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李宜洲/青云画廊总监
詹喻帆是近年来台湾最受瞩目,十分火红的新锐艺术家,其创造出的作品赢得众多收藏家的喜爱,他的画作在当代艺术领域十分突出而具独特性,从学院派的古典绘画出发,探讨当代社会众多现象,构图上超现实且气势宏伟,而画作中的内涵是艺术家观察社会脉动,与世界对话的方式,画面引领观者进入一种心理学上精神性的探索与疗癒,詹喻帆以写实技法营造出一个抽象写意,又引人入胜的空间,彷彿一个导演般在他的剧场情境里,跨越不同时空演出这个世界的故事,此次隆重出版的「詹喻帆-时空造境,新古典平行剧场」画册,此书是艺术家历经十年来的创作,集结了一百多张作品的精彩呈现,尤其书中也特别收录艺术家的「创作符号表」以学术的角度,由艺评家整理出画作中曾经出现过的符号与图示进行分类,从代表意涵到创作表现分析,不但是同类型书籍中难得一见的珍贵资料,也是一种创举,同时更记录下画家詹喻帆的创作轨迹。
回首仰望台湾画廊的成形,犹如是一段台湾艺术史的爬梳,台湾的画廊产业自1960年代开始,逐步引进西方制度,产生了艺术家代理制,透过了这样的正规平台以及画廊对于艺术家的推崇,许多的艺术家在这数十年来,于艺术史上有了定位;而在十余年内艺术家的经纪制度也逐渐成熟,经纪制度的成熟代表着台湾的画廊已经开始与国际接轨,这些年来市场历经了亚洲金融风暴、SARS、921、金融海啸等,市场上每每的重大事件都将艺术家的市场位置重新洗牌,在大环境的急剧变动下,艺术家的经纪制度正考验着画廊的策略与推广技术。
在过去千年的人文历史中,东方与西方各自发展了独特的艺术史脉络,不仅在媒材、观念与文化上各自表述,艺术家面对创作所追求的目标,也同中有异、异中有同;时至今日,全球化的影响下,无论是何种形式的创作,艺术家创作的走向往往朝向「自身文化性」与「国际性」兼蓄的方向;詹喻帆亦是如此,他的作品不断地在面对自身文化的探讨,并观察现今的国际发展情势,当下的时代是剧烈变动的,我们唿吸的空气中充斥着大量的资讯,活在当下的瞬息万变中,何谓永恆?何谓瞬间?地球村时代的来临,促进着文化的相较与交融,当代艺术家的社会责任,势必要去反映出我们这个当下的时代性,为艺术史的脉络留下些什么。
若论及詹喻帆为何可以在艺术界受到很高的瞩目,我认为这全都要归功在它是一个天生的艺术家,巧妇难为无米之炊,没有艺术家精湛的创作,即使经纪人再厉害也无力可施;而艺术家之所以是艺术家,我认为须符合以下三点:(1)须在「艺术的世界」里存在的「专业创作者」;我所谓的艺术世界,也许是艺术收藏界、学术界、艺术平台或在市场上活跃,无论其定位的不同,皆必须是将大部分的精神与心力投注在创作上,如此才能够进入这个艺术的世界;反之,众多的创作者,即使在部分的作品上能够达到相当的艺术性,但没有在艺术的世界被看见,也没有全心的投入在创作上,因此无法进入这艺术的世界。(2)须有艺术家的本质;艺术家的本质须有两个很重要的关键,即是「精神上的修为」与「对事物的感受力」,有别于其他的社会角色,艺术家关注的项目是创作,是由对艺术追求的热情所驱动的,其耐得住寂寞与突破创作的痛苦,绝非是因为喜爱艺术家的生活模式与头衔;艺术家面对事物的感受力高于一般人许多,因此相对感性,也时常能在生活点滴中产生自己的见解与哲学。(3)须有知识结构的支撑;艺术家并非只是思想家,即使是观念艺术也是基于艺术家之存在而存在,而知识结构即是「艺术之理解」与「创作艺术所需之技术」,艺术创作无论是何种形式,皆须有每位艺术家追求的理念,也需有理论的支撑;再者,艺术创作需要转化,作品的呈现也须要准确,作品的诞生是否让艺术家满意,考验着艺术家对自我的真诚与技术。
当代艺术是个进行式,台湾的艺术环境孕育出了多元的当代艺术创作,透过詹喻帆的双眼,我们看见了台湾80后当代艺术家的思维,也看见了时代的变迁脉络;2010年詹喻帆退伍,其创作作品的走向,有别于美术研究所时期的学生作品,更加地反照自身的文化与思维,其作品中表露出许多对于艺术的看法,与身为一个艺术家的情绪表达,无论以何种角度去阅读其作品:符号学、历史学、社会学、文化人类学、心理学、精神分析学,皆发现其创作的敏锐度与传达性皆非常出众 ;《向未来前进》人形的煤炭火车象征对家人的感激与不舍,日复一日地绕行轨道,漂浮在空中的小女孩手持的两个物件,一个是对家庭扶持的渴望,另一个则是对回忆的珍惜,《温室1》温室内的小女孩天真地追求创作的纯粹,而自身的投影却独自站立在户外的马戏台上,是对社会、文化、创作的陈述,《无题》作品主角的角色设定为外科医生,在进行手术前的准备工作,凝视画面外的观者,缓缓戴起与病人隔绝的橡胶手套,透过画面的冰冷色系,唯一的光源仅是天花板的日光灯源,外科医生的动作与眼神是艺术家精神层面的传递,《维纳斯2》将历史名着的古典构图转化成独特的「詹式风格」,画面中惯用的冲突手法,令人联想到现今的国际情势与媒体效应;詹氏利用画面的构图,将「人物」与「元素」串联,形成一叙事性的场景,画面中的不同事件连结观者的过往经验,使观者在欣赏画作时,也能进行思考的游戏,我想这是其希望达到的效果。
现今的当代,接受得起时代的考验,则会变成以后的经典,如何经得起考验,我想必须深入人心,作品必须传递出「普世价值」,因此创作系列的脉络十分重要,生为艺术家的经纪人,透过我对詹喻帆的了解,我对他有十足的信心,未来必定是在国际的舞台上发光发热。
Lee Yi-Chou, Director of Cloud Gallery
The formation of galleries in Taiwan resembles an exploration of Taiwan art history. In 1960’s, the gallery industry in Taiwan starts to introduce western systems and thus develop artist agency. In the past decades, Taiwanese artists begin to gain a position in art history because of these formal platforms. At the same time, the agency system has matured and gradually integrated with international markets. These years, due to the influence of the financial turmoil in Asia, SARS, 921 earthquake and global financial crisis, the art market has be going through its fluctuations. Under the rapid change of the international environment, the system of artist agency is challenging the strategies and promotion techniques of galleries.
Both the east and west formulated its unique art history context in the past millenniums. The two cultures not only differ in its materials and concepts but also vary in the artist’s pursuit. Up to now, under the influence of globalization, artists tend to integrate their own cultural and international viewpoints no matter in what form of creation. Chan Yu-Fan is no exception. He continues to discuss and explore his own culture in the works and observe current international situation. Our time changes drastically; people absorb large amount of information every day. Questions such as “What is eternity?” and “What is a moment?” are thus brought out. With the coming age of global village, the responsibility of artists is to reflect the characteristics of time and to leave traces for art history.
To probe the reason why Chan Yu-Fan takes a high-profile position in art world, one can attributes it to his innate talents. If it were not for the artist’s genius, the agent would not have the possibility of success. As a genuine artist, one has to meet three standards: (1) one needs to be a “professional creator” in the “art world” such as the fields of art collection, academia, art platforms or art markets. Besides, one must put his/ her heart and soul into creation to meet the criteria. Those whose works reach some degree of artistry but never get the attention in art world and seldom wholeheartedly focus on creating cannot be counted as real artists. (2) “The practice of spirit” and “sensibility of things” are two key essences that a genuine artist should possess. Different from other social roles, artists’ concerns on creation and their ability to withstand loneliness and pain of making breakthrough in creation are not because of their admiration for the “artist lifestyle” and fame but because of their passion for art. Moreover, their exceptional sensibility enables them to develop their own perspectives and philosophy in daily lives. (3) Artists have to be supported by knowledge structure. They are not solely thinkers, but also the base of the existence of conceptual art. Knowledge structure is composed of “the understanding of art” and “the techniques needed when creating”. No matter what kind of art, artists have to pursue their own ideas as well as the support of theory. Nevertheless, art creation needs to be transformed, and the demonstration of works needs to be accurate. Whether the creation of a work satisfies the artist challenges an artist’s loyalty to him or herself and his/her techniques.
Contemporary art is in a continuous state. The artist environment in Taiwan has given birth to diverse creations of contemporary art. Through the eyes of Chan Yu-Fan, we witness the thinking of contemporary artist after 1980’s and the context of temporal vicissitude. Discharged from the army in 2010, Chan’s ways of creation, different from his original style in graduate school, emphasizes more on self-culture reflection and thinking. His perspectives on art and emotional expression are demonstrated by his works. No matter from which perspectives (iconography, historiography, sociology, cultural anthropology, phycology and psychoanalysis) people read his creation, the acuity and communicability are extraordinary. The human shaped coal train in Advancing to the Future represents Chan’s gratitude and memory of family by making a detour on the track every day. The gensture of the floating girl holding two objects symbolizes respectively the desire for the support from family and the value of memory. The little girl in Greenhouse 1 innocently pursues the pureness of creation while her own reflection is actually standing alone on the outdoor circus stage. This expresses the artists’ narration of society, culture and creation. The main character of Untitled is a surgeon preparing for the operation. She fixes her eyes on viewers while putting up the surgical gloves. The picture is composed mainly of cool colors, with the fluorescent lamp as the only source of light. The eyes and action of the surgeon convey the spiritual expression of the artist. Venus 2 transfers classical composition into typical “Chan Style” which emphasizes the contradiction of the picture, suggesting the international situations and media influence. Chan connects figures and elements in a composition to from a narrative scene. Different events in the picture are linked to previous experiences, enabling viewers to think while admiring the works.
Those who can withstand the tests nowadays must become the classic in the future. Being emotionally touched and expressing the universal values are two key factors on the road to a masterpiece; thus, the context of creation is very important. As an art agent, I’m confident that Chan is far more than qualified to be an internationally renowned artist.