毕业于中央美术学院油画系的许硕对历史充满迷恋，其历史观是主观的，对现实的迷思与历史的幻想交织，在古典的雄浑中折射当代蓬勃的社会图景。他的《梦想天庭》巨幅油画是中国社会经济角逐与个人欲望膨胀的颂歌与哀歌，寄予着对今日中国的欲望与梦想的反思，书写了从承重的旧文明中仓促崛起的中国之狂。

中国当代社会生活呈现一片被欲望与野心横扫的精神荒野，文明古训被歪曲、滥用，功利主义成为主流，炒作与操纵盛行；古代的政治争斗与治世手腕变质为当代权谋与利益争夺的参考书，帝王的处事之道成就今天的商业帝国，这是一个冒险家和野心家的天庭，元宝飞舞；资本大鳄、财富巨子、体制与权力操纵者及各种权威领袖恣意涂抹着当代历史，在各自主宰的疆土之内气吞山河，建功立业，这是当代的封神演义。

在《梦想天庭》中，曾经大闹天宫的具有反叛精神的孙悟空退化成衰弱猥琐的猿猴，头脑简单质朴的猪八戒被肉联厂检疫合格，良善褪去、舔着舌头露出野性；牛魔王做了变性手术，女性的阴柔蕴藏蛇蝎心计…这是一个艺术家所感受的时代的狂野，它与自我无关，个体微不足道，在时代的巨浪中随波逐流，受异化的力量主宰，被欲望灌满了野性和冲动。艺术家许硕有效地控制了画面上复杂纷纭的场面与人物，显露出生猛的锐气。

《梦想天庭》人物谱-Characters in Heaven>

A Graduate of the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, artist Xu Shuo is obsessed with history and his historical values are subjective. His meditation towards reality twists together with imagination about history, composing a picture of today's prosperity and craziness.

Xu's huge painting titled Heaven depicts individual struggle in China's economic transformation. It is sad, yet grand. It is a reflection on today's Chinese society as well as being ironic about today's restless desire derived from the past culture and history.

Today's China is a wild land of desire, ambition and empty spirit. Civilized history is abused and distorted. The wisdom of ancient political battle turns out to be a reference book for commercial fights in today's society. Business tycoons, ambitious rich people and people in authority dominate the page of history.

In Xu's Heaven, the Monkey King, which is rebellious in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, deteriorates into a weak and ugly monkey. Zhu BaJie, one of the three helpers to the priest Xuanzang in the novel, looks like a terrible monster, part human and part pig. His simple and idiotic cuteness turns into greediness and brutality. The transsexual Niu Mo Wang, or Bull Monster, is soft like a woman yet vicious. The whole painting reflects the artist's feeling about today's society, which is untamed, individual and undisciplined. Xu effectively runs his structure with so many characters, powerful and violent.