恢復未來的旅程—許常郁 Journeys to Recover Your Future by Liang Gallery

許常郁

Journeys to Recover Your Future

Hsu Chang-Yu Solo Exhibition 2014

常郁式風景肖像

文

劉宥宜

如果你未曾看過許常郁的畫，建議你暫時關掉大腦記憶體中全部的知識與理智，忘掉繪畫在歷史洪流與當今社會的任何詮釋，以原始的眼光來到她的畫前，即便是透過電腦螢幕或出版品也

不住跟隨著色彩的變換，明明知道畫面並不逼真卻仿如置身其中而流連忘返。在此大範圍的畫面上，這些山水森林依舊遵守著三度空間的法則進行，正逐漸符合我們對於真實空間的期待時，卻在某個回神被平面拼貼物件混入，有時是大片整齊的粉紅色圓點，有時是紛飛亂舞的弧線，有時是整座山甚至是一汪湖水，就這麼結凍般地平面化了。畫面開始變得不太純粹，彷彿有兩個世界在切換著，同時存在卻互相保持距離，唯一的聯結通道似乎就是那總出現在畫面上的生物形體，大部份的畫作裡這生物是隻馬，時而平面時而立體的馬，直覺訴說了這便是藝術家本人，是藝術家本人在某些情境下的自我描述，而那樣的描述竟和你我一樣沒有分別。

Journeys to Recover Your Future

If I Had Been Alone

起初乍看，許常郁畫中鉅細靡遺的自然風景，總令人的眼光忍

如果那時我獨行

撞擊著你潛藏的記憶。

2014

漸，有那樣的時候，某些不規則形狀的暗礁會開始浮現，開始

Oil on canvas

自然伸縮遊走在畫面上的種種，好像為了尋找而尋找一樣，逐

155×155cm (120S)

好，和畫作維持一個不需轉頭就能看到畫邊的距離後，讓目光

2008 年初，23 歲的許常郁決定出發前往法國深造，在巴黎停留的一年半裡，親眼見到許多當代藝術大師的真跡而深刻地影響了她的創作觀；在 2009 年的秋天，她轉而移居至法國邊境的鄉村布列塔尼，靜靜地醞釀出自己的繪畫風格長達兩年，從她的創作軌跡看來，在布列塔尼的生活經驗是塑形她鮮明特色的最重要因素。而在歐洲布列塔尼高等藝術學院坎陪爾分校（Ecole Européenne Supérieure d'Art de Bretagne site Quimper）取得碩士學位後，她又再次回到巴黎，舉辦展覽展示她多年來累積的繪畫作品，並使她稍微嚐到了受肯定的滋味。然而於巴黎的某天，她卻突然感到是該回家了，許常郁便於 2012 年的冬天返抵臺灣。在法國居住的日子裡，她反覆實驗繪畫技巧，精煉成自己獨特的語言；回到台灣時已能不假思索地運用在層次更複雜的心境表達上。此次於尊彩藝術中心展出的個展，特別針對她自 2013 年至 2014 年回台期間的創作，是滿載的法國情懷與家鄉記憶的碰撞消融。

出發至法國前，許常郁早已懷有對生命強烈的興趣與熱情，以自己作為觀察對象，法國之旅成為了她追尋自我的道路。同時，在感到與當時處境的不融洽到達頂點後，法國之旅亦成為她放逐自我的機會。許常郁把自己從太過融合的環境中抽離出來，大膽地投入一個不確定的西方世界，藉由和周遭環境的巨大差異，自己本質的純粹性被凸顯地異常清晰，讓她更易於去探索自身的真正樣貌，並開始從她的真實記憶與潛意識中找尋根源

)

I'm Going to Tell You a Secret

安靜地說一個秘密

2013

Oil on canvas

號 200×120cm (120

線索，成為了她創作中最不可忽視的主題。

許常郁把生活與創作視為一不可分割的整體，不管在哪，總敏銳地察覺到自身存在與外在環境的關係。她切換自如地跳脫出當下的自我，嘗試對這些關係或感受提出哲學性或心理學的假設，甚至是非理性的如詩想像，並在腦中進行與現實世界的辯

Hsu Chang-Yu’s Style of Landscape Portrait

證。經過長時間的反思與對話，她的世界逐漸形成各種難辨

這種看似風景畫卻是以風景作為隱喻的自畫像，首次出現在

虛實的心理狀態，如同虛實並行的兩個世界，而這並行的狀

許常郁旅居布列塔尼的時期。在法國完成的那些作品裡，可

態部分來自於她潛意識中巴黎與臺灣的錯亂記憶，部分又來

頻繁地捕捉到藝術家與疏離感和平相處的心情，不難想像藝

自於與法國當地的隔閡感。她把這些多樣層次的當下心理狀

術家遠離家鄉牽絆，隻身前往這陌生的國度卻發現純粹的自

態坦然地交付於各個畫布上，即便是帶有一點羞澀也不去掩

我，苦悶伴隨著狂喜拉鋸下的舒張力道。然而，多年後家鄉

飾，以各式自創的符號系統獻出她精神世界的樣貌，不同類

的重現，意外地讓她察覺到出生地對她的影響，疊合了更多

別的景觀、顏色、形狀與繪製手法等在畫面上各司其職，儼

層次的複雜情緒，再次開啟了另一階段的探索。由於不可避

然成為一個能自行運轉的思想宇宙。

免接觸了眾多熟識的人，許常郁把對關係的興趣從自己與環境轉向自己與周遭人物之間，創作畫面上出現了一種以上的

在此種創作動機下，若以自畫像來分類許常郁的繪畫創作，

生物形象，甚至不避諱地直接使用人物來描繪。回台初期，

相較於傳統定義的自畫像，即便許常郁不曾描繪出她的實際

她依舊帶著在法國練就出的特殊風格技法，同樣立基於各種

形體，然而在意義上亦可稱這些作品為藝術家的自畫像。除

自身經驗，同樣以自己的精神樣貌為繪畫主角，家鄉的人事

卻對於身體髮膚、面部表情、穿著飾物的描述，許常郁便是

物變成她的觀察對象，這次她轉向更入世地，把自身敘述作

卸下了世間對於外貌與物件的死板印象，藉此要更赤裸地呈

為整體社會的縮影，描繪她個人存在與外在世界交融處一片

現出她靈魂的原貌。也因為不受限於外在形象的拘束，亦可

片虛實雜處的幻境。

隨即套用於任何一個不具形體的心靈個體上，許常郁僅僅描繪出了自己，觀者卻在畫中拾得暗藏內心的自己，無法爭辯到底是作品觸及到觀者，或是觀者自發性的投射，然而當這如同暗流的體悟湧現時，觀者也許已不知不覺地獲得精神上的釋放了。

Journeys to Recover Your Future

Gorgeous Serenity

寧靜且華麗的日子

2013 Oil on canvas 155×155cm (120S)

Sketch

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7 Hsu Chang-Yu’s Style of Landscape Portrait

Hsu Chang-Yu’s Style of Landscape Portrait Written by

LIU Eve June

If you have not seen any of Hsu Cheng-Yu’s paintings yet, my suggestion would be to switch off all the intellectual thinking in your brain for a moment and forget any interpretation of paintings which has ever been given throughout the history or in a contemporary society. You should look at her paintings from a primitive perspective, even then when you are looking at the works printed in a catalogue or on the computer screen. The perfect distance to look at her paintings would be when you can see the whole piece of work and you do not need to turn your head to see the margins of the painting. This distance allows your gaze to freely move around the images, and to search for something for the sake of searching. Gradually, you come to a moment when the irregular reef emerges to strike your hidden memory.

realistic space would do. However, there is a certain accidental moment when a two-dimensional object is collaged into the image as if it were intruding the world. Sometimes, it is a great area with organized pink

Journeys to Recover Your Future

A Passenger Before

the landscape still follows the three-dimensional rule as how we expect a

曾是過客

into a world where we wish to stay forever. In such a large-scale image,

2012

transition of colors. The images might not be realistic, but we are allured

Oil on canvas

is meticulously captured, attracting the viewers’ gaze throughout every

120×120cm (72S)

At the first glance, the natural landscape in Hsu Chang-Yu’s painting

)

In Storytelling Season

在說故事的季節

2013

Oil on canvas

號 200×120cm (120

In the early 2008, the 23-year-old Hsu Chang-Yu decided to go to France for advanced studies. She had stayed in Paris for one and a half years, where she saw so many authentic artworks by contemporary art masters who profoundly influenced her artistic beliefs. In the autumn of 2009, she moved to Brittany, a border village in France, where she had enjoyed a life of peace and quietness for two years and developed her own painting style. Judging by the traces of her artistic progress, the life experience in Brittany plays the most crucial part in her future development. After she received her master’s degree from Ecole Européenne Supérieure d’Art de Bretagne site Quimper, she returned to Paris and held several exhibitions dots placed in order; sometimes it is a crazy group of arcs flying

to demonstrate the paintings she had worked on throughout the

wildly; sometimes, it is a mountain or a lake being frozen into a two-

years. Although her effort and talent were finally to be seen in Paris,

dimensional plain. The image becomes less absolute, as if there were

one day she suddenly felt that it was the right time to come home.

two worlds switching with each other. They both exist at the same

Therefore, Hsu returned to Taiwan in the winter of 2012. During

time but keep a perfect distance in between. The only connecting

her stay in Paris, she had repetitively practiced and explored her

channel seems to be the creatures that appear in every image. In most

painting skills to create a refined and unique vocabulary of her own.

of the paintings, the creature is a horse – either two-dimensional or

When she arrived in Taiwan, she could immediately adopt the skills

three-dimensional. My intuition says that the horse is the artist. It

to express a more complicated psychological state. This time, her

is how the artist describes herself under certain circumstances, while

solo exhibition at Liang Gallery particularly focuses on her artworks

the depiction is not too much different from you and me.

created during 2013 and 2014, after she returned to Taiwan,

Hsu Chang-Yu’s Style of Landscape Portrait

featuring dynamic but yet gentle encounter between the memories of

states of the artist are truthfully visualized on the canvas. She refuses

the homeland and the sentimental experiences of her stay in France.

to cover a slightest touch of embarrassment. Instead, she creates a system of various unique symbols to picture her psychological world.

Before Hsu Chang-Yu left for France, she had already shown a strong

Different views, colors, shapes, and painting methods have different

passion for life. By observing herself, the adventure in France became

functions in the image, becoming a universe of thinking which runs

a journey to search for her inner self. She might have experienced

by itself.

the most unbearable discomfort in an unfamiliar situation, but at the same time moving to France also offered the artist a chance to

Based on such an artistic motif, we can still define Hsu Chang-

escape. Hsu thus removed herself from a situation she has found

Yu’s paintings as her self-portraits in terms of their meanings –

herself fit in too perfectly, taking a brave step into a Western world

even though her works are not like the conventional self-portraits

full of insecurity. The giant difference between the artist and her

for that she never realistically depicts her appearance. Apart from

surroundings highlighted the purity of her inner essence, allowing

the depiction of the physical appearance, the facial expression, or

her to explore the true self. Therefore, she started to search for traces

decorative accessories, Hsu rejects to reproduce people’s stereotype

in her true memories and subconsciousness, which soon became the

on appearance and objects in order to truthfully reveal the essence of

most important theme in her artistic practice that one could never

her soul without any disguise. It is also because she is liberated from

ignore.

the limitation of the external appearance that the artist can adopt any figureless spiritual entity. She portrays herself, but viewers see

Hsu Chang-Yu considers life and art as an inseparable unity.

their inner selves in her paintings. It is hard to argue whether it is her

No matter where she is, she is always sensitive to perceive the

paintings to touch the viewers or it is merely viewers’ spontaneous

relationship between her existence and the outer environment. She

reflection. Nevertheless, when the realization emerges like an

can easily free herself from the moment, offering a philosophical

undercurrent, viewers also experience certain spiritual liberation

or psychological assumption, or even non-rational and poetic

without noticing it.

imagination, about the emotions and the relations. There is a dialogue with the realistic world in her brain. Throughout the long-

These self-portraits might look like landscape paintings, but the

term reflection and conversation, various psychological states, either

landscape in the images is merely a metaphor. Hsu Chang-Yu first

illusional or realistic, have gradually been formed in her world. The

created these works during her stay in Brittany. The paintings

illusional world and the realistic world are like two parallel universes.

completed in France frequently featured how the artist tried to live

It mainly originates from the chaotic memories of Paris and Taiwan

in harmony with the sense of alienation. We can easily imagine

in her subconsciousness, while part of it comes from the experience

how she has put everything behind and left for a foreign country

of alienation from the French society. The multiple psychological

all by herself, where she discovered the purest self by experiencing

Journeys to Recover Your Future

We Have a Dream

一起做了個夢，向未來

2013

Oil on canvas

of multiple complicacies to start another phase of exploration. Since

155×155cm (120S)

birthplace had a great influence on her. She thus integrated emotions

Sketch

representation of the homeland accidentally let her realize how her

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the most painful and the most wonderful. However, years later, the

it was unavoidable to get in touch with acquaintances, Hsu turned her interest from her relationship with the environment to the relationship with the people around her. More than one creature thus appeared in the images. She even used real figures as her models. As she had just returned to Taiwan, she still worked with the unique style and technique she had developed in France. She still based her works on all kinds of personal experiences and turned her spiritual status into the main characters, but the stories, the scenes, and the people in her homeland became what she observed. This time, she has taken one step further into the world, transforming her personal narratives into the microcosm of the society as a whole to depict the realistic but yet surrealistic world of illusion where her personal existence merges with the external world.

Hsu Chang-Yu’s Style of Landscape Portrait

書寫回憶與夢：許常郁個展文

簡麗庭

Whispering Stars

低語的星空

──同時將它和現實斷然區分。

2013

造一個幻想的世界，並且嚴肅以對──他為此傾注大量的感情

Oil on canvas

100×100cm (50S)

創造性的作家所從事的，就像孩童在玩耍中所做的一樣。他創

佛洛伊德（Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939） 1

當我們回顧藝術史中的諸多案例，有時會發現藝術家的作品不自覺地反應其生活狀態，許常郁的作品也是如此。她的創作大致有兩個線索：一是「回憶」，主要是關於她創作生涯中幾個駐留過的城市：台北、巴黎和坎陪爾（Quimper），以及片斷的童年時光；另一個則是「夢」，一些曖昧混沌的夢境，或者臆想與白日夢。對許常郁來說，這兩者的區分並不明顯，它們往往都因為遺忘而變得支離破碎，她因此不時自問腦中這些形象究竟是屬於回憶的或屬於夢的、是源於經驗的或源於幻想的。 “The creative writer does the same as the child at play. He creates a world of phantasy which he takes very seriously – that is, which he invests with large amounts of emotion – while separating it sharply from reality.” Sigmund Freud, “Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming” (1908), Peter Gay ed., The Freud Reader (NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989), p. 437.

無論如何，繪畫成為許常郁談論回憶與夢的管道，她以一種富於直覺的方式與持續地創作，試圖讓這些主觀經驗與想像具現於畫布上。

Journeys to Recover Your Future

在現代藝術史的書寫中，藝術家進一步被神秘化，他們被貼上了對抗學院體制的標籤，從而被描述成「孤寂的天才」或「不被世人理解的先知」。這不只是某些史家的偏見，甚至，有時連藝術家也不免以這種神秘的視角來看待其他藝術家，比如畢卡索（Pablo Picasso, 1881-1973）論及塞尚（Paul Cézanne, 1839-1906）和梵谷（Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-90）時這麼說：「重要的不在藝術家做了什麼，而是他是什麼。（…）強烈地吸引我們的是塞尚的焦慮呀！這是塞尚的啟示；還有梵谷的痛苦，那是人類真實的戲劇。其餘都是騙人的勾當。」2

Walk Alone

2014

Oil on canvas

100×100cm (50S)

獨行

約翰．伯格（John Berger）則認為事實根本不是如此，塞尚和梵谷的作品並非直接反映他們的內心世界，相反的，這當中有細緻的藝術研究，「他們各以不同的方式專注於他們的作品中」3。確實，我們只需稍加考慮藝術家的師承、參與的藝術社群、當時的視覺文化經驗、技法的實驗、科學研究

然而，如果只從藝術家的個人情感來看待其作品，或許又過

帶來的新技術與新觀點等因素的話，會發現塞尚的焦慮和梵

於簡化了許常郁的創作意識。尤其有一種誤解長期縈繞在藝

谷的痛苦或許只是他們創作過程中的一小部分，真正使他們

術作品的詮釋課題上，也就是誤以為藝術家的生活和作品之

成為藝術大師的原因並非他們超越凡人的精神狀態，而是對

間具有某種緊密而不足為外人道的連結，甚至將藝術家的生

於藝術卓越地掌握。

活當作解釋其作品最主要的依據。至於這種錯覺的源頭，可能要追溯自藝術史的起源，因為當 16 世紀瓦沙里（Giorgio

前述討論提供了我們某種閱讀許常郁作品的門徑，正因為她

Vasari , 1511-74）開始撰寫第一部藝術史《藝術家傳記》（The

的作品強烈地訴諸個人情感，同時她對於作品的談論多半

Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects,

圍繞著旅居異地的個人經驗與感懷，因此觀眾有時會感到被

1550 / 1568）的時候，他所面臨最迫切的問題是無以數計的

阻擋在作品繽紛的形式之外：彷彿模糊地感受到了什麼，但

藝術家被淹沒在歷史洪流中，為此他必需喚回藝術家的名

又難以言喻。如果我們採取畢卡索的模式，那麼我們得更深

字，使他們不致於被遺忘；這構成了藝術史最早的體例，它

刻地認識許常郁這個人的精神狀態，但這有助於理解其創作

是一種傳記史，其目的就是用以記述藝術家的生活、性格、

嗎？如果我們採取約翰．伯格的方式，那麼我們需要關注的

傳說與名聲。

則是人以外的訊息─關於作品的訊息。

Writing One’s Memory and Dream: Hsu Chang-Yu’s Solo Exhibition

自由的造形

馬、森林、曠野和湖泊

雖然許常郁很少談論其創作形式涉及的概念與參照，其繪畫

儘管許常郁的繪畫主題相當一致，不過她也是一位靈活的符

主題也圍繞著自己的幻想，但她的作品中確實流露出若干明

號修辭家。她的作品中不斷出現馬、森林、曠野和湖泊等

顯的性質，以及可能的藝術參照和定位。作為一位年輕的、

形象，據她自述，這些形象源自於某次旅程中列車窗外的驚

身處二十一世紀的藝術家，許常郁所面臨的藝術環境是非常

鴻一瞥，此後便反覆地組合它們。不過這些符號的組合並不

自由的。雖然她創作的材料是古老的油畫，然而古典的學院

是為了要講述故事，它們不構成前因後果，也沒有具體的文

體系早已遠去，現代主義對於繪畫本質的設問不再是她的課

本，而是為了呈現出一個情境、一個幻想湧現的時刻。

題，抽象繪畫的凱旋也已經是半個世紀前的事情。許常郁的繪畫所受的影響，或許和新表現主義（Neo-Expressionism）、

同時，這些符號的運用也帶有強烈的主觀詮釋，而不同於

超前衛（Transavantgarde）等「繪畫回流」更有關，而致力

歷史中其他類似的題材。比如許常郁樂此不疲地畫馬，不

於以更自由的方式去處理具體的形象。

過情況和浪漫主義藝術家傑利科（Théodore Géricault, 17911824）筆下動態萬千的馬、或者表現主義藝術家法蘭茲．馬

許常郁的作品確實有著明顯可辨的風格，她善於運用許多近

克（Franz Marc, 1880-1916）的各種藍色的馬有所不同，許常

似的造形和反覆堆疊的筆觸，藉此形成緻密的斑點效果，比

郁筆下的馬並不涉及馬的生物學觀察（傑利科），也不是畫

如在〈低語的星空〉、〈獨行〉和〈來到一個無憂之境〉等

面中的造形構成（法蘭茲．馬克）。在她的眾多作品中，馬

作品中所呈現的森林和草原。同時她也會在畫面中保留一些

通常只佔據畫面極小的空間，多無動態，而平靜地置身於一

大面積的、顏色相近的、甚至平塗的部分，作為斑點效果的

片風景中。在此，馬的意義並非來自文學典故，作為繪畫情

對比，比如〈獨行〉和〈如果那時我獨行〉下方的白色區塊、

境中唯一的行動者，比如〈獨行〉、〈如果那時我獨行〉、

〈寧靜且華麗的日子〉中間淺綠色的區域等。至於形體的描

〈冬夜中的旅行〉等作品中的馬的形象，牠或許更加是藝術

繪，許常郁拒絕解剖學與客觀再現的描繪方式，她所描繪的

家的自我投射。

景物多半來自記憶或想像，這些形象總是或多或少地彎曲、延展或變形。因此，她雖然描繪具體的形象，然而這些形體

森林是許常郁筆下另一個常見的符號，也是其畫作中最主要

更重要的作用是作為承載色彩和筆觸的工具，藉此營造抒情

的背景。森林的構圖非常多樣，經常與曠野或湖泊交錯構

的質的。

成，而形成筆觸緻密與鬆散的對比。不過，這種景色的構成並不只是藝術家的想像或欲望，它也涉及一種風景畫這個畫科（genre）的傳統。許常郁曾提及，這些旅行所見的形象給

Journeys to Recover Your Future

她的第一印象是「安靜」，她也確實將風景描繪成平靜的場面，比如在〈記憶黑洞〉、〈來到一個無憂之境〉等作品中，湖泊中的倒影清晰可見，至於〈回到那曾經靜止的氣息裡〉、〈他們肯定永遠不會再次存在〉等作品中，湖水成了一個平整的色塊。這種詮釋或許不是偶然，而混雜了某些文化薰陶，比如在許多文化中確實可以看到自然景緻與道德情操（virtue）之間的關聯：中國的山水畫（儘管山水畫和風景畫屬於兩個完全不同的體系與概念）的發展歷程中，試圖將山水作為個體修為的隱喻；歐洲的風景畫傳統中也涉及阿卡 Carefree Wonderland

入世、個體與天下之間的政治隱喻；其作品中也不描繪人（除

2013

或形式上仍有很明顯的區別，例如她不處理山水畫中出世與

Oil on canvas

182×227cm (150F)

然而，許常郁的作品與山水畫或田園風景畫，無論在概念上

來到一個無憂之境

迪亞（Arcadia） 4 或田園牧歌（pastoral）的概念。

了〈一起做一個夢，向未來〉之外），但田園風景畫所強調的理想的生活方式是不能沒有人參與其中的。換言之，她並

與夢。

草稿

Sketch

非直接套用這些文化傳統，其作品真正的主題仍是她的回憶

總體而言，許常郁以一種主觀的、充滿感情與幻想的方式來 Pablo Picasso, 轉引自 John Berger，《畢卡索的成敗》，連德誠譯（臺北：遠流，2005），頁 14。

書寫其作品，但這不是任意為之，它終究是一種細緻的建構。作為觀眾，我們也不該停滯於最初的感覺，而應引入藝術史與藝術理論，使閱讀越加深入。

John Berger，《畢卡索的成敗》，連德誠譯（臺北：遠流， 2005），頁 14。

4 希臘地名，在古羅馬的文學描述中意指「世外桃源」或「人間樂土」。

Writing One’s Memory and Dream: Hsu Chang-Yu’s Solo Exhibition

Writing One’s Memory and Dream: Hsu Chang-Yu’s Solo Exhibition Written by

JIAN Li-Ting

The creative writer does the same as the child at play. He creates a world of phantasy, which he takes very seriously – that is, which he invests with large amounts of emotion – while separating it sharply from reality.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) 1

When we look back to the history of art, we realize that sometimes artists’ works subconsciously reflect their life style. Hsu Chang-Yu is one of examples. Her artworks can be divided into two categories: the first is “memory” which describes the cities she has lived in throughout her artistic career, including Taipei, Paris, and Quimper, as well as the fragments of her childhood memories; the second is “dream” which depicts some ambiguous dreams or fantasies. For Hsu Chang-Yu, there is

discuss memory and dream. She continuously works with her instinct, trying to visualize the subjective experiences and imaginations on canvas.

Journeys to Recover Your Future

Winter Nights

matter what it is, paintings become a channel for Hsu Chang-Yu to

冬夜中的旅行

which comes from fantasies, when she sees an image in her brain. No

2013

memory, which comes from experiences, and what belongs to dream,

Oil on canvas

after being forgotten. She thus starts to ask herself what belongs to

50×50cm (12S)

no clear distinction between the two. Both of them become fragmentized

not the only persons who adopt such a biased view, while sometimes artists also take a mysterious perspective to examine other artists. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) has once talked about Paul Cézanne 記憶黑洞

Black Hole Memories

(1839-1906) and Vincent Van Gogh (1853-90) that “(i)t’s not what the artist does that counts, but what he is… (W)hat forces our interest is Cézanne’s anxiety, that’s Cézanne’s lesson; the torments of Van Gogh – that is the actual drama of the man. The rest is a sham.” 2

2014

Oil on canvas

100×100cm (50S)

However, John Berger thinks otherwise. He disagrees about that Cézanne and Van Gogh’s artworks truthfully reflect their inner world. Instead, he reveals a subtle exploration that “(B)oth, in their different ways, were obsessed by what they produced.” 3 Indeed, if we give it a second thought on the teachings inherited by the artists, the art communities the artists belonged to, the contemporary visual

However, we might simplify Hsu Chang-Yu’s artistic concept

and cultural experiences, the experimental techniques, and the new

if we only explore the artist’s personal emotions in her works.

perspective brought up by scientific research, we will realize that

People usually have a misunderstanding when interpreting an

Cézanne’s anxiety and the torments of Van Gogh have only played a

artwork, mistakenly believing that there is a close and indescribable

tiny part in their artistic practice. What makes them great art masters

connection between artist’s life and works. Some even take artist’s

is not the extraordinary spirituality but the extraordinary mastering

life as the most important reference to study an artwork. Such a

of the artistic practice.

misunderstanding can be traced back to the origin of art history when Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) wrote the first art history book The

The previous discussion provides us some gateway to study Hsu

Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects in the

Chang-Yu’s artworks. Since her works often feature strong personal

16 Century. Vasari faced a problem that numerous artists had been

emotions and describe her personal experiences of living in foreign

forgotten through the passing of time, so he had to recall the names

places, viewers sometimes might have a feeling that they are

of these artists. It was why the earliest art history was constituted by

alienated from the rich forms of the artworks: it seems that they feel

biographies, which focused on artists’ lives, personalities, legends,

something, but they cannot exactly identify their feeling. If we follow

and reputation.

Picasso’s suggestion, does it mean that we have to dig into Hsu Chang-Yu’s spiritual state to further interpret her artworks? However,

In the writing of modern art history, artists are further mythicized.

if we follow John Berger’s idea, then what we need to explore is the

Being labeled as anti-academic, artists are often described as “the

information instead of her personal life – the information about her

lonely geniuses” or “the prophets without believers.” Historians are

artworks.

Writing One’s Memory and Dream: Hsu Chang-Yu’s Solo Exhibition

Free Pattern

Horse, Forest, Wilderness, and Lake

Although Hsu Chang-Yu seldom talks about the concepts and

Regardless of the consistent theme in Hsu Chang-Yu’s paintings,

examples involved in her artistic style and the subjects of her

she is a talented rhetorician of symbols who flexibly plays with

paintings always surround her fantasy, we can still identify some

reoccurring images such as horses, forests, wilderness, or lakes.

apparent qualities and possible artistic concepts in Hsu’s artworks.

According to the artist, the images came from a glimpse through the

As a young artist in the 21 st Century, Hsu Chang-Yu lives in a

train window in one of her journeys. Since then, she has repetitively

free environment for art-making. She might choose a medium, oil

combined the symbols. However, the combination of these symbols is

painting, which has a long history, but the classical academic training

not for storytelling. There is neither cause-and-effect nor a concrete

system has long gone. The modernist inquiry about the essence of

narrative. It simply creates a scenario or a moment for the fantasy to

painting is no longer the subject to explore, while Abstract Painting

emerge.

has had its moment of triumph half a century ago. Hsu ChangYu’s painting might be more influenced by Neo-Expressionism,

Furthermore, these symbols evoke strong subjective interpretation,

Transavantgarde and other ideas about “the revival of painting,”

which is different from the similar subjects in the art history. For

allowing her to deal with figurative images in a freer way.

example, Hsu Chang-Yu loves painting horses, but her horses are different from the horses in action painted by Théodore Géricault

Indeed, Hsu Chang-Yu’s paintings feature an identifiable style, which

(1791-1824), a Romantic painter, or the various blue horses in the

is her perfect use of similar patterns and repetitive layers of strokes

paintings of Franz Marc (1880-1916), an Expressionist artist. Hsu

to create a “dotted” effect such as the forest or the pasture land in

Chang-Yu’s horses rarely involve the biological observation like

Whispering Stars, Walk Alone, and Carefree Wonderland. Meanwhile,

Théodore Géricault’s, nor do they demonstrate certain composition

she leaves some large space for flat painting or similar colors as a

in the paintings like Franz Marc’s. In Hsu’s numerous works, horses

contrast to the dotted effect such as the white area in the lower part

only occupy a very tiny space in the image. They are motionless,

of Walk Alone and If I Had Been Alone or the light green area in the

quietly staying in the landscape. Here, the meaning of the horse does

middle part of Gorgeous Serenity. When it comes to appearance,

not come from any literature text. As the only activist in the scenery

Hsu Chang-Yu refuses an anatomical, objective, representational

of Walk Alone, If I Had Been Alone, Winter Nights, and etc., the horse

depiction. What she depicts comes from her memory or imagination.

is more like the self-reflection of the artist.

The images are thus curved, extended, and distorted. Although she captures the figurative appearance, the most vital function of the

Forest is another common symbol as well as the major background in

appearance is to serve colors and strokes in order to create a lyrical

Hsu Chang-Yu’s paintings. Viewers can see a great variety of

quality.

compositions that involve the forest. It is often intertwined with wilderness or lake, creating a contrast of strokes between the meticulous and the loose. However, the composition of the landscape

Journeys to Recover Your Future

is not merely the imagination or the desire of the artist. It also

Generally speaking, Hsu Chang-Yu adopts a “writing” style, which

involves the tradition of landscape painting as a “genre.” Hsu Chang-

is subjective, emotional, and full of fantasies, but she has her reason

Yu has once mentioned that the first impression of the scenery she

and she creates a meaning, as she offers an exquisite structure. As

saw in her journey is “quietness.” She thus visualizes the landscape

viewers, we should not be blocked by the initial feeling, but deepen

into peaceful scene in her artworks. The reflection on the lake in

the exploration on the basis of art history and theories.

Black Hole Memories and Carefree Wonderland is crystal clear, while the lake becomes a flat intact color block in Back to That Moment of Tranquility and They Certainly Will Never Exist Again. Such an interpretation is not coming from nowhere. It combines certain cultural heritage such as the connection between natural landscape and moral virtue which exists in many cultures: throughout the development of Chinese landscape painting (although it is a totally different genre from the Western landscape painting), it has always attempted to symbolize the landscape as the reflection of one’s moral character; we can also see the metaphors of Arcadia and pastoral in the tradition of Western landscape painting. 4 However, Hsu Chang-Yu’s paintings are still very different from either Chinese landscape painting or European pastoral painting. One of the examples is that she rarely deals with the political metaphor between the individual and the world or between the secular and the spiritual as it is in Chinese landscape painting. The absence of human beings (with an exception in We Have a Dream) in her paintings also marks the difference from European pastoral painting, which emphasizes an ideal lifestyle that cannot exist without human. In other words, she does not inherit the cultural tradition in a straightforward way. The real theme of her works is always her dream and fantasy.

Sigmund Freud, “Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming” (1908), The Freud Reader, ed. Peter Gay (NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 1989), p. 437.

Pablo Picasso quoted in John Berger, The Success and Failure of Picasso, trans. Lien Teh-Cheng (Taipei: Yuan-Liou Publishing Co, 2005), p. 14.

Ibid.

Arcadia is a region in Greece. In the literature of ancient Rome, it is referred to “the paradise on earth.”

Writing One’s Memory and Dream: Hsu Chang-Yu’s Solo Exhibition

恢復未來的旅程

「這是再次體驗你的過去的旅程？」這時大汗提出了問題，這個問題也可以這樣子問：「這是恢復你的未來的旅程？」馬可波羅的回答則是：「他鄉是一面負向的鏡子。旅人認出那微小的部份是屬於他的，卻發現那龐大的部份是他未曾擁有的，也永遠不會擁有的。」

卡爾維諾《看不見的城市》

那次的夢：在坎陪爾（Quimper）居住過的那個小屋，我正倉皇的整收行李，深怕趕不上那最後一班回台灣的班機，同時又想著居留證九月到期，似乎應該再多留在法國三個月？……這是回來台灣後的第 589 天，記憶像是曝光的相紙，色塊遮蓋了風景，點點繁星卻在深處揮之不去；那些思緒成了森林裡的片片葉子，從模糊的記憶斷面截取風景，加上未來的想像，構築畫筆下的絢爛世界。

在那一個世界，沒有所謂過去、現在、未來，時間非線性存在；在這一個世界，存在的文

許常郁

是否永遠存在？屬於自己的是不是可以成為永恆？失去的可否再次擁有？閉上眼能否就看見心之所嚮？因此，一點、一筆、一抹，顏色了那森林，那無邊的夢境，為各種可能提供了實現的場域。

未來的旅程將映照著過去的那段旅行，那時候的我獨行，如今的我緊抓著記憶裡的恍惚夢幻，趕著去一個無憂的地方，回到那曾經靜止的氣息裡，不斷地學習 —尋找那些微小的、被遺忘在森林裡的每片葉子；氣息離開時，重新再做一個夢，幻想與自我分離，以為身在一個真實世界，向未來。

Journeys to Recover Your Future

“Journeys to relive your past?” was the Khan’s question at this point, a question which could also have been formulated: “Journeys to recover your future?” And Marco’s answer was: “Elsewhere is a negative mirror. The traveler recognizes the little that is his, discovering the much he has not and will never have.”

Italo Calvino “Invisible Cities”

That dream: in a small room in Quimper, I am packing my bags in a hurry. I am worried that I might not catch the last flight back to Taiwan. At the same time, I am thinking that my residency permit expires in September, and that perhaps I should stay in France for another three months. This is the 589th day since I returned to Taiwan. Memories are like photographic film exposed to light, blocks of color covering the landscape, with a multitude of stars that cannot be erased in the deepest part. Those thoughts become leaves in a forest. From unclear memories I cut out a cross section of scenery and add to it an imagination of the future to create a vibrant world with a brush.

Written by

HSU Chang-Yu

In that world, there is no past, present or future. Time is not linear; in this world, do the things that exist exist endlessly? Can the things that belong to us become timeless? Can we regain the things that we’ve lost? Can we see our hearts’ desire by closing our eyes? A blot, a stroke, coloring that forest, that boundless dream, a domain where all possibilities can be realized.

The journeys I shall take in the future will reflect that journey I took in the past. Back then I traveled alone. Now I grasp tightly on to the fantasies that I recall, hurrying to a place where there aren’t any worries, reclaiming a scent that was once still, learning continuously – looking for those small, forgotten leaves in the forest; and when the scent vanishes, I begin to dream again. The unreal and the self separate, thinking that it exists in reality, moving toward the future.

Artist Statement

作品 Art Works

在遠處夢見未來 Viewing the Future From a Distance 2014 Oil on canvas 330x195cm

風捎來了遠方的訊息 The Breeze Brings a Message From Far Away 2014 Oil on canvas 155x155cm（120S）

他們肯定永遠不會再次存在 They Certainly Will Never Exist Again 2014 Oil on canvas 182x227cm（150F）

如果那時我獨行 If I Had Been Alone 2014 Oil on canvas 155x155cm（120S）

寧靜且華麗的日子 Gorgeous Serenity 2013 Oil on canvas 155x155cm（120S）

低語的星空 Whispering Stars 2013 Oil on canvas 100x100cm（50S）

來到一個無憂之境 Carefree Wonderland 2013 Oil on canvas 182x227cm（150F）

回到那曾經靜止的氣息裡 Back to That Moment of Tranquility 2014 Oil on canvas 182x227cm（150F）

抓握著記憶裡的恍惚夢幻 I Remember a Faint Dream 2013 Oil on canvas 155x155cm（120S）

一起做了個夢，向未來 We Have a Dream 2013 Oil on canvas 155x155cm（120S）

請留住你的夢，拭去的靈光即將再現 The Aura Will Be Reinstated 2013 Oil on canvas 155x155cm（120S）

天空永遠不會是一個樣子 The Sky Cannot Be the Same Forever 2014 Oil on canvas 182x227cm（150F）

記憶黑洞 Black Hole Memories 2014 Oil on canvas 100x100cm（50S）

某個清晨，佇立在繁星天空下 Standing Beneath a Starry Sky 2013 Oil on canvas 100x100cm（50S）

獨行 Walk Alone 2014 Oil on canvas 100x100cm（50S）

冬夜中的旅行 Winter Nights 2013 Oil on canvas 50x50cm（12S）

曾是過客 A Passenger Before 2012 Oil on canvas 120x120cm（72S）

歧路花園 Crossroads Garden 2012 Oil on canvas 100x100cm（50S）

安靜地說一個秘密 I'm Going to Tell You a Secret 2013 Oil on canvas 200x120 cm（120 號）

在說故事的季節 In Storytelling Season 2013 Oil on canvas 200x120cm（120 號）

我不認識什麼永恆的東西。什麼都遭遇了，我認為，凡是碰到的都是命中注定。 I Believe That Whatever Happened Was Predestined 2011 Oil on canvas 180x180cm（162S）

歷年作品 A List of Previous Works

徘徊在真實之林望著那方的存在 Lingering in the Forest of Truth Looking Afar the Existence of the Other Side 2011 Oil on canvas 180x180cm（162S）

可曾見過，朝向地平線追求永恆的旅行 Journey to Eternity Towards the Horizon 2011 Oil on canvas 180x180cm（162S）

跟隨著記憶到盡頭的另一邊 Following the Memories to the End of the Opposite

浪費一整個夏天去遙遠的地方 Summer Trip to a Far Land

2010 Oil on canvas 185x144cm（133 號）

2011 Oil on canvas 100x100cm（50S）

和遊蕩者交談雪中的祕密 Sharing Secrets in the Snow With a Loafer 2011 Oil on canvas 81x81cm（32S）

習慣低頭待在夢見的氣息裡 Being Used to Stay in the Aroma of Dreams With Bowing Head 2011 Oil on canvas 60x60cm（18S）

綠色小徑 1~25 Green Path 1~25 2012 Oil on canvas 25 cm in diameter (each)

藍色的風 Blue Wind 2010 Oil on canvas 69x143cm（50 號）

粉紅色的風 Pink Wind 2010 Oil on canvas 60x60cm（18S）

糜鹿 01 Père David's Deer I

糜鹿 02 Père David's Deer II

2013 Oil on canvas 38x38cm（8 號）

許常郁

學歷 2011

歐洲布列塔尼高等藝術學院坎陪爾分校碩士，坎陪爾，法國

2007

國立台北藝術大學美術系學士，台北，台灣

（獲頒法國國家高等藝術表現文憑，國家評委會最高榮譽） 1985 年出生於台灣台北

個展 2014

「恢復未來的旅程」，尊彩藝術中心，台北，台灣

2011

「世界盡頭的漫遊者」，畫庫，台北，台灣

2007

「湖」，國立台北藝術大學南北畫廊，台北，台灣

聯展 2014

「台中藝術博覽會」，台中日月千禧酒店，台中，台灣「Wondrous Artistry & Diamond Mastery」，De Beers 珠寶藝術作品展，台北，台灣「台北當代國際藝術博覽會」，晶華酒店，台北，台灣「親親我的寶貝－愛的禮物」，尊彩藝術中心，台北，台灣「天人五衰」，關渡美術館，台北，台灣

2013

「台北國際藝術博覽會」，台北世貿一館，台北，台灣「如影形隨」，尊彩藝術中心，台北，台灣「繁星閃閃－藝術家聯展」，尊彩藝術中心，台北，台灣「高雄藝術博覽會」，駁二藝術特區、翰品酒店，高雄，台灣

2012

「台北國際藝術博覽會」，台北世界貿易中心，台北，台灣「飛行熱氣球－台灣當代藝術展」，尊彩藝術中心，台北，台灣「台北國際當代藝術博覽會」，喜來登大飯店，台北「第五十七屆紅山當代藝術沙龍展」，巴黎，法國「A Paris Apparus」，小方磚畫廊，巴黎，法國

2011

「Nucleus」，Belltable Arts Centre，利默里克，愛爾蘭「菁典當代」，一畫廊，台北，台灣「夏日風情」，一票人票畫空間，台北，台灣「Miscellaneous」，法國坎陪爾高等藝術學院，利默里克，愛爾蘭

2010

「另一個局面」，法國坎陪爾高等藝術學院，利默里克，愛爾蘭「AD HOC」，Kerfeunteun 教堂，利默里克，愛爾蘭

2007

「第二十二屆國立台北藝術大學美術系畢業展」，國立台北藝術大學，台北，台灣

獲獎 2012

Journeys to Recover Your Future

「第五十七屆紅山當代藝術沙龍展」，巴黎，法國

HSU Chang-Yu

EDUCATION 2011

MFA, Ecole Européenne Supérieure d’Art de Bretagne, Quimper, France (Graduated with a DNSEP with honors from the ESBA in Quimper)

1985 born in Taipei, Taiwan

2007

BFA, Department of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei, Taiwan

SOLO EXHIBITONS 2014

“Journeys to Recover Your Future”, Liang Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan

2011

“Hsu Chang-Yu's Solo Exhibition”, Piaopiao Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan

2007

“Lake”, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei, Taiwan

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2014

“Art Taichung”, Millennium Hotels, Taichung, Taiwan “Wondrous Artistry & Diamond Mastery”, De Beers Diamond and Artistry Exhibition, Taipei, Taiwan “Young Art Taipei”, Regent, Taipei, Taiwan “Kiss Kiss My Baby”, Liang Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan “The Decay of the Angel”, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei, Taiwan

2013

“Art Taipei”, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei, Taiwan “The Following Shadow”, Liang Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan “Spring Exhibition Starry Night Sky”, Liang Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan “Art Kaohsiung”, The Pier-2 Art Center & CHATEAU de CHINE Hotel Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

2012

“Art Taipei”, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei, Taiwan “The Delightful Color of Spring”, Liang Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan “Young Art Taipei”, Sheraton Grande Taipei Hotel, Taipei, Taiwan “The 57th Le Salon de Montrouge”, Paris, France “A Paris Apparus”, Galerie Les Petits Carreaux, Paris, France

2011

“Nucleus”, Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick, Ireland “Contemporary Classics: A Joint Exhibition of Ten Young Artists”, A Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan “Les paysages en été”, Piaopiao Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan “Miscellaneous”, ESA de Quimper, Limerick, Ireland

2010

“Une autre situation”, ESA de Quimper, Limerick, Ireland “AD HOC”, Chapelle de Kerfeunteun, Limerick, Ireland

2007

“The 22nd Graduate Exhibition of the Department of Fine Arts”, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei, Taiwan

AWARDS 2012

The 57th Le Salon de Montrouge, Paris, France

Curriculum Vitae

圖錄 Catalog 如果那時我獨行 If I Had Been Alone 2014 Oil on canvas 155x155cm (120S)

p. 29

寧靜且華麗的日子 Gorgeous Serenity 2013 Oil on canvas 155x155cm (120S)

p. 31

Journeys to Recover Your Future

在遠處夢見未來 Viewing the Future From a Distance

低語的星空 Whispering Stars

2014

2013

Oil on canvas

330x197cm (500 號 )

100x100cm (50S)

p. 23

p. 33

風捎來了遠方的訊息 The Breeze Brings a Message From Far Away

來到一個無憂之境 Carefree Wonderland

2014

2013

Oil on canvas

155x155cm (120 S)

182x227cm(150F)

p. 25

p. 35

他們肯定永遠不會再次存在 They Cer tainly Will Never Exist Again

回到那曾經靜止的氣息裡 Back to That Moment of Tranquility

2014

Oil on canvas

182x227cm (150F)

p. 27

p. 37

抓握著記憶裡的恍惚夢幻 I Remember a Faint Dream

某個清晨，佇立在繁星天空下 Standing Beneath a Starr y Sky

2013

Oil on canvas

155x155cm (120S)

100x100cm (50S)

p. 39

p. 49

一起做了個夢，向未來 We Have a Dream

獨行 Walk Alone

2013

2014

Oil on canvas

155x155cm (120S)

100x100cm (50S)

p. 41

p. 51

請留住你的夢，拭去的靈光即將再現 The Aura Will Be Reinstated

冬夜中的旅行 Winter Nights

2013

Oil on canvas

155x155cm (120S)

50x50cm (12S)

p. 43

p. 53

天空永遠不會是一個樣子 The Sky Cannot Be the Same Forever

曾是過客 A Passenger Before

2014

2012

Oil on canvas

182x227cm (150F)

120x120cm （72S）

p. 45

p. 55

記憶黑洞 Black Hole Memories

歧路花園 Crossroads Garden

2014

2012

Oil on canvas

100x100cm (50S)

100x100cm

p. 47

p. 57

Catalog

Journeys to Recover Your Future

安靜地說一個秘密 I'm Going to Tell You a Secret

跟隨著記憶到盡頭的另一邊 Following the Memories to the End of the Opposite

2013

2010

Oil on canvas

200x120cm (120 號 )

185x144cm (133 號 )

p. 59

p. 65

在說故事的季節 In Stor ytelling Season

浪費一整個夏天去遙遠的地方 Summer Trip to a Far Land

2013

2011

Oil on canvas

200x120cm (120 號 )

100x100cm (50S)

p. 61

p. 65

我不認識什麼永恆的東西。什麼都遭遇了，我認為，凡是碰到的都是命中注定 I Believe That Whatever Happened Was Predestined

和遊蕩者交談雪中的祕密 Sharing Secrets in the Snow with a Loafer

2011

Oil on canvas

180x180cm (162S)

81x81cm (32S)

p. 63

p. 66

徘徊在真實之林望著那方的存在 L i n g e r i n g i n t h e F o r e s t o f Tr u t h Looking Afar the Existence of the Other Side

習慣低頭待在夢見的氣息裡 Being Used to Stay in the Aroma of Dreams with Bowing Head

2011

Oil on canvas

180x180cm (162S)

60x60cm (18S)

p. 64

p. 66

可曾見過，朝向地平線追求永恆的旅行 Journey to Eternity Towards the Horizon

藍色的風 Blue Wind

2011

2010

Oil on canvas

180x180cm (162S)

69x143cm (50 號 )

p. 64

p. 68

粉紅色的風 Pink Wind 2010 Oil on canvas 60x60cm (18s)

p. 68

糜鹿 01 Père David's Deer Ⅰ 2013 Oil on canvas 38x38cm (8 號 )

p. 69

糜鹿 02 Père David's Deer Ⅱ 2013 Oil on canvas 38x38cm (8 號 )

p. 69

綠色小徑 – 1~25 Green Path – 1~25 2012 Oil on canvas 25cm in diameter

p. 67

Catalog

許常郁

Hsu Chang-Yu Solo Exhibition 2014

Journeys to Recover Your Future

發行人

余彥良

出版者

尊彩國際藝術有限公司

策劃設計

尊彩藝術中心

印刷

日動藝術印刷有限公司

出版

2014年9月初版

ISBN

978-986-90108-5-6

Executive Director

Yu Yen-Liang

Publisher

Liang Gallery Co., Ltd

Editor

Liang Gallery

Printing

Jih-Tung Art Pringting Co., Ltd.

Publishing Date

First Edition, September, 2014

ISBN

978-986-90108-5-6

T +886-2-2797-1100 F +886-2-2656-0033 lianggallery@gmail.com

台北市11492內湖區瑞光路366號 No.366, Ruiguang Rd., Neihu District, Taipei 11492, Taiwan 開放時間 Gallery Hours 11:00am~6:00pm 週一公休 Closed on Monday

恢復 未來的旅程—許常郁 Journeys to Recover Your Future

恢復未來的旅程—許常郁 Journeys to Recover Your Future