Joy and Sorrow in a Tiny Room - My Understanding of《 95014 》

Lin Ping

When artists write and paint within a given space, how far would artistic imagination take her/him? When artists create on canvases that is smaller than her/himself, is the boundary between art and real life difficult to cross and communicate?

During my visit to Jason Chi's studio in April, I saw the site where "95014" was created. The space was illuminated by natural sunlight pouring in through a large window. A small painting with barely visible brushstrokes and weight caught my sight immediately. The canvas, precisely measure and designed, did not try to convey anything except the traces of time and light flowing upon it. He mentioned this room was his earliest working space. In my opinion, it is a space in which one does not dwell upon petty thoughts, but rather reflect on one's inner feelings. The space allows one to interact and converse with the outer environment. As I toured some more rooms, I noticed all the walls were covered in the same neutral white yet each room has its own distinct quality. In one room, a desk is strategically placed in the corner. In another, a movable wall, meticulously designed and planned. By its owner's choice, opening or closing the wall not only determines the size, but also creates a sense of space and a changing of atmosphere.

There are works temporarily displayed on the walls, desks, and floor, framed and ready to exhibit on the gallery wall. Like his other designs, even the lighting on these works has already been considered. But it was the whirling dust and butterflies in the pictures, full of charm, seemingly adrift in a space pure as snow, rising and falling in an ever-changing rhythm that was quietly calling to me. Each painting has its own borders and frames, but they all fit so quietly into the simple boundary formed between wall and wall, wall and floor- as part of a larger structure. What is left, or rather, what remains to be sensed, is that the pictures are permeated with subtle shades of joy and tiny threads of sorrow.

When faced with the dilemma of creative thinking and visualizations, every artist chooses between setting a clear goal and working towards it or going through daily works without much purpose. There are intricate differences between these two creative methods. The former emphasizes on cognition, analysis, retrospection, judgment, consistent ambition and unswerving vigor. The latter is filled with accidental creation, sensation, flow of consciousness and intuition. This approach without specific desire, reflecting the touchable form of life that is filled with accidents, danger, paradox, conflicts, and irrationality. These two distinct characters of space or two distinct methods of creative process are discernable in Jason Chi's studio. With his professional training in architecture and design, structure, precision, visual logic and order have become the "backbone" of his creative work. But when he held his notebook and threw out a few words related to creative imagination, what I found was, "truth, reality, life, vision, plural diversity and blurred boundary" - in short, a vivid life experience.

Stylistically close to that of his school days, the works before the end of year 2000 were filled with spontaneity of everyday life and observations of human society- brick walls, architectural blocks, barriers, pavements and rhythmic images of the city. Through the impenetrable layers and textures of time, one can only squeeze through the gaps between shapes; like in a march, life proudly taking on geometrical order and measurable speed. But in the year 2002 exhibition entitled "Rebirth," gone were the geometric imageries and instead the canvases were filled with densely layered color fields. It was said that the huge canvases were made to accommodate the industrial dimensions of the exhibition space (Taichung Stock 20), forming a peculiar environment that encloses the body. Flying butterfly-like figures, lightly leapt through the subtly changing atmosphere as if one can feel the touching rhythm of nature. The uncertain state of flow and whether consciously or unconsciously, these imageries transmitted the ever-moving and flying characteristics of the organism. Thus, making the viewers forget the outer frames of the canvases and only remembering the limitless flow of vitality. The simple trellises formed a firm basic structure, like construction scaffolding or Platonic ideal shapes, had been hidden in his paintings. During this stage, the trellises disappeared and were taken over by spaces of inactivity and containing. In the 2003 exhibition at IT Park gallery, the butterfly-like shapes made up by color lines suggesting volume and speed, dividing and multiplying, spreading quickly all over the surface of the paintings, implied the depth of the space. No matter what you saw- four-leaf clovers, fans, nods of five-color cords, rising plump balloons or hyacinths floating with the wind, or even the bounce of a badminton birdie as it was jokingly referred to by his badminton friends. These circular forms, meeting and parting formed an infinite extension of landscape making the term, "lyrical abstraction", an appropriate description to his works at this stage. But, it makes one wonder, what inner process did he go through? How did he come to create his two vastly different stages that took him from geometry to organism, from clarity to ambiguity, and from orderliness to chaos?

Behind Chi's seemingly smooth upbringing and extensive academic and professional trainings, there were some difficult transitions and choices. Confronting his identity as an immigrant in a foreign country during adolescence, living abroad for 15 years without ever going back to his homeland in Taiwan, and the reality of foreign and native cultures' coexistence and symbiosis, can make it difficult for a young heart to find solace, and the objects of nostalgia hard to manifest. For years, illness and accidents had been routine. Without optimism, a resolute attitude, and courage to overcome obstacles, how is one supposed to deal with the conflicts of life? Some say that Jason Chi's works are much more mature than his age, but one can disagree and see that maybe his creative works have restored him and gave him back the youthful energy he might have missed.

Many terms commonly used by abstract or constructivist artists can be found amongst the titles of works in this exhibition. One can easily think of them as transitions between energy and material, or the visible and invisible, or a kind of musical eurhythmy that manifests a structure hidden in the movements. But there are other works, entitled "World," "Universe," "Seasons" and "Journey," that concretely reflect values of life and attitudes towards living. Chi says that he didn't understand Paul Canne when he was a student, but now he is fascinated by his works. Eva Hess, Brice Marden and even Joseph Beuys' thinking as form drawings were once his point of reference. Opening the books on Agnes Martin, there are comments marked densely all over the pages. What attract him are no longer frames that represent reality but the larger picture, the reality outside the frames. Therefore, in the studio, the butterfly-shaped marks seem to have evolved through the stages of life, starting with layered extruding and accumulating, to juxtaposing with geometrical memories, and finally to scattering about and withdrawing into relatively condensed paintings; lines are concealed and divided into dots, as if they were molecular activities seen through a powerful magnifying glass, or maybe they are represented by cosmos filled with stars.

Through my visit, I have also learned that Chi not only plays competitive badminton but has long been immersed in the joys of Cuban salsa for quiet some time. I suppose between his traces of bodies twisting in space, the mature tenderness acquired through life experiences, that he displays in his paintings, and the dancing he loves, are correlations that are difficult to dismiss. In addition, there are a variety of small-sized paper works displayed in the planned exhibition that correspond with the rectangular canvases. In comparison to what he refers to as sexy oil paints, the charcoals, inks, pencils and other types of tools bring out plays of semi-automatic lines. Though in the process one can observe serious contemplation, the sliding curves remind one the body's unconscious resonance - each prance leaves its trace; it is time's extension into space, the visual evidence of existence. Be it complex or simple, they naturally reveal the precision and clarity seen in the manner of Zen paintings.

Having visited the site of "95014", I tried to search for clues about this set of numbers. Is it an important and crucial date? Is it the birthday of a lover? Is it an identity number or secret code to a special account? Is it the numbers of hours passing during a ten-year span? Is it the numbers of drawings he made since childhood? He mentioned that he will be going back to his residence in California after the exhibition. After eight years of comfortable living in Taiwan, it made him realize how much he missed traveling. He did not say directly that he misses "home". But with a smile on his face, he reveals that this set of numbers is the zip code of Cupertino, California, his residence is the states. Indeed, the subtle shades of joy and fine threads of sorrow are hard to hide.

 

 

斗方中的欣喜與哀愁 － 記《95014》的認識

文 / 林平

當藝術家在尺牘、斗方之間，進行書寫和繪畫的行為，藝術的想像可以是什麼？當創作者在小到不足以容身的畫幅空間中創造，藝術和生活現實的界線是否真的那麼難以溝通和跨越？

四月造訪紀嘉華的工作室，從一間明亮帶有穿透擴散作用的大窗工作間開始，我看到了《95014》發生的現場。午後從窗外灑入在大樓多到奢侈的光，投入眼的是幾乎看不到筆觸形跡和重量的一小幅畫。沒有要說些什麼，只是像時間和光的痕跡般流動在被精準約束設計過的畫布上。他說，這一間房間是他最原始的工作空間；在我看來，是一個不能多加思索、直接反映出內在心性和外在環境交流互語的空間。緊接著我逛行了一樣中性的白、卻帶有不同性質的幾個房間，具有開放互動性的廳，和滿佈私密話語的案頭和角落。一堵同樣精心設計規劃的活動牆面，滑動游走之間，破除了空間原本的絕對性格。隨著空間主人的指使，開與合、張與閉，關鍵性地決定空間的範疇和氛圍。

牆上、桌面、地板與牆交接處，有刻意為展示而暫時陳列的作品，裝了框、決定了格局，等待進入畫廊的展示牆，連光的條件都構想好了，一如他其他的設計。可是一直悄悄召喚、充滿魅力的，卻是諸多畫面中狀似漂流在雪白純淨空間中的紛紛飛塵和蝶影，在變化萬千的節奏中，此起彼落。每一個畫幅的邊界和框架雖然具體存在，卻相容隱匿在牆與牆、牆與地面的儉約規範中—一種基本的結構。剩下的、或者說真正需要被感知到的，是畫面充滿淡淡欣喜和絲絲哀愁的繽紛。

每一位創作者面對創性思維和視覺實踐的當下，是目標清晰而明確地給自己派作業、或者是無目的性的進行日課，這兩者之間存在著創作本質上的差異。前者強調認知、分析、反省、和批判的功夫，追求一致的企圖心和一貫的精神。後者卻充斥著不假思索的信手拈來、感知、意識流動、和直觀性，沒有欲求的映照出生命的可觸形式，充滿了意外、危急、矛盾衝突、和不合理性。在紀嘉華的工作室隱然可以區隔出這兩種空間性格、或者說兩群不同的創作程序。對他而言，受過建築和設計專業訓練的背景，使結構、精確度、視覺邏輯、和秩序，成為他創作的「骨幹」。但是當他捧著筆記本，試圖拋出幾個創作想像的關鍵詞彙時，我聽到的字眼卻是真實、現實、生活、視野、複數多元、和模糊的界線，一種鮮活的生命經驗。

我曾經看過紀嘉華1998年返台後幾次展覽中的作品。2000年底之前貼近學生時代的作品，充滿著生活即景和入世觀看。磚牆、建築區塊、屏障、舖面、和都會的律動意像。在層層疊疊無法穿透的時間肌理中，僅能在形狀與形狀間的隙縫中擠壓穿梭，生活如進行曲式般地，昂然掌握幾何學的秩序、和可計量的速度。但是2002年的展覽中，作品以「重生」命名，全然擺脫幾何意像，相對地，充塞著綿密塗敷的繪畫空間。據說大畫布是因應展出空間的工業尺幅(台中鐵道20號倉庫)而製作，形成足夠籠罩身體的場域特性。飛躍的蝶形記號，輕盈介入緩緩變異的氛圍中，彷彿嗅及令人動容的自然律動、和帶著氤氳的空氣感。不確定的流動狀態、和圖像有意無意間傳遞出的漂移遷徙和振翅飛翔的生物性，讓觀者忘了畫幅的框架，只記得一幕幕充滿生機的存在意像。極簡的格子形式，如同建築鷹架或柏拉圖式的理型(Ideal)，曾經藏匿在他繪畫中，形成堅定的下層結構；這一階段，格子隱匿無蹤，卻由無為和包容性的場域所取代。2003年在伊通公園的展出，蝶形體開始藉具有量感和速度的色線，形成活潑柔軟的線圈造型，分裂增殖和迅速滿舖在暗示空間深度的繪畫表面。不管你看到的是幸運草、扇葉、五彩繩結，不論是飽滿上揚的氣球、或隨風飄移的風信仔，甚至是球友戲稱輕盈彈跳的羽毛球，圈套聚散間，形成無限擴張蔓延的風景自身，使「抒情抽象」是可以適切套用在他此階段作品上的標籤。但是到底是什麼樣的內在歷程，塑造了前後兩階段引人遐想的異質性，從幾何到有機、從清朗到模糊、從秩序到渾沌。

出身於優渥環境的紀嘉華，在看似平坦的經歷和完整的專業訓練中，似乎隱藏著不可思議的變化和抉擇。青春期面對旅居異域的認同衝擊，十五年不曾返回台灣家鄉的漂泊生活，異文化和母文化交互存在和共生的現實，讓年輕的心很難無辜，讓懷鄉的對象難以想像。若干年來，病痛和意外總是像家常便飯般的伴隨在理當年少輕狂的身邊。若沒有樂觀積極的心念和超脫困境的勇氣，該如何承受這生命中對立存在的沉重。有人說紀嘉華作品中有不適齡的老氣，或許該說他的創作讓他還原了該有的年輕。

從這一次的展出作品的命名辭彙中，依然有許多來自抽象和構成藝術家的慣用語詞，極容易令人想像的是一種能量和物質、可見與不可見的轉換現象，一種隱藏在行動中的結構，一種音樂性的律動。但是有另一種稱之為「世界」和「宇宙」、「季節」和「旅行」的名稱，卻具體而微的反映出一種對生命的價值觀和生活的態度，或如前所述，一種鮮活的生命經驗。紀嘉華說他當學生時不懂塞尚(Paul Canne)，現在卻對他分外著迷。Eva Hess、Brice Marden、甚至Joseph Beuys的思考即形式的素描作品，均曾經是他和自我對照的參考架構。翻開愛格妮絲馬汀(Agnes Martin)的書頁，佈滿密密麻麻的眉批。吸引他的不再是代表理型的格子，而是格子框架以外的真實存在。因此，畫室現場中，蝶形記號如同經歷了生命的高峰，從濃密擠壓、層疊蘊積，歷經和幾何記憶的對照並置，最終擴散消退在相對縮小的畫幅中；線性的規範隱匿化約成點狀的耕耘，彷彿用高倍放大鏡看到的分子活動，或許其實是滿佈星辰的宇宙。

在畫室的訪談中，意外得知紀嘉華不只熱愛羽球運動，更長期沉浸在古巴拉丁舞風的莎莎(Salsa)狂野中。想像是肢體在空間中扭動的軌跡，繪畫作品中成熟體驗的輕柔和熱愛的舞蹈運動之間，恐怕有難以撇清、相互應和的關係。在這次展出計畫中刻意出現一整批小尺寸的紙上作品，和斗方規格的畫幅呼應。和他自稱充滿性感的油畫顏料相比，炭筆、墨水、鉛筆、和各式工具引導帶出半自動的線性嬉戲。在過程中雖然可以觀看到不只嚴肅的停滯思索，滑動的曲線可是率真直接的讓人意想身體的無意識回響，每一次的舞動，留下每一次的痕跡；是時間的空間延展，是存在的視覺徵記。不論是繁複或簡約，總那麼自然的流露出禪畫中東方式的明晰性。

造訪了《95014》的現場，試著尋找這一組號碼的線索，是一個關鍵的年代和日子？是愛人的生日？是某一種身分或特殊帳號的密碼？是那麼多小時堆砌的10年光陰？是從小到大總共畫過的素描張數？…他說今年畫展過後要回美國加州的居所，在台灣一晃8年的時間，過於穩定的生活讓他懷想漂泊。他沒有直接說想「家」，只是帶著微笑說，這組數字是他所居住的Cupertino的郵遞區號，似乎的確難掩那一份淡淡欣喜和絲絲哀愁。