盧梭（Henri Rousseau）曾說：如果上帝是在宇宙冷靜的看著人類，人更應該生活在變動世界中尋找自我，對一切關於自己知識抱持著學習與懷疑態度，為自己的存在找到價值與可能。

「心物．微觀」這個展覽，是就個人多年來對藝術家作品的觀察與理解而命題。從其「植物史」創作，作者從作品中展現出一種高度的詩性，作品如同攝影負片顯影似的，藝術家一直試著讓作品呈現出一種高度無為的狀態，如「去作者化」在作品完成之後的隱匿。過去許多作品呼應的如他者存在（being-for-other），為的是提供被認知與觀看的理解。學院技法更常將作品呈現作為一種潮流與當代表現，往往忽略了作品本身最基礎的材料物性，此次展覽藝術家以一種「以退為進」讓材料回歸自身做回它自己的態度，這是藝術家本身面對材料與畫布間的深刻體會。

從自然轉折過渡到畫布形態的存在，藝術家以一個學院走來的藝術創作者的身份，卻在創作的過程中不斷地去探究材料本身的物性，物質轉折至畫面之中後，這是一種概念性的附著於可見的尺度當下，創作是否不僅僅是作者本身的意念的存在，更是媒材經由意念而生成一種被概念還原的差異性。正如藝術家本人所言：他要讓自己退到作品外圍。或許作為一個藝術家而言，作品往往成為自己偽裝另一個自我，作品被看見同時也只是一個藝術家自我赤裸的表徵，透過物質的複製與質變，在思想的迴盪之間擺渡游離，目的在於以藝術之名征服材質的可塑特質。然而藝術家的作品內藴訴說的是一種生命觀的無為與謙融。

一切物質都不可能離開心靈，物質的存在與意義最終也是通過心靈才得以顯現其價值，相信這是一樣的道理，上帝的存在就在每一個人的心中一樣，人脫離了心靈的感受能力只能成為一個表象的肉身。這如同存在主義者所言，了解自己必須要透過內在的體驗一樣。藝術的精神所表現的也應該是個人化的創造，作品不該將使用的材料本身驅離在作品之外，而該讓材料本身以靜態的方式表達出人與物的對話關係。一如藝術家本人所言：我的繪畫基本上是在還原材料（物質）本身的特性，讓材料成為它自己的特性，而不是成為藝術的以技巧作為控制材料的手段。


策展人｜張聰賢
藝術家｜蔡獻友
展覽日期｜2021/10/13(三) – 2021/12/19(日)
展覽時間｜週三至週日 11:00-18:00
開幕茶會｜2021/10/30(六) 14:00
展覽地點｜102當代藝術空間

座談會｜即心．微物　2021/10/30(六) 15:00-17:00
引言人｜張聰賢 / 藝術工作者、獨立策展人
藝術家｜蔡獻友 / 正修科技大學視覺傳達設計系教授
與談人｜黃文勇 / 台南應用科技大學美術系副教授


Henri Rousseau had stated—if God truly is observing man from the heavens disinterestedly, then man should seek thyself while living in the world of uncertainty, and discover the value and the possibility of their own existence by holding a learning, questioning attitude toward every piece of knowledge about oneself.

The exhibition Mind, Minor Matter is titled according to my personal observation on and perception of the artist’s work throughout many years. The artist presents highly poetic works ever since his History of Plants series and his works strike you as if they are images from negative films. He has been constantly attempting an exceedingly inactive posture through his work, like an unknown, invisible author as his work is done. In the past, to provide perspectives on acknowledgment and seeing, many works referred to being-for-others. While the common technique in art academies of presenting artwork as a trendy, contemporary expression has often neglected the basic materialistic features of the work, in this exhibition, with a still attitude, art materials return as what they are themselves in the artist’s hand. It demonstrates the artist’s profound experience while he was facing his materials and canvas.

From merely natural elements to the existence of art form in canvas—the artist, albeit being an artist with an art school training background, persistently explores the materiality of/in his media during his creative process. While the materiality is transformed into created images—there is a conceptual attachment to the visible realm—this art may be more than a coexistence to its creator’s idea, but also becomes a difference, restored by concept and produced with artistic media via the artist’s concepts. As the artist had said himself, he intended to detach himself from the work. Perhaps for an artist his own work often disguises itself as another extension to his ego. Thus his work is also just a naked, personal expression by an artist, which wanders along the echoes of thoughts via the reproduction and the qualitative change in materialistic terms, and its purpose is to conquer the versatility of material in the name of art. Yet the artist portrays a submissive, humble view of life in the core of his art.

No material matter can be fully detached to human souls, the existential meaning of matter manifests ultimately through man’s soul. I believe it is the same logic—how God exists in every man’s heart and a man without the perception of his heart is merely a representation of the human body. As it is said by the existentialists, to understand oneself one must learn through inner experiences. The expression of artistic ideas ought to be a personal creation; those applied materials are not meant to be detached from the artwork itself, but to express a relationship of dialogue between man and his object via motionless presentation. As the artist himself once said: “My paintings are basically restoring the features of my media(materials) and, instead of using techniques as means to manage my materials, they have the materials as their own characteristics.”


Mind, Minor Matter-Tsai Hsien-Yiu Solo Exhibition
Duration｜October 13 - December 19, 2021
Opening Hours｜11:00-18:00, Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Opening Reception｜October 30, 2021, 14:00
Venue ｜102Art Gallery