此篇短論旨在介紹中國繪畫的簡要發展與哲理，及探索它的多元面貌與研究途徑在當代水墨創作上之經驗，並直接或間接地涉及關連到現代西方美學的議題脈絡；諸如視覺內容之想像、唯美、空間性及造型等。 關於此課題之討論，筆者參照國立臺灣美術館於一九九四年舉辦的現代水墨畫展暨研討會中的一些代表性作品並以它們伴隨此議題來延伸討論。綜觀展出的作品，它們影射出轉變中的當代東亞水墨畫發展上之不同現象與看法及媒材使用的多樣性。部份參展藝術家已透過藉由獨特的中國水墨材質與當代西方藝術潮流之重要特色，為傳統創作議題和背景開闢出不同的新方向。此邀請展出的臺灣、中國大陸及香港藝術家出自於不同之社會背景與生活環境；雖此，他們的作品均有一個共同目標和展望--即是引領出新的議題與表現形式，並整合在一種界於中國水墨繪畫意境與現代西方造型之共同領域中的視覺特質研究。

The paper is to introduce the development and philosophy of Chinese painting, and discuss its diverse features and approaches in contemporary ink & wash painting practice in relation to the Western modern aesthetic issues in such as imagination, beauty, space and form. For this discussion, I refer to some of works from the Exhibition of Modern Chinese Ink Painting in National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in 1994. The show reflects different attitudes of the changing situation in the development of modern ink painting, and takes into account work in a wide variety of media in Eastern Asia. Some of the artists have been working on new aspects of traditional subject-matter and context through the unique Oriental ink & wash medium and particular values in Western contemporary trend. The participating artists are from Taiwan, Mainland China and Hong Kong with different social backgrounds and living circumstances; these works have a common goal of bringing new perspective, issue and expression to their investigation of the shared territory between Chinese Pictorial boundary and Western plastic character.