甌塑是流傳于溫州市的一種傳統(tǒng)塑作藝術(shù),由中國(guó)古代的堆漆工藝發(fā)展演變而來(lái),俗稱彩色油泥塑,1959年,溫州市人民政府命名該項(xiàng)工藝為“甌塑”,是溫州獨(dú)有的民間藝術(shù)。
兩宋時(shí)期,溫州曾是傳統(tǒng)漆藝的重鎮(zhèn),用天然生漆和碾成粉末的磚瓦粉泥合成為原料,運(yùn)用堆塑技藝的手法塑形,俗稱為“堆起門”,廣泛應(yīng)用于廟宇、民居、家具及嫁妝等的裝飾。明清以后,堆漆工藝在溫州得到較大發(fā)展,形成了“隱起措金”“隱起措漆”“隱起措”三個(gè)堆漆工藝品種,具體說就是在堆漆的基礎(chǔ)上貼金、髹色漆、髹色油。近代以來(lái),溫州民間工匠借鑒古代堆漆技藝,在技藝和材料等方面作了許多改進(jìn),用黃泥拌熟桐油、高嶺土伴熟桐油和各色顏料做成有色油泥為基本材料塑形,形成別具特色的甌塑工藝。
甌塑工藝技法繁多,創(chuàng)作主要有創(chuàng)意設(shè)計(jì)、配料、拷貝、上底漆、配色、堆起、裝飾、上光等工序。工藝上綜合運(yùn)用了浮雕工藝的“納光納陰”法,堆塑工藝的砑蹄法、骨挑法、刀具法、填嵌法、手指法,漆器裝飾的描金、描油、鑲嵌、貼金等技法,比之堆漆工藝,表現(xiàn)力上更加靈活多變,以淺浮雕式塑形為主,可圓雕式塑形,也可以浮雕式塑形,題材廣泛,凡筆墨所能表達(dá)的畫面,均能運(yùn)用甌塑技藝來(lái)表達(dá)和塑形,作品具色彩豐富艷麗、磅礴大氣、立體畫面如真實(shí)的山水風(fēng)光等特點(diǎn),被譽(yù)為“立體的油畫”“中國(guó)式的油畫”。
甌塑與黃楊木雕、東陽(yáng)木雕和青田石雕并稱“浙江三雕一塑”。甌塑是浙江省政府認(rèn)定的首批“浙江傳統(tǒng)優(yōu)秀工藝美術(shù)品類”之一,2006年列入第一批浙江省非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)名錄,2008年列入第二批國(guó)家級(jí)非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)名錄。2018年12月,被公布為第一批浙江省傳統(tǒng)工藝振興目錄項(xiàng)目。
優(yōu)秀的甌塑文化需要傳承,更需要順應(yīng)當(dāng)代市場(chǎng)的需求。甌塑常作為裝飾點(diǎn)綴于嫁妝、家具之上,工藝美術(shù)大師周錦云花費(fèi)了二十余載的努力打破藩籬,將甌塑發(fā)展成為西方油畫一般的壁掛,將甌塑帶進(jìn)了展示藝術(shù)品的領(lǐng)域之中。在甌塑創(chuàng)新之路上,周錦云不斷探索,成功研制了瀝粉壁畫、盤塑壁畫、立式模型甌塑、仿古銅、仿古漢白玉、仿錫雕等十個(gè)甌塑工藝新品種。隨后,周錦云致力于把甌塑與建筑壁畫、環(huán)境藝術(shù)相結(jié)合,均取得了顯著成績(jī)。他的作品《西湖天下景》曾被中國(guó)美院的鄧白教授稱贊為“真正達(dá)到雅俗共賞的境界”。其代表作品還有《雁蕩山圖》《半山勝景》《八仙的傳說》等。
(感謝浙江省非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)保護(hù)中心和溫州市非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)保護(hù)中心為本欄目提供支持)
A New Artistic Endeavor for Wenzhou Ousu (Wenzhou Clay Sculpture)
Wenzhou Ousu, or Wenzhou Clay Sculpture, is a folk art long practiced in Zhejiangs Wenzhou area, an important manufacturing center of lacquerware during the Northern Song (960-1127) and Southern Song (1127-1279) dynasties. Evolved from a traditional Chinese lacquering craft called “duiqi” or embossed lacquer, it has widely been used in decorations for temples, residential houses and dowries. During Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1616-1911) times, embossed lacquer further developed into three more distinct varieties, i.e. plating gold as well as red and black lacquer paint and oil on top of the original surface. With the improvement of lacquering materials and techniques, the artistic expression of Ousu has been further enhanced in modern times.
While Ousu works and products have long been used as decorative pieces for dowries and furniture, Zhou Jinyun, an accomplished Ousu master, broke out of the confines and developed Ousu into an art form similar to oil paintings in the past two decades. In the process, Zhou Jinyun refined his craft and created ten new varieties of Ousu, including embossed mural paintings, 3D Ousu, and imitation white jade, among others. Over the years, Zhou has been committed to integrating Ousu with frescos and environmental art, and his efforts have been widely lauded.
More recently, Zhou Jinyun has turned his focus to marketing Ousu culture and expanding the accompanying creative and cultural industries, for any traditional craft and folk art need to be passed down and, more importantly, meet the current market demand. Thanks to Zhou and masters like him, Wenzhou Ousu and a number of other traditional crafts are now both artistically vibrant and commercially viable.