劉開渠和他的經典雕塑

我愿以我走過的全部道路證明一句話，人生是可以雕塑的。

——劉開渠

前不久展出的“光輝的歷程——雕塑名家邀請展”由中國藝術研究院主辦，以弘揚“紅色經典”“革命現實主義”為主旨。全國68位各個時期代表性雕塑家及其100件代表作得以集中展示，充分展示了中國雕塑近百年的發展歷程，具有很高的史學價值與藝術價值。特別是中國杰出的人民藝術家、中國現代雕塑事業的創始人、一代宗師劉開渠的26件雕塑原作，包括《毛澤東》胸像、《馬克思、恩格斯》浮雕、《人民英雄紀念碑——渡江戰役》浮雕創作原稿，堪稱稀世珍寶。

作為中國現代雕塑的奠基人，劉開渠在70年的雕塑生涯中將西方的雕塑觀念與中國的民族精神融為一體，形成質樸、洗練、沉穩的風格。其代表作有《淞滬抗日陣亡將士紀念碑》《人民英雄紀念碑——渡江戰役》《無名英雄》《農工之家》等。雕塑大展展出的《人民英雄紀念碑——渡江戰役》等作品熱情謳歌了中國人民的革命業績和英雄氣概。《馬克思、恩格斯》浮雕、《列寧》浮雕、《斯大林》浮雕以及革命領袖的《毛主席半身像》《周恩來總理像》，我國文化名人《蔡元培座像》《魯迅像》《音樂家蕭友梅像》《梅蘭芳坐像》等形神兼備，飽含著雕塑家的深情，不愧我國現代雕塑史上的經典作品。雕塑作品《老中醫》《母與子》則展現了雕塑大家的普世情懷和對人民大眾的無比深情。展出的雕塑作品同時也顯示了雕塑家高超的寫實功底和藝術造詣。這些雕塑原稿模型已成為珍貴的文物。

劉開渠先生于1904年10月1日出生于安徽省蕭縣，1927年畢業于國立北平藝術專科學校西畫系，1928年任國立杭州藝專西畫助教，同年8月赴法留學，入巴黎國立美術學院雕塑系，師從著名雕塑家樸舍。1933年回國，任教于國立杭州藝專雕塑系，1943年一度離開國立藝專，專門從事雕塑創作。1949年，任杭州藝專校長，1951年任杭州市副市長。1953年赴京擔任人民英雄紀念碑設計處處長兼雕塑組組長，負責紀念碑的整體設計，并親自創作了《勝利渡長江，解放全中國》《支援前線》《歡迎解放軍》三座浮雕。1959年調任中央美術學院副院長，1963年任中國美術館館長。1993年6月25日逝世于北京。他還曾任中國美術家協會副主席，第一、二、三屆全國人大代表，第五、八屆全國政協委員，第六、七屆全國政協常委，民盟中央常委、文化委員會主任及參議會副主任等。作為杰出美術教育家，他從教數十年，桃李滿天下，當代一大批優秀的雕塑家均出自其門下。作為中國現代城市雕塑事業的開拓者，劉開渠早在上世紀30年代初就呼吁建造富有生命力的紀念性雕塑。1982年，他提出了“關于在全國重點城市進行雕塑建設的建議”，得到國家批準，并相繼擔任全國城市雕塑規劃組組長、城市雕塑建設指導委員會主任，為我國城市雕塑事業的蓬勃發展作出了巨大貢獻。

劉開渠生前曾言：“我愿以我走過的全部道路證明一句話，人生是可以雕塑的。”的確，他雕塑了自己的藝術人生，也雕塑了自己的光輝形象。“光輝的歷程——雕塑名家邀請展”展出的作品，從一個側面詮釋作者的雕塑藝術人生。

Sculptor and His

Sculptural Classics

By Hu Chunliang

Liu Kaiqu (1904-1993) was probably the greatest sculptor of the 20th-century China， as testified by “Glorious Journey，” a heavyweight exhibition of modern sculptures held in Beijing from June 30 to July 7， 2011. At this ceremonial exhibition in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 1921 and the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution， Liu Kaiqu was the best-represented sculptor. On display were 100 classical masterpieces by 68 preeminent sculptors over the past decades and 26 of them were created by Liu.

Liu is considered the founding father of China’s modern sculpture. Over his 70-year career， he successfully introduced the Chinese spirit into the imported art; his style is unpretentious， candid and magnificent. His works are a big part of China’s modern sculpture canon.

Liu’s representative works include huge embossments like the Monument of Martyrs of January 28th Shanghai Anti-Japanese War， Crossing the Yangtze River Successfully and Liberating the Whole Nation， which are part of the Monument to People’s Heroes embossments， Nameless Heroes， Home of Workers and Farmers. These sculptures glorify the Chinese Revolution that transformed the country and paved the way for modernization.

Liu Kaiqu was closely associated with Hangzhou， the capital of eastern China’s coastal Zhejiang Province. Born in Xiaoxian County， Anhui province， he received at education in National Art Institute of Beiping. After graduation in 1927， he came to Hangzhou and worked as a teacher of western painting at National Art Institute of Hangzhou. In 1928， he went to France， studying in the Sculpture Department of Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts under the tutorship of the famous sculptor Pusso. In 1933， he came back to Hangzhou and taught in the Sculpture Department of National Art Institute of Hangzhou. From 1943 to 1949， he dedicated himself to creative sculpture. In 1949， he came back to the art institute and worked as its vice president.

In 1953， Liu Kaiqu was appointed the director of the Design Office for Monument to the People’s Heroes and chief of the Sculpture Group， in charge of the monument’s integral design. Of the eight relief works on four sides of the foundation， three were created by Liu. In 1959， he was transferred to Central Academy of Fine Arts to assume the position of Vice President， and in 1963， he was appointed Director of China Art Museum.

It was by no accident that Liu Kaiqu was such an accomplished sculptor. He was a pioneer in creating modern sculptures in a Chinese style. Back in the 1930s， he called for making memorial sculptures that would live into future.

In 1982， he made a proposal for beautifying important cities with sculpture. His idea was adopted and he was appointed to head China’s urban sculpture planning group. His proposal ushered in a renaissance of urban sculptures across the nation.

Liu Kaiqu said， “I wish to prove convincingly with my whole career that life can be sculpted.” He sculpted his life. “Glorious Journey” testified to his career achievements.