将这个抽象性绘画展览，取名为玻璃，这是一个艰难的比喻，激发人们对这两者的关系进行一种艰难的思考。艰难远离熟悉，很明显，以硬质、透明、冰冷、表面化的玻璃比喻的抽象性绘画，在概念上，完全区别于丰富、内在、经验感性、直接鲜活性的常识性绘画，这是这个比喻所揭示的一个根本区别。
这些抽象性绘画，尽管有主题名称，但没有再现任何主题内容，向我们展示的其实是抽象笔法运作的行为。但并不像我们想当然的那样，是随心所欲的由内在性和情感所引导，而是与绝对强制性的规范制度相联系，形同这个展览的名称玻璃的品质：严密、硬质、冰冷、虚假、透明。很显然，玻璃更多与符号联系，而不与情感经验联系。
坚脆、透明、人工性和物化的玻璃，以及玻璃那冰冷和无情的光亮，标志着自然性、情感、意识和直接性的终结。同样，抽象性绘画也是运作手段的冷漠修辞学、简陋和单调法则的记件活、运作技术的一览表，这与现实主义、浪漫主义和象征主义美学划清界限，与经验感性、直接的鲜活性、煽情主义、内在性和理想主义划清界限，这种绘画超越了存在经验，他们冷漠、机械、绝情、无意义，它们可以是五光十色，但它们是绝对表面化，绝对外在化，绝对透明清楚的，没有黏糊糊的情感和内在性。
但是，抽象性绘画并非没有内容，相反，它们有十分的肯定内容，这种内容就是许诺和先验的想象力，只是没法证明，不能也不可能兑现，也没法追忆和找回。因此抽象性绘画的内容是没有原来主题内容的内容，没有原来记忆的记忆，是原来真实的经验存在无法存档，无法包含、无法承载的内容和记忆，这种内容只能是与形而上的他者相联系，是对形而上的他者信息的言说，是在迎接一个带幽灵色彩的形而上他者信息。
玻璃上的映象，即玻璃上的内容从来不是简单的再现，从来不是固定的、确定的，而是有折射产生和变化，因此这些映像和内容是实际事物的分离、扭曲、转化、异化和幽灵化，是与实际事物完全不同的影子似的事物，因此玻璃上是内容是玻璃通过光线折射建构的内容。抽象绘画的内容也是如此，它们带着抽象运作行为的印记，由外在性的行为所建构，是无形的、幻影似的。抽象运作的行为是抽象性绘画叙述内容的唯一手段和场所。
玻璃是个空虚物，它不能直接的自己显示自己，而是通过折射光线和事物来显示自己的存在，并使我们看到它的存在，单独和纯洁的玻璃从来无法呈现。更进一步说玻璃的存在，是对自身性质的忘却，是无形的、闪动的、幽灵似的复杂存在，是一个难以置信的存在，是一个疯狂的存在，抽象性绘画也如同玻璃的这种性质，它是一个空虚世界，不能自己显示自己，不会凭空运作，而是通过叙事来展现自己的生命运动和生命存在，抽象绘画总是作为叙事的散乱踪迹而存在，而不是以完整独立的形式而存在。纯洁的形式不存在，纯洁的运作也不存在，抽象性绘画总是通过叙事行为，迂回、转义、间接的存在。
因此我们不能看到玻璃的完整存在，不能看到清晰的周边完整轮廓，由于光线的折射，玻璃的存在方式是散乱、发散、分离、无限制是存在，不能产生聚集和中心点，不能产生整体和完整性，如果玻璃有整体的存在，也总会受到从任何侧面、任何角度和任何周边折射的意想不到的光线的干扰、分离、分解、拆毁和否定。抽象性绘画的抽象运作行为也如同这种情况，没有令人放心的纯洁、安全、透明的规则保障，抽象运作行为腹藏着变异和否定力量，那是运作繁殖力量、超出力量，或者是运作的缺陷、不足和难点以及异物的干扰。因此，结果自然就是，抽象绘画必然丧失整体，不能自我规范和聚集，没有全体面貌，所能把握的只能是点和局部的位置。
朱小禾
2007．8
“Glass” is the title of this exhibition, which is a tough metaphor to inspire people to think about the relationship. Hardship is far away from familiarity. Obviously, glass is hard, transparent, cold and apparent. Abstract paintings named glass is conceptually different from common ones characterized with rich, experienced and fresh. This is what “glass” tells us.
Although there is a title for these abstract paintings, what are in front of us are the running of abstract skills but not the content. It is not lead by inner emotion like you thought, but limited by absolutely forced system just like the quality of glass: hard, cold, transparent, sham and strict. Obviously, glass refers much to symbols, but not emotions or experience.
Characters of glass, including crispness, transparency, manual work, coldness and brightness, stands for the end of nature, emotion, consciousness and directness. Besides, abstract paintings are the apathetic rhetoric of running, simple discipline and list of running techs which is differentiated from realism, Romanism, symbolism, sense of experience, fresh and idealism. Such kind of paintings is beyond the existing experience, and they are cold, nonsense and non-sensible. They can be multi-colored but absolutely surfaced, apparent, and transparent without any emotion at all.
Actually abstract paintings do have themes, and the themes are definitely positive. They are commitment and vision but can’t be improved, honored and get back. So abstract paintings are not limited by the title and the original memory. They are original true content and memory, which can’t be archived and contained. There is a relationship and communication between the content and metaphysical stuff.
The image on the glass is not simple reappearance of the reality. They are changeable and unfixed with refraction and changing. So these images are different from the real ones and they are made up by the refraction of light. So do the abstract paintings. They are marked by the abstract action and made up of outside actions. It is shapeless and illusional. The action of abstract running is the only way and place to narrate the content of the abstract paintings.
Glass is a vacuity, which can’t be reflected by themselves but light refraction and other objects. Then we can find the existence of the glass, which cannot be finished by pure glass itself. The existence of glass is shapeless, shining and spirit-like. It is unbelievable and crazy. So do abstract paintings. It is a vacuity and can’t reflect itself. There should be a foundation to show its activity and existence by narration. Abstract paintings always exist as parts but not a whole of narration. There is no pure way or no pure running for abstract paintings. But it exists through action of narration, transferred meaning, indirectness and circularity.
So the whole existence and frame of glass are out of eyes because of the refraction and existing ways of glass, which is dispersing, separate, non-limited and diffuse. But there is no center or gathering point, so the wholeness of glass is not available. Even if the wholeness were present, the unexpected light from four angels would affect, apart and deny it. So do the running action of abstract paintings. There is no discipline of pureness, safety and transparency to guarantee it. The abstract running action has power to transfer and deny, which is the power of breed and disturbance. In a word, there is no wholeness for abstract paintings, they can’t self-gather together, and what they can grasp is the points and parts.
Zhu Xiaohe
Aug., 2007
