加国头条 i4cc.ca ｜宁静致远的整全主义 ——纽约哈德逊河流域艺术生态述略

宁静致远的整全主义

——纽约哈德逊河流域艺术生态述略

Holism Reins in Serenity:

A Brief Introduction to the Artistic Ecology of

Hudson River Basin in New York

撰文：胡志颖

By Hu Zhiying

纽约北部哈德逊河流域的象冈山牧歌式景观

Shawangunk Mountain Landscape in the Hudson River Basin at North New York

2017年至2018年我应邀赴纽约参加展览期间，考察了哈德逊河流域的艺术生态。哈德逊沿河两岸景色令人联想起巴比松画派的绘画，那是一个宁静净化之地。田园牧歌式的风景深处意外地出现先锋艺术大本营—— Dia博物馆（Dia:Beacon）。极少主义（Minimalism）闻名天下，而收藏和展示极少主义（但不限于此）作品首屈一指的Dia博物馆却不为中国艺术界所熟知。位于纽约北部城市比肯（Beacon）的Dia博物馆，与相距90多公里的纽约曼哈顿切尔西艺术区的Dia画廊群（Dia:Chelsea）遥相呼应。

When I was invited to an exhibition in New York from 2017 to 2018, I had the chance to observe the artistic ecology of the Hudson River Basin. The serene and purified land along the banks of the Hudson River reminded me of the paintings of the Barbizon School. In the depths of the idyllic scene, the Dia: Beacon - an advant garde art base - suddenly came into our sight. Though minimalism enjoys tremendous popularity in the world, the Dia: Beacon in the northern city of Beacon still remains largely unknown to the Chinese art community. Actually, the Dia: Beacon with exceptional collections and exhibitions of minimalist works (not exclusively) echoes with the Dia:Chelsea in the Chelsea Arts District of Manhattan, New York, which lies over 90 kilometers away.

Dia博物馆二楼长期陈列约翰·张伯伦（John Chamberlain，1927－2010）的作品展厅

The second floor of the Dia : Beacon for the permanent display of the works of John Chamberlain (1927-2010)

Dia是法国收藏家菲莉帕•德•曼妮女士（Philippa de Menil，1908–1997），德国艺术经纪人、极少主义和观念艺术收藏家海纳•弗里德里希（Heiner Friedrich，b. 1938），海伦•温克尔（Helen Winkler），为了帮助艺术家实现由于规模或范围而无法实现的有远见的项目，于1973年在纽约市创建的Dia艺术基金会（Dia Art Foundation）和艺术空间。Dia的取名来自希腊文，意为“通行”。Dia的艺术空间后来发展成纽约曼哈顿切尔西艺术区画廊群，并持续产生广泛影响。2003年又扩展到纽约北部城市比肯，成立Dia博物馆，其展示空间上比切尔西Dia画廊群翻了几番。两者均由旧工厂改造而成，切尔西的Dia画廊群由不同位置的若干个单元组成，比肯的Dia博物馆由独立庞大的三层楼印刷厂房改建而成。

Founded by French collector Philippa de Menil (1908-1997), German art dealer, minimalist and conceptual art collector Heiner Friedrich (b.1938) and Helen Winkler, Dia:Beacon undertook the mission to help artists implement visionary projects that would otherwise be aborted due to their scale or scope. These founders also created the Dia Art Foundation and Art Space in New York City in 1973. "Dia" is Greek for "passage". Later, it developed into a gallery in the Chelsea Arts District in Manhattan, New York, and continued to spread wide-ranging influence. In 2003, the project expanded to the city of Beacon in upstate New York. The Dia:Beacon is a few times larger in geological space than the Dia:Chelsea. Both having been converted from old factories, Dia:Chelsea consists of several units in different locations, Dia:Beacon is converted from a single large independent three-story printing plant.

位于纽约北部的比肯的Dia博物馆是收藏极少主义作品最多的博物馆，2003年由印刷厂厂房改建而成。图为路易丝·布尔乔亚长期陈列在Dia博物馆三楼的作品（后面是“大蜘蛛”）

The Dia: Beacon of upstate New York boasts of the largest number of minimalist collections. It was converted from a printing plant in 2003. The picture shows the long-term display of Louise Bourgeois~q~ works on the third floor of the Dia : Beacon (with the Big Spider in the back).

女性艺术家在Dia博物馆享有极高的荣誉，法国女艺术家露易丝•布尔乔亚（Louise Bourgeois，1911－2010）风格多变的作品占据着三楼大部分空间，并且长期陈列。这位晚到60岁以后才被广泛承认、近百岁离世的传奇艺术家确实有着无穷的创造力。露易丝•布尔乔亚的艺术能量远不止于流行于公众视线的“大蜘蛛”雕塑作品，其多种不同材料和风格的作品都表现了她驾驭材质的独有天赋，以及作品叫人身心震颤内的在寓意和视觉张力。实际上，露易丝•布尔乔亚的艺术不仅对诸如朱迪•芝加哥（Judy Chicago）、瓦妮莎•比克罗夫特（Vanessa Beecroft）等当代西方艺术家，也对中国艺术家如谷文达等有着持续广泛的影响，却不那么广为人知。1960年出生，年富力强的德国女艺术家丽塔•迈克布莱德（Rita McBride）的作品《微粒子》（Particulates）也得到Dia基金会的支持，于2017年10月17日至2018年6月2日在曼哈顿Dia画廊群进行展示，这件作品与神秘的现代量子力学有着密切关系，装置的一个核心元素为无限遍历空间的潜力。在哈德逊河流域艺术生态中，Dia对于批判和抗议男权社会的不公平起着重要的作用。

Female artists are highly respected in the Dia:Beacon, with the permanent exhibits of various styles from the French artist Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010)~q~s occupying most of the space on the third floor. The legendary artist who didn~q~t gain public recognition till the age of 60 and died around the age of 100 really had infinite creativity. Louise Bourgeois~q~s artistic energy cannot be contained by the well-known sculpture "Big Spider". Her talent at handling the materials is shown fully in her works of various materials and styles, and the implied meaning and visual tension of the works give the viewers tremors in body and in mind. The truth is, Louise Bourgeois~q~s art has a wide-ranging influence not only on Judy Chicago, Vanessa Beecroft and other western artists but also on their Chinese counterparts like Gu Wenda. The fact that she is not known to everyone in China. Rita McBride, a female artist born in 1960 in Germany, is in the prime of her life. Her work Particulates is closely linked to the mysterious modern quantum mechanics. Gravity exchanges and the potential of infinite traversal space are the key parts to the work. Supported by the Dia Foundation, she showcased her installations at the Dia:Chelsea in Manhattan from October 17, 2017 to June 2, 2018. As to the artistic ecology of the Hudson River Basin, Dia plays a vital role in the criticism and protest against the impartiality of the patriarchal society.

象冈山上极少主义代表人物理查德·塞拉的巨型作品（复制品）

A giant work (replica) of Physic Richad Serra, a representative of minimalism at Shawangunk Mountain

Dia博物馆陈设的现代艺术，一直延伸至哈德逊河流域的象冈山（Shawangunk Mountains，也译作“朔旺冈山”）上，大名鼎鼎的美国艺术家理查德•塞拉（Richard Serra，1939－）的装置作品（复制品）赫然矗立其间，令人诧异却又宛若天成。

象冈山，语言学家认为“schawan”是一个无生命的不及物动词，意思是“有烟雾弥漫的空气”。印第安语称它为“Shawangunk”，意思是“白色的山”，因为整座山的石头都是白色的石灰岩，而且远看山峰的形状，有一点像象的鼻子，又像是象的背脊，故取其译音和形状，中文名译为“象冈山”。象冈山距离纽约市区140公里，春夏秋冬四季分明，有几百种鸣禽和野生动物栖息在周围的原始林中；静谧的湖光山色，辽阔的牧马场与艺术家工作室和雕塑相间共生构成象冈山独具一格的自然人文景观中；象冈山山麓纽普兹（New Paltz）镇上的画廊、美术馆、影剧院、时尚歌舞厅鳞次栉比，在这里还能欣赏到新青年独立音乐，整个区域综合形成一种一应俱全、时空错置而宁静致远的感觉。

From the modern art world of the Dia:Beacon up to Shawangunk Mountains along the Hudson River Valley, the giant installation work (replica) of the renown American artist Richard Serra (b.1939), sticks up in an amazingly coordinating way to its surroundings.

As to the mountain, linguists believe that "schawan" is an inanimate intransitive verb meaning "misty air". Among the local Indians, it is called "Shawangunk", meaning "white mountain", because the mountain is covered with white limestone and looks quite like an elephant~q~s trunk or spine from some distance away. The Chinese translation ~q~~q~Xianggangshan~q~~q~ takes in consideration mainly the transliteration and the shape of the mountain. Shawangunk is 140 kilometers from New York City. A land with four distinct seasons, there harbors hundreds of songbirds in its primitive forest. The quiet lakes and mountains, the vast horse-racing fields, the artists~q~ studios and sculptures are separated from each other and form a unique natural human landscape. Galleries, art museums, theaters and ballrooms in New Paltz town where lies in Shawangunk, are just an arm~q~s length from each other, and one can even enjoy the latest independent youth music. All of these provide us with a serene sense of an integrated time and space.

象冈山山麓青年独立音乐

Youth Independent Music at the foot of Shawangunk Mountain

象冈山这一自然人文景观，很自然关联于对中国来说迄今尚属陌生，而在西方社会已经实践了将近一个世纪的“整全论”或叫“整全主义”或“整全生活”（Holism，Holistic Living）。整全主义是把一个系统（宇宙、自然人等）中各部分作为有机整体，而不能割裂或分开的实践和理论的合一。整全主义这个词来源于希腊语“ὅλος holos”（“全部、整全、整体”），在1920年代，由南非政治家、军事领袖、哲学家扬•史墨兹（Jan Smuts，1870 –1950）和奥地利心理医生、心理学家阿尔弗雷德•阿德勒（Alfred Adler，1870 –1937）的理论构成。整全主义认为物理、生物、化学、社会、经济、心理、语言系统及其属性应被视为整体，而不仅仅是各个部分的集合。整全论整合唯物主义和唯心主义认知宇宙的方式而强调其整体性。整全主义与进化论在确定了对物质、生命和精神的基本概念进行改革的必要性之后，研究了空间和时间、物质和生物学的改革概念，并得出结论：物质、生命和精神概念之间有着密切的联系，彼此的领域所产生的结果遵循着渐进的基本原理。因此，在精神、人格、理想等形而上学范畴上，整全主义论证了普遍性及其作为一元本体论（a monistic ontology）的地位。许多原始文明也有整全的思维，例如美洲的原住民印第安人相信他们跟土地、神灵、动植物的联系，并体现在宗教仪式之中。

It is easy to associate the artistic biology here to the view of holism, which, though still sounds unfamiliar in China, has actually been practiced in the west for about a century~q~s time. The natural and human landscape in Shawangunk Mountains can be well interpreted by the idea of ~q~~q~Holism~q~~q~or ~q~~q~Holistic Living~q~~q~, which represents an organic system (the universe, the human body, etc.) where all components are integrated into an inseparable whole. "Holism" comes from the Greek word ~q~~q~ὅλος holos~q~~q~ that means "all, whole and entirety". Its theoretical structure is built by South African politician, military leader, philosopher Jan Smuts, and Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler. Holism regards a system (physics, biology, chemistry, society, economy, psychology and language) and its attributes as a whole, instead of a mere collection of parts. Holism expounds on the theory of the universe in the same way as do materialism and idealism. Upon achieving the necessity renovation of the basic concepts like matter, life and spirit, holism and evolutionism both study the reformed concepts of space, time, matter and biology, and conclude that the concepts of matter, life and spirit are closely related and the respective fields of the three share a common principle: that they are a result of gradual advance. With regard to the metaphysics (spirit, personality, ideal), holism validates its universality and its status as a monistic ontology. Actually, the concept of Holism exists in many primitive civilizations. For instance, native American Indians believe in their connection with the earth, gods, animals and plants, which is shown in their religious rituals.

哈德逊河流域象冈山山麓的艺术家工作室

Art studio at the foot of Shawangunk Mountain in Hudson River Basin

哈德逊河流域的艺术生态，可以从五个层面自然彰显整全主义的思想。

首先考察整全主义的“结构”（the Structure）观念。整全主义的整体观既能够清楚地将自然与机械添加、聚集和构造区分开来，又能整合其内部结构、功能和特征，使之成为有机的复合体。例如，镶嵌在象冈山的理查德•塞拉等艺术家的大小不同的作品以及艺术家工作室，就是人工与天然聚集与区分的复合整体：其结构的内容和形式，不仅适用于（涉及）诸如化学、生物和人工制品等物质领域，也适用于（涉及）诸如精神结构、属性、价值观、理想等形而上学领域，从而在结构上体现整全主义。

Holism can be represented by the artistic biology of the Hudson River Basin in a five-fold way:

First, let~q~s examine the idea of the Structure. The holistic view of holism can clearly distinguish natural beings from mechanical addition, aggregation and construction, and integrate the internal structures, functions and characteristics into an organic complex. For example, Richard Serra and other artist~q~s works of different sizes as well as the artists~q~ studios up the Shawangunk Mountains can be deemed a composite of artificial and natural compounds and variations: the content and form of its structure is applicable not only to the physical field (such as chemistry, biology and the artifacts), but also to the field of metaphysics (such as mental structure, attributes, values, ideals, etc.), thus representing holism in a structural sense.

位于哈德逊河流域的纽约州立大学纽普兹分校塞缪尔 • 多斯基艺术博物馆是高水准的艺术博物馆，图为当代艺术展览

The Contemporary Art Exhibitionin the first-rate Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltzin Hudson River Valley

与结构不可分割的是整全主义的创造性和因果性的混合，这构成了“创造力”（the Creativity）观念。我们可以看到，如果不是因为物质的动态结构的创造性特征，物质就不可能是宇宙之母。这种功能或创造因素在生物学中更为显著：细胞的原生质在不断发生的创造性变化过程中非常活跃，其中部分不断被破坏，并被新的原生质所取代。作为生物的人有了整全头脑，在此境域中获得了意识的自由和解放，会展现出一种最深远的创造能力。整全主义不仅是创造性的，而且是自我创造的，最终的结构远比最初的结构更具整体性。由象冈山南下19公里，是纽约州立大学纽普兹分校（SUNY New Paltz）塞缪尔•多斯基艺术博物馆（Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art），于2001年开业，是纽约州立大学最大的博物馆之一，就是综合呈现各个历史时期各类人群的创造力的实例。博物馆的永久藏品5000多件美国艺术品，其重点在哈德逊河谷和卡茨基尔地区（Hudson Valley and Catskill Regions），包括19、20和21世纪的摄影、金属制品，以及可追溯到古代的代表不同文化的艺术和文物的世界性收藏。博物馆拥有超过840平方米的展览空间。通过其收藏、展览和公共项目，博物馆支持并丰富了学院的学术课程。除了为学生和哈德逊山谷学童提供优秀的教学空间外，博物馆还接纳纽普兹社区成员定期展示他们的艺术作品。博物馆的设施包括游客、学生和教授的研究讨论空间及其创造性研究成果的展示空间。

Holism brings together fields of inventiveness or causality in nature to construct its concept of "the Creativity" that is inseparable to the idea of the Structure. For instance, matter cannot make up the whole universe without the creativity of its dynamic structure. The function of the Creativity is more pronounced in biology. The protoplasm of biological cells becomes very active in the process of continuous changes, when part of it is being constantly destroyed and renewed. In holistic thinking, the function of adjustment would be granted its own consciousness and freedom to produce the creative capability with more far-reaching influence. Holism is not only creative, but also self-creating, and its final structure is far more integrated than the original one. Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz is 19 km south from the Shawangunk Mountains. Opened in 2001, it is among the largest museums in SUNY with an exhibiting space of over 840 square meters. The museum~q~s permanent collection totaled at more than 5,000 pieces, highlighting mainly American art in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Regions, photographic works from the 19th, 20th and 21st century, metalwork, and world-class art collections representing various ancient cultures. Through its collections, exhibitions and public projects, the museum supports and enriches the academic programs of the university. In addition to providing excellent teaching spaces for university students and students in the Hudson Valley, the museum also welcomes members of the New Paltz community to regularly present their works of art. The museum has also set up rooms to facilitate the research and discussion of the tourists, students and professors.

艺术家密德欧的装置作品

Meadow~q~s installation works

身兼艺术家和策展人的密德欧（Meadow）女士老当益壮，也是整全主义生活观的躬行实践者，牛仔帽、船型尖头皮鞋，电子多媒体应用熟练，丝毫不让青年。绘画、装置、陶艺、写作、策展、游历、种植综合并进，同时又能抽身而出，如同象冈山的闲云野鹤般地自由自在。其作品先锋激进，对自然兴衰过程的感受敏锐细腻，用天然材料编织起悬隔错置的视觉场域，综合构成其特有的装置语言风格。

Wearing cowboy hats, boat-shaped pointed shoe and adept at multimedia application, Ms. Meadow is old but as vigorous as a young woman. She is an artist, curator and also an earnest practitioner of this holistic view of life. She allocates equal attention to painting, installation art, pottery, writing, curating, traveling and planting, and lives as free as the wild clouds up upon the sky of Shawangunk. Her artworks are pioneering and radical, and highly sensitive to natural changes. Her use of natural materials to weave up a visual field full of suspension represents a unique style and language of installation art.

从世界上最长最高的高架步行桥眺望哈德逊河流域，风景如画

Viewing the Hudson River Basin from the longest and tallest viaduct in the world，picturesque

从宏观角度审视哈德逊河流域艺术生态，自然关联于整全主义“场”（the Filed）的观念，表达整体的领域并非异类，它是整体的延续，超越了碎片式感性经验。“场”把整体描述为相对论系统中的统一的综合事件，不仅包括它的现在，也包括它的过去，以及它的未来潜力。因此，“场”的概念既包含活力又包含结构。哈德逊河高架步行桥（Walkway Over the Hudson）的前身波基普西高地铁路大桥（Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge）是一座钢制大桥，位于纽约州，跨越哈德逊河，连接起东岸的波基普西市（Poughkeepsie）与西岸阿尔斯特县（Ulster County）的高地地区（Highland）。桥上铺设有双轨铁路，大桥于1889年1月1日建成，隶属梅布鲁克线铁路（Maybrook Railroad Line）。哈德逊河高架桥曾发生过火灾，后于1974年5月8日再次投入使用。1979年，该桥已被列入美国国家史迹名录，并于2008年再次被登记在册。2009年10月3日，作为新哈德逊桥历史公园（Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park）的一部分重新向公众开放。这是世界上最长最高的高架步行桥（参见纽约州政府网站），从高处可以浏览俯瞰哈德逊河两岸的景色，自然人文的天然综合，形象地呈现了整全主义“场”的观念。

When we study the artistic biology of the Hudson River Basin on a macro-level, nature is corelated to the holistic idea of the Field. The domain expressive of the whole is not something new. Rather, it is a continuation of the whole, transcending the fragmented perceptual experience. The field describes the whole as integrated comprehensive event in the system of relativity, encompassing not only its present, but also its past and future potential. Therefore, the concept of ~q~~q~the Field~q~~q~ consists of both activities and structures.The The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge, the predecessor of the Walkway Over the Hudson, is a steel bridge across the Hudson River in New York State connecting Poughkeepsie on the east bank and Highlands of Ulster County on the West. Covered with a two-track railway, the bridge was built on January 1, 1889 and is part of the Maybrook Railroad Line. After the fire that occurred on the Walkway, it was put into use again on May 8, 1974. In 1979, it was included in the National Register of Historic Places of the United States and was later re-registered in 2008. On October 3, 2009, it was reopened to the public as part of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. The Walkway is the longest and tallest pedestrian viaduct in the world, where one can overlook the scenery along the banks of the Hudson River, when the concept of the holistic~q~~q~Filed~q~~q~is given a vivid display. The domain of the whole is not something estranged. Rather, it is the continuation of the whole, transcending the emotional contour of its experience. The field describes the whole as an integrated comprehensive event in the system of relativity, encompassing its present, past and its future potential. Therefore, the concept of ~q~~q~the Field~q~~q~ is composed of both activities and structures.

哈德逊河北部地区艺术报《画布》，介绍当地美术、音乐、电影、舞蹈、诗歌、时尚、戏剧、歌剧等信息。(中国艺术黄少垠的讲座信息及其作品《藏佛之二》也被及时刊登)

Canvas , the art news paper in northern Hudson River region introduces local art, music, film, dance, poetry, fashion, drama and opera,etc. (The information of Chinese artist Huang Shaoyin~q~s lecture and her work Zangfo II appeared timely on Canvas.)

宏观整体与局部结构及其活动的合作和协调，得力于整全主义“调节”（the Regulation）功能，以及变化的选择和取消的选择，其结果是感官和功能达成平衡。各部件的活动方向是以整全主义核心概念为终端进行合作统一，而不是各部件的单独机械活动。在象冈山山麓派恩布什地区（Pine Bush，本意为“松树丛林”）已经持续数十年的“艺术家沙龙”是秉持巴黎1930年代艺术沙龙传统的文化活动，主讲者包括艺术家、诗人、时尚等各界人士，视野开阔，跨地域和跨文化，很好地体现整全主义合作统一的调节观念。

The cooperation and coordination of the activities of the general and the partial can be owed to the function of the Regulation, as well as the choices of change and cancellation, which results in a balance between organs and their functions. All the parts move towards to the holistic center in unified action instead of separate mechanical movements. At the foothills of the Shawangunk, Pine Bush~q~s Artist Salon has celebrated the Paris art salon tradition of the 1930s for decades. Aiming far and looking high, the salon , invites keynote speakers of all walks of life, including artists, poets, fashion icons, from many countries and regions.

中国艺术家黄少垠应邀在“派恩布什艺术家沙龙”的讲座，听众是来自不同年龄层次的艺术家和文艺爱好者

Chinese artist Huang Shaoyin was invited to give a lecture at the Pine Bush~q~s Artist Salon. The audience were made up o f artists and literary enthusiasts of different ages.

2017年他们邀请了远在中国的艺术家黄少垠女士作讲座，介绍她当前的油画创作和早年的铜版画艺术，并与艺术家们交流对话，大家对这位来自东方的当代艺术家的创作道路和艺术十分感兴趣。哈德逊河流域北部地区的艺术报《画布》（Canvas）在显著位置预告了中国艺术家黄少垠的讲座消息，同时还刊载了她的油画作品《藏佛之二》（Zangfo II）。艺术报《画布》广泛介绍文学艺术、电影戏剧、音乐舞蹈、歌剧、时尚、展览等综合信息，以及艺术与生活知识，倡导“整全主义”的生活方式。

In 2017, Chinese artist Huang Shaoyin was invited to lecture there on her current oil painting works and early copperplate art, and made cultural and artistic exchanges with other artists. The attendants showed great interest in the creative path and art of this contemporary Chinese artist. Canvas, the art newspaper of the northern Hudson River Basin, previewed information of the lecture in a prominent position together with the sketch of her oil painting "Zangfo II". Canvas is an advocate of holistic lifestyle that provides comprehensive information involving literature, art, film, drama, music, dance, opera, fashion, exhibitions, and life.

雕塑家斯嘉尔的雕塑作品

Sigal~q~s sculptures

创造力、场、调节、结构与作为整全主义主体的人的可变性互为整体。所以，生物意义上的突变导致的变异和个人意义上的个体获得性修改导致的变异的综合，应当归功于整全主义的发现，这就是整全主义的 “变异”（the Variation）观念。达尔文的有机血统理论主要强调自然选择的作用，但如果没有变异，就没有什么可供选择的了。例如，纽约雕塑家斯嘉尔（Sigal Arad Inbar）女士的雕塑则融入其希伯来母文化宗教因子，以敏感的肉色为基调，对比以强烈的互补性色彩，有时白色或红色等纯色，诉说神秘生命及其变异的意义。整全主义认为，变异出现在复合物中不是单一的，进化不仅仅是个体选择的结果，它们都是整体的。在学术研究上，对复杂系统的研究，令偏向抽象事物的研究者明白“还原”不足以解释一种复杂系统内部交叉产生的现象，经常需要跨学科的合作；人们愈益重视生态圈、环境保护，都可以说体现人们更重视整全主义的观念。

Creativity, Field, Regulations, Structure, and the variability of people as subjects of holism form in unity. Therefore, biological mutations and individual acquired modifications can be added up, according to the holistic idea of the Variation. Darwin~q~s theory of organic origin mainly emphasizes the role of natural selection, but there would be no selection without variation. For example, the sculptures of the New York artist Sigal Arad Inbar absorb native Hebrew cultural and religious elements. Setting the tone with a sensual incarnadine background and contrasting it with strong complementary colors, Sigal tells us about the mystery of life and the meaning of variations. Holism contends that variation occurs in compound rather than single substance, thus evolution is more from the selection of the whole than from the individual. In academic research, the study of complex systems gives researchers of abstract thinking idea that restoration is not enough to explain the cross production within a complex system, as it often requires interdisciplinary cooperation. Our increasing attention to the ecological circle and environmental protection shows our keener awareness of the concept of the whole.

大都会博物馆修道院分馆著名的佛拉芒独角兽挂毯

The reputed tapestry of the Flemish hunting unicorns

沿着哈德逊河流域回到城中山林——曼哈顿上城山脊上的华盛顿高地，中国艺术界不熟悉的纽约大都会博物馆修道院分馆（The Met Cloisters）的轮廓从树林里逐步显露。大都会博物馆修道院分馆创建于1938年，被崔恩堡公园（Fort Tryon Park）树林环抱。修道院分馆收藏了大约5000件全部来自欧洲的艺术品和建筑，大多可以追溯到拜占庭到文艺复兴早期，主要是从12世纪到15世纪。包括各种各样的石头和木雕、挂毯、手稿和镶嵌画，其中最著名的包括1422年早期的荷兰祭坛画、1495－1505年佛拉芒人（Flemish）猎取独角兽的挂毯——祭奠、牺牲，气氛肃穆、宁静、沉默……

Returning to the Washington Heights on the uphill ridge of Manhattan along the Hudson River Valley, we saw faintly the outline of the Met Cloisters that stays quite unfamiliar to the Chinese art community in the forest. Founded in 1938 at the heart of the Fort Tryon Park, the Met Cloisters houses about 5,000 pieces of art and architecture from Europe, most of which can be traced back to a time between the Byzantium period and the early Renaissance from 12th to 15th century. It includes a variety of stone works, wood-carvings, tapestries, manuscripts and mosaics, the most famous of which being the Dutch altarpieces painting from the early 1422 and the tapestry of the Flemish hunting unicorns from 1459 to 1505. There flows a strong sense of memorial, sacrifice, solemnity and tranquility.