和创造，这是难得的智慧，值得褒扬。

中国人对人类文化的最大贡献就是中国人的天下观。概括起来就是：以生命的观点看宇宙，以价值的观点看人生，让生命向超越界开放。让生命向超越界开放是中国传统哲学的最高境界，也为美学范畴提供了无限可能。中国人企盼人死后会在某时空再生，按照佛教的说法就是往生。我们也相信，或者说愿意相信现在的事物会在一定的条件下永恒，我把这个意愿称作往恒。南超把一个个时空固化，把曾经的生和曾经的死封印起来就是在实现着往恒。

这里的美学意义犹如禅境，既有“手指月”式的文化指向又有“羚羊挂角”般的多重潜在。初相见为之悦目，再回味为之动心，细细想来总有一些东西温润灵魂，艺术之所以为艺术就在于此。艺术与哲学、宗教点燃人类思想峰巅的火炬，引导文明的朝向。“形而上者谓之道”，这无疑是至高的境界。

还是向中国传统文化的先贤致敬吧！在科技不发达的古代，先贤们凭心智感悟了天下，把生命置于宏阔的宇宙中，用自律的方式把握人性的进步，这是何等的伟大。相形之下，今天的高科技并没有开阔人们的胸襟，战争、屠杀、掠夺、贪婪—所有的罪恶证明人类还未摆脱蒙昧的初始状态。不要以为光阴变化就是进步，在这个问题面前时间失去了意义。南超的艺术正是以关注生命和生命场的方式走向文化的高层面，这或许也是当代艺术走出困境的路。

面对南超的作品会自然地想起琥珀。很久很久以前的某个时刻，也许是阳光灿烂的正午，一大滴树脂落下来包裹住一个小生命连同它身边的什物，慢慢地变成了晶莹剔透的宝贝。与其他宝石不同，它凝固的是一块空间还有空间里的生命。后人为之惊异和感慨的正是与这尘封久远而又忽而呈现眼前的景象对应中印证天、地、人的情怀。原理相通，本质不同，前者偶发，后者再造，更重要的是南超在作品中融进的思考和匠心。

它们或是实在的或是虚拟的，它们是活着的和活过的，他们是此时此刻宇宙的一部分。它们被固化、被封印，它们拒绝了时间也就不存在往生。

那，就让它们去往恒。

矫振明 吉林艺术学院 教授

2014年秋 北京宋庄工作室

The Perpetual Eternity

The Metaphysics Philosophy – Nan Chao’s Recent Works

Away from the traditional two-dimensional painting, Nan Chao selects the three-dimensional, solid form and develops it to the principal part of his works. Thus, ‘Freeze the Ksana, Seal the Samsara’ is the core of his artistic passion. So, he chisels with axes and sculpts with pens, has fun to glean the heritage, where he gets himself and originates the new works.

Since the May 4th Movement, there is a growing fallacy in Chinese cultural awareness, that is, the symbol of liberal is the convergence of Western. Even, the current ‘contemporary art’ somehow becomes a pot of medium cooked rice, which will ignorantly become the vulgar entertainment if reprocessed. Artists and spectators in a giggle completely forget the essence of the civilization – pursuing the truth. Actually, the Absolute Spirit found by one Hegel in eighteenth century is very close to the academic track of Chinese Laozi of two thousand years ago. Nan Chao loves to study the Chinese traditional culture.

The Chinese World View is the most significant Chinese contribution to human culture. In summary, these are: examine the universe through life; understand the anima through value; let the life open to transcendences. It is the highest level of Chinese traditional philosophy to let the life open to transcendences, which provides the unlimited probabilities in aesthetics. Chinese people expect to revive in other space-time after death, which is the Reborn in Buddhism. We also believe, or would like to believe that the current substance would be perpetual under specific circumstances, our will to seal the Samsara. Nan Chao freezes the Ksana in his work, and realizes the reborn in these sealed former life and former death.

The significance of Aesthetics is like that of Zen. It represents not only the straight-forward cultural direction but also the multiple potentials in the detached concepts. It is a pleasure to meet with it the first time and impressed to look at it afterwards. There is always something touching the spirit. That’s how Art becomes art. The art, the philosophy, and the religion inspire the human thinking and direct the cultural movement. The Metaphysics Philosophy is the highest level with no doubt.

Let’s solute to the sages of the traditional Chinese culture! In the ancient times with no technologies, these sages of the past perceived the world through hearts and wisdom, placed the life in the universe, advanced the humanity with the self-regulatory approach. How great it is! Relatively, the current high technologies do not enable human beings to be open-minded, but lead to the war, the massacres, the robberies, and the greediness. All these sins prove that human beings are still at the initial state of ignorance. The time itself does not lead to the advancement, in front of which the time itself does not mean anything. Nan Chao’s work progresses toward the higher level of the culture through the observation of life and life course, which may be the future path of the contemporary arts.

Amber will be in your mind while watching Nan Chao’s works. Once upon a time, at the moment of a sunny noon, a big drop of resin fell and wrapped something alive along with something next to it, slowly turned into a sparkling treasure. Different from other diamonds, amber freezes time and space and the life in it. The sudden sight of the long sealed life corresponds to the heaven, the earth, and human feelings, which made us surprised and moved deeply. Principles are the same, essentials are different. The former is incidental, the latter is recreated. More importantly, Nan Chao added his thinking and ingenuity into these works.

They may be real or virtual. They are alive now or were alive in the past. They are part of the universe now. They are frozen and sealed. They refused the time and no reborn anymore.

Let the Ksana be the Samsara: the perpetual eternity!

Jiao, Zhenming

Professor at Jilin College of Art

Beijing Songzhuang Studio

Autumn of 2014