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Concerning the question of” embracing new technology both in content and form”in my works, it may attribute to my previous experience as a designer, which armed me with capability of new technology and methods. But for me technology is always an approach, never be the goal. In my sense there is no difference between traditional Chinese writing brush and new techniques, only I am good at using it, and also in keep with “in-time” characteristic of contemporary art.
Despite of technology, I am expecting to find a way to connect past, present and future through my creations, in pursue of unity and harmony within appearing contradictory variables.

RS During our previous discussion, the question of an apocalyptic future, urban decay and other catastrophic visions revealed themselves. As a relatively young artist, how do you preceive the immediate future within the PRC? Secondly, how do these themes correlate to your work?

YY At present China is undergoing an unprecedented revolution .Chinese government is desired to speedily evolve China into process of modernization and globalization. We can understand it, as China still lags behind many western development countries. Nevertheless over-fast pace of development inescapably brings global environmental problem, cultural problem as well as social and economic problems. What I want to point out is that it is not a special phenomenon only comes out in China, but a global issue we have to face together. This transformation stem from western world and Chinese current situation can be seen as a delayed fast development.

RS Contrast, whether thematic, formal or material, is consistent in either your older or more recent series. Is it intentional? Do you preceive it as being conflictual?

YY In my previous works, I was only discussing on urban development and construction issues within a relatively narrow range. My new works will focus on broader subjects in the macro context .I think it is not conflictual, but a progressive relationship.

RS The series Phantom Landscape appears to be more lyrical than your later work. You mentioned an evolution from form to content in your artistic development. Could you elaborate on the changes and transformations?

YY The composition of the series Phantom Landscape is more like traditional painting in its form, yet it is not the only thing I am striving for. Introverted artistic temper presented in Chinese and oriental culture, which not only stays as a cultural symbol, is another goal I am constantly in pursue of. On the other hand I don’t want to repeat myself, I love change no matter it is in success or not. This is the real value in art, constantly denying you yourself. One more thing I can tell you, I will have more changes in my future works.

RS The use of colour is near entirely absent in your artwork, save for a minimal application of red in the later works. Is there a reason behind this?

YY This is by accident. From the first I intend to imitate black-white color always presented in Chinese ink painting, only minimal application of color in some works where you have to emphasize on part of content .But it isn’t deliberate phenomena, still less a common situation. I will bring more color into my subsequent works.

RS You stated that you do not perceive yourself as a photographer, yet ironically, you have persisted for over four years with the medium. Is it due to the relative success associated with the works of this period or do you feel that, as an artist, experimentation and transition are essential aspects in the creative process?
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YY It is another misunderstanding. Although many elements of photography presented in my works, were synthesized by computer, you can’t easily define it as painting, photography or digital image.
Since my first exhibition started from a professional photo gallery, I have always been reported in the name of photographer by the medium since then. In my perception towards photographer, I am far from this title. I only utilize photography as a media to create completely subjective work, in nature my works are much closer to artistic creation. Otherwise I rarely shoot capturing photo or take picture in my trip. It was only after a great deal of thought that I held up my camera.

RS You mentioned that the key distinction between Oriental practice and Occidental practice is that the former is an internal process, the latter, an external. Given the cultural inundation of Western influences, how do you envision the future challenges for artists of your generation?

YY This so-called "Oriental practice" as I mentioned, is more like an ancient Eastern philosophy. The ancient Chinese people (take the original national religion of China, Taoism, as an example) have been looking for ways to self cultivation and regimen. Chinese qigong, yin-yang, and the Five Elements, are all philosophic thoughts of internal process to explore the inside universe of human being, completely different direction against the Western philosophy.

However, regarding to the current generation, I think the problem of philosophy is not the biggest issue. The whole world is moving closer to the Western philosophy system. In current society China is using a co-existent system of the materialism and the Western system. But there is one thing we cannot change - our root and blood are Chinese, so the conflicts inevitably exist in the process of western integration and the globalization. Then, as an artist, the sense of cultural belonging would be a major topic.

Chinese contemporary art has undergone more than 20 years of history. After the artists being impacted by the western world after the Cultural Reform both in economy and culture, the contemporary art has gone through a process from simple imitation, to the Youth Cruel, Political Spectrum, Self-mutilation, Self-mockery, and hesitate and cry without purpose. After the rational return, more and more works with cultural foundation sprung up. I think this is an inevitable process, and will also be a significant issue afterwards.

RS What reflections do you have on issues such as globalization and cultural hegemony? Are you pessimistic or optimistic regarding the actual state of Chinese art (whether contemporary or traditional)?

YY Our previous discussion has been on these big issues.
Globalization trend is an objective rule, it is inevitable.
What doubtable is if the current philosophy to unite the whole world is perfect or say flawless. Globalization have brought us simple fast life, comfortable” artificial environment”, and shortened the distance of time and space.
Given this, our ancient national philosophy even gives in without a fight with powerful western philosophy. Nevertheless I persist that protection of traditional culture is crucial and exceedingly important. Global cultures staying on the edge of stagnancy, our environment becoming increasingly poor, all of these negative impacts were brought exactly by the globalization. Is that just like Boudrillard said in his book The Perfect Crime that human is turning the key to self-destructing? Is the ancient philosophy will be the last hope to rescue human once we facing huge fatal disaster and our current dominant philosophy being totally helpless?

YY Just like mentioned before, I always hold optimistic attitude to Chinese contemporary art. In my opinion, traditional culture will inevitably lead to be extinct without development, but on the other hand I am confident that the wise artists will find another way to bring Chinese art into a great height of development.

Translated by Sun Jing
孙 婧

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1.您的作品有非常卓越的审美品质。据我所知您受的是传统艺术教育，但您的作品，无论是内容还是形式都包含了很多新的技术，这中间产生过哪些冲突呢？

对于这个问题,就以我个人而言，本来就生存在一个冲突变革中的矛盾环境。由于早期一直接受中国传统文化的训练，心里存这对传统文化的热爱，在全球化的大环境下接受西方美学和哲学思想的学习。我想这个冲突是不言而喻的，客观存在的。而且在中国目前的大环境下变得尤为明显和快速。
对于谈到我得作品中“内容还是形式都包含了很多新的技术”这一问题，取决于我在从事艺术之前的设计工作的原因，也正是如此使得我比较熟悉新的技术。但是对我而言技术只是一种手段，并非目的。在我看来这个和传统的毛笔笔没什么区别，只是我比较善于用它，也符合当代艺术的“时代性”的特征。
抛开技术层面不谈，我希望通过我的作品寻找一个连接过去，现在，未来的方式。在看似对立元素中寻求统一与协调性。

2.在我们的对话中，已经讨论过世界末日，城市衰亡和其他一些灾难性的愿景。作为一名相当年轻的中国艺术家，您又是怎么理解中国的近期愿景的呢？您是怎么把这些主题表现在您的作品中的呢？

目前现在中国的环境处在时代的大变革，政府的愿望想飞速的进入现代化和全球化的进程。这是可以理解的，因为不可回避的来说，我们依然落后于西方先进的国家。但是过快节奏的发展带来了不可避免的全球性的环境问题，文化问题，还有相当一部分的社会和经济问题。但是我要指出的是这个问题并非只是中国的特殊现象，而是一个全球化的问题，也是人类共同面对的问题。并且这样转变的开始是由西方发达国家率先领导的。中国目前的现象只是一个滞后的快速发展现象。

3.另一方面，这些主题，形式和材料是否与您过去和最近系列作品所表达的一致？这是您刻意的吗？您是否觉得它具有冲突性？

在我过去的作品中可能只是较小范围的讨论目前中国的城市发展建设的问题，我想新的作品谈论的主题可能更为宏观，我觉得这个不是冲突性的问题，而是一种递进的关系。

4.您的《蜃市山水》系列比您以后的作品表现的更加具有抒情色彩。您提到这是您艺术生涯中从形式到内容的一次重要演变。您能否再详细的聊聊这种变化和转型？

《蜃市山水》在构图方面更接近传统的绘画构图和方式，但是这些不是我唯一想追求的东西。中国或者东方文化拥有一种内殓的艺术气质，而不仅仅存在于文化符号之上，这个也是我在不断在追求的目标。另一方面，我不是那种喜欢一呈不变模仿复制自己的人。我喜欢改变不管是成功还是失败，我想这就是艺术的价值，就在于不断的否定自己。另外我可以透露一点，以后我一定会有更大的变化。

5.您的作品几乎完全不使用色彩，只在后面的一些作品中微幅的使用红色，这背后有什么原因吗？

这个是偶然现象，作品的初衷参考中国画的水墨意境所出现的黑白色彩，除非遇到在画面中需要强调的内容或许也出现了一些色彩。这个色彩的问题不是一个特意而为之的现象，更不会是一个普遍现象。在我以后的作品中会慢慢引入更多彩色的作品。

6.过去四年来您在媒体面前一直是以摄影家的名义被报道，有意思的是，您并不认为自己是一名摄影师。这与您这段时期作品的巨大成功有关，还是您认为作为一名艺术家，实验和转变是创作过程中最核心的部分？

这依然是一个误会，虽然在我的作品中所出现的大量的摄影素材，经过计算机的合成，但是在我的作品中很难界定那是绘画还是摄影，或者数码影像。
由于我是从一家专业的摄影画廊开始做展览的，因此就一直被认为是“以摄影家的名义被报道”。但是以我个人的理解的 “摄影师”，我和这一称呼还是相去甚远的。因为在我看来我只是利用了摄影这一媒介作素材，制作完全主观的和作品，本质上来说我的作品和艺术创作更为接近。另外我很少拍摄抓拍的摄影作品或者旅游摄影，当我使用到摄像机一定是经过深思熟虑之后的。

7.您提到东方实践与西方实践的根本区别在于前者是内向的过程，而后者则是外向的过程。作为深受西方文化影响的艺术家，您如何看待你们这一代艺术家将面临的挑战？

我提到的这个所谓“东方实践”，我的理解更是一种东方古代的哲学思想，在古代的中国人（以中国的原始国教道教为例），中国人一直在致力于探索修性，养生之道，中国的气功，阴阳，五行，都是一种向内部发展的探索人类小宇宙的哲学思想。再此基础上是与西方哲学思想可以说是一种截然想反的方向。
但是提到我们目前的一代，我想这个哲学思想的问题已经不是最大的问题，世界都在向西方世界的哲学体系靠拢，在社会的架构上，我们现在运用的是唯物主义和西方的哲学体系并存的系统。但是有一点不能改变的就是我们的根基和血脉是中国的，在西方一体化全球化的进程中势必会有矛盾冲突的存在。那么，作为艺术家，这个文化根源的归属感将是一个重大的命题。
很明显，中国当代艺术的在中国经历了20余年的历史，艺术家在改革开放后从经济文化上收到西方世界的冲击以后当代艺术的进程，从简单的模仿，到青春残酷，政治波谱，自残，自嘲，傻笑，无目的彷徨呐喊，经历了理性的回归后，拥有文化根基的作品越来越多，我想这是一个必然的过程，也将是一个重大的命题。

8.您怎么看待全球化，文化霸权这些问题呢？您对中国艺术的实际状况保有乐观还是悲观的态度？（当代艺术还是传统艺术？）

其实前面的议题也一直是在围绕这个大概念在讨论。
全球化的发展是无法避免的，我想也无需去避免，这是一个客观的规律。
但是值得怀疑的是，目前统一全球化的哲学思想是否是完美或者无懈可击的呢？的确，现在的全球化为我们带来了简单快捷的生活，舒适的“人造环境”。缩短时间空间的距离。
在这样的前提下，古老的民族哲学与强大的西方哲学的较量我觉得已经不战而降，但是我始终认为保护自我的传统文化是至关重要的，目前全球性的文化处于停滞的边缘，我们的生存环境正在日益恶劣，这些大都由于代给我们的舒服和享乐的系统带来的负面影响，是否正如Boudrillard'《完美的罪行》一书中所说的那样人类正在开启自我毁灭的钥匙呢？待到人类面临巨大灾难的时刻，当统治我们的哲学处于无能为力的危机关头，古代哲学是否会是解救人类的最后希望？

正如我前面所提到的，中国当代艺术这个状况上，我还是持比较乐观的态度。以我的观点传统文化如果不发展一定会走向灭亡的境地，但是智慧的艺术家们一定会找到一条制之死地而后生的道路，让他用另一种方式发扬光大，得以延续和长存。

孙 婧