瞬息全宇宙！一文开启视觉艺术鬼才简明的20年艺术生涯

提到James Jean简明，时下最火的艺术家之一，你可能不熟悉他的名字，但一定见过他的作品。

他曾是DC漫画御用封面插画师，连续6年斩获漫画界奥斯卡之称的埃森纳奖，《寓言故事》《绿箭侠》《蝙蝠侠》等多部经典作品的封面皆出自他手。

简明为漫画《寓言故事》（Fables）做的封面设计

他也曾为《瞬息全宇宙》《水形物语》《鲸》等多部奥斯卡电影制作海报，被奥斯卡金像奖最佳导演奖获得者吉尔莫·德尔·托罗称为“Lucky Charm”。

电影《水形物语》海报

电影《鲸》海报

他的作品也被奈良美智、村上隆、吴彦祖、科比等明星收藏。

奈良美智工作室悬挂了两幅简明的作品

著名电影制作人John Linson收藏简明的画作《山羊》

除了绘画，视频、雕塑、建筑、NFT等领域，简明都有涉猎。

《sunflower》，2023，91.4x121.9cm，36x48in

《旅行者》，2022，动画视频投影，63in

《春天》，2023，镜面，磨砂不锈钢，200x140x140cm

他也曾与Prada等大牌进行了一系列合作，包括壁画装置、织物印花、以及一部动画电影等。

Trembled Blossoms II，2008

Trembled Blossoms II，2008，Prada Aoyama Epicenter

今年，James Jean简明大型个展《无尽之旋III——James Jean简明》在国内启幕，共展出的200余件作品包括巨幅绘画、大型雕塑、动画、装置、手稿和色彩研究等，全面呈现了简明20余年艺术生涯的创作与思考。

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我们也借此机会与简明聊了聊他的艺术探索之旅。以下，是我们的对话。

站酷：展览为什么起名为「无尽之旋 Eternal Spiral」？此次展览有哪些特别设置，可以为我们简单介绍一下吗？

ZCOOL：Why is the exhibition called "Eternal Spiral"? Could you tell us about any special design for this exhibition?

简明：《无尽之旋》包含了我过去几年所专注创作的作品。从展览入口的大型作品，到最后的版画，这个展览从多个维度展现了我的艺术之旅。

James Jean：Eternal Spiral contains my focused activity of the last few years. From the large scale works at the beginning of the show, to the printmaking retrospective towards the end, it shows my artistic journey through various dimensions.

在展览中你会发现，素描和油画的平面感很容易在版画中展现浮雕感，而数字动画的数据则可以被用来制作巨型钢铁纪念雕塑。展览里的一切都是相互联系的，我们也是其中的一部分，都在找寻意义。我会用三个词来形容这种新体验：具有历史意义的、统一的、令人眼花缭乱的。

The flatness of the drawings and paintings easily transform into embossed shallow relief in the prints, while the data from the digital animations are used to create giant steel monumental sculptures. Everything is interlinked, that we are all part of this universe, searching for meaning. Three words I would use to describe this new experience would be historic, unity, and dizzying.

衍生肖像，2019，动画视频投影，63in

《衍生》， 2020，镜面不锈钢，300×155×155cm，118×61×61in

我很自豪我的作品能在中国展出。我的根在中国，但我也受到了西方文化影响，我希望我的作品能在不同文化之间建立起一座桥梁。因为工作的原因，我也探索过许多不同的创作方向，但我很享受这个过程，它像一个漩涡，把我带入意想不到的领域。

I’m incredibly proud to have my work exhibited in China, and I hope the work can create a bridge between cultures as my roots are based in China but my perspective is heavily influenced by the West. My work pulls me in many different directions, but I enjoy the constant swirling of activity that brings me into unexpected realms.

《漩涡》，2018，布面丙烯

站酷：本次展出的超200件作品，从早期的绘画手稿、插画手稿到木刻版画、电影海报，再到大型雕塑和动画装置，这些作品贯穿了您20余年创作生涯的各个阶段，可以分享一下在“艺术探索”中，带给您转变和突破的关键时刻吗？您是如何看待“艺术探索”这件事的？

ZCOOL：Over 200 works are on display in this exhibition, ranging from your early drawing and illustration manuscripts to woodcut prints, film posters, large-scale sculptures, and animation installations. These works have been created throughout the various stages of your creative career in the past 20 years, could you share with us some of the key moments that have brought about changes and breakthroughs on your career? Can we define these crucial moment as “art exploration” and how do you think of it?

简明：常听人说，始于真理，终于艺术。我认为反之亦然，如果从艺术出发，你可能也会在艺术探究的过程中找到真理。我的作品都是在一张张空白纸张上完成的一系列命题创作，我也会在创作过程中，尝试在杂乱的线条、图像和虚拟角色中找到意义。

James Jean：I’ve heard it said that one should begin with truth, and end up with art. But the opposite works as well . . . if you begin with art, then you might end up with truth. My work has always been a series of propositions, of making marks on empty pages, attempting to find meaning in the tangle of lines, images, and characters that materialize out of the nothingness.

参观展览时，你可以走近作品，看到更多作品里的细节，但也要记得退后一步，在远距离观察。从不同角度、不同距离观看，你不仅可以直观理解、感受这些作品，也能进行更加细致地观察。我希望观众能在反复观看的过程中，发现更多隐藏的宝藏，获得更多的灵感。

As you go through each floor of the exhibit, don’t be afraid to get up close to the work, to see the details, but also stand back and observe from a distance. The work is meant to function on different levels and different distances, and take you on a journey ranging from intuitive understanding to calculated investigation. The work also benefits from repeated viewings, and I hope the audience will return to discover more hidden treasures and moments of inspiration in all the movement and evolution of the work overtime.

《狂奔》，2019，布面丙烯，335.28 x 1097.2cm

站酷：从您的作品中能看到多种文化的影子，东西方文化、乃至神话，在您进行艺术探索的道路上，带来了哪些助力？

ZCOOL：In your work, we can see the influence of many culture influence, such as Eastern and Western cultures, and even myths, which have helped you in your art exploration?

简明：我是看美国漫画和迪士尼动画片长大的，但随着年龄的增长，我自然而然被亚洲艺术所吸引。我想这一定是源自某种刻在基因里的记忆。东方艺术倾向于强调轮廓，而西方艺术倾向于营造氛围。值得一提的是，西方艺术家郎世宁，他能够将氛围渲染技法融入到中国传统绘画中，他的作品非常有意思。

James Jean：I grew up reading American comics and looking at Disney cartoons, but as I became older, I naturally gravitated toward Asian art. I think it must be some sort of inherited genetic memory. There is an inclination in Eastern art to privilege contour, while Western art tends to be more atmospheric. In particular, the artist Guiseppe Castiglione is an interesting case of someone from the West incorporating atmospheric rendering techniques into traditional Chinese painting.

郎世宁作品

但随着年龄增长和社会变迁，我不得不开始分析我的成长经历和文化认同是如何影响我的生活选择，包括我决定在哪里生活、我的时间会用在哪，以及我如何为社会做出贡献。

But as I’ve gotten older, and as society as changed, I’ve had to analyze how my upbringing and cultural identity has affected my choices in life, including where I decide to live and spend my time, and how I make my contributions to my community.

在我职业生涯现阶段，我的作品影响了很多年轻艺术家，我意识到我有责任找到我艺术创作的基础，虽然可能会有一些困难，但只有这样，之后的人才能理解我创作的画面背后的结构。

At this point in my career, my work has affected a lot of young artists in particular, and I’ve realized that there is some responsibility there to do some hard work to figure out the foundations of my art practice, so that subsequent generations can understand the structure behind the imagery.

只要我继续以正直和诚实的态度对待工作，身份认同问题应该代表对当下时刻——那就是在当下大灾难前所面对的的分歧、困惑，和无助。在我目前的作品中，这些叙事是由我创作的角色来演绎的，他们经常带着宁静的表情，沐浴在不同寻常但令人愉悦的色彩中。在地缘政治学中，有许多充满竞争叙事的观点，大家一直争论不断，而我的作品里也充斥着竞争的欲望和冲动。

As long as I keep approaching the work with integrity and honesty, the issues of identity should come to represent the present moment - that is, the present moment of division, confusion, and hopelessness in the face of the apocalypse. In my current work, these kinds of narratives are acted out by my characters, frequently with serene expressions bathed in unusual but pleasing colors. There is a constant battle of competing narratives in geopolitics, and my work is a mixture of all sorts of competing desires and impulses.

《狩猎派对》（朱红配色）Hunting PartyII-Vermillion，52.07x59.69cm，310g/㎡ 100%棉纸，艺术微喷印画

圣地亚哥，2021，布面丙烯，79 x 60.3 CM

站酷：在展览中，我们看到《衍生》《花束 II 》等作品中，都有人物在悬浮、坠落，对观展者来说，有人觉得舒适、自由，有人会觉得恐惧，你是怎么看的？你是怎么想到创造这样一个形象的？

ZCOOL：In the exhibition, we see that in many works such as 《Descendent》and 《Bouquet II》, there are figures levitating and falling, which makes some people feel comfortable and free while others feel fearful, what do you think about this? How did you come up with the idea of creating such an image?

简明：在《花束II》中，虚拟角色“衍生”被一双隐藏的手拉进一簇巨大的虚构花朵中。而在之前的作品中，虚拟角色“衍生”自太空坠落，在下降过程中被巨大的植物缓冲，但在这幅作品中，虚拟角色“衍生”的轨迹被一种看不见的力量所控制。

James Jean：In Bouquet II, the Descendent is pulled into a giant cluster of fictional flowers by a pair of hidden hands. In prior works, the Descendent’s fall through space was cushioned by giant botanical elements, but in this bouquet, the Descendent’s trajectory is controlled by an unseen force.

《花束II》的创作灵感来自于17世纪的荷兰静物画，它融入了一种艳丽的卡通美学，画面充斥着被滴落的酸性物质腐蚀形成的纹理，暗示着衍生脱离了特定的时间或地点，他在空间中的位置被神的力量所控制。这件作品创作于2022年。和衍生一起在新的作品和情境中继续探险，这对于我来说是很愉悦的体验。

Taking inspiration from Dutch still life painting of the 1600s, Bouquet II incorporates a garish cartoon aesthetic tarnished by a patina of dripping acidic texture, hinting at the Descendent’s detachment from any particular time or place, his position in space being throttled by divine forces. This piece was made in 2022. It’s always a pleasure to take the Descendent and continue his adventures in new compositions and situations.

《衍生I》，2019，布面丙烯，121.9 x 91.4cm

《衍生 II》，2019，布面丙烯，121.9 x 91.4cm

《衍生 III》，2019，布面丙烯，121.9 x 91.4cm

《衍生 IV》，2020，布面丙烯，121.9cm x 91.cm

《衍生 V》，2022，布面丙烯，182.88 x 228.6cm

站酷：展览中你最喜欢哪个作品？可以和我们分享这个作品的创作过程吗？

ZCOOL：What is your favorite work in the exhibition? Could you share with us the process of creating this work?

简明：我认为那幅名为《旅程》 (Passage) 的版画非常特别，因为想要在船体上做出金属箔的效果相当困难。由于版画与油画的尺寸不同，不同颜色的金属箔的数量也不同，我们不得不运用一些特殊工艺。

James Jean：I think the print called Passage is very special, due to how difficult it was to create the metallic foil effect on the boat. Because of the size of the print and the number of different foil colors, we had to innovate some special processes to make it possible.

这幅画背后的故事也相当有趣：一艘大型芦苇船，挤满了去往遥远海岸寻求庇护的难民，漂浮在酸性物质的海洋中。

And the story behind the painting is quite interesting as well: A large reed boat, overcrowded with refugees seeking asylum in some distant shore, floats in an acidic ocean.

船身设计是基于乌鲁斯原住民制造的的的喀喀湖(Lake Titicaca) 上的芦苇船。挪威的人种学家、冒险家Thor Heyerdahl建造了一系列芦苇船，其中一艘是由的的喀喀湖的造船者建造的，表明古代文明可以跨越广阔的海洋进行迁移和贸易。

The design of the boat in Passage is based on the reed boats of Lake Titicaca, made by the Uros indigenous people. The Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl built a series of reed boats, one of which was constructed by boat builders from Lake Titicaca, to demonstrate that ancient civilizations could have migrated and traded across the vast oceans.

同时也是对籍里柯《梅杜萨之筏》（The Raft of Medusa）的致敬，船上的人物代表着多个文化的形象，这些角色和形象在允许经济贸易的海洋中漂流，贸易与文化在海洋中输入、输出。这艘船也可以看作是承载全人类的方舟，代表着特定文化的形象一起在船上搁浅，寻找着避风港。

While also being a nod to The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault, the characters in the boat represent an overflow of cultural archetypes that are cast adrift in a geo-politicized ocean that allows for economic trade, but deems dangerous the export and import of humanity and culture. But then the boat can also be seen as an ark carrying the whole of humanity . . . stranded on the boat together and unable to find safe harbor.

《旅程》， 2019，布面丙烯，335.28 x 1097.2cm

站酷：我们常说“艺术是相通的”，在电影海报和专辑封面的创作过程中，电影中的故事和音乐给您的艺术探索之旅带来了哪些惊喜？可以分享一些在商业创作过程中印象深刻的小故事吗？

ZCOOL：We always say that "art is interconnected", in the process of creating film posters and album covers, What surprises did the stories and music in the movies bring to your art exploration journey? Could you share some short stories that have impressed you during the creation process?

简明：《瞬息全宇宙》海报的创作灵感来源于文艺复兴时期的天顶壁画。我最初设想这张照片的中间有一个洞，观者能从任何角度观察它，就像一个黑洞，把观者吸引进去。电影的艺术总监和导演给了我一些草图，所以从一开始，整个创作计划都比较明确。

James Jean：For the poster to Everything Everywhere All At Once, the composition of the poster references Renaissance ceiling murals. The idea was to have an image that can be seen from all angles as it encircles a hole in the center, almost like a black hole that is pulling the viewer in. The art directors gave me some sketches that they had developed with the Daniels already, so we already had a strong starting point for the project.

但这仍是一个很大的挑战，我需要把所有元素都考虑进去，更加动态地去讲述故事。他们后来给了我上千张片场拍摄的照片，这对我帮助很大，但我还是需要模特和朋友们给我做一些姿势的参考。实际上，我曾让我的太太去扮演杨紫琼的角色，帮助我更准确地画出衣服上的褶皱和角色的手部动作。

Still, it was a huge challenge to gather all the reference and create a composition that felt dynamic and told a story. They gave me access to thousands of photos from the set, which was extremely helpful, but I still had to create some of the poses using my own models and friends as reference. In fact, I had my wife pose as Michelle Yeoh to get the hands and folds of the clothing working properly.

站酷：随着科技的发展，从NFT、元宇宙，到现在的AI，艺术有了更多的表现形式，艺术家也有了更多的创作工具，但像AI，也会引发了艺术家们“被替代”的焦虑。您怎么看在科技加持下的艺术未来？

ZCOOL：With the development of technology, from NFT, meta-universe to AI, there are more forms of expression for art and more creative tools for artists, but AI, for example, also triggers the anxiety of "being replaced" by artists. What do you think about the future of art with the support of technology?

简明：20年来，我一直在创作数字作品，同时也会画实体版画和素描。我认为版画能够赋予数字作品实体。不过我也很喜欢用数字工具来尝试色彩组合、测试颜色效果，这比传统绘画更高效。最近，我也在探索Midjourney，感受到了AI绘画的各种可能性。归根结底，这与我们的编辑能力和品味有关，我也期待计算机会如何进一步拓展我的创造力。然而，可供选择的数字工具太多，也会使人陷入盲目——这也是为什么我还是喜欢简单的素描和油画，因为在现实世界里充满了太多的约束和限制。

James Jean：I’ve been making digital work for 20 years, alongside my physical paintings and drawings. Actually, printmaking is a way of giving physical form to a digital work. However, I do enjoy using digital tools to create color combinations and effects that would be inefficient to make in a traditional painting. Recently, I’ve also been exploring Midjourney and seeing all the possibilities that AI art can provide. In the end, it’s all about editing and taste, and I’m excited to see how the computer can further expand upon my creativity. However, digital tools can paralyze you by giving you too much choice - that’s why I still love the simplicity of drawing and painting, because of all the constraints and limitations of the physical world.

我认为数字艺术收藏是最纯粹的收藏。因为在数字艺术收藏中，重要的不再是艺术品实体本身，而是想要拥有艺术品的想法。如今，大多数艺术收藏家通过看JPG和PDF来决定是否购买，购买后，他们甚至不会将艺术品挂到墙上，或是放在身边，而是将其放入艺术品仓库。对于艺术家和收藏家来说，NFT的出现都让收藏这件事变得更高效，它打破了作品和收藏家之间的距离，没有任何物理上的不便。

I think digital art collecting represents collecting in its most conceptually pure sense. That is, the object is no longer important: the idea of owning something is what matters. These days, most art collectors look at JPGs and PDFs to buy art, and frequently, they don’t even hang and live with the work - instead, it goes straight to their art storage. NFTs create more efficiency in the relationship between an artist and collector, it collapses that distance between a work’s creation and owning the work without all physical inconveniences.

“碎片”（Fragments）系列，2022，手绘数字艺术作品

站酷：你的展览除了插画还有多元的装置和动画，未来有没有想尝试别的媒介或者形式？比如多媒体体验、游戏、电影……未来您还将会在哪些领域继续探索？有哪些创作计划？

ZCOOL：In addition to illustration, your exhibitions also feature a variety of installations and animations, do you have any plans to experiment with other media or forms in the future? For example, multimedia experiences, games, films ...... What other fields will you continue to explore in the future? What are your creative plans?

简明：我正在创作更多的雕塑，希望在未来几年可以做出一些能够放置在公共空间的大型作品。我也将在版画中习得的创新方法和独特技术，运用到了大型的彩色玻璃建筑亭 (Pagoda) 的建造方案中，这个展馆目前正在加利福尼亚建造。我与合作者一起创造了新的解决方案和技术方法，让传统彩色玻璃进入了一个新纪元。这也是我希望未来持续去做的事，使用传统媒介，在数字技术和方法的帮助下，以一个新高度呈现我的作品。

James Jean：I’ve also been making more sculpture, and I hope to present some large scale works that can live in public spaces in the next few years. Taking the innovations and unique combinations of techniques from my printmaking practice, I’ve used the same approach in this large scale stained glass pavilion that is currently being constructed in California. With my collaborators, we’ve invented new solutions and techniques and evolved the tradition of stained glass into a new era. And that’s what I hope to continue to do, taking traditional mediums and using digital technology and methodology to evolve my work to new heights.

彩色玻璃大型装置作品《神庙》（Pagoda）渲染效果图

在过去的三年里，我一直在与JUDSON STUDIOS合作建造一座名为“PAGODA” 的彩色玻璃亭子，JUDSON STUDIOS是美国历史最悠久的彩色玻璃制造商。在我的指导下，我们开发了新的工艺，改进了玻璃艺术，实现了前所未有的美学可能性。通过在工艺中引入数字工作流程和新机器，我们将我创作的形象转化成玻璃，而这放在以前是不可能完成的。整个工程和制作的成本非常高，也给了我很大的压力。

For the past three years, I’ve been working on building a stained glass pavilion called Pagoda with Judson Studios, the oldest stained glass fabricator in the USA. Under my direction, we’ve developed new processes and evolved glass art to achieve aesthetic possibilities never seen before. By introducing digital workflows and new machines into the process, we’re able to translate my imagery into glass in ways that were previously impossible. The cost of engineering and fabrication is extremely high and puts me under a lot of pressure.

然而，当PAGODA完成时，我相信它将是我迄今为止最棒的作品，也是一个具有历史意义的作品，它将以一种将传统与创新相结合的方式，彻底改变玻璃艺术和玻璃工艺。

However, when Pagoda is finished, I believe it will be my greatest work to date, and will be a historic object that combines tradition with innovation in way that revolutionizes glass art and production.

有趣的是，这种玻璃新工艺的开发，也受到了我在版画创作中表达方式的影响，让我们最后得以使用浅浮雕和数字工艺，来创造更柔美、也更完美的线条。

What’s been interesting is to see how the language that I’ve developed in my printmaking has influenced the new techniques we’ve developed with the glass, in terms of the use of shallow relief and digital processes to create more lyrical and immaculate line work.

盖亚（Gaia），简明，2019，雕塑，熔化玻璃、铅、钢和白炽灯泡

这件作品也是简明与JUDSON STUDIOS合作而成，同样采取了创新技法，用水流对玻璃进行切割，这样出来的形状会更精准。

站酷：你的速写本也给大家带来了很多震撼，鼓励了很多人继续坚持创作，你有什么建议可以分享给年轻创作者吗？

ZCOOL：Your sketchbooks have brought a lot astonishment to audiences and encourage many to continue to create, do you have any advice to share with young creators?

简明：在我年轻的时候，欲望和抱负是我工作的主要动力。但随着我步入中年，我的心境更加从容平和了。不管出于什么原因，我只是想创作——如果我丧失了创造力，我会感觉很糟糕。我可能是对创作上瘾了，总是想做点什么。比如说，现在我很难放下手头的事，去看一场电影，因为那样失去的时间就回不来了。

James Jean：I suppose in my youth, lust and revenge were the primary motivators of my work. But as I approach middle age, my state of mind is much more at ease and even keel. For whatever reason, I am just driven to create - I feel terrible if I’m not being productive in some way. Perhaps it’s an addiction, but always need to be doing something. These days, it’s very difficult for me to stop and watch a movie, for example. That’s time I will never recover . . .

简明速写本

《编发III》，2023，布面丙烯，40.6x50.8cm，16x20in

作品创作过程

2023年8月12日-11月17日，简明大型个展《无尽之旋III》将持续在深圳海上世界文化艺术中心展出，如果你对简明的作品、创作过程感兴趣，一定不要错过！

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