****主席曾经无不骄傲地说：“四渡赤水才是我平时最得意之笔”

　　诚然，四渡赤水之战不仅仅是****主席的个人骄傲，也是中国工农红军的骄傲；是中国军事战争史的奇迹，也是世界军事战争史少有的经典之作。在70多年过去后的今天，这个极富传奇色彩的历史瞬间被以雕塑的形式凝固在赤水河畔。

　　这座英雄史诗的作者，是贵州地区较为活跃的雕塑家廖凯先生。前两年，廖凯曾经为遵义会议纪念馆创作了大型雕塑作品《历史转折》，得到了业界专家和社会各界的一致认可。这座落成不久的《四渡赤水》，很明显是前者手法和风格的延续，但较之前者在创作上有了更多的新意。与前者相比，后者少了几分拘谨，多了几分写意；少了几分模拟，多了几分想象和夸张，更多了些许的自由与浪漫。总之，在某种意义上来说，后者成功地超越了前者。我以为这件作品有如下几个特点。

　　整体性强。在《四渡赤水》中，廖凯依旧采用“大写意”的手法，笔触阔大。块面处理含浑，像是一气呵成，不重修饰，保留了很强的原创痕迹。在注重形似的前提下，突出强调神似，注重作品的整体感而忽略局部细节的描绘。这样就不会因为局部的精雕细琢而损伤作品的整体艺术效果。

　　空间感较强。作品《四渡赤水》表现的是1935年1月19日开始的千军万马陈兵渡河的宏大场面。几个主雕人物，有种锐不可当的气势，浮雕墙上的每个鲜活生命几乎都要从那墙上挣脱出来。整个作品可谓气势磅礴，开合很大。

　　色彩效果强。作品《四渡赤水》高浮雕的中部是大面积的空白，恰如中国传统绘画的留白。廖凯将这块形状不规则的空白涂成鲜红色，既像红军将士四次飞跃的赤色之河，又似无数迎风招展的赤色之旗，绚烂夺目，与浮雕、主雕的色彩对比强烈。

　　年轻的廖凯用浪漫、夸张的手法，较为成功地再现了历史的瞬间，谱写了这一英雄乐章。

Four Times Crossing the Chishui River——Review of Liao Kai's Recent Work

　　Chairman Mao Zedong once said proudly: "Four Times Crossing the Chishui River is the most proud victory I have ever had ".

　　Admittedly, the war of "Four Times Crossing the Chishui River" is not only Chairman Mao's personal pride, but also the pride of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army; It is a miracle in the history of Chinese military war, and also a classic one in the world military history. Seventy years later, the legendary historical moment is solidified on the bank of Chishui River in the form of sculptures.

　　The author of the heroic epic is an active sculptor, Mr. Liao Kai in Guizhou Province. Two years ago, Mr. Liao Kai created the large sculpture, the Historical Turning Point, and got broadly praised by experts and all sectors of society. The work completed recently, "Four Times Crossing the Chishui River" is obviously a continuation of the technique and style of the former, but has more new ideas compared with the ones in creation. By comparison, the latter has less a bit of stiffness, and more freehand brushwork; somehow less simulation, and more a bit of fantasy and exaggeration, even more freedom and romance. In short，the latter has gone far beyond the former successfully in a sense. I think this work has the following characteristics.

　　Strong  integrity. Mr. Liao Kai still adopted the technique of "freehand brushwork". The brush stroke is broad to gain a broad vision. The block surface is not made to be remarkably smooth and distinct, which seems to be made from beginning to end without stopping, pays no attention to decoration, and retains a strong original trace. On the basis of the shape, the author highlighted the spirit, paid attention to the overall sense and ignored partial details. Thus the overall art effect won't be damaged because of the carefully crafting.

　　Strong  sense of space. The work, "Four Times Crossing the Chishui River" is the performance of the grand scene on January 19, 1935, when thousands of the Red Army began to cross the river. The main characters of the work have got a momentum that can't be held back. Each life in the relief seems to have flesh and blood and almost break out of the wall, which makes the whole work have a splendid momentum.

　　Strong color effect. The high relief of the work in the central area is blank, just like the "white space" in Chinese traditional painting. Mr. Liao Kai painted this irregular blank space red to make it both like the Chishui River, literally meaning Red River, which the Red Army leapt four times, and like countless fluttering red flags. This gorgeous and glorious color strongly contrasts the ones on the high relief and main sculptures.

　　Mr. Liao Kai, although still young, has successfully reproduced the historical moment by using romantic and exaggerating approach to compose this heroic movement.