渔港，对于生活在城市中的人们而言，也许只是一道记忆中的风景。人们偶尔清闲时会特意去看潮汐涨褪和日出日落，如果是一个稍微敏感些的人，也许还会在那些变幻的氤氲水色和旖旎光影中沉浸的时间更长些，看着看着，在心里慢慢生出些淡淡的情绪来。但是，渔港并不仅仅是风景。对于真正生活在渔港中的人们、或者说靠渔港谋生的人们而言，渔港就是他们的生计，渔港就是他们每天的生活。渔港给了他们生活，而他们的情绪起伏和生存状态，同样会给渔港抹上或明亮或沉郁的色彩。他们本身就是渔港的一部分，渔港就是他们。

尚宝刚是生活在大连海边的艺术家，他显然给了渔港更多的关注。从他许许多多以渔港为题材的水彩作品中，我们能感受到的不仅仅是渔港的景色，更有渔港的情绪，以及艺术家本人的情绪。

如我们所知，水彩是一种非常适合捕捉瞬间和表达情绪的媒介，它以水作为中间介质来调和颜料，这个特殊性既会带来画面控制的难度，也会带来一种明净润泽、节奏轻快的独特画面效果。尚宝刚充分运用了水彩的这种特性。在他的画面中，我们能感觉到画面的即时性。某一个瞬间，某一段风景，首先在他的目光中定格，然后在他的画面中呈现。而呈现之后的画面，已经深深带入了他个人全部的感受和情绪。这种情绪并不饱和，也从不夸张，而是以一种非常含蓄和质朴的方式隐藏在画面中，需要细细体会才能感觉到。色调方面，我们可以看到，尚宝刚更喜欢使用沉稳的颜色。每个人都会有自己个人的颜色倾向，即便初始目标是客观地记录原始景色，在描绘的过程中，也难免会将个人倾向导入画面。在这批与渔港有关的作品中，我们所能看到的是一种含蓄内敛的表达。即使面对风起云涌的浩然景象，也能感觉到作者相对沉着的心境。

也许，面对大海，就如同面对我们的整个人生，如果你没有面对风起云涌时的沉着态度，又怎么能有心力去享受风平浪静之后的恬淡悠然？

当然，沉着并非心不动。含蓄的画面也许隐藏了更为浓重的心意。看着那些润泽又沉着的色彩，我们会忍不住透过画面进入更多的想象：那些平静的海面中酝酿的是什么？那些变幻的风云中涌动的是什么？那些斑驳的礁石，它们在海浪冗久的冲刷中忍耐的是什么？那些默默停泊的渔船，它们曾经历过怎样的波澜壮阔和生死搏击？当它们安然归来沉静地依偎在灯塔周围，当它们沐浴在温润的阳光中伴随着柔和的海风轻轻摇摆，当沙滩上无忧无虑的人们从它们旁边嬉戏着经过，它们旧旧的甲板和高高的桅杆就那么安静地沉默着，平和中似乎闪出深情的光泽。

相信我们从画面中感受到的一切，尚宝刚已经在对渔港的关切和描绘中体会了无数次。他将景色提取出来，也将自己经历过的时间和情绪提取出来，一并注入笔端，让画面自然地呈现。他为我们提供了含蓄的艺术作品，也为我们提供了更为深沉和厚重的渔港记忆。

Memory of Fishery Harbor

－Solo Exhibition of Shang Baogang's Watercolor Works

Preface

Xu Xiaolou／ 2016.10

The fishing port is perhaps just a scenery of memory for those people who has been living in the city. Sometimes people tend to enjoy the sight of tide, ebb, sunrise and sunset especially for the perceptual person who could be immersed in unmeaning clouds and ephemeral lights as well as shadows for a long time as a result of growing some subtle emotions. However, the fishery harbor is not just the scenery for nearby people or those residents relying on the fishing port for making a living. Fishing is not only their daily life, but livelihood. Additionally, the fishing port is gilded with bright and gloomy color due to their mood swings and living conditions. The fishing bay and the habitant are interactive and interdependent.

Shang Baogang obviously pays more attention to the fishery harbor as a local artist living near the sea in Dalian. We can not only feel the scenery of seaport, but also the mood of fishing harbor as well as the emotion of the artist from some of his watercolor works with the theme of fishing bay.

As we know, watercolor is a suitable medium for capturing the moment and expressing emotion.

As a  medium of it, the function of water is to mix the paint. On the one hand, there may be some difficulties in terms of image control because of this kind of unique function. On the other side, it can  bring a kind of unique bright and moist image effect.  Shang Baogang takes full advantage of this characteristic of watercolor. We can feel the instantaneity of the picture from his works. A moment or a section of the landscape could be captured by Shang and represented in his paintings first with his own deep emotion and feelings. This sentiment is not saturated or exaggerated, but in a very subtle and simple way to hide in the picture so that viewers need to taste it carefully. In terms of tones, Shang prefers to choose calm colors to create. Each person has their own individual color tendency, even if the initial objective is to objectively record the original scenery. In fact, it is unavoidable to lead the personal intendancy to the picture in the process of painting. By this serious of works relating fishing port, we can feel a kind of implicit expression and calm attitude from the artist. 

Perhaps, the sea is similar to our whole life. You could not enjoy the peace if you do not keep calm to face the storm.

It is without doubt that calm is not mean to be unexcited about everything.  A dense state of mind may be hided behind the subtle pictures. looking at those moist and calm colors, we can not stop imaging through the paintings: What is brewing in the clam sea? What are the changing situation of the storm surge? What are the mottled reef endured in the redundant erosion for a long time? How did the fishing boats fight the high surge and sweep forward as well as death? The old deck and high mask of boats are peaceful with soulful shine when the fishing boats returned safely and quietly around the lighthouse, bathed in warm sunshine with gentle sway, and met the happy-go-lucky person on the beach.

I believe that Shang has been understanding everything what we feel from his works for numerous times in his concern and description to the fishery harbor. He attempts to inject the scene, time and emotion into the paintbrush in order to show the picture naturally. The artist shows the subtle art works and provides deep and rich memories of fishing port to us.

 自说自画/尚宝刚/2016.9.17

也许源于某种宿命的感觉，多年来我一直以一种如宗教信仰般的虔诚态度潜心作画。特别是近些年来，我开始思考、研究和痴迷于水彩画的写生创作。

在时间中，万物变幻。对于画者而言，这是大自然的恩赐。一切在时间流转中变化着的景象，都能赋予我无限的灵感，让我听从内心的召唤，去描绘、去创作、去表达。

一路走来，从没细数曾经画过多少幅画，如黑瞎子掰苞米般盲目与执着。在友人的一再敦促之下，才开始对近年来的水彩作品进行了梳理。我的作品大致分为风景、人物、静物等几类。本次为大家展示的是"渔港"系列中的部分水彩写生作品。

对于渔港，我有着非常特殊的感觉，永远都看不够，也永远都画不够。很多情感是难以言说的，也许唯有画面可以呈现。在开放展示的同时，希望也能获得与大家交流的机会。

向所有对本次展览给予了帮助和关注的朋友深深致谢。

Description of Pieces
Shang Baogang/2016.9.17

Perhaps from a sense of fate, I have been focusing on painting like a devout cultist. Especially in recent years, I began to think, research and obsessed with the creation of watercolor paintings.

Regardless of your time and place, there are some things that are unpredictable. It is the gift of nature for the artist. All changes in the time flow of the scene, can give me unlimited inspiration to follow my heart as a result of description , creation, and expression.

Like a blind man breaking corns, I have been persisting in painting without care about the number of the works along the way. Because of my friend, I was urged to rearrange my watercolor paintings. My works can be divided into several categories including scenery, figures, still life, etc. In this show,  the exhibited works is the part of watercolor painting works in the series of "Fishery Harbor".

In terms of fishing port, I never tires of enjoying and drawing with a very special feeling. A lot of complex feelings and emotions are unspeakable unless the way of painting. Also, I hope to get some opportunities to communicate with visitors during the exhibition.

Thanks to all friends and visitors who have given help and attention to this show.