迪兄如晤：

前次山上相聚甚欢，笑谈当年粉墨登场的青春旧事不觉已近三十年矣！

昔日同窗，大款的大款，大官儿的大官儿，大师的大师。唯迪兄能淡然一笑：“闲着没事儿画小人儿。”仔细想来，画小人儿正是画家的本质。如厨师即便获得了大师的称号也不过还是个做饭的大师傅而已。小人儿画好了，其它的文化意义和社会意义，自会有更闲得没事儿的专业人士去猜想的。你知我向来不大看画，也不写画评，多年关注的都是被世人诟病的“邪教”。不过兄弟所赐画册还是认真拜读，且颇有惊喜。仅就画小人儿的语言来讲，兄弟的步伐已然大于其他童鞋了。

印象：兄弟少年补过“德表”的钙，故壮年风骨尚健。另，虽久居欧洲浸淫于西方传统之中，却能注重东方意韵的修为，令人生故国旧交之感，可圈可点。

细观：兄弟作画如情人做爱，层层剥落，步步紧逼，行云流水，两情欢洽，手法老道，若醉后狂草，书写自如，颇现文人风流气象。

鉴定：一不装时尚，不跟风潮，无标识性概念；二不批量生产，不玩儿工艺制造，保有偶发的鲜活个性；三是有笔有墨，坚守了画小人儿的看家本领。

以上虽是胡乱夸几句，兄弟尽可以当真，得意当忘形，望迪兄恣意挥洒，高潮跌宕！

一笑共勉之！

愚兄普林

2001年1月13日于东台

Wen Pulin: Dearest Brother Di,

The last occasion of our meeting, on the mountain, was extraordinarily pleasant; joking in such a way about the adventures of our youth, one might never guess that nearly thirty years have passed!

Our former schoolmates have become rich men among tycoons, become authorities to even the highest officials, and the teachers of great masters. Only you, Brother Di can chuckle indifferently, “sitting idly and painting.” Thinking on this carefully, this seems to be the essential nature of any painter. As when a cook has earned the title of master chef, he is still but making food for others. When those paintings are finished, any additional cultural or social significance will be only guessed at by specialists with too much time on their hands. You know I’ve never been really been a great painting enthusiast, and I do not write about painting; everything I have followed with interest has been condemned as “cultish.” However, all the catalogs you’ve bestowed upon me I’ve read in earnest, moreover, they have provided me with rather pleasant surprises. In the language of painters, you have advanced far beyond your classmates.

An impression: you were raised with “German expressionism“ as a nutritional supplement, and thus, in the prime of your life, your style is rather robust. Also, despite your long hiatus in Europe, steeped in Western traditions, you are still able to focus on the cultivation of Eastern rhythms, intertwining a sense of the ancient culture into these Western-looking canvases. This is laudable.

A close observation: you paint like two lovers entwined, layer after layer is able to be unpeeled, each part pressed hard up against another, filling gaps like water, two sentiments that welcome contact, and your technique is venerable, like grass script after drinking, unrestrained, and with the distinguished air of the literati.

An appraisal: Firstly, your paintings do not attempt to be fashionable, nor to agitate, and they don’t purport any trademark concepts; secondly, they are not mass-produced, they don’t attempt any crafty manufacture, but maintain their spontaneous freshness and character; thirdly, there is ink and brush, holding fast to the special skill set of painters through the ages.

Despite these being a few slapdash words of praise, brother, please take them in earnest. Proudly lose all your bearings, I look forward to your recklessly free painting, to the bold and unconstrained joy of your losing yourself in climax!

A smile is mutual encouragement !

Humbly yours, Wen Pulin

January 13, 2011 Dong Tai