我是先看过曹勇的画册，后见到他本人的。第一次见面，让我大感意外。那么一个典型的北方汉子。他憨朴拙异的外表，与其画作飘逸灵动的气象实在形成一种曼妙而有趣的对比。一双总是微微眯着的眼睛，闪烁着睿智而温和的光芒，脸上洋溢着一种单纯而天真的笑意。见到他的第一眼，凭直觉我就感到，这是一个在尘世的盐水中浸泡过千百次，依然保留着童真的艺术家。就艺术创造而言，这又是极其难能的品格。
　　等到欣赏了他印在画册中的大部分画作，了解了他跌宕起伏、悲欣交集的人生轨迹和情感历程之后，愈加证实了我的第一感觉。
　　在曹勇的人生和艺术历程中，经历过三个至关重要的阶段。西藏7年，日本5年，美国10年。黄彦先生称之为“三度转换，三度跨越，三度升华”。如此全面的评述，对我这样的美术外行来说，实非力所能及。我所特别感兴趣的，是他赴美后的代表性画作“威尼斯系列”、“金色海岸系列”、“浪漫花园系列”、“夏威夷系列”、“巴黎系列”、“地中海系列”等。
　　面对这些令人惊异、令人眩目的画作，我深感在一个东方艺术家的眼中笔下，在一个来自中国的年轻艺术家的特殊感悟中，起源于欧洲的古老油画艺术，似乎在灵魂深处，悄然发生着一种新变。冥冥中，似乎有一双用东方文化、东方精神赋予神力的奇妙的手，在我们眼前打开了一个新的、让人目不暇接、让人激情迸涌、让人回味悠长、让人离开了又要回来的新的艺术世界。欧洲油画细腻逼真的写实情景中，弥漫着一种浓郁、超然、恬静、和谐的东方情愫。写实与写意，静谧与喧哗，自然与万物，人与自然天衣无缝地交融在一起。在这里，繁复或简洁，构图或技巧，色彩或光影，似乎都变得不重要了。在一种气韵贯通的艺术精神的统摄下，内容和形式在不经意间找到了最适宜的表达方式。中国古代圣贤们所推崇的大音稀声、大象无形、道法自然等，在曹勇的艺术实践中也似乎找到了独特的注脚。
　　远古与现代，自然与尘世，有些法则是亘古不变的。而人类的感受以及对这种感受的艺术表达却是每时每刻都在变化着。天才的艺术家总能敏锐地捕捉到转瞬即逝的经典刹那，让它在人类心灵无垠的太空中，成为一道永不消逝的亮丽风景。曹勇为我们留下的，正是这样一些在我们内心深处引起无数波澜的永恒瞬间。《威尼斯的早晨》、《威尼斯的回忆》、《威尼斯的傍晚》、《巴黎的梦》等，均表现出画家始终如一的执著追求。与前期的西藏系列相比，外在的表达方式变了，但艺术家那颗渴望温暖自由、追求理想人生，超越物欲尘世的心依然如故。透过那一个个赏心悦目、颇具市井人情气息的画面，让我们分明真切地感受到，那迷幻光影下的宁静，浮华尘世中的淡泊。画家总是透过那些繁华的表象，在给尘世中的人们寻找精神和灵魂的憩息之所。画面中那些游离于经典建筑或绮丽风光中的人们，无不保持着一种难得的从容和宁静。那也许不是大多数人当下的生存景象，但却是我们神往已久的状态。难怪西方人如此喜欢曹勇的画，从一个中国观赏者的视角，我认为奥秘之一就在于，曹勇的画中浸润着的那种源于东方文明、跨越俗世物欲的对和谐、从容、自由、闲适的人类精神的探索与追求。即使像巨作《圣莫尼卡》，虽场面宏大，人物众多，气氛狂热，但仍然表达了人与大海、天空、椰树，即人与自然的异乎寻常的和谐之美。狂欢的人群，起伏的波浪，飞翔的海鸟，跳跃的鱼群，让我们的心灵深处充盈着一种温馨、静谧、安宁的气息。动与静，热与冷，肉与灵，在这里得到了神奇的和谐与统一，真正是表面的大动与激情迸发后内心大静的和谐统一。从这个意义上讲，画作表达的美，是充满温馨浪漫气息的美，是焕发着人性光辉的美，是让人在记忆长河中流连忘返、徜徉咀嚼的美。曹勇到美国之后画风的突变，一系列新作的诞生，显然已经超越了他个人生存和情感的悲欢。他站在东西方文明交汇的制高点上，审视人类的精神困境，寻找艺术的新径，他终于完成了一次漂亮的自我涅簄。
　　曹勇的这一批画作，还向我们昭示出，他用自己天才而独特的艺术世界，在高雅与通俗之间搭起了一座美丽的花桥。让各色人等在愉悦神往的审美享受中，感悟其画作深层的精神世界，领略其画面以外的无穷韵味。他在艺术与大众观赏之间找到了一种惊人的平衡。这是多少艺术家梦寐以求的境界。曹勇用中国文化的和合精神，用他不倦的艺术探索，找到了适合自己的路径。这也是古老的欧洲油画走进大众的一条成功的路径。对于正在走向开放与多元的中国绘画艺术而言，曹勇的实践为我们提供的启迪，也许比其画作本身更多。
　　曹勇已经在北京建立了自己的画廊，这也许是他艺术探索中的又一个新的起点。他总是在不倦地求新求变，自我否定，自我超越。因此，我们在祝贺的同时，又充满着热切的期待。是为序。

2005年11月20日 匆匆于北京

　　Before meeting Cao Yong, I had already had the pleasure of viewing his painting album. The moment I first saw him, I was surprised. He was typical of the men in Northern China;  his simple and honest appearance contrasted finely and interestingly with the elegance and intelligence manifested in his paintings. His eyes, although slightly narrowed, beamed with wisdom and mildness.
　　A simple and innocent smile was always found on his face.  At first sight of him, I felt that even after his being exposed to the cruelties of the world numerous times, this artist still had a child's innocence. In artistic creation, such innocence is a rare characteristic. My feelings were further verified after I saw his painting album and read about the great trials, tribulations, joys and sorrows of his life.
　　Cao Yong experienced three paramount phases in his life and artistic career: the seven years in Tibet, the five years in Japan and the ten years in the United States.  Mr. Huang Yan called these "the three phases of transformation, transcendence, and sublimation."  His was so comprehensive a summary, that as a layperson of fine art, I could never expect to phrase it better.
　　However, what interested me most were the series of paintings that Cao Yong created while residing in the United States, namely, the Golden Coast, Hawaii, Mediterranean, Paris, Romantic Garden, Venice and his newest, the Grand American Series.
　　These paintings, so marvelous and dazzling, evoked in me such deep emotions that it was as if the ancient art of oil painting from Europe were undergoing a secret change in the eyes and mind of this great and extremely talented artist from China. I felt as if a pair of magical hands powered by an Eastern spirit and culture was opening up a new, rich and passionate artistic horizon that one could not forget nor part with.   From these fine and vivid paintings of European scenes, one can easily find a strong, unearthly, tranquil and harmonious Eastern sentiment.
　　In Cao Yong's paintings, both realistic and vivid expressions are seamlessly integrated: earth, man, nature, tranquility and commotion. The composition, technique, color and shade, whether complicated or simple, no longer seem important.  Dominated by a thorough artistic spirit, content and form find their most suitable way of expression in his paintings.
　　From the artistic practices of Cao Yong, one may find unique annotations to such sayings of ancient sages as, "Great sound is hard to hear,"  "Great form takes no shape" and "The Dao follows the way things are."
　　Compared with his former Tibet-specific paintings, these Europe-specific works adopt a different form of expression, but contain the same aspirations of the artist for warmth, freedom and an ideal, unearthly life.  From the pleasant images of the streets, we clearly feel a kind of tranquility behind the dazzling lights as well as a stoic attitude towards the clamorous world.  Artists always seek to find a spiritual shelter for people through such flashy images.  In addition, without exception, all the figures among the classical buildings or beautiful scenery as depicted in Cao Yong's paintings take on a rare look of peace and calmness.
　　Such scenes may not be a true representation of the living conditions of most people at present, but surely they stand for a long-cherished aspiration in all of us.  It is no wonder that Cao Yong's paintings are so loved in the West. From the perspective of a Chinese reader, it can be said that the popularity of Cao Yong's artworks in the Western world lies in the artist's pervasive pursuit for a calm, harmonious, leisurely and uninhibited human spirit that originates from the Eastern civilizations and transcends worldly desires.
　　Even in the masterpiece "Santa Monica," the beauty of extraordinary harmony between man and nature stand out in spite of the grand occasion, numerous figures and heated atmosphere depicted in the painting. In the painting, happy crowds of people are strolling on the boardwalk and walking in the sand, enjoying a sunny day at the beach. Tall palm trees fan their leaves to cool the hot summer day; there is a fresh scent of the ocean's salt air; the ocean's surging waves break into white billows of foam on the sand; flying fish jump out of the water; and high above in the bright blue sky, noisy seagulls soar. All these scenes are brought together in absolute harmony, balance and perfection. This scene fills the depths of our hearts with joy, warmth, tranquility and peace.
　　Here, a magical harmony of integration is achieved between the dynamic and static, the hot and cold, the soul and flesh.  It is a harmonious integration of superficial motion with internal tranquility that follows the outbreak of passions.  In this sense, the beauty expressed in Cao Yong's paintings is one of a warm, romantic atmosphere that beams with the splendor of humanity and deserves endless appreciation.
　　The sharp change in Cao Yong's painting style and the creation of a series of new works after his arrival in the United States have already transcended the sorrows and joys of his own life.  Standing on the commanding point of conflux between Eastern and Western civilizations, Cao Yong, by seeking new ways to art and examining the spiritual predicament of human beings, has finally accomplished a wonderful rebirth.
　　The collection of artworks included in Cao Yong's painting album also reveals the fact that, with his unique artistic talent, he has built a beautiful bridge between popular art and high art, so that all kinds of people may come to understand the spiritual world in the depth of his paintings and experience the endless charms beyond them.  He has managed to find the surprising point of balance between art and popular appreciation.  Many artists have earnestly longed for this position.
　　Thanks to tireless artistic pursuit and the unifying spirit of the Chinese culture, Cao Yong has finally found a suitable road of his own; the same road through which the ancient oil paintings of Europe got close to the common people.  The practices of Cao Yong may provide more enlightenment for Chinese painting art than his paintings; that of expanding his art to the outside world and reaching towards multi-diversification.
　　He is always seeking innovation, change, self-denial and self-transcendence. For this reason, we are full of earnest expectation while extending our deepest and most sincere congratulations to him.
　　As a nonprofessional of art, my comments may be far off the subject, but this just coincides with the common saying, "Ignorance leads to boldness."  Fortunately, Cao Yong's paintings are there as proof.  I believe in the judgment and vision of every viewer of his paintings.
　This is my preface.

November 20,2005,Beijing