薛若哲：内面之谜
Xue Ruozhe: Mystery of Inwardness
杨天歌
Yang Tiange
薛若哲以绘画为志业。绘画之于他，远远逾越于工作的范畴，而是一种瘾乃至信念——用他自己的话说，“绘画是我的本能，是内在的需求”。回顾薛若哲毕业前后至今的十余年绘画创作，他往往以描摹刻画人物、风景以及静物的细节之专精而为人所知。表象之下，如若向内更深地探究，我们或能意识到，大体量的作品实则集中构造的是内面之人的精神空间，即对内心世界的探求和对于内在自我的心理审视。自我审视之路，却是漫漫无边的，这其中的谜题与障碍，远大于答案与真相。
Xue Ruozhe is an artist dedicated to painting. Painting means much more than a profession for him; it is an obsession and even a belief. In his own words, “Painting is my instinct, an internal necessity.” Looking back over more than a decade of Xue Ruozhe’s paintings before and after his graduation, he is mostly known for his exceptional skill in depicting the details of figures, landscapes, and still life. Beneath the surface, however, a deeper exploration reveals that the majority of his works are centred around the spiritual realm of individuals, delving into the quest of the inner world and the psychological self-examination. The road to self-examination is a long and endless one, in which the puzzles and obstacles are far greater than the answers and truths.
在个人创作的序列内部，薛若哲的绘画，从对外在物象的描摹引向画中人的内在世界，并反向映射着画家的内面探求，进而波及所有观者、从眼到心的内维审视。这正是薛若哲通过大量作品完成的一个“视觉——精神”循环逻辑，或者说内面之观看的视觉心理过程。对于这一过程的细辨与剖析，即是本文循序展开的目标。
Within the sequence of his works, Xue Ruozhe’s paintings transition from depicting external objects to delving into the inner world of the subjects, reflecting the artist’s introspection, and further extending to the internal gaze of all viewers, bridging the gap from sight to spirit. This is the “visual-spiritual” cyclic logic that Xue Ruozhe achieves through his extensive body of work, representing a process of inner visual contemplation. The detailed analysis and dissection of this process is the goal of this essay.
在第一部分，我们选择以肖像为切入点，论述薛若哲式肖像的特性，甚至是其中“反肖像”的特质；由此带来的对于“再现”过程的悬置，更是对写实绘画的再现传统进行的某种另类回应。这样的方式，引导着绘画从外面的呈现至内面的审思。第二部分进一步讨论内观的主体与对象，主体与对象的关系，尤其源于薛若哲绘画中“观看”的复杂性。借由讨论绘画凝视中的多重目光，我们获知画家如何以“感召”的方式，构造着绘画对象与观者平行的内视关系。第三部分，更广泛地关注目光背后的图像机制，反思画家如何借由多重图像，构造视觉与精神的谜题，从而使自我审视之路无限地延伸……
In the first part, we choose to start with portraiture, discussing the style’s characteristics of Xue Ruozhe’s portraits, including the traits of “anti-portraiture.” This leads to a suspension of the “representation” process, offering an alternative response to the traditional representation in realistic painting. This approach guides painting from external presentation to internal contemplation. The second part further explores the subject and object of introspection, focusing on the complex relationship between the subject and object, particularly arising from the intricacies of the “gaze” in Xue Ruozhe’s paintings. By discussing the multiple perspectives within the gaze of the painting, we understand how the artist, in an “evocative” manner, constructs a parallel relationship between the subject in the painting and the viewer who is respectively contemplating. In the third part, we broaden our focus to the image mechanisms behind the gaze, reflecting on how the artist, through multiple images, constructs visual and mental puzzles, thus allowing the path of self-examination to infinitely extend.
一 外现的，与内观的
External Manifestation and Internal Contemplation
薛若哲的具象绘画，不仅起始于对于外物的描摹，而且也精于外物之细节的描绘。它们如此贴近于外在现实，以至于人们常迷恋于画家再现的技术，那种于空白的平面画布之上重现立体世界的能力。不消说，画家本人也自小痴迷于此，从童年的画班到中央美术学院附中，及至央美油画系、旅英硕士深造，他接受专业教育，更不乏个人探索，笔追先贤，有意上溯从拉斐尔至安格尔至德加的绘画路径，尤在绘画技法还是审美趣味上，于前辈有所承继，又有所延伸。在古典与写实的宏大背景下，他展开了具有个人特质的钻研与实践。
Xue Ruozhe’s figurative paintings not only begin with the depiction of external objects but also excel in portraying the details of these objects. They are so close to external reality that people often become enamoured with the artist’s ability to recreate the three-dimensional world on a blank canvas. Needless to say, the artist himself has been fascinated by this from an early age, from childhood art classes to the Central Academy of Fine Arts Affiliated High School, and later to the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and his master’s degree in the UK. He received a professional education, coupled with personal exploration, and followed the footsteps of his predecessors, consciously tracing the path of painting from Raphael to Ingres to Degas. Particularly in terms of painting techniques and aesthetic preferences, he both inherits and extends from his predecessors within the grand context of classical and realistic art. In doing so, he embarked on a research and practice journey with distinctive personal traits.
在油画的技术层面，薛若哲作画时，兼具一定的综合性与个人性。他没有过多依赖传统油画的多层罩染的技术，尽管如此，在有限色层内，他仍然重视油画底色与半透明的表层颜色所共同形成的色彩关系（尤其考虑到薛若哲的用色是极其克制的），这不可谓不是传统技法的理路。他同样距离直接画法更加遥远，毕竟直接画法中那些不加掩饰的表现性的笔触，并不利于细节的刻画，不过，在描绘特定物像之时，比如发丝、毛衣、画面背景（如2021年的《这不是一只手》），薛若哲也会逸笔草草起来，尽情发挥，甚至在局部自由涂抹，为常常隐忍克制的画面，附上些灵动的节奏。这些细节之处的肆意，往往掩盖在写实的整体外观之下；时常，我们仍然需靠近且仔细地观看，才能有所体会。具体而言，在作一幅画（尤其肖像）之时，薛若哲往往有棚拍的照片为基础。他不直接对模特绘画（尽管他的绘画有十足的现场感），而是让模特提前造型、摆拍，再经过一些图像处理，并依照片作画。因而，绘画的时候，在他的空白画架一旁总有一个屏幕，展示着提前拍摄并处理好的模特照片。当绘制局部时，他也会在相应放大图像，以更清晰地观察。这是他特有的、“对屏写生”的方式。一般而言，薛若哲的肖像画是与真人等身大的，不过他总会提前画一幅小画，在色彩上试图确切一些——尽管这些小画往往由他自留，而鲜有在展览中出现，于是往往不为人知。在绘画时，薛若哲会铺一层底层的深色，并以素描的方式粗略地勾勒出肖像的轮廓；他从不在底层不惜笔墨地锚定一切细节、并在其上完成填色的游戏，而是更乐于在一层层上色的过程中，确定诸种细节的造型与明暗。薛若哲的画面不显得厚重，这一方面源于他的自信与果断，因而不过多修改、层层覆盖；另一方面，也得益于他相当个人化的技法，即在用大笔（笔刷）铺色时，他常以很大的力度用笔刷刮蹭画布，用他自己的话说，将颜色“揉”进去。一定程度上，画面背景时而出现的“逸笔草草”，也便是刷子与画布揉捻碰撞而产生的交叠痕迹。在此之上，便是细节的描绘，小笔替换大刷，处理细部的结构与色层之间的明暗，完成再现的过程。肖像从底层画之轮廓，到完成品之体积感的塑造，言之只需一瞬，在画布之上还原则非成年累月之功而不可为。
On the technical level of oil painting, Xue Ruozhe’s approach is both traditional and personal. He doesn’t overly rely on the traditional technique of layering and glazing in oil painting. Nevertheless, within a limited colour palette, he still emphasizes the colour relationship formed by the base colour and the translucent surface colour in his paintings (especially considering Xue Ruozhe’s restrained use of colour). This can be seen as following a traditional technique. He also keeps a distance from a more direct painting style (Alla Prima), as the unadorned expressive brushstrokes in direct painting are not conducive to detailed portrayals. However, when depicting specific elements such as hair, sweaters, or the background (as seen in the 2021 work This is Not a Hand), Xue Ruozhe allows himself to be more spontaneous, even freely applying paint in certain areas, adding a dynamic rhythm to the otherwise restrained composition. The freedom in these details is often concealed beneath the overall appearance of realism; often, we need to approach and carefully observe to fully appreciate it. Specifically, when creating a painting, especially a portrait, Xue Ruozhe often uses studio-shot photographs as a foundation. He doesn’t paint directly from the model (although his paintings have a strong sense of immediacy), but rather has the model pose and shape in advance. After some image processing, he paints based on the processed photographs. Therefore, when painting, there is always a screen beside his blank canvas displaying pre-shot and processed model photos. When working on specific details, he also zooms in on the corresponding enlarged images for clearer observation. This is his unique way of “drawing from the screen.” Generally, Xue Ruozhe’s portrait paintings are life-sized, but he usually creates a small painting beforehand, aiming for more accuracy in colour—though these small paintings are often kept by him and rarely appear in exhibitions, remaining relatively unknown. During the painting process, Xue Ruozhe lays down a dark base layer and roughly sketches the outline of the portrait in a sketch-like manner. He never anchors all the details firmly in the base layer and completes the colouring part on top of it. Instead, he prefers to determine the forms, light and shadow of various details during the process of layering colours. Xue Ruozhe’s paintings don’t appear heavy, partly due to his confidence and decisiveness, resulting in minimal revisions and layering. Additionally, his personal technique plays a role; when using large brushes to apply colour, he often forcefully scrapes the canvas with the brush. In his words, he “rubs” the colour in. To some extent, the occasional appearance of “spontaneous strokes” in the background is the result of the brush and canvas rubbing and colliding. Above this is the detailing process, where small brushes replace large brushes, handling the nuances between the structures and layers of colour, completing the process of representation from the contour of the base layer to the shaping of the volume in the finished work. It can be said that the reproduction on the canvas is the result of years of accumulated effort rather than a momentary act.
当然，技术的娴熟，对于薛若哲而言，并非仅为还原某种古典的趣味或写实的目标。或许正相反的是，即便薛若哲承继着油画的传统，但他多少意识到古典与写实又同时是沉重的包袱——在“绘画已死”以及“艺术终结论”几乎是陈词滥调的今日，古典与写实甚至是艺术前进的“敌人”，写实画家于古、于今腹背受敌，夹缝求生。油画语言与技术的微妙延展，似乎不足以抵抗新的宏大叙事的潮流。以此观之，除却技术的磨练，薛若哲似乎也意欲调动着更多的“武器”，采取更为激进的动作，来直面新的挑战。
Certainly, for Xue Ruozhe, the mastery of technique is not merely about reproducing a classical aesthetic or achieving a realistic goal. Perhaps, on the contrary, even though Xue Ruozhe inherits the tradition of oil painting, he is somewhat aware that both classical and realistic styles can be heavy burdens. In today’s ubiquitous declarations on “the death of painting” and “the end of art,” classical and realistic styles are seen as adversaries to artistic progress. Realist painters, both in the past and present, find themselves caught in a dilemma, sandwiched between two oppressing forces. The subtle extensions of the language and technique of oil painting seem insufficient to resist the tide of new grand narratives. In this light, beyond honing his technical skills, Xue Ruozhe appears to mobilize more “weapons” and take more radical actions to confront new challenges.
吊诡的是，薛若哲的直面，并不是迎面痛击，而是转向内面，乃至背向远离。而这要从他特殊的肖像画谈起。
Ironically, Xue Ruozhe’s confrontation is not a direct counterattack but a turning inward, or even a turning away. This starts from his distinctive portrait paintings.
艺术史家欧文·潘诺夫斯基（Erwin Panofsky）曾对肖像画提出了一个最简明的表述：“肖像画的目标有两个基本要素……一方面，它试图揭示出被画人与其他人的不同之处，甚至是他在不同时间或不同情况下被描绘时自身的不同。这使肖像区别于理想型人物或者类型。另一方面，无论地点和时间，它都试图揭示出画中人与其他人类的共同之处，以及留在他身上的东西。这就是肖像画与构成风俗画（genre painting）或叙述性绘画的一部分人物的区别……肖像画虽然传达的是个人的面貌，但也能展示艺术家的想象力、被画人的社会角色以及被画人的品质，这些品质使他或她超越了当时的场合”。潘诺夫斯基的重点有两个，一个是肖像画中人的独立性，不同于具有场景性与叙述性的风俗画中的人，肖像画中的人不是风景或者叙事的辅助或工具，而是独立的、重要的个体；另一个重点，乃是肖像画与对象（模特）的紧密依存关系，比之具有普遍性的圣像画，一张肖像画描绘着、且只描绘着某一个人。在薛若哲的作品中，人像占据了多数。但是，它们有类上述之肖像，却又不全然如此。个体的彰显，在薛若哲的肖像画中，具有矛盾性：一方面，这些肖像画几乎总是一画一人（尽管一张画中，同一个人时常幽灵般地出现两次），因而具有着毋庸置疑的主体性，绝非任何叙事的配角，这符合肖像绘画的基础原则；另一方面，他们却总是隐藏着面目，背向观者，或主动地自我遮蔽，以至于身份、状态不可辨识——他们似乎可以是一个人，也同样可以是一类人，不同于潘诺夫斯基所言的一般肖像画“试图揭示出被画人与其他人的不同之处”。薛若哲的肖像中（如《一扇红门》、《凝视深渊之道》、《她和她的顾问在私室里密谈》等等），众多面目消隐的人，完全回避着观者，以至于无从辨识身份，他们既是画面主体，更是画面有意蒙蔽的对象。因此，与其说这些作品是“肖像”，似乎不如称它们为“反肖像”，因为在具有无限接近肖像的特质的同时，这些作品又恰恰隐匿了最为核心的面部表达——它们将“肖像”之为人所具有的根本意义瞬间抽空与逆转。
这种抽空与逆转，广义而言，不仅在于对肖像（反肖像）的逻辑颠倒，多少也拓展到更大的对于再现（非再现）的抽离。从观察外物到诉诸笔端，再现的逻辑是具象绘画的核心问题。文艺复兴时期的人文主义者莱昂·巴蒂斯塔·阿尔伯蒂 (Leon Battista Alberti）认为，优秀的画家“几乎接近造物主”，造物主凭空创造，而画家有所凭据地创造，正因“绘画的实际目的是再现看到的事物”。这样的艺术观，几乎主导了此后至现代主义艺术之间的数百年。对于后世的所有心向古典的具象画家，包括薛若哲，这样的观念是传统也是包袱，而他的努力定位，也多少针对着如此框架，并踏进踏出。一方面，薛若哲以精湛的绘画技术，完成着从眼到手的“传统画家”的工作；另一方面，他罔顾具象绘画（尤其肖像画）的再现逻辑，通过回避呈现肖像的面目，而隐去肖像画的特殊性，使得意欲再现的信息，变得隐藏而不可感。换言之，再现的逻辑，在薛若哲的绘画中，似乎只完成了一半便戛然而止，以至于也产生了颠倒再现目标的效果。
Art historian Erwin Panofsky once made a succinct statement about portraiture: “A portrait aims by definition at two essentials . . . On the one hand it seeks to bring out whatever it is in which the sitter differs from the rest of humanity and would even differ from himself were he portrayed at a different moment or in a different situation; and this is what distinguishes a portrait from an ‘ideal’ figure or ‘type’. On the other hand, it seeks to bring out whatever the sitter has in common with the rest of humanity and what remains in him regardless of place and time; and this is what distinguishes a portrait from a figure forming part of a genre painting or narrative”. Panofsky’s emphasis lies in two aspects: the individuality of the person depicted in portraiture, unlike the figures in narrative genre paintings who serve as aids or tools for the scene or story. The person in a portrait is an independent, significant individual. The other focus is on the close dependence of portraiture on its subject (the model). In contrast to universal religious iconography, a portrait depicts and only depicts a specific individual. In Xue Ruozhe’s works, portraits make up the majority, but they do not conform entirely to the aforementioned characteristics. The emphasis on individuality in Xue Ruozhe’s portraits is contradictory. On one hand, these portraits almost always feature one person (although the same person often appears ghostly twice in a single painting), unquestionably possessing subjectivity and not serving as mere narrative accessories—a fundamental principle of portrait painting. On the other hand, they consistently hide their faces, turning away from the viewer or actively concealing themselves to the point where their identities and states are indiscernible. They seem to be individuals but could also be a type of person, different from Panofsky’s general statement that a portrait “seeks to bring out whatever the sitter has in common with the rest of humanity”. In Xue Ruozhe’s portraits (such as A Red Door, The Way of Seeing the Abyss, She Closeted Herself with Her Councillors, etc.), the numerous obscured faces actively avoid the viewer, making their identities impossible to discern. They are not only the subjects of the composition but also intentional objects of concealment within the artwork. Therefore, instead of calling these works “portraits,” it might be more appropriate to label them as “anti-portraits.” While possessing qualities almost indistinguishable from portraits, these works precisely conceal the most fundamental facial expressions—momentarily voiding and reversing the essential meaning of “portrait” as a representation of an individual.
This kind of voiding and reversal, broadly speaking, means not only the logical inversion of portraiture (anti-portraiture) but also a more significant detachment from representation (non-representation). The logic of representation, from observing external objects to translating them onto the canvas, is a core issue in figurative painting. During the Renaissance, the humanist Leon Battista Alberti believed that an excellent painter “comes close to being a Creator,” as the Creator makes something out of nothing, while the painter creates something based on what already exists, especially because “the actual purpose of painting is to represent what can be seen”. Such an artistic view dominated the centuries between the Renaissance and Mmodernist art. For all later figurative painters with a classical inclination, including Xue Ruozhe, this notion represents both tradition and burden. His efforts tend towards positioning himself within and stepping out of this framework. On the one hand, Xue Ruozhe, with his exquisite painting techniques, accomplishes the work of a “traditional painter” from the eye to the hand. On the other hand, he disregards the logic of representation in figurative painting (especially portraiture) by avoiding the presentation of facial features, thereby concealing the specificity of portraiture. This makes the intended information to be represented hidden and imperceptible. In other words, the logic of representation in Xue Ruozhe’s paintings seems to stop halfway, creating an effect that reverses the goal of representation.
一种可能的解释是：再现过程的中断甚至颠倒，乃是因为薛若哲并不希望显现外物，而是转向内观。换言之，或许，比之具象地呈现物之“外面”，薛若哲更欲接近心之“内面”？
A possible explanation is that the interruption and even reversal of the process of representation is because Xue Ruozhe does not wish to reveal external objects but turns toward introspection. In other words, perhaps Xue Ruozhe seeks to approach the “inward” aspects of the mind rather than presenting the “external” aspects of tangible objects?
内面，这里指的既是方向性的、与“外”物对立的“内”心，也是一种具体性的内向的心绪、内面之人的精神空间，即对内心世界的探求和对于内在自我的心理审视。前者针对着写实再现系统的某种颠倒；而后者则是在完成了颠倒关系之后的心理探寻。在肖像画中，即便以写实再现为方法，薛若哲却通过消隐人物面目，将肖像画的核心抽去，中断了再现的过程，也悬置了绘画与对象的对应关系。背向而立的人，因此多少违背了并挑战着写实绘画的再现逻辑；与此同时，恰恰是背向的动作，让人无从观看（肖像的面庞），而只得向无法再现的内心走去……当然，选择纯然背向而立的肖像画为例，做此论述，是为进行一种更加彻底的表述。事实上，薛若哲并非只画无面之人，在另一些情景下，画中人也时常显露些面貌来。只是，即便那些显露面庞的人，也基本沉浸于各自的时空，目光不与观者交汇（见第二章节的论述），因而同样体现着画家不以再现外物为目的、而更执着于内心表达的意图。另一方面，传统的肖像画当然也并非只求再现物之外面，而忽视内心的表达。只不过，在薛若哲这里，恰恰因为肖像画核心的抽去，使得由外向内的转向，变得尤为激烈与明确。因为转向背面，所以正像柄谷行人笔下内面的人发现风景一样，薛若哲在他的绘画中，明白指示着对于精神深层次的自我的探寻。换言之，正是画面主体的隐藏，引向了对于内面的审视。
The term “inwardness” here refers both to a directional “inner” aspect of the mind as opposed to the outside world, as well as to a specific inward emotion, the inwardness of individual consciousness—exploring the inner world and engaging in psychological self-reflection. The former addresses a kind of reversal within the realistic representation system, while the latter is a psychological exploration after completing the reversed relationship. In portraiture, even when utilizing realistic representation as a method, Xue Ruozhe obscures the faces of the subjects, removing the core of the portrait, interrupting the process of representation, and suspending the correspondence between painting and the subject (sitter). The act of standing with one’s back to the viewer somewhat contradicts and challenges the logic of realistic representation; simultaneously, it is precisely this turning away that prevents the viewer from seeing the face of the portrait, forcing them to turn inward towards the inaccessible inner self. Of course, using portraits where the subject stands with their back completely turned as an example, serves here only as an extreme iteration to provide a more thorough explanation. As a matter of fact, Xue Ruozhe does not exclusively paint faceless individuals; in other scenarios, the subjects often reveal their faces. However, even those with visible faces are generally immersed in their own time and space, their gaze avoiding direct interaction with the viewer (as discussed in the following section), reflecting the artist’s intention not to represent external objects but to emphasize inner expression. On the other hand, traditional portraiture also seeks to express the inner self, not just reproduce external appearances. However, in Xue Ruozhe’s case, the removal of the core of the portrait intensifies and clarifies the shift from external to internal. By turning towards the back, just like the inner man discovering landscapes in Karatani Kojin’s portrayal, Xue Ruozhe clearly indicates in his paintings a profound exploration of the inner self. In other words, the concealment of the subject in the composition directs attention toward introspection.
薛若哲以贴近现实的画法，与外在的现实激烈地告别。写实，而又无实，造就了是一种反其道而行之的方法。继而，我们沿着画家的指示，由外及内地观察，并不觉发问：画中人的内面到底是什么？
Xue Ruozhe’s approach to painting, close to realism, constitutes a radical departure from external reality. Realistic yet unreal, he employs a method that goes against convention. Consequently, in accordance with the artist’s direction, we observe from the external to the internal, which prompts the question: What exactly is the inner world of the figures in the paintings?
细观这些画面，情绪的因子是饱满的，具体的信息却几乎是不明的。首先，作品中的情绪因子不难感知：薛若哲的画面往往以黑白灰为基调，颜色使用克制，且少有亮色，这直接造就了一种平稳深沉的气质（如《一个沉默》、《由白至白》、《开弓》）。其次，既然情绪有温和和激烈的区分，那么从薛若哲画中偶尔显影的面目表情来看，他的作品中情绪往往是趋于温和的。在较早的一张作品《邀请函》（2014年）中，侧面像的女子瞳孔睁大，眼睛外斜，面部肌肉僵紧而嘴唇微张，同样僵紧的，还有她隆起的肩膀以及并拢的手指。这幅绘画很容易从薛若哲的全部作品中跳脱而出，乃是因为它流露出的激烈情绪实在与众不同。只是，这幅画几乎是唯一的例外。在其他一众作品中，薛若哲总是以含蓄的颜色，营造着温和的情绪，比如《火炬》中的相对安稳，而非灼伤热烈；比如《目光交错》中的静默不言，或是《两个杯子》中的略带忧伤的超然。但是，进一步而言，尽管传递的情绪易于感知，但是画面的具体信息仍然不明，且常常缺乏理解它们的线索：画中人到底在做什么？画家又有何指示？观者能读取何种信息？一个手势，两人拥抱，或是独自观看，这只是一种动作与神态，是抽离于环境的片刻，是时空的一瞬间暂停，不居于任何叙事性的情境之中，情状不明，信息消隐。这些绘画，有感觉而无实在。
Upon closer examination of these paintings, the emotional elements are rich, yet specific information is almost inexistent. Firstly, the emotional elements in the works are perceptible: Xue Ruozhe’s compositions often adopt a grayscale palette, with a restrained use of colour and minimal bright hues, creating a calm and profound temperament (as seen in A Silence, From White to White, Draw). Secondly, since mild and intensee emotions can be distinguished, from the occasional facial expressions that emerge in Xue Ruozhe’s paintings, the emotions in his works tend to be mild. In an earlier piece, Invitation (2014), the woman in profile has dilated pupils, her eyes slanted outward, facial muscles tense with slightly parted lips, and the same tension is evident in her raised shoulders and clasped fingers. This painting easily stands out from all of Xue Ruozhe’s works because of the intense emotion it conveys, which is rather exceptional. However, in many other works, Xue Ruozhe consistently creates a subdued emotional atmosphere with subtle colours, such as the relative tranquillity in Torch, rather than a scorching fervour, or the silent non-verbal communication in Eyes Crossed, or the slightly melancholic transcendence in Two Glasses. However, further analysis reveals that, despite the perceptible emotions, the specific information in the images remains unclear, often lacking clues to understand them: What are the figures doing? What is the artist indicating? What information can viewers extract? A gesture, an embrace, or solitary contemplation—these are merely actions and expressions, moments detached from the environment, a pause in the space-time continuum, not situated within any narrative context, with unclear situations and concealed information. These paintings evoke feelings but lack concrete substance.
我们似乎只得止步于此：画家执着于造谜，却无意于解答。而他造谜的方式多种多样，错置着画中人的目光，调动乃至玩弄观者的凝视，以至于，或许画家本人，也陷入了多重观看的迷雾中无法出离？
It seems we can only come to a halt here: the artist is dedicated to creating mysteries but has no intention of providing answers. His methods of creating mysteries are diverse, including misplacing the gaze of the figures, manipulating and even playing with the viewer’s gaze. Perhaps the artist himself is also ensnared in the fog of multiple perspectives, unable to extricate himself?
二 凝视：多重的目光
Gaze: Multiple Perspectives
薛若哲以写实再现外物，而画中人往往有所回避，再现的过程因而在中途悬置，于是造就了外面隐去、指向内面的意图。在引向内面的途中，情绪的传达是饱满的，但是信息的传递却是晦涩的。即便不去追问信息的确切指示，但仍然要面对信息的承载者的问题，换言之：从外现走向内观，内观的主体和对象，到底是谁？
Xue Ruozhe engages in realistic representation of external objects, yet the figures in his paintings often avoid any contact, leaving the process of representation suspended midway. This creates an intention to conceal the external and direct attention towards the internal. While conveying emotions is rich in this inward journey, the transmission of information remains obscure. Even without pursuing precise indications of information, one still has to confront the question of the bearer of information— in other words, who is the subject and object of this inward gaze?
一个再显而易见且明白不过的答案是，内观的主体是画面中描绘的人——他们总在抽离的时空中自我沉浸，所以他们的自我观照是毫无疑问的。薛若哲的肖像画，对象数量有限。而且，尽管也有男性（生理性别）入画，但毕竟是极少数（如2015年的《两个盖伊》）。主体仍然是女性，往往是画家的朋友，固定的几个人，这从她们的身型、以及偶尔显露的面庞局部，可以辨识出来。在2021年的《像》中，女孩是如此地专注，以至于有手指将要入侵到她眼睑之时，她仍然面不改色、无动于衷。侵入画面的手臂颇有压迫感，但是她的沉静一如入定，内省的思索，也显得深沉。她的内观，毫无疑问。
One seemingly evident and straightforward answer is that the subject of the inward gaze is the person depicted in the painting—they are always immersed in a detached space and, therefore, their self-reflection is unquestionable. Xue Ruozhe’s portrait paintings have a limited number of subjects. Although there are occasional depictions of males (biological gender), they are a minority (as seen in Two Guys from 2015). The predominant subjects are women, often friends of the artist, a fixed group identifiable by their body shapes and occasional glimpses of facial features. In Like from 2021, the girl is so focused that even when fingers are about to invade her eyelids, she remains unfazed and impassive. The arm intruding into the frame exudes a sense of oppression, but her tranquillity remains undisturbed, resembling a deep and contemplative introspection. Her inward gaze is unmistakable.
只是，在观看肖像画之时，将肖像画的对象仅仅视为对象，既是无误的（毕竟，肖像画意味着画中人与实际的模特对象的对应关系），又是偏狭的。这是因为，肖像画的发展，以及对于肖像画的观看与阐释，已经在古典传统之上有了诸多的延伸。对于薛若哲而言，他的创作与思索便是基于这一漫长的历程之上的。
However, when viewing portrait paintings, considering the subjects merely as objects is surely accurate (after all, portraiture implies a correspondence between the person in the painting and the actual model), but it is at the same time very narrow. This is because the development and interpretation of portraiture have extended beyond classical traditions. For Xue Ruozhe, his practice and thinking are built upon this extensive history.
谈及观看，一如上文之再现，同样是绘画的核心议题。观看曾经被认为是“单纯”的，就像再现是对外在物像的精准还原，观看就是观者对于绘画的单向凝视。不过，“单纯”本身是不可能的。正如再现因画家视角、能力之不同而无法真正精准地还原现实，继而产生诸多可能性一般，观看也不是单一的，反而是多向的，且与诸多因素相关。肖像画中的观看尤其复杂，一方面，肖像之人与画家以及观者，不只是人与客观物的关系，而是自带复杂的人之间的关系，另外一方面，肖像之人，亦自含目光，不仅被看，同样回看。
The topic of the perspective of gaze, similar to that of representation, is a central theme in painting. Gaze was once thought to be “pure,” just as representation is the precise reproduction of external objects. However, “purity” itself is impossible. Just as representation cannot truly and precisely reproduce reality due to differences in the artist’s perspective and ability, resulting in various possibilities, gaze is not singular; instead, it is multidirectional and intertwined with numerous factors. Gaze in portrait painting is particularly complex. On the one hand, the relationship between the person portrayed, the artist, and the viewer is not merely a relationship between individuals and objective objects but inherently involves intricate human connections. On the other hand, the person depicted in the portrait also possesses a gaze; they are not only seen but also engage in a reciprocal act of looking back.
及至现代，肖像的观看日益复杂。米歇尔·福柯在论述委拉斯贵支的古典油画《宫娥》之时，未将其简单视为一副宫廷群像的描绘，而是通过讨论镜中的国王、王后与观者位置之重合，论述了观者主体性的消解。T.J.克拉克在论述马奈的杰作《奥林匹亚》时，同样强调其彰显妓女自身之裸露以及灼灼逼人的目光，论其对于彼时自视正统的观众的挑衅。肖像画（乃至一切绘画）均不再是外在的对象与客体，它们针对观者起着能动性的作用；观者的目光也因而不再是单纯的与单向的，相反，画中人与观者时时有着连接的可能。在《肖像画的凝视中》，让-吕克·南希指出，“绘画并不是一种对灵魂或者精神的讽喻。这不是有关一种人们也许可以在某个形象后面看到的一个内在。它的到来是为了向着主体自身来唤起主体，为了实现它向自身的无限返回”。吕克·南希此言，针对肖像画作为对象、处于被动的位置，做了辩护与提升。他进一步说，“肖像画的目光不再是看着自身，而是看着那个看着画布的目光——因此，它看着正在画画的画家，‘同一’也变成了‘他异’，而且它还在‘同一’时间，看着这幅画的某个未来的观众”。肖像画的目光被认为是连接性的，因此有了运动的态势，画中人的自我的‘同一’中掺入‘他异’的成分，与观看此画的观众产生对话。这便是为肖像画打开了与外界不断联通的可能性——“它召唤我们向着它或者走近它，它把我们带向它那里：就在那儿，直接就是供我们凝视的绘画，我们进入内部，如同它在外部显现自身”。
After moving into the modern era, the act of viewing portraits becomes increasingly complex. Michel Foucault, in discussing Velázquez’s classical oil painting Las Meninas, does not simply see it as a depiction of a courtly group but rather examines the overlap of the positions between the king and queen in mirrorr and the viewer in reality, discussing the dissolution of the viewer’s subjectivity. Similarly, T.J. Clark, when discussing Manet’s masterpiece Olympia, emphasizes its portrayal of the nakedness of the prostitute and her compelling gaze, interpreting it as a challenge to the self-righteous viewers at that time. Portraiture (and all painting) is no longer a mere external object and subject; it actively engages the viewer. The viewer’s gaze is no longer simple and unidirectional; on the contrary, there is a constant potential for connection between the person in the painting and the viewer. In Portrait, Jean-Luc Nancy points out that “painting is not an allegory of the soul or of spirit … it is not a matter of an interior that one might ultimately be able to see behind a particular figure … It appears in order to recall the subject to itself, in order to bring about its infinite return to itself.” Nancy defends and elevates portraiture against its position as an object in a passive position, further claiming that “the look of the portrait no longer looks at itself but looks instead at the one who is looking at the canvas and so at the painter in the process of painting; the ‘same’ who becomes thus the ‘other.’ With the same ‘stroke,’ however, it looks out on us, the painting’s prospective audience.” The gaze of the portrait is considered connective, creating a dynamic situation where the self of the person in the painting incorporates an element of ‘the other,’ engaging in a dialogue with the viewer. This opens up the possibility for portraiture to continuously connect with the outside world—”It calls us or summons us to it or towards it, leading us there; through the painting that is offered up to our look, we engage with the manner in which it is presented to the outside.”
可是，薛若哲的肖像画，虽然绝不是传统绘画观看的框架下的、仅被视为客体的对象，但是，似乎也并非吕克·南希论述中的“同一”与“他异”相交互的肖像画。薛若哲绘画中的目光之特殊、之回避、之错置，多少导致了绘画对于“召唤我们向着它或者走近它”的效力的丧失。这些几乎与世隔绝的肖像中人，一方面纯然内观，另一方面，似乎有意与观者保持着某种距离感。
However, Xue Ruozhe’s portrait paintings, while not fitting neatly into the traditional framework of gaze, do not entirely align either with Jean-Luc Nancy’s discourse on the reciprocal nature of “the same” and “the other” in portraiture. The unique characteristics of gaze, avoidance, and misplacement in Xue Ruozhe’s paintings somewhat diminish the painting’s effectiveness in “calling us or summoning us to it or towards it.” The turning-away individuals depicted in his portraits, on one hand, engage in self-introspection, and on the other hand, seem intentionally distant from the viewer.
距离感的存在，源于目光的回避与错置。薛若哲的肖像画，有着特殊的目光；而这样的目光下，隐含着多种凝视。前文叙述的面目消隐的肖像画，是一种极端的表达，随之而来的，自然是目光的隐而不现；有些目光，有意被阻挡，除了《像》之外，类似的动作与构图还出现在更早的2015年的作品《眼罩》之中，入侵的手臂遮挡着双眼，让画中人与观者无从对话，也揭示着画家对于目光（回避）交流的调动与操纵；另一类目光是自我沉浸，无论是《已附议》、《意外来电》还是《静物2号》，虽然她们的目光毫无遮挡，但是均是一副不被打扰的状态，凝神专注于个体，似无意与外界沟通。整体而言，目光的交错与偏置，总是居于作品的前端，画中人鲜有与观众正面对视的契机，他们沉浸在个人的晦涩时空中，彼此之间互相无视，默默无言。但是，他们的凝神与专注，某种普遍性的状态，又是有目共睹的。只不过，当我们凝视他们，想到自身，意图与他们连接之时，他们却总是无意回望。
The presence of a distance arises from the avoidance and misplacement of gazes. Xue Ruozhe’s portrait paintings feature distinctive gazes, implying various forms of observation. In the portraits described earlier, where faces are obscured, it represents an extreme expression, and along with it comes the concealment of gazes. Some gazes are intentionally obstructed; apart from Like, a similar action and composition appear in an earlier 2015 work titled Eye Shade. The invading arm covering the eyes prevents any dialogue between the figure and the viewer, revealing the artist’s manipulation and control of the communication of gaze (or avoidance thereof). Another type of gaze is self-immersed, whether in Seconded, An Unexpected Call, or Still Life No.2. Even though their gazes are unobstructed, they depict an undisturbed state, focused on the individual, seemingly indifferent to communication with the outside world. Overall, the interplay and displacement of gazes always take centre stage in the works, with few opportunities for direct eye contact between the figures and the audience. Immersed in a personal and obscure temporal space, they ignore each other, silently absorbed. However, their concentration and focus, representing a universal state, are apparent. Yet, when we gaze at them, reflecting on ourselves and attempting to connect with them, they always seem unintentionally unresponsive.
在此情境下，薛若哲并不创造着具有“召唤”意义的肖像画，因为画中人似无意在外部显现自身；不过，他却营造着凝神专注的平行时空，尽管保持着距离感，但是仍然“感召”着观者，平行地进入自我内观的世界。画中人虽然无意与外界沟通，但是他们感召着我们，启发我们更深地寻觅自己；这是两个平行的世界，但是根源为一，即绘画本身；正是因为绘画推离了我们离开原点，这才有了后来的两个平行的世界（一为绘画的，二为观者的）——在此意义上，他们通过拒斥我们，而又容纳着我们。这是一种拒绝联通的联通，在凝神的片刻，他们与我们各自入定，却又相与为一。他（我）们，是画家描绘的对象，是具有主体的绘画存在；是画家自反的镜像，又是观者可透视、可内观的自我。他（我）们具有坚实的存在，却也具有透明的效果，因而创造了无限的潜能，借由众多画外之眼，抵达无从捉摸的画内之心。由此，薛若哲的绘画，实现着视觉的拒斥与互视，探索着精神的内面空间。
In this context, Xue Ruozhe doesn’t create portraits that “call or summon” because the figures in his paintings seem unintentionally revealing themselves to the external world. However, he constructs a parallel temporal space of concentration and focus. Despite maintaining a sense of distance, it still “evokes” the viewer, driving them to enter a world of self-introspection. Although the figures in the paintings seem uninterested in communicating with the outside world, they evoke a response in us, inspiring a deeper search for ourselves. These are two parallel worlds rooted in one—both originating from the painting itself. It is the painting that separates us from the origin, giving rise to these two parallel worlds (one belonging to the painting and the other to the viewer). In this sense, they reject us while simultaneously accommodating us. It is a rejection of connection that, in the moment of concentration, allows them and us to enter a state of introspection, becoming one. They (We) are the subjects depicted by the artist, a painting agency with subjectivity. They (We) are the reflective mirror of the artist and a transparent self for the viewer’s introspection. They (We) have a solid existence yet possess a transparent effect, creating infinite potential where through the many eyes beyond the canvas, one can reach the elusive heart within the painting. Thus, Xue Ruozhe’s paintings achieve, at the same time, a visual rejection and a mutual gaze, exploring the inward space of the mind.
平行的互视，仍然没有带来任何答案，这在于每个人的内心都是难以猜测的黑洞。在薛若哲几乎所有都回避目光的绘画中，有一个重大的例外，即2022年的大幅《自画像》。在此，互视终于不再平行而立，而是狭路相逢：《自画像》目光炯炯，逼视观者；观者回馈以凝视，紧盯不放。只是，终得一见的相逢目光，同样交代了更多的谜题而非答案。艺术史的谚语讲：Ogni pittore dipinge sè（Every painter paints himself)，即一切画家都是画他自身，肖像画中的自画像则更是如此。但是在薛若哲的《自画像》中，他自身亦不得显现。
The parallel mutual gaze still doesn’t bring any answers because each person’s inner self is like an inscrutable black hole. In almost all of Xue Ruozhe’s paintings where eye contact is avoided, there is a significant exception: the large-scale Self-Portrait from 2022. Here, the mutual gaze is no longer parallel but confrontational: the gaze in Self-Portrait is intense, staring directly at the viewer, who has to respond with a similar fixed gaze. However, this direct eye contact, although finally channelled, reveals more mysteries than answers. There’s a saying in art history: “Ogni pittore dipinge sè”, meaning every painter paints himself, and this is especially true in self-portraits. However, in Xue Ruozhe’s Self-Portrait, even he does not fully reveal himself.
这幅《自画像》与前述委氏的《宫娥》有致敬关系：前者截取了后者中的左侧一角，以相同的姿势，复现了画家正在画布前作画的姿态。最大的不同在于两处：一为虚假的自我，二为补充的镜像。在薛若哲的《自画像》中，主角实际上并非是他自己，而是伪装成他的女性朋友漓澧的样子，这里有了性别的置换；画中人背后的身影，以及脚下的倒影，提示人物背后与脚下的虚拟的镜面的存在。镜子是《宫娥》中瞩目的存在，亦是后世学者多有论述的元素，薛若哲化用镜像，想必与原画本身以及与原画相关的艺术阐释均有关系。甚至，或许是福柯强调的“主体缺席”也启发了他对于个人在《自画像》中的有意缺席？
This Self-Portrait pays homage to the aforementioned Las Meninas of Velázquez: the former extracts the left corner of the latter, replicating the painter’s pose in front of the canvas. The most significant differences lie in two aspects: the false self and the added mirror image. In Xue Ruozhe’s Self-Portrait, the main character is not actually himself but rather disguised as his female friend Lili, introducing a gender substitution. The figure behind the person in the painting and the reflection underfoot hint at the existence of a virtual mirror. The mirror is a prominent element in Las Meninas, often discussed by later scholars, and Xue Ruozhe’s use of mirrors is likely related to the original painting itself and the artistic interpretations associated with it. Perhaps even Michel Foucault’s emphasis on the “absence of the subject” inspired his intentional absence in Self-Portrait?
一个不认识薛若哲的观者，若未注意作品标题（作品标题的全称是《自画像（伪装成漓澧）》——薛若哲没有将神秘保持到底），会自然而然地认为，这个站在画布前的画家，就是创作者本人。薛若哲是在玩弄观者的预设？还是果真在进行自我的重新审视，乃至曝露自我的女性气质？这不得而知。画中虚拟的镜面也告诉我们：这里有很多虚构。之所以说画中的镜面是虚构的，是因为既然置于漓澧身后的镜面能反照她、且能够反照画布，那么也自然应该反照着正面观看的“我”——但“我并不存在”。另一方面，身后与脚下的镜子，如果果真存在，那么应该有一个折角处的连接，可是在画面中，“镜子”的位置是一片平滑而下的浅灰色背景。所以，镜面并不存在，只是一种虚设。这与自画像的虚拟属性相一致，但这是否也意味着，画家的性别倒转，也是虚拟的？
An observer unfamiliar with Xue Ruozhe would naturally assume that the painter standing in front of the canvas is the artist himself if he didn’t pay attention to the artwork’s title (the full title is Self-Portrait (Disguised as Lili)—Xue Ruozhe does not preserve the mystery to the end). Is Xue Ruozhe playing with the viewer’s assumptions, or is he genuinely undergoing a reassessment of himself, even exposing his feminine qualities? This remains unknown. The virtual mirror in the painting also tells us that there is a lot of fabrication here. The reason for saying that the mirror in the painting is fictional is that if the mirror behind Lili can reflect her and the canvas, it should naturally reflect the “I” viewing from the front—but the “I” does not exist. On the other hand, if the mirror behind and underfoot truly exists, there should be a connecting angle, but in the picture, the position of the “mirror” is a smooth, downward, light gray background. Therefore, the mirror does not exist; it is just a hypothetical construct. Is this also an indication that the gender reversal of the painter is also virtual?
答案无可抵达。薛若哲置于《自画像》中的重重迷雾，如其他画一般，保持了相当的神秘性距离，让人无法探看事实的真相以及画家的真心。只是，或许可能性要比真相更加迷人。比如，吕克·南希也曾讲到：“同样，肖像画并不仅仅在于揭露一种同一性 （identité）或者一个‘我’。也许，‘我’总是被寻找的”。尽管我们终于在薛若哲的《自画像》中目光交汇，但是距离感仍然十足——这里的主体均成疑，或许正因画家希望感召着我们、提示着我们（包括他自己）：寻找自己。
No answer can be reached. Xue Ruozhe’s Self-Portrait, shrouded in layers of fog like his other paintings, maintains considerable mystery, preventing anyone from peeking into the truth or the artist’s true thoughts. However, possibilities can be more enchanting than the truth. For example, as Jean-Luc Nancy once said, “As such, the portrait does not constitute simply a revelation of an identity or a ‘me’. But there is no doubt that this is always what is being sought.” Although we finally find eye contact in Xue Ruozhe’s Self-Portrait, the sense of distance remains profound—here, the subject is in question, perhaps because the painter hopes to evoke us and encourage us (and himself) to search for our self.
三 谜题后的谜题
Mysteries after Mysteries
薛若哲以人体肖像为主的创作，并不直接“召唤”我们走近，而是在目光的多重错置与回避之下，保持着距离感地“感召”我们。与此同时，他不断地创造着谜题，尤其以各式图像构建起视觉的迷宫。很大程度上，正是因为图像谜题的产生，才使得目光变得错位，也使得绘画对于内面的“感召”过程得以开启。
Xue Ruozhe’s works, mainly portraits, do not directly “summon” us to come closer, but rather “evoke” our presence with a sense of distance through multiple displaced and avoided gazes. At the same time, he constantly creates puzzles, especially by building visual labyrinths with images. To a large extent, it is the creation of image puzzles that makes the gaze dislocated and opens up the process of the painting’s “calling” to the inside.
在有意地于画面中创造图像谜题之前，薛若哲在早期的创作中已流露出内向的情绪，尽管还没有达到内面探视的深度。在薛若哲学生时期的素描与速写作品中，值得注意的一个细节是，他倾向于描绘不露面庞的背向之人（比如2005-2007之间的三张速写，如下）。他是一个内向的、默默的观察者，而不是直面绘画对象、或与模特正面交锋的类型；后一类画家往往着重观察模特的表情和眼神，定要于其神态、尤其目光中捕捉其魂魄与精神，并复现于画面。薛若哲不是此类画家，在及至今日的创作中，他也从不直接写生模特，而是按计划先给模特拍好照，对照片进行二次处理，再对着处理后的照片进行绘画，从而避免直接面对模特绘画的不自在之感。
Before intentionally creating pictorial puzzles in his paintings, Xue Ruozhe’s early works already revealed an introverted mood, although they did not yet reach the depths of inwardness. A noteworthy detail in Xue Ruozhe’s drawings and sketches during his high school period is his tendency to depict people’s backs (See three drawings Xue made during 2005-2007 below). He is an introvert, a silent observer, not the type who faces the subject or confronts the model; the latter type of painter tends to focus on the model’s expression and eyes, aiming to capture the soul and spirit in his or her demeanour and, especially in his or her gaze, to reproduce it in the picture. Xue Ruozhe is not one of these painters, and in his work today, he never paints the model directly, but rather takes a picture of the model according to a draft, processes the picture, and then paints the processed picture, thus avoiding the uncomfortable feeling of painting directly in front of the model.
内向的心绪，同样弥漫在薛若哲的摄影作品中。事实上，照片不仅是薛若哲绘画的前提，即拍摄模特、进而绘画，摄影同样是薛若哲的爱好。尽管他多少以记录以及游戏的心态面对摄影，但他时常相机不离手，终于还是积累出数十万张照片（哪怕不是严格意义上的摄影作品）。在一众整理出来的照片中，我们总能发现那些与薛若哲绘画气质十分相合的：比如在《伦敦，2019》中，背向而立的男子戴着耳机，背景因为虚焦而显得模糊，他于是愈加沉浸在个人的世界中；在《徐州，2013》中，哪怕是一行人，也因氛围之孤寂，而显得各不相关；《徐州，2020》中的人驾船（向对岸》）驶去，只是，终点遥不可及，河流如汪洋般无尽，人也显得渺小……总之，这些照片多情绪收敛，气氛婉约，引而不发，内向中偶有悲情。
Internal sentiments also pervade Xue Ruozhe’s photographic works. In fact, photographs not only serve as the premise for Xue Ruozhe’s paintings, by which he captures models and subsequently paints, but photography is also a passion for him. Despite approaching photography with a somewhat documentary and playful mindset, he often keeps his camera close at hand, accumulating hundreds of thousands of photos (even if not strictly considered photographic works). Among the selected photos, we consistently find scenes that align with the temperament of Xue Ruozhe’s paintings: for instance, in London, 2019, a man stands facing away, wearing headphones, and the background, blurred by bokeh effects, enhances his immersion in a personal world; in Xuzhou, 2013, each person appears unrelated due to an atmosphere of solitude even though they are in a group,; in Xuzhou, 2021, a person in a boat (heading to the other shore) sails away, yet the destination is elusive, the river seemingly endless, and the individual appears diminutive… In summary, these photos exhibit restrained emotions, a subtle atmosphere, intriguing but not fully expressed, with occasional melancholy within their introversion.
只是，这些早期的素描也好、平日的摄影也好，仅仅是流露出内向的氛围，距离内面的省思的深度，似乎仍然有一定距离。而接搭起二者的桥梁，在薛若哲的主体作品即绘画中，无疑便是图像谜题的创造。
However, whether in the early sketches or everyday photography, there only seems to be an introverted atmosphere, still incomparable to the depth of inner contemplation. The bridge connecting these two, in Xue Ruozhe’s main works, particularly his paintings, is undeniably the creation of visual puzzles.
薛若哲完全可以在摄影中完成图像迷宫的构建——想想上世纪初的达达主义者和超现实主义者吧！摄影蒙太奇（photomontage）（平面视觉要素的接续与组合）的方法，便是构建谜题的普遍做法。在上世纪二十年代左右，达达主义者开始创作摄影蒙太奇，拼接混合着杂志剪报与目录插图等图式，一如综合立体主义时期的拼贴，摄影蒙太奇将各种现成品粘贴在一起，创造出照片造型，扩展着视觉的可能性。而超现实主义者也善用此法，只是目的与导向略有差异：他们将现实中（意识世界中）不会共处的元素并置，创造出梦境一般的潜意识世界。只是，薛若哲不曾在摄影中动用蒙太奇的手法，他着力于现实瞬间的抓去与捕捉，而对于现实片段的提取与再造，反而常出现在他的绘画作品中。不过考虑到他创作中摄影元素（以及图像处理软件）的关键作用，薛若哲绘画中的“摄影蒙太奇”暗流，依然时时汩动。
Xue Ruozhe could very well construct visual mazes in photography alone—just think of the Dadaists and Surrealists from the early 20th century! The method of photographic montage (the combination of visual elements) is a common practice in creating puzzles. In the 1920s, Dadaists began creating photographic montages, splicing together magazine clippings and catalog illustrations, similar to the collages of the synthetic Cubist period. Photographic montages glue various ready-made elements together to create a photo composition, expanding the possibilities of visual expression. Surrealists also adeptly used this technique, but with a slightly different purpose and direction: they juxtaposed elements that would not coexist in reality (the world of consciousness), creating a dream-like subconscious world. However, Xue Ruozhe has not employed the montage technique in his photography. Instead, he focuses on capturing moments of reality and extracting and reconstructing real-life scenes, a process that often appears in his paintings. Nevertheless, considering the crucial role of photographic elements (and image processing software) in his creative process, the undercurrent of “photographic montage” in Xue Ruozhe’s paintings continues to flow.
在小画的方寸之间，薛若哲时常能以有限的元素，拼贴式地构建图像谜题，比如《存火者》中，掌心处的高光，提示着无中生有的闪亮，再比如《绘制过的表面》中，从脚趾处生长而出的、无法区分到底位于平面还是位于空间中的橘红色线条。在偶有出现的风景画中，写实风格的面貌背后，富含着诸多的虚构：透视正确的房屋，侧边突然生硬起来；大地的结构也与现实相符，只是表面的肌理却像电脑着色；海岸线旁的树木高高挺立，细看却离真实太远，仅是一些灰色的团块……在尺幅恢弘的（2米以上）的大作之上，薛若哲更能调动矛盾性的图像（无论是人物还是风景），感召着观者在谜题的夹缝中找寻。《在另一边》中，看似自上而下连缀的风景，被画面右侧的弯折打断，提示着幕布的存在——所以，两重身影原来是处于两个空间；不过，画面深处整块的灰绿色，似乎又在幕布之内增加了一重幕布，那么，虚拟中何必再有虚拟？幕布设置的谜题，同样出现在薛若哲更具野心的、具有序列性的三件作品中：其中，在《湾区导览》中，前景中背向的三人，是典型的薛若哲式的自我复制的人影，循着她们的目光向后望去，远处的海滩像是一出超现实的剧目：有打排球的日常状态，也有枪杀的恐怖现场，而被杀之人的右侧，是置身事外的被害人，她又活了过来一般，冷静地监督着这一幕枪杀现场；目光再次回到前景，右侧站立女子左肩之前的微妙阴影，似乎提示着整个背景或只是一片幕布，情节也自然是纯粹虚构……与之相关的《遥远的风景》中，手持镜子侧立的女子，镜面的反射中，既有刺向观者的目光，也有《湾区导览》中的海岸线风景，似乎要将观者和海边的案发现场联系在一起？此序列的第三张《最终解决方案》中，悬浮于虚空的沙盘，模拟了海滩的景象，如科幻电影一般，再次回应着一系列场景的虚构属性。在这些层层嵌套的故事当中，表面的故事似乎永远不真实，但其中的虚构属性，又总是需要目光的游移与仔细的查勘才能有所昭示。然而即便如此，向内寻觅的真实，似乎仍然杳无终点。
In the small squares of his paintings, Xue Ruozhe often constructs visual puzzles with limited elements, such as the highlight in the palm of the hand in The Keeper, suggesting a brilliant flame out of nothing. In Painted Surface, an orange line grows from the toes, and we cannot tell whether it exists on the plane or in space. Even in the seemingly realistic landscape paintings, contradictions abound: the perspective-correct houses suddenly become rigid from the side; the earth’s structure matches reality, but the surface texture looks computer-generated; trees by the coastline stand tall, yet upon closer inspection, they are just gray masses… In larger works (over 2 meters), Xue Ruozhe excels in evoking contradictions in both figures and landscapes, urging viewers to search within the enigma. In On the Other Side, a seemingly continuous landscape is interrupted by a bend on the right side, hinting at the presence of a curtain – so the two shadows are in two different spaces. However, the deep gray-green block in the background seems to introduce another curtain within the first one. In Xue Ruozhe’s more ambitious sequential pieces, like the three-part series, a curtain puzzle is set. For instance, in Guided Tour around Bay Area, the self-replicating shadows in the foreground are typical of Xue Ruozhe’s style. Following their gaze backward, the beach in the distance seems like a surreal scene, switching between everyday volleyball and a horrific murder scene. A victim, seemingly calm, oversees the murder, while the subtle shadow on the right shoulder of the woman on the right hints at the entire background being either a curtain or pure fiction. In Remote Landscape, a woman holding a mirror reflects not only a gaze piercing the viewer but also a coastal scene similar to Guided Tour around Bay Area, connecting the viewer with the crime scene. The third part of this series, The Final Solution, features a floating sandbox simulating a beach, responding to the fictional nature of the preceding scenes. In these nested stories, surface-level narratives never seem real, and the fictional aspects always require careful examination and wandering gaze for clues. Nevertheless, the quest for inner truth seems to have no end.
关于作者
杨天歌
策展人、写作者。北丘当代美术馆顾问策展人。他曾于云美术馆、69ARTCAMPUS、北丘当代美术馆、户尔空间、歌德学院、中间美术馆等地策划“兴之所至”“多少次呵，我离开了我日常的生活”“晦暗里，身体循光深潜”“合作，为了污染，不为完善”“佛系青年：冷漠与共”“海面之下是火山”等展览。他是新世纪当代艺术基金会“墨缘：艺术史研究与写作资助计划”中国当代艺术写作方向的首届获奖学者。他长期关注二十世纪中国本土与国际当代艺术，并在近期的研究中聚焦于人文地理视角下的身体、身份认同与民族形式建构问题。