陳丹青

　　這次展出的畫，件數(shù)少，時間跨度長，分三個時期：

　　幾幅素描肖像畫于1989年前后。那時我放棄了西藏主題，不知道畫什么。為生計，開始一段有趣的生活：到大街上給人畫肖像。紐約街頭往來各國游客，瞧見佇足觀看的漂亮姑娘，顯然猶豫要不要花錢畫一幅，我就說，你坐下給我畫，一幅送你，一幅留給我。日久天長，存十余幅。這些油滑的涂抹不是好素描，卻是我紐約生涯的紀念。

　　1993年到1995年間，畫過一套十聯(lián)并置作品，未完成。現(xiàn)在諸位看見的是其中四聯(lián)，全是根據(jù)著名的裝置作品印刷品畫成。它們真像是一堆靜物，一聲不響，我就給這套并置起了題目，叫做《靜物》。不久，因為無聊，我開始畫書籍畫冊靜物系列，直到現(xiàn)在。

　　四幅大型畫冊靜物，畫于今年，希望它們已經(jīng)干透了。我在九十年代就想畫大尺寸畫冊靜物，回國后既忙且懶，未實行。五月，汶川地震，翌日我就開手畫一幅大尺寸畫冊靜物，題曰《中國的山川》，換錢捐獻。既是畫大了，自然就接著畫，便有了另外三件，請諸位批判指教。

　　2008.11 The works featured in this exhibition are small in number, span a great length of time, and are separated into three periods:

　　Several portrait sketches were completed before and after 1989. That was that time in which I abandoned Tibetan motifs and was unclear what to paint next. In order to make a living, I embarked up an interesting period in my life: painting street portraits. The streets of New York are bustling with visitors from all around the world, waiting around I would catch sight of pretty young women obviously hesitating whether or not to have a portrait done. I would beckon them to sit for me, promising to gift one portrait to them, and keep another for myself. Over the course of time I accumulated more than ten such portraits. Although these paintings might not be outstanding sketches, they are souvenirs of my livelihood in New York.

　　From 1993 to 1995 I painted a series of 10 works for an installation that was never completed. What you see here are four of these paintings, they were all done from prints of famous installations. They are truly a pile of still lifes, they are soundless, and that is the name I have given them: “Still lifes.” Soon after, out of boredom, I began to paint still lifes from books, and have continued in that manner until now.

　　These four large catalogue still lifes were painted this year-I hope the paint is completely dry. I wanted to paint large-scale still lifes since the 90s, but after returning to China I have been busy and lazy, and they were never realized. But in May, and the earthquake in Wen Chuan, I began painting one the very next day, its title was “Mountains and Rivers of China.”I sold this work and donated the money to relief funds. Now that I’ve begun to paint large works, it has become a habit, and there are three other large canvases, which I invite the greater public to critique and comment on.

　　Chen Danqing November 2008