圖書序言
推薦序
李宜洲/青雲畫廊總監
詹喻帆是近年來颱灣最受矚目,十分火紅的新銳藝術傢,其創造齣的作品贏得眾多收藏傢的喜愛,他的畫作在當代藝術領域十分突齣而具獨特性,從學院派的古典繪畫齣發,探討當代社會眾多現象,構圖上超現實且氣勢宏偉,而畫作中的內涵是藝術傢觀察社會脈動,與世界對話的方式,畫麵引領觀者進入一種心理學上精神性的探索與療癒,詹喻帆以寫實技法營造齣一個抽象寫意,又引人入勝的空間,彷彿一個導演般在他的劇場情境裏,跨越不同時空演齣這個世界的故事,此次隆重齣版的「詹喻帆-時空造境,新古典平行劇場」畫冊,此書是藝術傢曆經十年來的創作,集結瞭一百多張作品的精彩呈現,尤其書中也特彆收錄藝術傢的「創作符號錶」以學術的角度,由藝評傢整理齣畫作中曾經齣現過的符號與圖示進行分類,從代錶意涵到創作錶現分析,不但是同類型書籍中難得一見的珍貴資料,也是一種創舉,同時更記錄下畫傢詹喻帆的創作軌跡。
迴首仰望颱灣畫廊的成形,猶如是一段颱灣藝術史的爬梳,颱灣的畫廊産業自1960年代開始,逐步引進西方製度,産生瞭藝術傢代理製,透過瞭這樣的正規平颱以及畫廊對於藝術傢的推崇,許多的藝術傢在這數十年來,於藝術史上有瞭定位;而在十餘年內藝術傢的經紀製度也逐漸成熟,經紀製度的成熟代錶著颱灣的畫廊已經開始與國際接軌,這些年來市場曆經瞭亞洲金融風暴、SARS、921、金融海嘯等,市場上每每的重大事件都將藝術傢的市場位置重新洗牌,在大環境的急劇變動下,藝術傢的經紀製度正考驗著畫廊的策略與推廣技術。
在過去韆年的人文曆史中,東方與西方各自發展瞭獨特的藝術史脈絡,不僅在媒材、觀念與文化上各自錶述,藝術傢麵對創作所追求的目標,也同中有異、異中有同;時至今日,全球化的影響下,無論是何種形式的創作,藝術傢創作的走嚮往往朝嚮「自身文化性」與「國際性」兼蓄的方嚮;詹喻帆亦是如此,他的作品不斷地在麵對自身文化的探討,並觀察現今的國際發展情勢,當下的時代是劇烈變動的,我們呼吸的空氣中充斥著大量的資訊,活在當下的瞬息萬變中,何謂永恆?何謂瞬間?地球村時代的來臨,促進著文化的相較與交融,當代藝術傢的社會責任,勢必要去反映齣我們這個當下的時代性,為藝術史的脈絡留下些什麼。
若論及詹喻帆為何可以在藝術界受到很高的矚目,我認為這全都要歸功在它是一個天生的藝術傢,巧婦難為無米之炊,沒有藝術傢精湛的創作,即使經紀人再厲害也無力可施;而藝術傢之所以是藝術傢,我認為須符閤以下三點:(1)須在「藝術的世界」裏存在的「專業創作者」;我所謂的藝術世界,也許是藝術收藏界、學術界、藝術平颱或在市場上活躍,無論其定位的不同,皆必須是將大部分的精神與心力投注在創作上,如此纔能夠進入這個藝術的世界;反之,眾多的創作者,即使在部分的作品上能夠達到相當的藝術性,但沒有在藝術的世界被看見,也沒有全心的投入在創作上,因此無法進入這藝術的世界。(2)須有藝術傢的本質;藝術傢的本質須有兩個很重要的關鍵,即是「精神上的修為」與「對事物的感受力」,有彆於其他的社會角色,藝術傢關注的項目是創作,是由對藝術追求的熱情所驅動的,其耐得住寂寞與突破創作的痛苦,絕非是因為喜愛藝術傢的生活模式與頭銜;藝術傢麵對事物的感受力高於一般人許多,因此相對感性,也時常能在生活點滴中産生自己的見解與哲學。(3)須有知識結構的支撐;藝術傢並非隻是思想傢,即使是觀念藝術也是基於藝術傢之存在而存在,而知識結構即是「藝術之理解」與「創作藝術所需之技術」,藝術創作無論是何種形式,皆須有每位藝術傢追求的理念,也需有理論的支撐;再者,藝術創作需要轉化,作品的呈現也須要準確,作品的誕生是否讓藝術傢滿意,考驗著藝術傢對自我的真誠與技術。
當代藝術是個進行式,颱灣的藝術環境孕育齣瞭多元的當代藝術創作,透過詹喻帆的雙眼,我們看見瞭颱灣80後當代藝術傢的思維,也看見瞭時代的變遷脈絡;2010年詹喻帆退伍,其創作作品的走嚮,有彆於美術研究所時期的學生作品,更加地反照自身的文化與思維,其作品中錶露齣許多對於藝術的看法,與身為一個藝術傢的情緒錶達,無論以何種角度去閱讀其作品:符號學、曆史學、社會學、文化人類學、心理學、精神分析學,皆發現其創作的敏銳度與傳達性皆非常齣眾 ;《嚮未來前進》人形的煤炭火車象徵對傢人的感激與不捨,日復一日地繞行軌道,漂浮在空中的小女孩手持的兩個物件,一個是對傢庭扶持的渴望,另一個則是對迴憶的珍惜,《溫室1》溫室內的小女孩天真地追求創作的純粹,而自身的投影卻獨自站立在戶外的馬戲颱上,是對社會、文化、創作的陳述,《無題》作品主角的角色設定為外科醫生,在進行手術前的準備工作,凝視畫麵外的觀者,緩緩戴起與病人隔絕的橡膠手套,透過畫麵的冰冷色係,唯一的光源僅是天花闆的日光燈源,外科醫生的動作與眼神是藝術傢精神層麵的傳遞,《維納斯2》將曆史名著的古典構圖轉化成獨特的「詹式風格」,畫麵中慣用的衝突手法,令人聯想到現今的國際情勢與媒體效應;詹氏利用畫麵的構圖,將「人物」與「元素」串聯,形成一敘事性的場景,畫麵中的不同事件連結觀者的過往經驗,使觀者在欣賞畫作時,也能進行思考的遊戲,我想這是其希望達到的效果。
現今的當代,接受得起時代的考驗,則會變成以後的經典,如何經得起考驗,我想必須深入人心,作品必須傳遞齣「普世價值」,因此創作係列的脈絡十分重要,生為藝術傢的經紀人,透過我對詹喻帆的瞭解,我對他有十足的信心,未來必定是在國際的舞颱上發光發熱。
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.